Estoban Practices Positive Sustainability

Estoban Practices Positive Sustainability
 
The Estoban Corporation, the manufacturer of the Chim-Scan® Internal Inspection Systems, has practiced sustainability for over 38 years during the life of its business. “We manufacture products right here in Iowa and have always repaired what we sell” states Shelley Urban, a 2nd generation owner. “We repair or update a piece of equipment until we can’t anymore. We update equipment for customers and make repairs instead of asking them to purchase a new product or a large part for the product. We track down the problem and repair the part that is broken. It’s important for us to keep our products in the field up and running so companies can keep working”. When a camera system has exhausted its usefulness and is no longer worth upgrading, Estoban recycles the old pieces. 
 
In addition to the strong commitment to recycling and repairs in manufacturing, Estoban takes other measures to save on energy. All our lights are energy-saving bulbs. This provides a brighter quality of light and makes our employees working environment pleasant.
 
Another energy saver is 90% of all the rooms have 2 or more windows. This gives us the option to turn the lights on only when we need them. Plus, windows in work areas have shades to help keep the hot Iowa summer outdoors.
 
In keeping with Tom Urban’s industry origins, the shop and office are heated with an outdoor wood furnace. During the winter months, it’s not uncommon to hear a chainsaw as Tom steps out to cut up more wood.
 
When it comes to equipment, LED Lights were implemented into the camera design around the turn of the century. Recently, Drill Battery Pack Adaptors were added as additional power sources for the Controller/Monitor. We can install this adaptor for Milwaukee, DeWalt and Rigid. Have something different? Just ask us.
 
Twice a month, you will find Esther and Ray gathering boxes, scrap materials, and other products to recycle. We even recycle printer cartridges which are doomed to contribute to landfills and take 1000 years to decompose. “It’s important for us to minimize our footprint and leave our legacy in other positive ways.
 
The most recent eco-friendly project has been the investment in 3-D printers. With these printers we create and manufacture several of our parts, the waste is minimal, and it saves on shipping and fuel.
 
An important part of Estoban’s positive sustainability plan is the employment of several local people. Because parts are made in-house, repairs and upgrades are easier and are a part of life. Estoban employs several local people with part-time and full-time jobs. “In the end, it’s all about people and sustainability regarding the quality of life on our planet. It gives us pleasure to do our part not only from an eco-friendly point of view but also giving back to our community” says Shelley Urban. “When the sun goes down, we feel good knowing we did the best we could”.