WARSAW — The largest employer in a four-county region announced it will be laying off more people.Zimmer announced that is eliminating positions as part of its global restructuring and transformation plan.
Zimmer’s headquarters are located in Warsaw.
The company released a statement last week saying it is making organizational changes that started in December.
“These changes resulted in the elimination of certain positions across the Company’s businesses and operating locations,” the statement read, “All affected employees will be supported with a range of severance and outplacement benefits. As Zimmer continues its transformative programs, the Company expects recent personnel reductions to be more than offset by future hiring.”
The transformation is aimed at streamlining business operations and will save more than 100 million dollars.
Of course, any talk of layoffs in a small town like Warsaw is bound to bring concern.
“It is tough for any area,” said Mark Dobson, the President of the Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce, “whether it is 10 folks, 100 folk, a thousand folks. In any community it is hard to hear that. But at the same time, there are really good things going on here. This might be more of a systematic type thing. Something more to Zimmer and not to the industry as a whole.”
Dobson says 50 percent of jobs in Warsaw are related to the orthopedic industry and the laid off employees from Zimmer may find work with other companies in the area.
Not everyone is worried though.
“It is almost recession proof,” said Warsaw Attorney, Stan Pequignot.
“I’ve had about a new knee every two years. I have both a Biomet and Zimmer knee,” said Pequignot who is not concerned about the future of Zimmer or other major employers in this orthopedic capital of the world.
Newspapers in Statesville North Carolina are also reporting that Zimmer has started a 12-month phase out of its plant there. That is expected to affect about 130 employees there.
