Northwest Washington visitors to the new exhibition on toilets and the future of sanitation at the Gates Foundation Discovery Center in Seattle may be surprised to see a familiar name in a different context: Janicki.
The “A Better Way to Go” exhibit features the Janicki Omni Processor, described as “a low-cost method of treating waste in low-resource areas around the world” that “turns human waste into reclaimed products: drinkable water, fertilizer, and electricity in the form of methane that powers the plant.”
According to the exhibit, the “reinvented” waste treatment plant represented by the Omni Processor operates in four locations around the globe.
While the Janicki name is on the product, it is no longer on the company. But it used to be.
In 2011, according to the website of what is now called Sedron Technologies, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation approached Janicki Industries and its engineers to work on solving global sanitation problems. That led to the first Janicki Omni Processor. In 2014, the technology and Janicki Bioenergy spun out of Janicki Industries. In 2018, the spinoff ultimately rebranded as Sedron Technologies. As with Janicki Industries, Peter Janicki is CEO and the company is headquartered in Skagit County.
[ Read more: Tech innovator Janicki creates niche for products on the water, in the air and in space ]
Why the separation and later name change? A Sedron spokesperson explained the work in the “wastewater and upcycling space was drastically different than Janicki’s focus” and a new name helped fully differentiate the sister companies.
At one point, the Port of Skagit announced that Sedron planned to be headquartered in the Sedro-Woolley Innovation for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Center on the former Northern State Hospital campus with construction to begin in 2021. But the Port has confirmed Sedron ended its SWIFT lease in December 2022. Currently, Janicki Industries said Sedron also shares space at Janicki’s Bellingham facility.
Sedron continues to develop new technologies, such as its Firelight Toilet piloted at a state park in Washington and The Varcor system adopted by dairy farms for manure handling. The Varcor is also being used for wastewater in one Pierce County community and has been pitched by Sedron to the City of Bellingham to replace the aging wastewater treatment system.
The company won the top honor at the Association of Washington Business’ Manufacturing Excellence Award for Innovation in 2023.
Despite its global reach, the company’s ties to Skagit County are not only in its headquarters location, but also in its name: “Sedron,” a one-letter-added intentional nod to the “Sedro” in Sedro-Woolley.
Frank Catalano writes about business and related topics for CDN; reach him at frankcatalano@cascadiadaily.com.
