Account executive at Ferrous Processing & Trading Co.
Ferrous Processing & Trading Co. (FPT), headquartered in Detroit, is the first and only company that Rob Wise has worked for in the scrap recycling industry, but he says it wasn’t the first stop in his career. Prior to joining FPT in a processing role in 2013, he worked in the culinary industry and as a radio host.
“My career path has been a very winding, incongruous road, there’s no doubt about that,” Wise says, adding that he tried to attend a traditional college upon graduating from high school but could not determine a career path at that time.
Wise eventually attended a 52-week culinary school and held positions as a sous chef and executive chef at two restaurants in Detroit early in his career. In 2012, he decided to take a role as a producer and host on ESPN Radio in Detroit. However, he says, he was laid off from the radio job in 2013 and needed to find a new job quickly.
“My career path has been a very winding, incongruous road, there’s no doubt about that.”
“At that time, I was newly wed when I found myself with no employment,” Wise says. “I spent six or seven weeks following leads in the broadcasting industry, but I needed to work. We could only survive on one income at that point in our lives for so long.”
He adds that a friend told him about a laborer position at FPT’s facility in Pontiac, Michigan, and helped him to get an interview with the company. Wise says he got that job and has stayed with the company for the past eight years, taking on new positions of increasing responsibility over the years. Today he serves as an account executive for FPT’s facility in Miami.
Recycling Today (RT): When you started at FPT, did you think you would stay at the company and in the scrap industry for long?
Rob Wise (RW): I’ve always been a person who thinks, “Let’s just see where this path leads.” You walk through the open doors that are in front of you, and the worst thing that could happen is that it doesn’t work out and you have to get back into the marketplace and look for something else.
[When starting at FPT], I was taking a physical labor job for the first time in a while at that point in my career. I had been in radio for a while, which is very office-driven and 9-5. As I stayed at FPT and learned more about the business and got my feet wet and saw opportunity, that made it more appealing as I went forward. When I first got here, certainly I was looking at all of my options—as anybody else would—and wasn’t sure if I was going to go back to cooking or if I would be offered a radio job. But did I think I would be sitting here today? I guess the answer is no.
RT: What were some of the challenges transitioning to the scrap industry?
RW: The biggest challenge, other than trying to learn how to drive equipment I had never driven before in my life, was just learning the materials. The learning about grades and trying to figure out where materials go, that part can be very overwhelming when you’re coming up even at the processing level and lowest laborer position; I felt the pressure to get it right. I think that prepared me for where I am today.
RT:What is the company culture like at FPT?
RW: The culture is super supportive. I don’t think I would be where I am today if there wasn’t that promote-from-within culture that we’ve built here. There aren’t a lot of places you can go where you can go from driving a fork truck to running a trading team in a region in eight years. FPT has opened a lot of doors and has allowed me to walk through them.
Fairbanks Scales Inc., Overland Park, Kansas, has launched the ACC-3300 quad loadcell controller (QLC) interface device. According to the company, the QLC:
enhances the performance of industrial floor scales, tank scales and hopper scales
replaces the scale’s analog junction box, internally or externally, to boost weighing resolution to levels up to 10 times greater than analog
enables quick and affordable servicing of scales by allowing operators to recalibrate the scale
guarantees maximum accuracy out of the equipment by communicating with each loadcell independently, allowing for cell-by-cell calibration
allows for real-time loadcell diagnostics and identification of loadcell issues
Finland-based Mantsinen’s Dualpower material handler combines features of electric and diesel engines, resulting in mobility, productivity and environmental friendliness, the company says. The material handler:
can be powered by either diesel or electric, providing operators with versatility
comes with standard technology components, allowing easy service and normal spare parts availability
can be paired with the Mantsinen Insight remote monitoring system to enable smoother operations
records data on performance and efficiency when paired with the Mantsinen Insight system
Caterpillar, Deerfield, Illinois, offers its Cat M319 wheeled excavator, which features a short front-end design and tail swing to work efficiently in confined areas. The excavator:
delivers up to 15 percent more swing torque than previous Cat models
is powered by a 128-kilowatt Cat C4.4 engine
incorporates a dedicated swing pump to improve operating efficiency by providing power more consistently
can reach speeds of up to 21.7 mph
can complete dig, swing and dump tasks with limited side overhang with its minimal 6-foot-3-inch tail swing radius
features a large touch-screen monitor with jog dial in the cab to provide intuitive navigation of machine controls
The sale of Doosan Infracore to Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co. (HHIH) closed Aug. 19, according to a news release issued by Doosan Infracore’s Suwanee, Georgia, office.
Doosan Infracore says it will become a subsidiary of the newly created Hyundai Genuine (HG) group alongside Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE). They will be “two independent construction equipment companies under HHIH.”
HG will act as the intermediary company of HHIH Group’s construction equipment businesses with the intention of allowing both business units to “combine as a global top player, putting us much closer to achieving the goal of becoming a global top-five player.”
The plan is to manage overlapping investments and to invest heavily in areas that include future technologies and innovation, according to Hyundai. “Doosan Infracore will be working diligently to commercialize Concept-X and develop cutting-edge products, such as electric excavators, battery packs, hybrid fuel cells and other next-generation products,” according to Hyundai.
“Independently, the two companies will grow together, complement each other, even compete in good faith in all areas, including technology, production, purchasing, sales and quality,” Doosan Infracore says. “This will enable our business to expand and associate with other companies operated by the whole HHIH group.”
Doosan Infracore North America LLC markets the Doosan brand of products, which includes crawler excavators, wheeled excavators, mini excavators, wheel loaders, articulated dump trucks, material handlers, log loaders and attachments, through more than 160 dealer locations in North America.
HCE, which has its North American office in Norcross, Georgia, manufactures some of the same material handling products that Doosan Infracore does in addition to offering a forklift truck line.
Kadant Inc., a technology manufacturer based in Westford, Massachusetts, has acquired Balemaster, a Crowne Point, Indiana-based manufacturer of horizontal balers used in the recycling industry, for $54 million in cash. Balemaster will become part of Kadant’s Material Handling reporting segment.
According to a news release from Kadant, Balemaster’s revenue for the past 12 months ended June 30 was approximately $22 million.
During an Aug. 24 conference call about the purchase, Kadant CEO Jeffery Powell said the company had been interested in acquiring Balemaster for four years because of its focus on the packaging recycling market.
Powell said the acquisition also allows Kadant to expand its North American operations to support its Germany-based businesses that supply large multistream machines to material recovery facilities in the region.
“Our acquisition of Balemaster expands our presence in the secondary material processing sector and creates new opportunities for leveraging our high-performance balers produced in Europe,” Powell says in the news release announcing the acquisition. “The company is a market leader in North America, and its strong aftermarket business fits well with Kadant.”
Powell says Balemaster will continue to operate as a stand-alone company under the decentralized business model that Kadant uses.
“We are proud of the strong brand and market presence Balemaster has built over the past 75 years,” says Cornel Raab, president of Balemaster. “Kadant is a world-class company with a similar culture and values as our family-built business, and we believe it is a great home for our company and employees.”
BHS to supply MRF system in Oklahoma
Oklahoma-based American Waste Control (AWC) has selected Eugene, Oregon-based Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) to supply a replacement for the company’s single-stream recycling system that was damaged by a fire this spring.
BHS says the new material recovery facility (MRF) system in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will boost throughput by 33 percent and increase AWC’s targeted recovery on its fiber and container lines with the addition of the latest BHS optical and robotic sorting technologies.
The design includes BHS “no-wrap” Tri-Disc screens, National Recovery Technology (NRT) optical sorters and Max-AI artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Nine Max-AI AQC (Autonomous Quality Control) robotic sorters will identify and pull residue and return recyclables from sort positions.
“The industry has changed, and this new system will bring Tulsa to the forefront of recycling excellence,” says AWC Vice President of Recycling Robert Pickens. “BHS offers the overall quality, partnership and advanced technology to help AWC achieve the throughput and quality to meet our business goals. We believe the future of recycling will rely heavily on using technology and data to optimize performance, and the Max-AI and NRT equipment in this system will deliver that for our operation.”
He says AWC is “confident that this innovative technology will empower us to meet recycling expectations for our community and for our business.”
Paul Holman of BHS says, “This single-stream system is an excellent example of new technology being used to adapt to change in the industry. The system features proven screen technology to increase throughput and precisely present material downstream to NRT and Max-AI sorters to maximize both recovery and product purity.”
Personnel Notes
Departments - Personnel Notes
New hires and promotions in the recycling industry
Liebherr Group has announced the appointment of Kai Friedrich as managing director of Newport News, Virginia-based Liebherr USA Co. Friedrich, who officially assumed his role Aug. 1, takes over from Peter Mayr and also serves as the divisional director for construction equipment.
Friedrich has served in varying capacities with the Liebherr Group, which is headquartered in Germany, for 17 years. In his new role as managing director of Liebherr USA, he will provide the leadership and guidance that is necessary to oversee and implement the corporate and strategic plans for the nine product segments that are part of the company’s sales and service organization.
Liebherr USA’s nine product segments include mobile and crawler cranes, tower cranes, construction equipment, components, concrete technology, refrigeration and freezing, mining, deep foundation machines and maritime cranes.
As divisional director for construction equipment, Friedrich is responsible for managing the Liebherr sales, service, training and product management staff for the construction equipment product range.
“Kai Friedrich has a proven track record of leadership and many accomplishments with Liebherr over the years,” says Torben Reher, a managing director with Liebherr USA. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from several Liebherr companies in various international markets and will no doubt be a tremendous asset to the growth of our product segments here in the United States.”
Previous Liebherr positions Friedrich held include posts in the Middle East and Africa region and managing director of Liebherr-Export AG.
“I am looking forward to working with our experienced team and the well-established distribution network in supporting and engaging our customer base here in the U.S.,” Friedrich says. “It is a pleasure and honor for me to join the Liebherr USA team.”
Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc. (GBB), a solid waste management consulting company that is based in McLean, Virginia, has announced the promotion of Paige Davis to GBB consultant II and the hiring of Mary George as a project engineer.
According to a news release from GBB, Davis joined the company in 2018, after completing her Master of Science degree in sustainability management at American University’s Kogod School of Business in Washington. She is a member of multiple GBB project teams, providing research, analysis and support on various assignments. These include environmental and sustainability studies, waste audits, feasibility studies, best practices reviews and strategic solid waste management planning.
“In a short period, with her educational background, experience from multiple internships and positive attitude, Paige integrated herself seamlessly as a valuable and sought-after GBB team member,” says Jennifer Porter, GBB vice president and sustainability officer. “This is a well-deserved promotion reflecting her ability to take increasing responsibilities.”
“The consulting world was the logical step following my educational path, and I am excited to contribute more to GBB projects that have a direct impact on communities while learning from industry mentors and advancing my career,” Davis says.
Davis is based in southeast Virginia and can be reached at pdavis@gbbinc.com or by phone at 703-663-2432.
George has over three years of project management experience in consulting/engineering firms where, most recently, she supervised overall aspects of projects related to building envelope construction and restoration.
With experience in construction document reviews, construction management and design and engineering, her initial focus as a GBB project engineer will be to work with a large confidential retail company with a global presence and a desire to enhance the sustainability of its operations to achieve zero C&D waste during store renovations.
An engineer in training, George holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering science from the University of Virginia and is pursuing a Master of Science degree in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.
“Mary’s engineering education, experience with architectural/mechanical/structural construction drawings, ability to work with owners/engineers/designers/contractors and desire to have a meaningful impact on the environment are a perfect match as GBB grows and further expands its sustainability and circular economy practice, as well as continues to expand its core services,” Chris Lund, a senior vice president at GBB, says.
“I am inspired by the work GBB does, its mission and the forward-thinking clients the firm works with,” George says of her new position. “I am committed to diverting materials from landfills by instilling circular economy principles into every project.”
Based in Colorado, George can be reached at mgeorge@gbbinc.com or by phone at 757-383-3248.
Stadler America hires senior sales technician
Hess
Colfax, North Carolina-based Stadler America LLC has hired Will Hess as a sales senior technician. In the new position, he will serve as a service contact and assist on projects and installations in addition to being part of the commissioning, startup and training teams on new, retrofit and upgraded recycling systems.
Hess brings 14 years of equipment manufacturing and field service experience to the role. He has experience with conveyors, screens, shredders and hydraulic products. The company says Hess’ experience “will quickly transfer over to the Stadler model of problem-solving, design, build and implementing turnkey responsibility” for its customers.
“Will’s background in customer service and troubleshooting from an operator’s viewpoint, along with his ability to engage and connect with all levels of employees in training, will serve Stadler well as we grow our staff,” the company says.
Casella announces retirement of chief accounting officer
Casella Waste Systems Inc., Rutland, Vermont, a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, has announced that its Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer Christopher B. Heald plans to retire March 31, 2022, after a 20-year career with the company.
“I would like to sincerely thank Chris for his exemplary service to the company and his strong contributions to our success throughout his tenure with the company,” says John W. Casella, chairman and CEO of Casella. “Chris has demonstrated the utmost integrity, a strong work ethic and a high level of service to our team throughout his exemplary career at the company. While Chris will be greatly missed by the team, we wish him the best in his retirement, and we have great confidence in our accounting team to continue his legacy of excellence.”
Heald plans to stay with the company in an advisory capacity during a transition period, according to the company.
Certified security
Features - Electronics Recycling
Summit 360, a technology refurbisher and ITAD services provider in Eagan, Minnesota, is among the first organizations to receive R2v3 certification.
In 1992, Dick Noble launched Summit 360, a technology refurbisher and information technology asset disposition (ITAD) services provider, in Eagan, Minnesota. While the company has been around for nearly 30 years, Summit 360 grew from a mom-and-pop business into a national operation in 2015 after restructuring, which included command chain and personnel changes. The move helped the company grow to $22 million in annual revenue, he says.
Certifications can help boost customers’ confidence in an ITAD company. Last year, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), Washington, released the latest Sustainable Electronics Reuse & Recycling (R2) Standard, R2v3, which it describes as a comprehensive, voluntary industry standard for used IT hardware recyclers and resellers. This August, Summit 360 jumped ahead of the curve and became the second company in the world to earn R2v3 certification. The company received the certification for its ITAD facility on Lone Oak Road in Eagan, Noble says.
“We’re seeing a barrage of attacks on data around the world,” he says. “I believe that the strengthened data security requirements in the R2v3 certification benefit all stakeholders: the end-user clients, vulnerable consumers and businesses and society at large.”
Rooted in tech
Noble founded the company in 1992 after he left his position at Heritage Computers, where he sold refurbished equipment. Originally, Summit 360 operated out of a duplex Noble owned in Eagan and specialized in selling computer products made by Digital Equipment Corp. before that company was acquired by Compaq and then later merged with Hewlett-Packard (HP).
Today, Summit 360 operates two facilities in Eagan. Its main location primarily handles networking, server and storage sales and support featuring equipment from Cisco Systems Inc. “We primarily sell Cisco equipment because it’s made with larger companies in mind, which makes it easier to sell,” Noble says.
The second facility is the company’s R2V3 certified ITAD facility, which performs data sanitization, repair, refurbishment and recycling of used electronics, including products from Cisco, Dell and HP. This facility features a wide range of security measures, including cameras, employee background checks and cataloging of the equipment Summit 360 receives and refurbishes. The company resells these products nationally to medium and large organizations.
Summit 360 uses test beds and testing equipment for software and hardware to ensure they are free of defects. Each electronic device received is inspected and processed by hand.
Summit 360 uses software from Extreme Protocol Solutions, or EPS, Uxbridge, Massachusetts, to securely overwrite data before reselling these devices.
Summit 360 began the R2v3 certification process in 2020. The minimum requirements for the certification process are set by SERI. Certification typically takes roughly eight months to complete. However, because of safety concerns arising from the pandemic, the process took more time for Summit 360.
“We pumped the brakes during the pandemic and then continued the process once we felt comfortable we were going to get over the COVID-19 hump,” he says.
To get the certification, Noble worked with two consulting companies to examine his ITAD facility and determine whether the company needed to make any changes to meet the R2v3 standard. Then Summit 360 invested in the security measures and documentation the certification requires, including writing a manual that detailed all its downstream processes and assembling detailed reports on its downstream vendors.
The facility was audited once the manual was completed to ensure its processes and procedures adhered to what the manual specified.
The certification process cost Summit 360 more than $100,000 and took more than a year to complete, Noble says.
“We did not get the R2 2013 certification, so there was a lot of time and human resources that went into this process,” he says, referring to the previous version of the standard.
The requirements for R2v3 certification are designed to enhance all dimensions of ITAD operations, including downstream recycling chains, data sanitization, hardware testing and repair, materials recovery and brokering.
SERI says R2v3 incorporates experience gained from more than a decade auditing and implementing the R2 Standard and reflects changes in the electronics landscape, customer demands and the regulatory environment. Many of the changes to the standard are a result of feedback submitted by customers, members of the industry and the public.
As a result, SERI says the R2 Standard is “more powerful, practical and works even harder to protect data, people and the planet” by increasing emphasis on reuse and protecting data, offering an adaptable and scalable approach for facilities and strengthening requirements in key areas while retaining much of what has made R2 a popular tool for setting responsible reuse and recycling practices globally.
“Certification to R2v3 goes beyond providing assurance that electronics will be securely and responsibly managed,” Sean DeVries, SERI R2 director, says. “R2v3 certification also provides customers with additional information about the specific areas of expertise that have been certified at each facility. Summit 360’s scope includes managing the downstream recycling chain, logical and physical data sanitization and test and repair of equipment for reuse,” he adds.
“People want to make sure their equipment gets wiped securely and have an audit trail of the equipment they give us,” Noble says. “We provide that service, and for a lot of really important organizations, it gives clients a level of comfort.”
Summit 360’s ITAD facility in Eagan, Minnesota, is R2v3 certified.
Photo courtesy of Summit 360
Future protection
In the future, Noble says he hopes to expand Summit 360’s global reach. “It’s been a little more difficult to get our foot in the door with new clients because we’re not global,” Noble says.
He says he also plans to perfect the way the company processes and manages IT equipment. This includes using software to improve audit trails, certification of destruction and serial number tracking.
Additionally, Noble plans to improve the company’s command chain efficiency.
Summit 360 also plans to apply for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 in 2022, Noble says, though the company already has RIOS (Recycling Industry Operating Standard) certification, which was originally developed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Washington. These ISO certifications include quality management, environmental management systems and occupational health and safety.
For Noble, the most important parts about running a business are creating a positive environment for his clients and meeting growing demand for the responsible management of end-of-life IT assets. He says these reasons are why he recently invested in the R2v3 certification.
“Technology is not going away,” Noble says. “It’s getting smaller and lighter, but it’s not going away. People are going to need this service.”
The author is the digital editor for the Recycling Today Media Group and can be reached at akamczyc@gie.net.
Alex Kamczyc
