Xyleco

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. Several 2002 patents were for plastic-cellulose-fiber composites expected to be stronger than ordinary plastic based on resins and wood fiber. In 2004, Rubbermaid agreed to work with Xyleco to develop a material that would be stronger and cheaper than current materials. 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, in March 2015. ==Marshall Medoff==

Marshall Medoff was born December 30, 1937. He died November 17th, 2021. ==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. 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." Reviewers on Reddit were also highly skeptical of Medoff's claims. ==See also==