It’s nearly 4,600 miles (7,402.9 kilometers) from Offenburg, Germany, to La Vergne, Tennessee. But these two cities have a strong connection. What brings them together? meiko.
Why choose Nashville?
One of the world’s most respected names in commercial dishwashing and warewashing equipment, MEIKO is an industry-leading global brand that provides high-quality, reliable, environmentally conscious cleaning and sanitizing solutions.
Headquartered in Germany with operations in Europe, Asia and North America, MEIKO recently celebrated its 90th year in business. It was founded in 1927 by engineer Oskar Meier and businessman Franz Konrad on shared vision to “make the world a cleaner place.” Today, MEIKO has more than 2,000 employees in 30 countries. Its U.S. headquarters is located in La Vergne, Tennessee, near Nashville.
Why did MEIKO choose Nashville? Middle Tennessee’s highly skilled labor force and central location first brought MEIKO here. Today, the area’s growing economy helps keeps the company here. For example, from 2006 - 2015, the population of the 10-county region around Nashville grew more than 17%. And Nashville also attracts two of MEIKO’s biggest customers: the tourism and healthcare industries.
Exponential growth in Nashville
As of August 2018, Nashville ranks third among all U.S cities for hotel growth based on the number of hotels projects in the pipeline, according to the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database. And all these people have to eat! This SmartBrief article reports that the number of restaurants in Nashville grew a whopping 10% between 2010 and 2016, compared to just a 0.1% increase nationwide; the Nashville market accounts for about half of Tennessee’s restaurants.
Healthcare is a driving force
Healthcare is big in Nashville, too. The Nashville Health Care Council’s most recent annual report shows the city is home to 900+ healthcare-related companies generating more than $92 billion in global revenue, and more than 570,000 jobs. Nashville-based HCA Healthcare alone has $500 million of expansion projects planned for six of its hospitals by 2021.
MEIKO is growing with Nashville
As the area continues to grow, so does the need for warewashing, cleaning and disinfection technology. MEIKO’s U.S. operation produces 35 different warewashing machines, each with its own purpose and scope.
In addition to commercial dishwashers designed for foodservice applications, the company also has applications for the healthcare industry. Its TopLine bedpan washer-disinfectors have a one-touch system that helps eliminate user error, ensuring the stringent hygiene standards required by hospitals and care facilities are met.
MEIKO’s philosophy to “make the world a cleaner place” also means reducing environmental impacts through energy-efficient designs that use less water, energy and detergent, and are intensively field-tested to ensure quality. Its award-winning Waste Air Heat Recovery System (WAHRS) reclaims heat generated during use, and reuses it to enable hot-water sanitization from a cold-water supply, increasing energy savings and reducing costs.
Holistic, intelligent cleaning solutions
Whatever the need, MEIKO ensures clean, energy- and cost-saving dishwashing solutions for companies throughout Nashville, including hotels such as the Renaissance Nashville Hotel and the Holiday Inn Nashville at Vanderbilt; university cafeterias, including Vanderbilt and Belmont; restaurants and breweries, including 360 Bistro, Urban Grub and Craft Brewed; employee cafeterias located within Nashville businesses such as Caterpillar® Financial Services; healthcare and hospitality facilities, including Parthenon Pavilion and the Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education; and world-renowned Nashville tourist attractions, including The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.
