Economies in Latin American nations experienced a difficult may because of the spread of the COVID-19 virus and government reactions to it. Economic activity and industrial output fell throughout the region, while Brazil was among the nations that also experienced political turmoil accompanying it.

Ripple effects from the rest of the world and the rise of new cases made April a difficult month on its own. South America’s steel output in April fell by more than 42 percent compared with April 2019, according to Brussels-based Worldsteel.

In the first four months of the year, Argentina—which has economic problems beyond those caused by COVID-19—has witnessed a 31 percent drop in steel output compared with the year before. Through the end of April, Brazil had experienced a less dramatic 14 percent decline in steel production, but in May the nation showed signs of entering more uncertain economic waters.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has caught the attention of the world with an attitude toward virus contagion (describing it as a “little flu”) that has dumbfounded much of the rest of the world. It comes at the same time his administration also has angered some voters with its willingness to support deforestation, and while Bolsonaro and at least two family members are under investigation for corruption.

With some 440,000 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases and state and local lockdowns that are taking place despite Bolsonaro’s wishes, Brazil’s economic statistics are likely to be woeful in the second quarter of 2020.

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also is being criticized for a perceived slow response to COVID-19. Like Bolsonaro, he has been quoted in ways perceived as minimizing the risks of the virus, and he passed emergency measures some 50 days after the World Health Organization encouraged governments to do so.

By late May, hospitals in Southern California were reporting what they considered to be high numbers of COVID-19 patients who were American citizens unable to gain treatment in Mexico where they lived.

Despite virus-related impacts, Obrador says he sees near-term hope for Mexico’s economy based on the enactment of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) July 1. That pact replaces NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) as a trilateral trade platform.

At a news conference in late May, Obrador said Mexico can benefit with the USMCA coming into force at the same time the Trump administration is encouraging companies to decouple from the People’s Republic of China.

The New York Times quotes the Mexican president as stating, “That means this big factory [China], the biggest factory in the world, will reduce its output. And this gives us the opportunity, Mexico, for more investment to arrive, for companies to set up, for jobs to be created.”

Figures from the first quarter of 2020 from the Banco de Mexico, however, show a 26 percent drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Mexico compared to the same period in 2019.

The epidemic in other parts of the world likely played a role, while critics of President Obrador say his left-wing policies are part of the problem. “This is the third fall in the first five quarters of the current government, and in the future [this pattern] could be maintained downwards by the policy of the government of Obrador,” writes the Mexicanist.com website.

DTG Recycle, Mill Creek, Washington, has hired Andrew Pickering as the company’s new chief financial officer (CFO). Pickering, who will join the company effective June 1, was selected after a search led by Texas-based executive recruiting firm Global Recruiters of McKinney. DTG describes itself as the largest commercial recycler of discarded construction & demolition, industrial and manufacturing materials in the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to corporate and operational accounting responsibilities, Pickering will be tasked with overseeing the upfront evaluation and the ultimate integration of the financial aspects of DTG’s pipeline of acquisitions. He also will be charged with leading an upgrade of DTG’s management reporting systems to help the company optimize profitability across its lines of business.

“We were impressed with Andrew’s experience bringing together multiple accounting platforms into a single, cohesive reporting mechanism," Tom Vaughn, CEO of DTG Recycle, says. "This competency is critical to DTG as we continue to expand with acquisitions and new service and product lines. Andrew’s experience rapidly scaling companies was also very attractive to DTG, and we are eager to leverage his expertise in our growth plan."

Vaughn says that conducting an executive search during the COVID-19 pandemic presented some challenges, but Global Recruiters of McKinney President Tyler Frisbie helped expedite the process via the company’s nationwide network.

“Engaging Tyler Frisbie allowed us to view a variety of candidates from across the country and from a multitude of industries in a relatively short period of time. Given the COVID-19 challenges, it was impressive that Tyler was able to marshal a significant number of highly qualified candidates, particularly from our home market here in the Puget Sound region. Frankly, we thought the process would take up to six months, but Tyler was able to help us find the right team member in a matter of weeks,” Vaughn says.

Earlier this year, DTG announced a $32 million minority growth equity financing led by Toronto-based Clairvest in partnership with existing shareholders. According to DTG, the partnership will help facilitate the company’s continued expansion both through organic growth and merger and acquisition activity.

Adrian Pasricha, a partner at Clairvest, says that the addition of Pickering will help the company as it continues to broaden its existing customer base.

“DTG has been on a high-growth trajectory for some time already, and the business plan going forward is to keep up that pace,” Pasricha says. “In addition, DTG expects to add more facilities and locations to the company’s recycling network. Recruiting a high-energy CFO with experience managing hyper-growth, tracking operational stats meticulously, and working with private-equity investors was essential to meeting [DTG founder] Dan Guimont’s and Clairvest’s value-creation objectives.”

Pickering started his career as an auditor with a Big Four accounting firm where he managed a diverse range of high-profile clients, the company says. He then worked as financial controller for a transportation and logistics public company and as the CFO of companies involved in the food manufacturing and freight management industries. Additionally, Pickering has experience working with private equity, managing the financial and logistical aspects of acquisitions and marketing businesses for transition to new ownership, DTG says.

Pickering earned a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in accounting and marketing from the University of Waikato in New Zealand and is qualified as a certified public accountant in Washington. 

“I am excited to join DTG’s dynamic, progressive management team, and I look forward to exploring ideas and possibilities to grow the business. I am very pleased to be part of this important ‘planet-obsessed’ organization,” Pickering says.

CM Shredders, Sarasota, Florida, has announced the delivery of two fully integrated and turnkey tire-derived fuel (TDF) shredding systems in the U.S. and U.K. 

Aquamatrix Inc., a privately owned surface mining and recycling company in Texas, added a turnkey high-capacity CM Shredders TDF system in January. The tire shredding system is able to process whole tires at more than 20 tons per hour (tph). According to a news release from CM Shredders, the system is integrated to deliver clean-cut TDF chips via a high angle conveyor directly into a cement burning kiln. 

Tire Renewals Ltd., a provider of tire services based in Castle Carey, U.K., partnered with CM Shredders to commission a new turnkey CM Dual Speed Chipping shredder system in its new recycling line. According to CM Shredders, the U.K.-based company had been in the process of expanding its facility and needed to invest in new recycling equipment. 

CM Shredders says its CM Dual Speed Chipping shredder system processes 8 to 12 tph of whole tires to a clean-cut 55-millimeter chip in a single step while producing consistently sized and clean-cut tire ships for tire-derived aggregates (TDA), TDF or for preprocessing for crumb rubber applications. 

According to CM Shredders, the company offers a turnkey package that includes infeed conveyor, discharge conveyor, subframe, stands and platforms as well as a panel with PLC controls. All systems are prewired and tested at the factory, and most systems are operational within two to three days after arrival on-site.

SERI, the ANSI-accredited standards development organization and housing body for the R2 (Responsible Recycling) Standard, has announced via its “R2 Update” e-newsletter for May that R2v3, the most recent revision to the R2 Standard, has been adopted by the organization’s board of directors in a unanimous vote. The R2 Consensus Body unanimously approved the R2v3 draft earlier this month.

SERI says it plans to release the standard July 1, which is when it will be available for download on the SERI website.

The revision process began nearly five years ago, SERI notes, with Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members addressing more than 900 challenging and complex issues addressed by the standard, many of which were submitted by customers, industry members and the public. “The representation of many different stakeholder groups on the TAC, and the 660 comments received during two public comment periods, has resulted in a strong standard well-positioned to address the evolving needs of an increasingly diverse industry,” SERI adds.

Sean De Vries, R2 director who worked with the TAC on the revised standard, says in the newsletter, “While we all share the common goal of responsible reuse and recycling, there are different ideas about the best way to achieve the desired outcomes. It’s important to consider the concerns and insights of the recyclers and refurbishers who implement the R2 Standard while taking into account the needs of customers from different industry sectors and other stakeholders. The TAC has done an excellent job in effectively addressing these varied considerations.”

R2v3 features enhanced data security controls, traceability and downstream accountability; increased emphasis on reuse and a circular economy; and protection of the environment and human health and safety. SERI says R2’s full life cycle approach for managing electronics aligns with circular economy principles, extending the life of reusable electronics when feasible. “This approach not only benefits the environment by reducing the environmental footprint of electronics, [but] it [also] provides social and economic benefits to hundreds of millions of people worldwide by bridging the digital divide with affordable, refurbished devices for those without the resources to purchase new products,” the newsletter states.

SERI says many requirements in R2v3 are based on the current R2:2013 Standard but are clarified to achieve more consistent implementation, audits and outcomes.

A new structure for requirements is designed to accommodate specialization within the industry. Core Requirements apply to all R2 certified facilities, and more specialized Process Requirements apply only to facilities that are engaged in those specific processes, the organization says. “This modular approach better adapts to the specialization and diversity of facility types and the changing business models within the industry. Recognition of these specializations will give customers more clarity about the capabilities and expertise of each R2 facility,” the e-newsletter reads.

Requirements for data protection, managing the flow of material through the downstream and environmental, health and safety have been strengthened.

SERI says it plans to release a detailed transition plan July 1 “that is mindful of the challenging times.” The organization writes, “We recognize that many facilities are not fully staffed and are dealing with other pressing matters resulting from COVID-19. We would like to assure R2 certified facilities that no facility will be required to transition to the R2v3 Standard for at least 1.5 years from the July 1 release date, and we will continue to monitor the situation as we determine the final transition timeline.”

SERI says online training tools and other resources will be available to help facilities transition to R2v3.