Cascades to acquire recycled tissue business

Cascades Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. to acquire its tissue business for the price of approximately $60 million.

Once completed, this transaction will enable Cascades Tissue Group to increase its annual capacity of recycled tissue by 55,000 tons, while augmenting converting capacity by close to 70,000 tons.

These assets are located in or close to Toronto, thereby increasing the number of Cascades employees in Ontario by 175 for a total of 2,175 employees in that province alone.

This transaction is subject to the usual conditions, including the approval of the Competition Bureau. The parties expect to complete the transaction within 15 days following the date such approval is obtained.

Veolia names account manager of the year

Veolia ES Technical Solutions named Andy Jung the top account manager for 2008. Jung is a sales representative for Veolia ES Technical Solutions’ Mountain Branch, which manages hazardous and non-hazardous wastes for a variety of industries including pharmaceutical, aerospace, biotechnology companies and universities.

The annual contest consists of an evaluation of the account managers’ performance in six areas: revenues vs. budget, product line performance, receivables, new revenue, time management and report management. The sales manager from each of Veolia ES Technical Solutions’ 12 branches nominates an account manager for the award.

Jung has been with Veolia ES Technical Solutions’ Mountain Branch for two years as an account manager. His territory encompasses northern and western Colorado as well as Wyoming.

Thermo Fisher Radiation expands distribution

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced that its Radiation Measurement and Security Instruments (RMSI) business will expand its distribution agreement with ICx Radiation to comprise all of the ICx Radiation product lines. The RMSI team has successfully partnered with ICx Radiation over the last 15 years in the distribution of the Thermo Scientific identiFINDER, as well as the development and launch of the Thermo Scientific Interceptor spectroscopic personal radiation detector (SPRD) in 2006. ICx Radiation is a business unit of ICx Technologies, a developer of advanced technology solutions for homeland and military security based in Arlington, Virginia.

The expanded agreement will enable a wider distribution range of radiation detection solutions including multi-channel analyzers and next generation radionuclide identifier/pager systems.

Atlas Copco extends warranty on breakers

Atlas Copco has extended the warranty for light and medium hydraulic breakers to three years. The newly developed 1+2program offer is free of charge on all SB and MB range hydraulic breakers purchased after July 1, 2009.

“During the three-year period, maintenance according to the operating instructions is required,” explains Jörn Weise, product line manager for Attachment Solutions at Atlas Copco Construction Tools. “The 1+2program is meant to protect the customer’s investment and achieve a higher resale value.”

The 1+2program offers a free-of-charge warranty extension, unlimited operating hours and includes the warranty coverage for the breaker’s main components, including the piston.

“An online registration is needed to obtain the warranty extension,” added Weise. “Customers can register at www.1plus2program.com.”

Tetra Tech acquires Bryan A. Stirrat & Associates

Tetra Tech, Inc. has acquired Bryan A. Stirrat & Associates (BAS), a Southern California-based consulting and engineering firm. BAS provides highly specialized landfill design, leachate and hazardous waste management, energy recovery, and groundwater protection services for municipal and commercial customers. BAS generates revenue of approximately $40 million per year, and has a staff of about 150 located in six offices throughout California and Arizona.

Tetra Tech has worked with BAS on many high-profile landfill remediation programs including a 168-acre brownfield redevelopment near Los Angeles, California. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

RecycleBank and Routeware collaborate

RecycleBank announced that they are collaborating on a joint marketing agreement with Routeware, Inc., a provider of automated waste solutions. This agreement will offer municipalities and private haulers innovative technology that keeps recycling easy for residents and both fast and economically responsible for municipalities and waste haulers. This collaboration will allow communities and haulers to now be considered “RecycleBank Ready”.

Routeware, Inc. has developed a waste solution that employs GPS technology that can accurately validate that a household has participated in the RecycleBank program. Trucks are equipped with an in-cab touch screen monitor to provide driver validation combined with GPS technology to correctly identify a household collection. No additional time is needed as this seamlessly works during the pick-up process. Information is then transmitted to RecycleBank servers and households receive their earned Points.

“Many municipalities already use a cart system to collect recyclables from households, so the Routeware solution becomes an easy way for haulers and communities to offer recycling with minimal added costs,” said Scott Lamb, COO of RecycleBank.

Titan takes on new Canadian trailer dealer

Titan Trailers has appointed Ocean Trailer, Inc., of western Canada, as exclusive distributor for Titan Trailers for the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Ocean Trailer was established as a trailer rental business in 1981. The firm later developed its sales business as an authorized dealer for a large United States-based trailer manufacturer. Ocean Trailer now represents several major trailer brands through five branches in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. The firm’s sales, leasing, rental and trailer service operations now employ more than 220 staff and has a rental/lease fleet of more than 8000 units.

GreenMan Technologies appoints board member

GreenMan Technologies, Inc., announced that Kevin M. Tierney, Sr. has joined the Company’s board of directors. Tierney has also been appointed chairman of the audit committee.

Since 2006, Tierney has served as the president and chief executive officer of Saugusbank, a $200 million, state chartered community bank located in Saugus, Massachusetts. In this role, Tierney works directly with regulatory agencies and industry associations on supervisory, oversight and legislative matters.

Prior to joining Saugusbank, he was executive vice president and general manager of BISYS Group’s Corporate Financial Solutions Division, where he led the creation of a new business unit providing corporate banking services to Fortune 500 treasury departments as well as to the life insurance and health insurance industries.

Before that, Tierney was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Abington Bancorp, a $1.2 billion, publicly traded bank holding company. At Abington, Mr. Tierney oversaw the acquisition of several banking franchises that expanded business lines and grew the company’s footprint which, combined with organic growth, enabled the company to grow from a $400 million to a $1.2 billion company.

Safety-Kleen opens branch in Central Illinois

Safety-Kleen has opened its Goodfield, Illinois, branch facility to provide customers in the Peoria, Bloomington and Galesburg metropolitan areas with industrial waste management services and a full-line of parts washing equipment and related services.

The Goodfield facility has 2,400 square feet of office and warehouse storage space but waste material will not be processed on-site. Instead, all collected waste materials will be transferred to Safety-Kleen’s recycling center in Dolton, Illinois, for further processing.

Sims Metal Management buys assets of Fairless Iron

Sims Metal Management Limited announced the acquisition of the assets of Fairless Iron & Metal, LLC (Fairless) in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

Fairless, a full-service ferrous and non-ferrous recycler, operates two principal facilities including a state-of-the-art mega-shredder, non-ferrous recovery systems and a deep water port export facility.

Fairless processes approximately 60,000 tons of scrap metal per month sourced principally from New Jersey, New York, Eastern Pennsylvania and the inland United States via rail.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The transaction will be immediately accretive to the earnings of Sims Metal Management.

Sunpower appoints new chief executive officer

Sunpower Incorporated, a developer of free-piston Stirling machines, is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Sunpower was originally incorporated in 1974 by its founder William Beale, inventor of the free-piston Stirling engine.

Sunpower has appointed Mark Schweizer as CEO and president of Sunpower. Schweizer comes to Sunpower with an extensive background in business strategy development and commercialization, most recently as vice president of Global Product Management and Marketing at Diamond Innovations, Inc.

Covanta acquires Veolia’s North American Energy

Covanta Holding Corporation announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire from Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp., most of its North American energy-from-waste (EfW) business.

The transaction is expected to be accretive to Covanta. The purchase price of $450 million, less net debt and minority interests (subject to certain other adjustments) will be paid in cash.

The Energy-from-Waste operations to be acquired consist of the following:

• Long Beach, California
• Dade, Florida
• Dutchess, New York
• Islip, New York
• Montgomery, Pennsylvania
• York, Pennsylvania
• Vancouver, Canada

It is expected that the entire transaction will close by year end. However, the closing of the transaction may occur in stages and is conditioned upon receipt of customary regulatory and other approvals or consents. The failure to obtain certain approvals or consents may result in the removal of certain businesses from the transaction and a related price reduction.

Each of the seven EfW businesses to be acquired includes a long-term operating contract with the respective municipal client. In addition, Covanta will acquire a majority ownership stake in the Montgomery Pennsylvania facility and a related transfer station operating contract. Collectively, these seven EfW facilities process approximately 3 million tons of waste per year. The acquired businesses compliment Covanta’s existing portfolio, which includes operation of 38 EfW facilities that process approximately 17 million tons of municipal solid waste annually.

Covanta expects it will achieve meaningful synergies by leveraging its scale, operational expertise and in-house maintenance capabilities. Force reductions are not anticipated at the operating facilities, which employ approximately 500 people. This acquisition is expected to add approximately $60 million of operating cash flow during 2010.

Johnson Controls plans to build new recycling center

Johnson Controls Power Solutions located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has announced that it will invest $100 million to build an automotive battery recycling facility in South Carolina.

The Florence County Economic Development Partnership indicated that Johnson Controls, Inc. will develop approximately three acres on a 270 acre site in Florence.

According to Alex Molinaroli, president of Johnson Controls Power Solutions, the facility will be “the most innovative battery recycling operation in the world”.

Hendrickson joins EPA Transport Partnership

Hendrickson announced that four of its divisions, Truck Suspension Systems, Trailer Suspension Systems, Auxiliary Axle Systems and Bumper and Trim, have joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership. This is an innovative collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry, designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Hendrickson will contribute to the Partnership’s goal to reduce 33 to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012 by improving the environmental performance of our freight operations.

Launched in February 2004, the SmartWay Transport Partnership aims to achieve fuel savings of up to 150 million barrels of fuel per year.

First Uranium Corporation appoints new CEOs

First Uranium Corporation has appointed Scot Sobey as chief operating officer (COO) of Chemwes, the wholly-owned subsidiary of First Uranium that operates the Mine Waste Solutions tailings recovery project and John Gould as acting COO of the Ezulwini Mining Company, the wholly-owned subsidiary of First Uranium that operates the Ezulwini Mine. These appointments are part of an organizational re-structuring to appoint a single leader at each operation with the intent of ensuring that the Company achieves its critical production growth milestones.

Prior to this appointment, Sobey has been serving as First Uranium’s vice president, business development, having been appointed to that position in February 2007. Sobey’s background lies in management consulting and project management.

John Gould has served as First Uranium’s vice president, exploration and technical services since he was appointed to that position in February 2008. Gould has held a variety of positions with South African mining companies, and until October 2007, served as managing director of Platinum Group Metals Limited, a developing junior mining company.