MECO balances tradition and competition in the face of domestic manufacturing challanges
MECO's President, Whitney Winter is devoted to bringing more jobs back to Greene County.
Amid rising tensions in global trade, domestic manufacturers in the U.S. are becoming increasingly vulnerable to competition from China. With China’s vast production capabilities, lower labor costs, subsidized raw materials, and government-backed industrial policies, American manufacturers face an uphill battle to retain their domestic and international market share.
That is certainly the case for MECO Corporation in Greene County. The President, Whitney Winter has dedicated her career to the company and has advocated at the state and national level for a change. At its height of production, the manufacturing company had about 900 employees. It was one of the largest employers of people in Greeneville. However, once China subsidized steel and labor, a large portion of the business moved overseas.
Winter has been with MECO for nearly three decades, spending the past two years as President. She’s watched the detrimental effects of overseas manufacturing on the business.
“It’s constantly a fight to be a domestic manufacturer competing against production, prices, and materials made in China,” Winter said.
She graduated from East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in the late 90s and was immediately hired by MECO as a product manager.
“I grew up here, so it was good to come back home. The job just felt right, and this company’s culture is what made me stay all this time,” she said.
MECO has been around since the 1950s and has manufactured everything from bomb fins and boat trailers to charcoal grills and folding furniture.
In 2024, the company focuses most of its production on residential charcoal and electric outdoor grills and smokers under the Americana Grills brand. The folding furniture production has moved overseas; however, MECO continues to distribute folding furniture under the Sudden Comfort and Stakmore brands.
Today, the Greene County manufacturer has about 170 employees, who operate with extreme efficiency. Each day, those employees produce over 4,000 grills. But, Winter is thinking even bigger!
“My goal is to ultimately get even more cars in that big parking lot and restore many of the job opportunities we once had here,” she said.
In addition to her advocacy for changed policies that would benefit domestic manufacturers of steel goods, Winter also spent a lot of time cultivating the company culture that attracted her 26 years ago.
“We are focused on making MECO a great place to work. We have unique employee appreciation days, frequently bring in food, and find ways to make people feel seen and special,” she said.
That comes with impromptu holiday celebrations like Biscuit Day, Banana Split Day, Root Beer Float Day, and more. The company’s social media is filled with fun events, activities, employee spotlights, and festivities.
“Our goal is to provide meaningful employment, where they feel supported and have a community. It’s not just work for them, it’s a place they want to be,” Winter said.
Additionally, MECO spends a lot of time and resources participating in giving campaigns and supporting organizations local to Greene County. For example, they work closely with the Greene County Partnership to engage with the Greeneville community and offer job shadow opportunities, work-based learning opportunities, student and adult leadership tours, and internship programs.
Winter shared that one of her favorite outreach programs at MECO is student field trips. Each year, they have schools come to tour the facility to get students interested in careers in manufacturing, engineering, and operations.
In 2024, MECO hosted five interns across five different departments. Those students came from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), Walters State, and ETSU.
“We need to show people that there’s so much more happening here than just manufacturing grills. A career at MECO has a lot to offer,” Winter said, pointing at herself as an example.
Through the leadership team’s efforts, MECO has become a central part of Greeneville’s growing and thriving ecosystem. She hopes that the company will continue to build on its American legacy for years to come.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!