Company:Xyleco

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Xyleco
FounderMarshall Medoff
HeadquartersWakefield, Massachusetts
Websitehttp://www.xyleco.com

Xyleco is a privately held scientific research and manufacturing company in Wakefield, Massachusetts.[1] Xyleco is developing a process to convert biomass into useful products,[2] including cellulosic ethanol.[3] The board of directors includes Steven Chu. Former US Secretary of State George Shultz was a board member until his death in February of 2021.[4] Employee reviews of Xyleco are mixed. Some workers are extremely optimistic as the company grows, while other workers find management secretive and manipulative.[5]

Xyleco's process involves using ionizing radiation from an electron particle accelerator to break apart cellulose molecules.[2] Accelerators are energy-intensive, but treatment times are short.[6]

History

According to a 2019 story on "60 Minutes", the company was started by Marshall Medoff, a then 81-year old without a formal science education. He got his inspiration by spending time at Walden Pond, and studying research papers in a storage facility for 15 years.[2] During that time, he was granted over 300 patents.[7] Several 2002 patents were for plastic-cellulose-fiber composites expected to be stronger than ordinary plastic based on resins and wood fiber.[8] In 2004, Rubbermaid agreed to work with Xyleco to develop a material that would be stronger and cheaper than current materials.[9]

In 2009, Medoff hired his first employee, Craig Masterman, an MIT graduate in chemistry. Using $45 million from investors, they built a testing laboratory in Wakefield, Massachusetts,[2] in March 2015.[4]

Marshall Medoff

Marshall Medoff was born December 30, 1937. He died November 17th, 2021.[10]

Company reputation

Xyleco came to public attention in January 2019, when Lesley Stahl did a "60 Minutes" piece lauding Medoff as an eccentric but remarkably successful inventor.[11] Two months later, Lux Research published a review stating that "Lux views Xyleco with a great deal of skepticism... [G]iven its incorrect claims regarding the bioeconomy, exorbitantly expensive patent portfolio, unclear technology development history, and esteemed yet unrelated board, Lux believes that Xyleco is likely a scam."[12] Reviewers on Reddit were also highly skeptical of Medoff's claims.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Corporate Website". https://www.xyleco.com/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Stahl, Lesley (January 9, 2019). "Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products". 60 Minutes (CBS). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marshall-medoff-the-unlikely-eccentric-inventor-turning-inedible-plant-life-into-fuel-60-minutes/. 
  3. ↑ Xyleco Cellulosic Fuels, Corporate Website https://www.xyleco.com/cellulosic-fuels/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Board of Directors". Xyleco. https://www.xyleco.com/board/. 
  5. ↑ "Xyleco Employee Review". Glassdoor. https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Xyleco-RVW10742661.htm. 
  6. ↑ Henniges, Ute; Hasani, Merima; Potthast, Antje; Westman, Gunnar; Rosenau, Thomas (2013). "Electron Beam Irradiation of Cellulosic Materials—Opportunities and Limitations". Materials 6 (5): 1584–1598. doi:10.3390/ma6051584. ISSN 1996-1944. PMID 28809230. Bibcode: 2013Mate....6.1584H. 
  7. ↑ "Patents Assigned to Xyleco, Inc.". Justia. https://patents.justia.com/assignee/xyleco-inc. 
  8. ↑ Lauzon, Michael (December 23, 2002). "Xyleco patents plastic/wood technologies". Plastics News (Crain Communications). https://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20021223/news/312239974. Retrieved January 7, 2019. 
  9. ↑ Derosa, Angie (November 1, 2004). "Rubbermaid, Xyleco team up". Plastics News (Crain Communications). https://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20041101/NEWS/311019991/rubbermaid-xyleco-team-up. Retrieved January 7, 2019. 
  10. ↑ "Marshall Medoff Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information" (in en). https://www.goldmanfc.com/memorials/marshall-medoff/4786794/. 
  11. ↑ Stahl, Lesley (2019-06-23). "Xyleco's Marshall Medoff: The unlikely, eccentric inventor turning inedible plant life into fuel - 60 Minutes interview with biofuel idea man - CBS News" (in en-US). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marshall-medoff-the-unlikely-eccentric-inventor-turning-inedible-plant-life-into-fuel-60-minutes-2019-06-23/. 
  12. ↑ Hewage, Gihan (2019-03-11). "Xyleco: The next Bio-Based Scam Looking to Cash in on the Sustainability Craze - Lux Research" (in en-US). https://luxresearchinc.com/blog/xyleco-the-next-bio-based-scam-looking-to-cash-in-on-the-sustainability-craze/. 
  13. ↑ theberkshire (2019-01-07). "Xyleco's Marshall Medoff: The unlikely, eccentric inventor turning inedible plant life into fuel". http://www.reddit.com/r/climate/comments/addu73/xylecos_marshall_medoff_the_unlikely_eccentric/. 




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