BUSINESS/ORGANIZATIONAL BRIEFS

Cumberland names new technical sales manager

Dave Botelho, who has worked for ACS Group as automation technician and technical sales manager, has been named technical sales manager for Cumberland Recycling Systems, a division of Cumberland Engineering that will focus on recycling products and services in all markets.

Botelho’s goal is to “establish a customer base for the Cumberland Recycling Group,” as well as assist in creating marketing and educational tools for the newly created recycling division.

Botelho started as a systems production technician in 1995 and has worked his way up as production team leader, engineering, service and his current position in technical sales bringing a total of 13 years experience in the automated plastics manufacturing industry.

Cumberland hires director of human resources

James C. Healy III was welcomed into the Cumberland Engineering company and will work out of their South Attleboro, Massachusetts office.

With over 15 years of experience, Healy has worked in various facilities that have manufactured electronics, construction tools, picture frames and photo albums.

Enerkem expands management team

Enerkem Inc., a biofuels technology company, announced the appointment of two new vice presidents to its executive team: Denis Arguin, vice president, engineering and implementation and. Marie-Helene Labrie, vice president, government affairs and communications.

Arguin has extensive expertise in petrochemicals and process engineering, as well as in implementing plants internationally. Before joining Enerkem, Arguin was director of process technology at Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI) in Pennsylvania.

Prior to that, he worked from Brussels as director of European operations in a division of MTI to develop their international business activities. He also held the position of regional manager for the Northeast Canada and United States region at Mintech Canada Inc. and worked for Montreal-based petrochemical companies, such as Kemtec, Union Carbide, and Gulf Oil Refinery Ltd.

Marie-Helene Labrie began her career working for the government of Canada. She occupied roles in the Department of National Defense, Industry Canada, and Privy Council Office. She has also held the position of director of marketing and strategic planning for CAE. In this position, she was responsible for marketing communications, strategic planning, market analyses, and competitive intelligence. Prior to joining Enerkem, she worked as a strategy and marketing consultant for Enerkem and other companies.

Emerald Waste acquires transfer station from WM

Emerald Waste Services, LLC (EWS) announced the acquisition of Waste Management Inc. of Florida’s (WM) municipal solid waste collection routes in and around Gainesville, Volusia County and Tallahassee, Florida.

The transaction also includes the purchase of a transfer station in Gainesville. This transaction will diversifies EWS’s revenue base and expands its service territory, which now runs from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Daytona Beach, Florida.

In the transaction with WM, EWS acquired 77 residential collection routes across 16 municipalities in North and Central Florida, as well as 17 commercial routes in the territory. Along with its existing collection contracts, EWS now services more than 118,000 residential customers and 27,000 commercial customers, generating approximately 70 percent of its revenues from collection routes.

Waste Pro acquires American Recycling

Waste Pro USA, Inc, headquartered in Longwood, Florida, completed the acquisition of American Recycling of Georgia (ARGA) and American Recycling of Alabama from American Recycling Group, Inc.

Most of the management team at ARGA will remain with the newly formed company. Specifically, Adam Glasgow will become the president of ARGA/Waste Pro recycling companies in Georgia and Alabama. He will also have a front line presence in any new projects that develop in new major markets. Bucky Fowler will also remain with the company in a key role with more responsibilities over operations. American Recycling Group founder, Jack Lupas will step away from the new company to pursue endeavors with other American Recycling Group Companies (American Recycling of South Carolina, and American Fiber Services), which were not part of the acquisition.

The vision is to combine Waste Pro’s available capital resources and hauling expertise with ARGA’s recycling program design and processing expertise. This combination will give Waste Pro the ability to attack the waste stream from source to end consumer with the best capabilities in the industry. The result will be more fiber for major post-consumer purchasers, such as Kimberly-Clark.

GM executive joins Bio-Reaction board

Bio-Reaction Industries announced the addition of General Motors (GM) executive, David Skiven, as the newest member on their board of directors.

After serving 42 years in various capacities with General Motors Corporation, Skiven understands the needs of the automotive OEM, Tier I and Tier II suppliers.

Clean Energy Fuels acquires landfill gas plant

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has acquired Dallas Clean Energy LLC (DCE) for approximately $19.1 million in cash from Camco International Ltd, a Jersey-based company focused on developing projects and strategies to reduce carbon emissions. Clean Energy has partnered in acquiring and operating the project with Cambrian Energy, a landfill gas project development and management company, which owns 30 percent of DCE.

Dallas Clean Energy owns the McCommas Bluff landfill gas processing plant, the third largest landfill gas operation in the United States. The landfill, owned by the City of Dallas, opened in 1975 and is scheduled to close in 2042. It is estimated that pipeline quality methane gas will continue to be produced for approximately 30 years after the landfill closes.

Clean Energy entered into a $30 million credit facility with PlainsCapital Bank in Dallas, Texas in order to finance the acquisition and anticipated future capital improvements at the landfill.

Atmos Energy Pipeline Company distributes the gas collected from the landfill facility.

Heil Environmental names new general manager

Heil Environmental has hired Bill Healy as general manager of Parts Central, the refuse collection vehicle manufacturer’s parts business.

Healy has over 20 years of experience in the aftermarket parts business.

Immediately prior to joining Heil, Healy spent 10 years with automotive parts retailer AutoZone. He most recently served as regional manager with full profit and loss responsibility for 91 stores in the St. Louis area. Before joining AutoZone, Healy devoted more than 12 years to NAPA. Over the course of his career to date, Healy has held the positions of sales manager, district manager, commercial sales manager, warehouse manager, operations manager, training manager, and others. This wide-ranging experience has provided him with a thorough understanding of all aspects of the vehicle parts business that will be invaluable in his new role.

ARCA to open factory outlet in Atlanta suburbs

Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. announced that it will open a 33,000 sq.ft. ApplianceSmart Factory Outlet in Marietta, Georgia, in November 2008 to serve the northwest suburbs of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Located at 1355 Roswell Road, N.E., the outlet is part of the Town & Country Shopping Center. The new factory outlet will be ApplianceSmart’s fifth location in the Atlanta market and eighteenth outlet nationally. The four other Atlanta outlets are located in Norcross, Smyrna, Lithia Springs and Stockbridge.

Matt Wroblewski leads Winkle Team in South

Joseph T. Schatz, president and CEO of Winkle Industries Inc., recently announced that Matt Wroblewski has joined the Winkle team as a regional sales manager for the southern United States.

Wroblewski brings 22 years of experience in the production of industrial electro-lifting magnets to his new position. The last four years, Matt served as a field service manager, working with scrap metal operators and steel mills. Based in Mobile, Alabama, Wroblewski will be working closely with G.T. Higginbotham Co., Inc., a provider of aftermarket services to power transmission and mill equipment to southern industry, and now a provider of a wide range of above-the-hook and below-the-hook crane capabilities as the authorized agents for Winkle Industries in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee.

Smurfit-Stone names Tignor general manager

Larry Tignor has joined Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation as general manager of the company’s Calpine Corrugated box plant in Fresno, California.

Tignor will oversee the Calpine container operations, of which Smurfit-Stone acquired a 90 percent controlling interest.

The Calpine plant primarily serves the California agriculture market, and utilizes the most state-of-the-art equipment and technology in the industry.

Tignor brings more than 40 years of industry experience, including positions in the areas of scheduling, customer service, sales and management for Container Corp. of America, Temple Inland and MacMillan Bloedel. He most recently served as zone manager for Weyerhaeuser Company in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

Republic Services receives bank backing for merger

Republic Services, Inc. announced that Bank of America Securities LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. have arranged a syndicate of lenders committed in writing to the entire amount of Republic’s proposed new $1.75 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility. The commitments are not subject to due diligence, and the total amount of commitments received is in excess of the proposed $1.75 billion.

The new credit facility, together with Republic’s existing $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility, will provide Republic with all of the financing expected to be needed to consummate its proposed merger with Allied Waste Industries, Inc., as well as with working capital.

Republic expects to enter into the new credit facility, and to enter into certain conforming amendments to its existing credit facility, in September 2008. The initial funding under the new credit facility is expected to occur upon closing of the proposed merger. Republic expects its merger with Allied Waste to close in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Casella Waste reports improved earnings

Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, reported financial results for the first quarter of its 2009 fiscal year.

“The first quarter was a solid operational quarter, with our efforts to improve asset performance offsetting the negative headwinds from a sluggish Northeast economy and rapid increase in diesel fuel prices,” John W. Casella, chairman and CEO of Casella Waste Systems, said.

For the quarter ended July 31, 2008, the company reported revenues of $157.9 million, up $9.4 million, or 6.3 percent over the same quarter last year. The company’s net income available to common shareholders was $2.2 million or $0.08 per common share compared with net income of $1.7 million or $0.07 per common share in the same quarter last year.

Operating income for the quarter was $15.6 million, up $1.7 million or 12.3 percent over the same quarter last year. Net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter was $19.8 million, compared to $20.2 million in the same quarter last year. The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were $35 million, up $1.3 million or 3.8 percent over the same quarter last year.

As part of the new extension agreement with the Town of Southbridge, in June 2008, the company received $2.2 million of cash related to previously paid closure and post closure funds resulting in a net benefit of $0.8 million to EBITDA during the quarter.

Tube City IMS acquires Hanson Resources

Tube City IMS Corporation announced it has completed the acquisition of Hanson Resource Management Limited and its subsidiary Hanson Support Services Limited.

Hanson, headquartered in Scunthorpe, England, operates throughout the UK. Since its founding in the early 1960s, Hanson has grown to its present status as a partner to a diverse industrial client base with a focus on providing a broad range of services to steelmakers. Hanson employs more than 600 in their workforce.

RBRC names new chief executive officer

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a nonprofit, public service organization dedicated to recycling used rechargeable batteries, announced the appointment of Carl E. Smith to chief executive officer, effective September 9, 2008.

As CEO of RBRC, Smith will oversee the organization’s strategic partnerships and will be responsible for the management of the national public education campaign and Call2Recycle™ program.

Vermeer signs agreement with Gyro-Trac

Vermeer Corporation, a manufacturer of tree care, wood-waste processing and composting equipment, has entered into a distribution agreement with Gyro-Trac Manufacturing, located in Summerville, South Carolina, to distribute their line of mulching machines.

Gyro-Trac, founded in 1995, is a manufacturer of mulching machines that are used in all types of land-clearing, vegetation and forestry management applications.

The Vermeer network of independent dealers will have the option of adding the Gyro-Trac product line to their overall mix of products.

Peterson appoints new VP of sales and marketing

Peterson Pacific Corp., an Oregon-based manufacturer of forestry, recycling and landscaping machines has hired Michael Kvach as vice president of sales and marketing.

Kvach has extensive experience with industry associations, contractors and OEM equipment sales. Most recently he held the position of executive vice president of the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa. Prior to leading this association, he was the national sales manager of Cedarapids hot mix paving product line. He will be based in Eugene, Oregon.

Nucor announces addition to the board of directors

Nucor Corporation announced that Christopher J. Kearney has been elected to the board of directors effective October 1, 2008. Kearney currently serves as the chairman, president and chief executive officer of SPX Corporation. SPX Corporation employs 17,000 people worldwide in over 35 countries and had revenues of $4.8 billion in 2007.

Kearney holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from DePaul University Law School. He joins the Nucor board with twenty years of industry experience. Kearney joined SPX in 1997 as vice president, secretary and general counsel and an officer of the company. He was named president, chief executive officer and a director of SPX in 2004. He added the title of chairman in 2007.

Peter Burke joins Smurfit-Stone as vice president

Peter Burke has joined Smurfit-Stone as vice president of global logistics.

Burke will focus on optimizing costs, meeting customer requirements and bringing a total enterprise approach to the transportation function across all Smurfit-Stone businesses. Burke is based in Smurfit-Stone’s Chicago office.

Burke most recently served as vice president of supply chain for Butterball where he is credited with achieving a 13 percent reduction in logistics expenses.

C3RS to invest in tire recycling facility in Virginia

Tire recycler, C3RS, will invest $4 million to open a facility to process waste tires into crumb rubber. Plans call for C3RS to build in a 50-acre expansion of the Industrial Development Authority Air Park in Louisa County, Virginia.

The county anticipates the business to get started in the spring of 2009, said Bob Gibson, director of Louisa County Economic Development.

Governor Kaine approved a $65,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to provide financial assistance.

Nucor acquires Ambassador Steel

Nucor Corporation announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Harris Steel, Inc., has completed the acquisition of the stock of Ambassador Steel Corporation, based in Indiana, for a cash purchase price of approximately $185 million.

The transaction includes the shares of Ambassador’s affiliate, Delta Erecting. At closing, Harris Steel also repaid Ambassador’s bank debt of approximately $136 million, which primarily financed the company’s working capital requirements. Ambassador’s working capital, excluding this debt, was approximately $165 million at the end of July.

Ambassador is a fabricator and distributor of concrete reinforcing steel and related products.

Commercial Metals Company, headquartered in Texas, has completed the acquisition of substantially all the operating assets of Reinforcing Post-Tensioning Services, Inc. (RPS), Regional Steel Corporation, and RPS Cable Corporation, based in Claremont, California.

RPS is a fabricator and installer of concrete reinforcing steel, post-tensioning cable and related products for commercial and public construction projects with facilities in Fontana and Tracy, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, with an annual capacity of approximately 150,000 tons. The acquired assets will operate as CMC Regional Steel and CMC Cable under the CMC Americas Fabrication and Distribution segment.