Clark County at Work: Pedigo Products Inc.

Business name: Pedigo Products Inc.

Owner: Rick Pedigo.

Customer service manager: Bill Byer.

Chief financial officer: Joel Richter.

Address: 4000 S.E. Columbia Way.

What the business does: Pedigo is a family-owned business that manufactures stainless-steel medical equipment for hospitals, doctors offices, surgery centers and clinics throughout the United States.

Building the business: Pedigo continues to invest in product improvement and development. One example is the ETHOS Surgical Platform, which has been developed in partnership with a local surgeon. The company also continues its emphasis on quality, value and excellence in customer service. Industry feedback indicates Pedigo is recognized as top tier in these areas. It will continue to focus on plugging into and working with the unique distribution components of the health care industry, the company says.

Greatest challenge: As part of the Affordable Care Act, a new excise tax will be imposed on manufacturers of medical devices effective Jan. 1. The company says that responding to the new tax, if it remains in place, will be one of its greatest challenges.

Overall, company leaders said, the health care industry is tied extremely closely to decisions made in Washington, D.C., especially those regarding health care, The health of the economy also affects hospital spending very directly when it comes to things such as elective surgeries.

A favorite part of the job: Richter and Byer said they are proud that their company’s products are used by health care providers in helping patients get well. There’s a very high level of satisfaction knowing that all of Pedigo’s employees, through the products they make and the service that they provide to customers, are very much part of treating patients, they said. Richter and Byer also said they are happy with their commitment to making products in Clark County. The “Made in the USA” label carries a lot of weight with many of their customers, Richter and Byer said, adding that they are proud to be able to provide an array of manufacturing jobs and see the quality and ingenuity of American manufacturing through their company’s work.

What’s ahead: Pedigo is in the midst of a significant redesign of one of its major products: the surgical case cart. The company is wrapping up final testing and is planning a product launch later this year. Pedigo also has projects in the works relating to products and improvements to manufacturing processes, internal operations and distribution systems.

Business philosophy: The company started in Southern California. As it grew, the owners said they realized they needed more space and moved the firm to the Northwest for more opportunities for their employees. Byer said his company’s philosophy is to hire the best people and provide the best service in the industry.Established in Clark County: 1993.Employees: About 100.

Telephone: 360-695-3500.

Website: Click here.

Hours:7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.