Autocam Medical appreciates Warsaw’s orthopedic workforce — already!
This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Autocam Medical CEO John C. Kennedy was so enamored with Warsaw’s orthopedic workforce that his company reached out to Medtronic two days after the Warsaw company announced plans to move its Warsaw operations elsewhere.
They wanted to acquire the Medtronic plant along US 30, and even though that plan fell through, it gave the Kentwood, Mich., company a foot in the door.
Autocam has been using space inside Medtronic’s US 30 facility in the Warsaw Technology Park for roughly two years and has seen firsthand the type of workers they can attract.
“There’s a unique culture here that I can sense that is very serious about manufacturing high-quality projects,” Kennedy said Thursday at a groundbreaking for its future plant just west of the Medtronic property that he had earlier sought to acquire.
“It’s unbelievable the amount of interest we get,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had some ads we’ve run, and we’ll get 100 applicants coming out of the Warsaw area, and these are good people.”
“These are people that have CNC machining experience that we’re looking for — very high caliber workforce here, and we have not seen that anywhere else in the country,” Kennedy added.
Autocam Medical manufactures precision-machined surgical implants, instruments and components for the orthopedic industry.
Heavy machinery is already on-site, doing initial work ahead of the construction of a $70 million, 100,000-square-foot plant that will be home to 300 good-paying jobs.
City leaders are just as happy about Autocam’s decision to expand in Warsaw.
The company is known for its training assistance and apprenticeships in the Grand Rapids area, and Kennedy said he has already talked with Kosciusko County Ivy Tech about similar training support.
City Council President Jack Wihite said he sees a parallel between Autocam and a company he spent much of his career with — Biomet.
“It appears that they are very much an on-the-job training company that also promotes from within as much as they can and helps get their employees the training and education they need to grow,” Wilhite said.
“I find that very exciting for our young folks. In this day and age, when college is so expensive … This is an opportunity for people to get a job, start to grow without having to put out a bunch of money up front and learn as they grow,” Wilhite said.
It’s also another chapter in the growing technology park that was launched roughly ten years ago by Jeremy Skinner, the city’s director of community and economic development, who works closely with the city redevelopment commission.
Since its opening, the city has invested about $5 million in infrastructure into the park, while companies have added about $100 million in private investment.
That has spurred 555 new jobs in the park with an annual payroll of about $36 million.
“Today, we’re here to start a great partnership with Auctocam Medical, and excited to see their new investment, 100,000 square feet,” that will be added to the (existing) 510,000 (square feet), Skinner said.
Koscciusko County Economic Development Executive Director Peggy Friday recalled the day she met with Autocam officials about their intentions.
As it turns out, it was just hours after she and other officials learned about Slate Auto’s plans to revamp the old RR Donnelley and Sons plant west of Warsaw for a future electric pickup truck manufacturing plant that will result in 1,900 new jobs.
After that discussion, Friday said she hopped in a car to meet with Autocam officials.
“We always remember where we were and what we were doing when something special happens,” Friday said.
“We’re really thrilled,” Friday said. “It’s projects like this that keep us as the orthopedic capital … Thank you so much for investing in Warsaw.”
Construction of the new plant is expected to be complete this fall.
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