Environmental Waste appoints new director

Valdis Martinsons will join the board of Environmental Waste International Inc. (EWI), subject to regulatory approval. Martinsons brings a wealth of experience in high tech businesses to EWI. He is presently chief operating officer of iTMethods, a provider of business agnostic technology infrastructure operations for the small-medium business market.

Martinsons is a professional engineer with a Master of Applied Sciences engineering degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. He was chief information officer of Virgin Mobile Canada, where he oversaw their launch as well as developing their multiyear infrastructure and foundational roadmap. Prior to that, he was chief information officer of Research in Motion, responsible for all Blackberry operations worldwide.

Tube City appoints director of outsource purchasing

Tube City IMS, LLC, a provider of products and services to steel mills and foundries globally, announced the appointment of Hideto Hata as director of outsource purchasing and sales for Central and South America.

Hata will be working with the Company’s raw material and optimization group to generate new business.

Prior to joining Tube City, Hata worked in a variety of positions for Sojitz Corporation in Tokyo, Japan, Caracas, Venezuela and New York City. Hata is based in New York City.

VisionMonitor Software hires new senior executive

VisionMonitor Software has hired Max D. Jones as executive director of Business Solutions. Jones joins VisionMonitor Software after a successful career as senior consultant at the firm Environmental Resources Management in Houston, Texas.

Jones has more than 23 years of experience in the petrochemical manufacturing, petroleum refining and exploration and production sectors with over 19 years of expertise in all aspects of environmental, health, safety and risk management. His experience includes strategic development and implementation of compliance assurance management systems (CAMS), behavior-based employee programs, process safety management and corrective action tracking systems. In addition, Jones has extensive experience in developing strategies for reducing costs associated with acquiring property/casualty insurance for manufacturing sites. Previously Jones held the position of director of EHS & Security for Texas Petrochemicals in Houston, Texas.

Oil Purification Systems named as a top innovator

Oil Purification Systems (OPS) announced that it has been selected as a winner of the annual New England Venture Summit Top Innovator award by youngStartup Ventures. The list of privately held companies recognizes those that play a leading role in innovation for the Technology, Life Sciences and Clean-tech sectors.

Morbark and Strongco form Canadian alliance

Morbark announced the signing of a dealership agreement with Strongco Limited Partnership in Western Canada. With Strongco’s five locations in Alberta, Morbark customers in western Canada now have convenient access to equipment, service and sales.

Strongco Limited Partnership is one of the largest multi-line industrial equipment distribution providers in Canada.

Strongco sells, rents and services mobile industrial equipment in the construction, road building, mining, forestry, utilities and municipal sectors of the economy. It also represents several leading equipment manufacturers, such as Volvo, Dressta and Manitowoc.

Greenstar appoints Michael Simmons CEO

Houston-based Greenstar North America announced the appointment of Michael Simmons as its chief executive officer.

Simmons, who joined Greenstar in December 2009, brings an exceptional track record with 20 years operational leadership experience in senior positions. Most recently, Simmons came to Greenstar from Q Investments where he served as senior operating partner.

Simmons will replace Mike Wynne, who has been serving as interim CEO during Greenstar’s chief executive search. Wynne will continue in his role as chairman and chief executive of NTR’s International Recycling Operations. NTR, a renewable energy group, is a leading developer of renewable energy and recycling, based in Dublin, Ireland.

Glantz Iron & Metals hits 100th year anniversary

Glantz Iron & Metals, Inc., located in Great Neck, New York will celebrate its 100th year anniversary in 2010.

The business was started in 1910 by Harry Glantz, using a horse and buggy, to pick up scrap metal in and around New York City. At that time, they serviced strictly plumbers. When Harry’s son, Hy Glantz, came into the business, they started handling scrap metal generated by breweries and shipyards. Three generations later, the company now purchases scrap metal from manufacturers, generators, dealers and processors, and markets it domestically and internationally.

Paul Glantz, president of MRC, says “Our centennial celebration is a tremendous milestone. 100 years of environmentally-sound scrap metal recycling makes us a pioneer, a trailblazer some say, in the recycling industry. We are one of the oldest recycling companies in the United States. We were recycling decades before it became popular, and years before the term ‘recycling’ was coined.”

Electronic Recyclers to partner with LS-Nikko

Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), located in Fresno, California, has formed a partnership with copper smelter LS-Nikko, Seoul, South Korea under which LS-Nikko will accept commodities from ERI’s electronics recycling facilities for further processing. As part of the agreement, LS-Nikko will also take a minority investment position in ERI.

Partnership launches Recycling Rocks program

Live Nation, a live music company, and Waste Management, Inc. announced a multi-year agreement encompassing Live Nation’s venues, concerts, tickets and online platform.

Under the agreement, Waste Management becomes the official waste services and recycling sponsor of 66 Live Nation venues across the country. Waste Management will be providing waste assessments to help minimize waste and promote recycling at all Live Nation venues, including concessions and backstage areas.

New dealer for Doosan Infracore named

Cowin Equipment Company of Birmingham, Alabama, now offers the full line of Doosan Infracore Portable Power products in the Atlanta market. The company offers Ingersoll Rand-branded air compressors, generators, lighting systems and light compaction equipment.

Mascoma appoints Brady as CEO and to board

Mascoma Corporation announced the appointment of William J. Brady as the new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Brady will also join the boards of directors of Mascoma and Frontier Renewable Resources, LLC.

With twenty-three years of experience at Cabot Corporation, a chemical industry leader, Brady is poised to lead Mascoma into full commercial operations.

Until assuming his new role at Mascoma, Brady served as executive vice president and general manager of several operating divisions at Cabot Corporation, leading business units from technical development through successful commercialization, as well as managing global capital-intensive businesses and developing strategic relationships with large global customers.

Metalico elects Sean Duffy to board of directors

Metalico, Inc. announced that Sean P. Duffy, a long-time recycling executive, has been elected to the Company’s board of directors.

Duffy will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Earl B. Cornette, who is stepping down from the board as of the end of the year.

Duffy is the president of FCR Recycling based in Charlotte, North Carolina and a regional vice president of its parent, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. FCR processes and resells recyclable materials originating from the municipal solid waste stream, including newsprint, cardboard, office paper, containers and bottles. Duffy co-founded FCR in 1983 and served that company in various capacities, including president, until it was acquired by Casella in 1999.

Cornette has been a director of Metalico since the Company’s founding in 1997. He is a retired executive in the lead and environmental industries.

Waste Management’s dividend payment raised

Waste Management, Inc. announced that its board of directors has approved an 8.6 percent increase in the quarterly dividend rate, from $0.29 to $0.315 per share. This marks the sixth consecutive year that the Company has increased its quarterly dividend. Future quarterly dividends must first be declared by its board of directors prior to payment.

“This announcement reflects our continued commitment to returning cash to our shareholders,” said David P. Steiner, chief executive officer of Waste Management, Inc.

The Company noted that the board of directors will declare the first quarter 2010 dividend in February, at which time the record and payment dates for the first 2010 quarterly dividend will be announced. It is expected that the first payment of the higher dividend will occur in March of 2010.

Karl Brooks selected to lead EPA’s Region 7

President Barack Obama has selected Karl Brooks to be the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) regional administrator for EPA’s Region 7. This region encompasses Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and nine Tribal Nations.

Regional administrators are responsible for managing the Agency’s regional activities under the direction of the EPA Administrator.

Karl Boyd Brooks has taught history and environmental studies at the University of Kansas for the past decade. Previously, Brooks was the executive director of the Idaho Conservation League and served six years in the Idaho State Senate.

Wagers joins Routeware as VP of operations

Routeware, Inc. announced that Dave Wagers has joined the Company as vice president of operations.

Wagers brings more than 35 years of experience in both management and operations, making him an ideal addition to Routeware’s executive team.

Wagers comes to Routeware from the high technology information services and software industry. He has extensive knowledge in client services, operations, hardware engineering, general management, business development and strategic planning with both Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups.

As vice president of operations, Wagers will manage all areas of customer support, including the development of a Business Services operation dedicated to the delivery of analytical tools for Routeware’s customers.

Smurfit-Stone CEO and chairman plans retirement

Patrick J. Moore, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation chairman of the board and chief executive officer, has notified the board of directors that he intends to retire within one year following the Company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.

Moore will continue to serve on the board of directors. The Company has filed amendments to its Plan of Reorganization documents in United States Bankruptcy Court that provides for a non-executive chairman of the board upon emergence from Chapter 11. It is anticipated that the new board of the reorganized Company will designate a successor to Moore after the Company and its subsidiaries emerge from Chapter 11.

President and chief operating officer Steven J. Klinger, will continue to serve in his current role as well as on the Company’s board of directors.

Smurfit-Stone filed its Plan of Reorganization on December 1 and plans to emerge from restructuring proceedings in both the United States and Canada either late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2010.