Geoff Folsom / Spokesman photoWorkers reprocess medical supplies at Medline ReNewal's new Redmond facility.

A company that recycles medical products is leading the way in industrial growth in Redmond.

Medline ReNewal, a division of Illinois-based Medline Industries Inc., opened its new facility last month at 1500 NE Hemlock Ave. in the Desert Rise industrial area in east Redmond. The 50,000-square-foot facility has 165 employees, 118 of them on the production floor.

Medline purchased Redmond-based Medisiss in 2012 and has expanded since. Mayor George Endicott said the company is responsible for 41 percent of Redmond’s industrial growth in recent years, adding that the jobs are well paying.

Medisiss had about 30 employees in 2003, then grew to 110 by 2011, Endicott said at a June 6 ribbon cutting.

“I constantly stress living-wage jobs and getting manufacturing into Redmond, and this is a perfect example of us achieving that,” he said.

Medline does not release salary information, but the company offers a competitive benefits, package, including 401k, as well as paid time off, company spokeswoman Stacy Rubenstein said.

Medline’s new Redmond facility also features an enviable break room, with a mountain view and wide selection of drinks and snacks for purchase.

Medline reprocessed 800,000 items last year, a number that is expected to grow with customer demand in 2017, Rubenstein said.

Medline receives used medical items and — using state-of-the-art technology to disinfect and sterilize them — typically turns them around for reuse within 15 days, said Steve Bettis, the Redmond-based vice president of operations for Medline ReNewal. The facility is regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

“We’re going to clean these devices, wash them, make sure they are safe to handle,” he said. “It’s a pretty intense process. Our employees are very, very talented.”

Reprocessing medical equipment, from compression sleeves to electronic surgical devices, can reduce medical device costs by 50 percent per year, according to Medline. It also helps save on the 2,000 tons of waste that operating rooms generate each day.

“We save hospitals magnificent amounts, so they can provide top level care to the patients that walk in the door,” said Frank Czajka, Medline ReNewal president. “We work with St. Charles in Redmond, we work with St. Charles in Bend, Prineville, they’re our customers.”

Medline has 60 distribution centers, 18 manufacturing facilities and more than 15,000 employees worldwide, but Redmond is its only location for medical reprocessing. Most of its $9.2 billion in sales come in making and distributing its own medical and surgical supplies.

The facility is helping Redmond and Central Oregon build a reputation for advanced manufacturing and biotechnology, along with outdoor recreation and beer, said Chris Harder, director of Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. He called the new building an upgrade over Medline’s old Redmond facility, which he toured about a year ago.

“What struck me most from that meeting, and I think it comes up again when you meet with the many employees here, is how impressed I was with their culture and their business model,” he said. “They’re renewing and refurbishing hospital equipment and supplies, they’re lowering health care costs, they’re making resources more available to patient care. I think for all of us standing out here who are consumers of healthcare, I think that’s something we can really get behind.”

Czajka praised state and local governments for helping the company with “very little hitch.” He said local staff is a major reason the company stayed in Redmond. He expects the facility to only grow in the future.

“This building is a sign of our commitment to that growth and our commitment to your community,” he said.

The facility was built by SunWest Builders of Redmond.

Medline had 30 customer organizations visit the area, meaning numerous hotel nights and restaurant visits brought money to Redmond, Czajka said. The company also has training events in Redmond.

“Everybody likes coming here, I certainly do too. I think the beer is very good,” he said, to laughs during the ceremony.

— Reporter: 541-548-2186, gfolsom@redmond spokesman.com