Zimmer Holdings Inc. announced Monday it will expand its north-central Indiana operations in Warsaw, creating nearly 100 new jobs by 2011.
The maker of joint replacements, spinal systems and other implants plans to invest more than $19 million to add approximately 50,000 square feet to its foundry operations.
This will boost automation of the facility and increasing annual output by approximately 1.3 million castings a year, according to a press release from the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
Zimmer will begin in Warsaw hiring engineers, supervisors and machine operators in 2009 to staff the expanded facility. The company currently employs approximately 2,800 at its Warsaw operations.
Zimmer's expansion in Warsaw is the fourth in four years for the 81-year-old company. In 2007, the company announced a $66 million project to add 120,000 square feet to its manufacturing and distribution facility, creating more than 140 new jobs.
In 2005, the company announced plans to expand its global research and development center, adding 275 high-tech jobs and nearly 100,000 square feet of laboratory workspace to the company's Warsaw West campus. In 2004, the company announced a $64 million project to expand its manufacturing and distribution centers in Warsaw.
"Companies like Zimmer can locate new job-creating investment anywhere. For the fourth time in four years, Indiana has won the global competition for new investment from Zimmer, and Hoosiers will benefit from the new jobs the company will create for years to come," said Gov. Mitch Daniels in the press release.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Zimmer up to $40,000 in performance-based tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. Warsaw will provide the company with property tax abatement.
"We are making a number of quality and infrastructure investments to prepare Zimmer to compete in the health care markets of the future," said Zimmer Holdings President and Chief Executive Officer David Dvorak.
"The demand for joint replacements continues to grow worldwide and we are pleased to be adding this state-of-the-art foundry to our Warsaw facilities to address growth in a very cost-effective manner," he said.
