Green Technology Manufacturing
Medco Equipment has been dedicated to
“Green Technology Manufacturing” since 1994.
Our plant is nestled high on the pristine eastern bluffs of the St. Croix River overlooking Stillwater Minnesota (the birthplace of MN). Because of its natural beauty, the St. Croix River and its Valley is federally protected under the “Scenic and Wild Rivers Act of 1976”. It has been referred to by many locals as, “the Grand Canyon of the Mid-West”.
This love of nature echoes in the hearts of Medco’s founders and their employees and to many of its local vendors who greatly appreciate this beautiful World in which we live and care for. Everyone at Medco enjoys the Great Outdoors and all of the treasured natural resources that are abundant in the protected river valley. Medco offers its employees a half day work day on Fridays throughout the year (closed at noon) so that everyone can enjoy getting out on the weekends to join in their favorite outdoor activity. Weather its camping and canoeing in the summer or snow shooing and skiing in the winter we support and value all of our people and their families.
Our “Stainless Steel” multi-purpose wheelchair washer is built to last over 40 years.
After that time - the stainless steel cabinets, parts and fasteners can easily be recycled.
The plastic masking (sheets) that is applied to both sides of the stainless steel is removed after the washer is completely built and then recycled as packing material for Medco parts to be shipped out.
At that time the end user can easily recycle the plastic again with their local Waste Management service.
All card board boxes that come into Medco are saved and reused to send out parts, what can’t be reused is recycled with our weekly waste company.
Employees are encouraged to bring in unneeded small boxes from home to be reused for outbound shipments.
All scrap copper fittings and wire from production is saved and sold to a local scrap yard for recycling.
We save small pieces of plywood that come with every motor we buy. We cut them in half and use them as shims and place them in every installation kit included with the washer.
All paper is recycled each week.
All leftover organic material from the kitchen is composted and used throughout our three plus acers of trees and green space.
About our “Green Facility”
100% of Medco’s employees live within four miles of our company. That almost eliminates our commuting carbon footprint and allows more home time for the employees because of their ten minute commute.
Our building is completely built with cement blocks which is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Our total energy cost average is less than $250 per month. Additional high R factor insulation is used in all of the office walls and ceilings. The production shop and warehouse enjoys high efficient infer-red heating, while the offices enjoy new state of the art high efficient central heat and air. In the summer small fans are used in the shop and offices to help cool smaller work spaces to reduce unneeded additional central cooling. Fresh natural air cross ventilation thru open windows for cooling is used and enjoyed whenever possible.
Natural light is poured into the warehouse and offices through large skylights and windows greatly reducing the need for electric lighting. All lights are turned off whenever possible such as rest rooms, kitchen, workout, storage and warehouse areas. Lights are never left on overnight including exterior lighting to reduce night light pollution and to allow wildlife to wander freely.
The types of wildlife that freely wanders and graze our property is almost endless. Humming birds to Eagles, white tail deer to fox and badgers. We are called the Badger State and just across the river is Minnesota - “Land of over 10,000 Lakes.” We are fortunate to live and work in harmony in such a beautiful wilderness.
Winter in Medco