Paragon Celebrates New 3D Printing Facility At Pierceton

The Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting for Paragon Medical’s new additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, facility on its campus off Pequignot Drive in Pierceton on Wednesday, June 21. The building allows for printing of medical implants.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

PIERCETON — Paragon Medical leaders have desired to incorporate an additive manufacturing, or 3D printing facility, at Pierceton for years.

On Wednesday, June 21, they celebrated that accomplishment with the help of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber had a ribbon-cutting for the company’s new 34,000-square-foot building at its campus off Pequignot Drive. Also present to mark the occasion were first shift employees from Paragon’s Pierceton and Warsaw locations; Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. CEO Alan Tio; Kosciusko County Council Vice President Kathy Groninger and Member Kim Cates; and Pierceton Town Council President Matt Brubaker, Vice President Janet Castle and Town Clerk-Treasurer Myra Mast.

The facility, for which ground was broken in September 2021, is focused on printing medical implants.

In a speech before the ribbon-cutting, Paragon CEO Wil Boren noted the facility means the company is “in a unique position in the marketplace as we are one of the very few in this segment that can conduct almost all of the steps it takes to manufacture an additive product.”

“So simply stated, when our plant is fully operational, we will do every step of the additive process with the exception of sterilization,” he said.

Boren noted he’d been “excited … for the transformation of additive manufacturing, 3D printing, would actually have on the orthopedic industry” 19 years ago when he worked at Biomet.

“Unfortunately, at that time, the market wasn’t ready,” he said.

Boren said the FDA wasn’t “approving many (3D) products” then.

“Well, this is no longer true,” he said. “This market is ready for more innovation and additive technology is here to make it even more exciting, and the FDA is approving hundreds of additive products per year.”

He then thanked various Paragon employees, including those at the other buildings on Pierceton’s campus who create instruments to help doctors put implants in patients’ bodies and cases and trays to hold those instruments.

Boren said Paragon’s operations working off each other “means progress in our industry.”

“This means growth for our company,” he said. “This means jobs. This means we are continuing the legacy we will have for the next generation of our family members working at Paragon Medical.”

He thanked Paragon Vice President of Innovation and Technology Dan Owens and Founder Toby Buck, stating they had dreamed of having such a facility at Pierceton for more than 10 years.

Boren noted a boardroom in the new building had been named after Buck to honor him.

After the ribbon-cutting, Brubaker shared the new facility “is instrumental for (Pierceton).”

“What they’ve given to the community (over the years) is just phenomenal, and we’re happy that they chose 32 years ago to pick our little town (to settle in),” he added. “I know it’s really made our town grow, and hopefully we can continue to grow with them.”