Orthopedics Entrepreneur Named BioCrossroads Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ — At the seventh annual Indiana Life
Sciences Summit today, BioCrossroads recognized one of the state’s most
successful entrepreneurs Dane A. Miller, Ph. D, founder and former chief
executive officer of Biomet, with the August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion
of the Year award, a prestigious honor named in tribute to BioCrossroads’ late
Chairman.

Dr. Miller founded the global orthopedic giant, Biomet, just thirty years ago in
the orthopedics capital of the world, Warsaw, Indiana. A true entrepreneur, he
and several other founders (who also worked together to provide the angel
investment to start Biomet) wanted to build a company committed to providing
innovative solutions for the needs of the orthopedic industry. The company hit
$1.1 million in sales after only two years in business, rapidly establishing an
enterprise that, along with neighboring orthopedics giants Zimmer, Inc., and
DePuy Orthopaedics, has made Warsaw home to three of the world’s five largest
orthopedics device companies.

“The success of Biomet through Dane’s early vision and leadership has raised
Indiana’s national visibility as a center for the life sciences, and Warsaw as
the world capital of the orthopedic industry. In addition, because Warsaw is the
hotbed of the orthopedics world, many supportive companies have been built
around the area, employing thousands of people,” said D. Craig Brater, M.D.,
Dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine and Chairman of the Board of
BioCrossroads. “Dane is one of the primary catalysts for the surge in Kosciusko
and surrounding counties’ businesses and growth, and to keeping Indiana’s
economy strong because of his influence in the medical device industry.”

Some of Dr. Miller’s achievements:

— In only 25 years, the company went from $17,000 of revenue to nearly
$2.0 billion, sold products in more than 100 countries and hired more
than 6,300 “team members”.
— Even though Miller is not from Indiana, rather than moving the company
outside of the state, he decided to stay in Warsaw, and consistently
expanded Biomet’s facilities and employee headcount when he was CEO.
— He was named Indiana Small Business Person of the Year in 1984.
— In 1991, President George H.W. Bush awarded him with the Small Business
Association National Entrepreneurial Success award.
— In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels named Miller to the inaugural board of
directors of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
— Even though his company was making over a billion dollars and CEOs at
other billion dollar companies were taking home million dollar salaries,
Miller kept his salary relatively low. In fact, he was recognized by
Forbes magazine as representing one of the best “values” for
shareholders among CEOs in the country.
— Miller’s philanthropic commitment has made a unique impact on the
Kosciusko County landscape. In 2003, Miller received the Historic
Landmarks Foundation of Indiana award for restoration of Warsaw’s
neighboring community Winona Lake; in 2010, Miller led the initiative to
move the national headquarters of the Remnant Trust to Kosciusko County.
“On behalf of Indiana’s medical device industry, it is a great honor to receive
this coveted award,” Dr. Miller. “This is a thanks to the entire team at Biomet
for their dedicated efforts, so I share this distinction with them.”

In addition, as part of the award, BioCrossroads is giving grants to two
teachers in Kosciusko County, where Dr. Miller lives, in the science,
technology, engineering or mathematics disciplines to pursue professional
development.

The Watanabe Award is presented annual to an individual who has made a
significant positive impact on the growth of the state’s life sciences sector,
made noteworthy achievements in the development and promotion Indiana’s life
sciences and personifies the emerging face of the Indiana life sciences
industry. Nominations for the 2010 award were submitted to BioCrossroads and a
list of finalists was determined. The award winner was voted on by the
BioCrossroads Board of Directors.

AboutBioCrossroads

BioCrossroads (www.biocrossroads.com) is Indiana’s initiative to grow, advance
and invest in the life sciences, a public-private collaboration that supports
the region’s research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business
development. BioCrossroads provides money and support to life sciences
businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (Indiana Health Information
Exchange, Fairbanks Institute for Healthy Communities, BioCrossroadsLINX,
Datalys Center and OrthoWorx) expands collaboration and partnerships among
Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets
Indiana’s life sciences industry.

SOURCE BioCrossroads