Emphasizing Innovation on National Entrepreneur Day
An entrepreneur is an innovator; an individual who develops an enterprise with groundbreaking results. As part of National Entrepreneur Day on November 16, we’re taking a look back at the history of Excel Dryer and how our leadership has worked over the past few decades to bring revolutionary ideas to life.
A Timeline of Ingenuity
For more than 20 years, Excel Dryer has consistently led the industry by raising the bar with performance, sustainability, product transparency and hygiene commitments. Since buying the company in the 1990s, President Denis Gagnon has paved the way for an array of industry firsts, including:
- 2001: We introduced the XLERATOR® Hand Dryer, creating the high-speed, energy-efficient product category. This new, patented technology set the standard for performance, reliability and customer satisfaction that still stands today.
- 2003: We became the first hand dryer manufacturer to become a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
- 2009: We became the first hand dryer manufacturer to commission an independent, third-party Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers. The results showed a 70% reduced carbon footprint over conventional dryers and paper towels.
- 2016: Alongside UL Environment, we celebrated the publication of the first-ever global Product Category Rule (PCR) developed for the hand dryer industry.
- 2017: Three Excel Dryer Hand Dryers were evaluated, and their claims substantiated, with the publication of the hand dryer industry’s first Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) by SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company.
- 2019: Three Excel Dryer Hand Dryers were evaluated, and their product and environmental claims substantiated, with the publication of three corresponding Health Product Declarations (HPDs).
- 2020: At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, new viral filtration testing conducted by LMS Technologies found that XLERATOR and XLERATORsync® Hand Dryers with HEPA Filtration Systems remove 99.999% of viruses from the airstream—making them the first to back up this claim.
Innovation on American Soil
While profit is the bottom line for some entrepreneurs, the leadership at Excel prioritizes loyalty to the American workforce. While accomplishing the previously mentioned feats, we have always remained a proud American manufacturer. Have we mentioned that the XLERATOR line of products is the first and only to achieve the Made In USA® certification?
To emphasize this commitment, in 2013, Denis Gagnon was interviewed by NPR regarding the importance of his facility’s location in the United States. When asked if he would ever consider moving the company’s manufacturing from Massachusetts to a location overseas, he responded with his long-held mantra, “Not my attitude; never happen on my watch. I’ve expanded this facility twice. I have no intention of ever relocating the manufacturing offshore. We’ll be smart enough to make it here in the United States.”
We are excited to share our accomplishments with you and promise to continue our efforts to lead the hand dryer industry while maintaining this vital loyalty to our American workers. Contact us to learn more about our groundbreaking line of hand dryers today.