Steve Ragiel, the CEO of Greenstar North America, will be joining Greenstar’s Irish Parent Company NTR plc to work on sustainable energy and sustainable resource investments.
According to a Greenstar news release, Ragiel will also be joining the NTR North American Advisory Board and will continue to be a shareholder in and an active member of the Greenstar Board of Directors.
Greenstar, in its news release, says Ragiel has been “happy with the Greenstar team’s ability to push though the adversity of the down market and reach the major milestones set for the teams.”
Houston-based Greenstar North America has also made several other announcements concerning its recycling operations in North America.
The company says it has reached a number of safety, operational and technological milestones during its past fiscal year including:
- 40 percent improvement in safety performance
- 1.6 million tons of recyclables processed with an expectation of exceeding 2.1 million tons processed in the next 12 months
- Starting up a highly automated single-stream plant in San Antonio, Texas, with a nameplate capacity of more than 200,000 tons per year of combined residential and commercial material
- Implementing a three-mix glass optical sorting plant in Allentown, Pa., with a capacity of 150,000 tons per year
- Rolling out a standard financial package across the entire company and centralizing accounting and finance functions at its Houston headquarters.
“Based on NTR’s global view of the need for dramatically increased resource sustainability, we remain strongly committed to Greenstar North America’s business model,” says Jim Barry, CEO of Ireland-based NTR plc, Greenstar’s parent company.
“I would like to thank Steve for his contribution as its founding chief executive,” adds Barry. “He can be extremely proud of the world-class team and asset base he has built, which gives the company a solid platform for future growth. NTR is looking forward to continuing to work with Steve on a number of NTR’s emerging sustainable energy and resource opportunities.”
Mike Wynne, chief executive of NTR’s overall recycling division, will be taking over from Ragiel as acting CEO effective March 22. “Steve has built the business by assembling a great team and pursuing a series of acquisitions and partnerships—and building trust with everyone who has dealt with him,” Wynne comments. “The Greenstar team is looking forward to meeting its aggressive new milestones over the 12 months.”
Headquartered in Ireland, NTR has expanded its presence in the United States in the last several years. Currently it operates wind energy, solar energy, bio-ethanol and recycling businesses in the United States with total revenue of approximately $500 million.
Founded in 1978, NTR has evolved from being a developer and operator of toll roads and other infrastructure in Ireland to an international developer and operator of renewable energy (wind, solar and bio-ethanol), and recycling and waste management businesses in North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland. More information on the company can be found at www.ntr.ie.