Wood processing and recycling equipment lines now carried by North Dakota-based General Equipment.

Fargo, North Dakota-based General Equipment & Supplies, Inc. has agreed to represent both CBI and Terex Ecotec equipment lines in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. “The appointment will strengthen customer support for Terex’s environmental equipment brands in the territory,” states Connecticut-based Terex in a news release.

General Equipment was founded in 1984 with a “primary focus” to supply heavy construction and aggregate equipment to the construction, mining, and oil exploration industries while also serving the equipment needs of municipalities, according to Terex.

The equipment dealership firm has grown to employ more than 250 people and operate from 10 locations: Fargo, Minot, Bismarck, and Williston, North Dakota; Rapid City and Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Shakopee, Duluth and Hibbing, Minnesota; and Urbana, Iowa.

“As the demand for environmental equipment increases throughout the United States, we’re ensuring the support capacity for CBI and Ecotec strengthens in each territory,” says George Wilcox, sales and marketing director for CBI and Ecotec.

He continues, “Appointing General Equipment to the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa helps achieve that objective. We’re confident that General Equipment will provide the responsive and quality support our customers expect, while being great ambassadors for our equipment.”

CBI manufactures a line of horizontal grinders, industrial wood chippers, flail debarkers, screens, stacking conveyors, stationary systems and attachments. Terex Ecotec’s product portfolio consists of shredders, trommel screens, recycling screens, metal separators and conveyors.

The independent lender announced the addition of an experienced sales professional and two operations team members to its staff.

Oakmont Capital Services (OCS), West Chester, Pennsylvania, has announced the hiring of an experienced sales professional and two operations team members. The additions to the team will expand Oakmont’s industry reach and enable the independent lender to continue to provide a streamlined, efficient application process for customers.

The three additions to the team include:

“We’re excited to have all three finance professionals join our team,” said Megan Zoba, vice president for docs & funding. “Mindy will help us expand our reach into various industries, while Jodie and Kristy will support the application process with credit and funding approvals. We’re committed to offering customers a first-rate experience when it comes to funding, and we can’t do that without a strong team behind us. All three professionals will add value to help us meet our overall business goals.”

OCS is a direct, independent lender, providing commercial equipment financing and working capital throughout the United States.

The company says Christopher Ulum will lead all aspects of NRT’s sales and operations.

Bulk Handling Systems (BHS), a sorting systems and components manufacturer based in Eugene, Oregon, has named Christopher Ulum managing director of its National Recovery Technologies (NRT) subsidiary in Nashville, Tennessee. Ulum will oversee all aspects of optical sorting technology manufacturer’s operations, service, sales, product management and finances.

Ulum says, “NRT is a global leader in applying sophisticated technology to help solve the waste and recycling challenges our world faces. Our large global footprint, coupled with our many years of recycling infrastructure experience, worldwide install base and service teams make NRT a trusted partner in the waste and recycling industry. I look forward to working with our passionate team as we continue to advance the technology and grow the company.”

Ulum has more than 25 years of industry experience in leadership positions, including president and CEO roles. His background includes large organizations such as Frito-Lay, IBM and Sun Microsystems, as well as small startup companies, such as Agilyx Corp. and Building Energy Inc.

Ulum received a B.S. in business from Oregon State University and an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business.

“Chris is an exceptional leader with a wide breadth of experience, and we are fortunate to have him come on board to lead NRT,” says BHS CEO Steve Miller. “The application of NRT’s innovative technology in optical, controls and artificial intelligence are changing the industry. Chris will be a vital part of continuing that fast-paced growth while maintaining our high performance, results-oriented and quality focus for our customers.”

The company will work with Ashfield Ag Resources to co-develop a biomass renewable energy processing facility.

Clean Energy Technologies Inc. (CETY), Costa Mesa, California, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ashfield Ag Resources to co-develop its initial biomass renewable energy processing facility.

Located in Massachusetts, the project will use a high temperature ablative fast pyrolysis reactor (HTAP biomass reactor) to convert forest biomass waste products to renewably generated electricity and biochar fertilizer. The parties agreed in principle to the critical components, which are expected to annually deliver up to 14,600 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable electricity and 1,500 tons of biochar by Q1 2022.

The MOU, which is subject to the execution of definitive agreements, provides the CETY project with rights to feedstock, site control, approved grid interconnection and power purchase agreement revenues. CETY management forecasts up to a 35 percent net present value (over a 10-year horizon) on the $15 million project and internal rates of return of up to 12 percent.

CETY anticipates its existing organic Rankine cycle (ORC) business will also capitalize on each biomass project with the opportunity to deliver heat recovery solutions. Such synergies can increase energy value by 12 percent to 14 percent for the biomass project.

CETY’s portfolio of biomass projects will thus also “drive top line and bottom line growth elsewhere in the company creating long term predictable income streams with high IRR cash flows,” the company says.

More importantly, CETY says it provides a footprint for future projects utilizing HTAP biomass reactor technology in the rapidly growing biomass renewable energy sector. The HTAP biomass reactor is a proprietary process that transforms organic waste by using ultra-high temperatures to produce renewable electrical power, biochar fertilizer and high heating value fuel gas in addition to other commercially valuable chemicals.

CETY management believes it can secure additional biomass resources to deliver additional projects ten times larger in the future. The biomass renewable energy project will be operated from within a newly formed company and is expected to be funded through a special purpose vehicle with equity and debt secured by the project’s revenues.

“This project is the first of four anticipated renewable biomass projects, and is expected to serve as a model for developing new projects to capture market share in this highly profitable and growing industry,” said Kam Mahdi, CEO of CETY. “By vertically integrating the biomass projects into our business, we are also able to grow our heat recovery business horizontally. We hope that our future projects will be large by orders of magnitude and have a profound impact on the environment while bringing us new sources of income. Our new renewable energy biomass projects are expected to further expand our goal of becoming a complete solution for industrial and municipal scale projects in the strategic markets we are targeting.”

Officials claim Aggregate Industries - Northeast Region Inc. produced emissions and noxious odors that caused a public nuisance near its Chelmsford plant.

A construction material supply company will pay up to $1.45 million in addition to repairing and upgrading its plant it Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to settle allegations that it produced asphalt in violation of its permit.

According to state Attorney General Maura Healey, Raynham, Massachusetts-based Aggregate Industries - Northeast Region Inc. produced emissions and noxious odors that caused a public nuisance in the surrounding area.

“This company recklessly ignored the requirements of our environmental protection laws and the health and wellbeing of its neighbors when it continued to illegally manufacture asphalt and emit odors that deeply disrupted the surrounding community,” Healey said. “My office will continue to work with our state partners to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and the environment for their own benefit.”

The consent judgment, entered in Suffolk Superior Court on April 27, settles allegations that the company violated the Massachusetts Clean Air Act and its regulations when it installed unauthorized equipment at its Chelmsford plant to produce crumb rubber asphalt pavement and thereafter failed to properly operate and maintain the plant over at least four months.

This caused visible emissions of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, as well as acrid, noxious odors that smelled like burning tires, caused throat irritation and respiratory issues for nearby residents and woke some from their sleep.

According to the attorney general’s complaint, the odors were detectable up to at least three miles from the plant. The complaint also alleges that Aggregate told the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) that it had stopped producing the crumb rubber asphalt during MassDEP’s initial investigation, but actually continued producing the crumb rubber asphalt for months.

According to the complaint, Aggregate’s installation of unauthorized equipment, failure to inspect and maintain the plant, and emission of pollutants and noxious odors were also violations of its permit to operate the plant.

“MassDEP is committed to enforcing the law and ensuring a level playing field for all regulated industrial production facilities. Although most entities comply with the regulations that protect public health and the environment, this case demonstrates the cost of not properly operating and maintaining a facility,” said Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilmington. “The community and the environment will benefit greatly from the substantial improvements to the Aggregate facility required under this agreement.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Aggregate will pay $1.45 million in penalties, of which $460,000 is suspended for two years pending compliance with the consent judgment. Aggregate is also required to seek a new permit from MassDEP and to perform extensive repairs and upgrades to equipment and operations at the Chelmsford plant.