Indiana Main Street
Mayors’ Workshop
2021

Post COVID-19

 
 
 

Warsaw

 

Background

 
 
 

Warsaw is a city in and the county seat of Kosciusko County, with 15,150 residents. Warsaw business is strongly in medical manufacturing, and is sometimes called the orthopedic capital of the world, as it is the headquarters to three of the world's top seven orthopedic companies in terms of sales. The city was platted on October 21, 1836, and named after the capital city of Poland as a tribute to Thaddeus Kosciusko, the Polish-Lithuanian and American general. The city has a number of beautiful lakes and creeks, which have become popular tourist spots, including Pike Lake, Center Lake, Eagle Creek, and Walnut Creek.

 
 
 

Mayor

Honorable Joseph Thallemer

Years in Office

8

 

City Representative

Jeremy Skinner, Director of Planning & Zoning

 

Community Stakeholder

Dave Gustafson

 

Mayor Joseph Thallemer was first elected as Mayor in 2011, and was reelected in 2015, and 2019. Previously, Mayor Thallemer served three terms as City Councilman At-Large, serving as City Council president during his last term. Thallamer was first appointed to the Warsaw Plan Commission in 1995, where he served for 13 years, the last eight of which as the Plan Commission president. As chairman of the Curbside Waste Task Force, he initiated the city-wide curbside recycling program in 2003. He has also served on numerous local commissions and boards, including the Warsaw Traffic Commission, Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District board, and the Warsaw Aviation Board. 

 
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Data

Population

15,150

Median Household Income

$53,637

Years in Office

Zimmer Biomet Holdings
Biomet Manufacturing
Depuy Joint 

 

Land Area

14.71 mi²

Bachelor’s degree or higher

29.8%

Poverty Rate

13.7%

Warsaw has grown its population by 10.5% since 2010. Despite rapid growth, Warsaw still accounts for less than 20% of Kosciusko County’s population. The area is home to a cluster of very high-value orthopedics companies. The Warsaw area has significant natural amenities in the form of high-quality lakes, and the county is home to prestigious lake communities. Warsaw’s college degree attainment of 29.8% is higher than many Indiana small towns but slightly trails the national average despite the high levels of knowledge economy jobs locally. Warsaw sits between two larger metro areas, and its challenge is to determine the best role it can play in that environment, and how to become a greater residential community of choice for people working at the area’s high-value employers.

Aaron Renn

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