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Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. and Grace College on Thursday announced that Zimmer Biomet will donate its current global headquarters building at 345 E. Main St., Warsaw, to Grace College.
Grace College will gain ownership to the building in early 2027, advancing its commitment to STEM education and orthopedic innovation through its Catalyst Corridor project. This project is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its College and Community Collaboration initiative, according to a news release from Zimmer Biomet.
Zimmer Biomet will relocate its global headquarters to 1800 W. Center St., Warsaw — the largest orthopedic manufacturing facility in the world. The move brings the company's global headquarters under the same roof as its most expansive manufacturing operation, deepening the connection between strategic decision-making and the advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities that have defined Zimmer Biomet for decades, the release states.
“Warsaw is where Zimmer Biomet was born, and it will always be central to our future,” said Ivan Tornos, chairman, president and CEO of Zimmer Biomet. “This community and its workforce are the backbone of our company and the global orthopedic industry. This donation to Grace College is a token of our gratitude to the community that helped build us into one of the largest medical technology companies in the world. We are proud to see its legacy continue to enrich the Warsaw community and know that its impact will continue to be felt for generations to come, both locally and around the world.”
The 345 E. Main St. facility, known as Building 3, has served as Zimmer Biomet's global headquarters since 2001. Zimmer Biomet will maintain a presence in the building, as will Plug and Play, the global innovation platform that connects startups with leading corporations. The continued presence of organizations such as Zimmer Biomet and Plug and Play reflects the forward-looking, innovation-driven environment that Grace College envisions for the facility.
“We are profoundly grateful to Zimmer Biomet for this generous donation,” said Dr. Drew Flamm, president of Grace College. “This building represents an extraordinary opportunity for Grace College to further expand academic programs through our School of Science and Engineering and create new opportunities for students, researchers and industry partners alike. We look forward to sharing more of our vision to advance Warsaw’s rightful place as the Orthopedic Capital of the World and drive innovation and workforce development for generations to come.”
Jeff Grose, mayor of Warsaw, praised the announcement as a testament to the strength of the city's orthopedic ecosystem.
“This announcement is a point of pride for our entire community. Zimmer Biomet's decision to donate this building to Grace College and to recommit its global headquarters right here in Warsaw speaks volumes about the strength of our workforce, our institutions and our shared future. No other city in the world has an orthopedic ecosystem like ours, and today it just got stronger,” he said.
Grace College, located in Winona Lake, has expanded its academic programs in recent years to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the orthopedic and medical technology sectors, including the addition of its orthopedic MBA. Zimmer Biomet’s donation is expected to serve as a catalyst for the college's continued growth in these areas.
Consolidation Of Certain Operations
In an additonal information provided, Zimmer Biomet said it routinely reviews aspects of its manufacturing footprint to ensure their global supply chain is operating as efficiently as possible and to position the business for long-term growth. As part of a recent review, they have announced plans to consolidate certain manufacturing operations across our North American operations in New Jersey and Indiana.
By the end of 2027, they plan to wind down production at their Fair Lawn and Farmingdale, N.J., sites and transfer that and a portion of manufacturing operations in their Parsippany, N.J., facility to their existing manufacturing sites in Warsaw or through existing third-party manufacturers.
They also announced to employees in Warsaw today that by the end of 2028, they intend to consolidate four manufacturing facilities from their North Campus in Warsaw (Buildings A, B, D and E) to existing facilities on their West Campus in Warsaw (Buildings 4, 5 10 & 19).
Over the past five years, Zimmer Biomet has invested approximately $300 million in their West Campus facilities to ensure they are operating truly world-class facilities, the release states. From a distribution perspective, Zimmer Biomet is consolidating the bulk of their Warsaw distribution center activity into a more centralized distribution Center of Excellence (COE) in Indianapolis. Distribution activities currently performed in Warsaw will begin transitioning to this new site in early 2027, with the goal to be completed by early 2028.
There are no immediate changes to team member roles or responsibilities in Warsaw as a result of these announcements, and Zimmer Biomet intends to maintain all manufacturing roles associated with this transition. They’ve made these announcements with significant advanced notice to enable them to train employees for new roles at Zimmer Biomet over time while maintaining product quality, regulatory compliance and uninterrupted supply for customers around the world. With the manufacturing being consolidated into Warsaw, along with their new product introduction roadmap, Zimmer Biomet anticipates the overall output from our facilities in Warsaw will increase compared to today’s production levels.
“Zimmer Biomet has proudly called Warsaw home for nearly 100 years. This announcement reinforces our commitment to maintain our global headquarters in Warsaw and this city’s strategic importance within our global network. The trust to continue to move new manufacturing into Warsaw reflects the strength and expertise of our workforce and underscores our continued commitment to invest in our local team’s capabilities. We remain focused on supporting our employees, advancing operational excellence and maintaining a strong presence in the community for years to come,” the release states.
For more information about Zimmer Biomet, visit www.zimmerbiomet.com or follow on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/zimmerbiomet or X at www.x.com/zimmerbiomet.
For more information about Grace College, visit www.grace.edu.
