The M&J F-series will be M&J Recycling’s main attraction and can be viewed in the West Hall, booth 2468.

M&J Recycling, Horsens, Denmark, has announced it will showcase a series of new products at this year’s WasteExpo in Las Vegas, May 9-12. In particular, the company will display its F-series fine-shredders.  

The M&J F-series, which will be M&J Recycling’s main attraction, can be viewed in the West Hall, booth 2468. The series consists of three models including M&J F140, M&J F210 and M&J F320, which have been designed to deliver a stable, high output of alternative fuels like refuse-derived and solid-recovered fuel, down to 10 millimeters. The company says the models in this series can be adapted to virtually all fractions and capacity requirements between 11 and 23 tons per hour. The company says the shredder keeps energy and operating costs at a minimum.   

A key focus during the design process was an absolute mandate to minimize service requirements and maintenance programs. Easy access to spare parts ensures that the maintenance of machines is efficient and user-friendly for the end-user.  

“The F-series of ultra-strong fine shredders is in a league of its own,” says Uffe Hansen, CEO at M&J Recycling. “The series deservedly got off to a flying start globally because it is extremely flexible and superior on all significant parameters. It will surely appeal to the quality-conscious M&J customer that is accustomed to the legendary quality that comes along with an M&J preshredder. You get reliable production, year after year at minimum cost.”  

M&J Recycling says it is poised to accelerate its development due to new owners, Ahlstrom Capital. The company says the goal is to expand its position as a leading supplier of industrial shredders.   

Visitors to the WasteExpo also can find out more about the flexible K-series, which is aimed at small and medium-scale productions.   

Construction funding company says subcontractors see skilled worker shortage as foremost challenge, but they remain optimistic.

Billd, an Austin, Texas-based provider of material and labor financing for commercial subcontractors, has titled its recently released second annual construction industry market report “How Labor Shortages and Market Volatility are Impacting Subcontractors.”

The firm’s 2022 National Subcontractor Market Report resulted in part from a survey of nearly 800 commercial construction professionals across the country, “largely consisting of business owners and executives, most of whom have been in business for at least 10 years,” Billd says.

The report indicates subcontractors remain concerned about volatile material prices and labor shortages but are optimistic about continued growth over the next year.

Rising material costs and price volatility are key issues for subcontractors. According to the report, 88 percent of those surveyed expect continued price turbulence to impact their business in 2022, representing a 9 percent increase compared with 2021.

Some 87 percent of respondents say a lack of availability of materials will “keenly impact their business in 2022,” Billd adds. Labor issues seem to now rank as the most pressing concern of subcontractors in the United States, with 40 percent of Billd survey respondents reporting availability of skilled construction workers as the biggest risk in 2022, compared to 30 percent who stated material price volatility as their No. 1 concern.

Subcontractors also reported that despite higher material and labor prices, they have not reflected those higher costs in their project bids, putting considerable strain on subcontractor profit margins.

“Billd’s 2022 National Subcontractor Market Report confirms a lot of the known challenges and opportunities subcontractors experience across the industry,” says Billd CEO Chris Doyle. “The labor and material challenges for subcontractors is not just a headline, it’s the day-to-day reality for every subcontractor in the country.”

Doyle adds, “Despite these challenges, subcontractors remain optimistic about their businesses. This report highlights the entrepreneurial spirit subcontractors continue to exhibit each and every year, despite an industry that’s largely turned its back on them.”

While subcontractors remain satisfied with their financing and credit options, they feel the pressure of paying for large material and labor costs upfront, disrupting their cash flow. According to the survey, 59 percent of contractors intend to rely on cash to fund business growth in 2022, while nearly half state cash flow remains a significant challenge.

Supplier terms remain the overwhelmingly preferred option for purchasing materials, with 69 percent favoring them over credit cards, cash or bank financing. Despite the favorable opinion of supplier terms, 70 percent of contractors have terms of only 30 days or less; not nearly the length of time needed to ensure payment before having to come out of pocket for materials. According to the survey, two-thirds of subcontractors come out of pocket for materials before getting paid for their work and almost 80 percent of them wait at least 30 days to receive payment on their pay applications.

“Subcontractors are resilient and optimistic but need more tools to navigate this increasingly challenging environment,” Doyle says. “The payments supply chain in construction is terribly broken, leaving subcontractors to finance a $1.5 trillion industry with very few cash flow solutions offered to them.”

Doyle adds, “Billd stands as the one company truly championing the subcontractor, helping them get the financial support they need to do the best work of their lives. This report highlights the persistent subcontractor challenges that Billd was created to address: providing subcontractors more financing options to weather rising costs, meet project requirements and lay the foundation for further growth.”

The Billd 2022 National Subcontractor Market Report can be downloaded here.

Wood waste diversion and recycling firm names Jeremy Pfeifer to CFO post.

Sarasota, Florida-based Veransa Group Inc, which collects and reprocesses wood scrap and green waste, has announced Jeremy Pfeifer as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

Pfeifer has previously served at four private equity or institutionally backed businesses, says Veransa, including Tampa, Florida-based Valet Living, a multifamily amenity services company, and ArrMaz, a Mulberry, Florida-based specialty chemicals producer.

Veransa says he has “extensive experience managing and executing on both organic and inorganic company growth strategies,” which suits him for Veransa’s anticipated expansion strategy. Pfeifer is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of Florida with a degree in finance and accounting from University of South Florida, according to Veransa.

“We are excited to have Jeremy join our team,” says Marc Owensby, CEO of Veransa. “Jeremy’s leadership will accelerate Veransa’s buildout of an engaged and scalable finance team prepared to undertake due diligence and acquisition integration as we expand, while providing high-level strategic financial planning support to the company.”

Comments Pfeifer, “I am enthusiastic about joining Veransa. The company is uniquely positioned for significant growth in the coming years with a compelling vision, market strategy and seasoned leadership team.”

Veransa describes itself as transforming urban wood and yard waste into valuable beneficial re-use products on an industrial scale. The company says it vertically integrates green and wood waste collection and recycling centers with organic products manufacturing facilities to achieve highest-value use, waste-to-organic commodities production. Those products include organic compost and blended soils and wood scrap converted into feedstock for mulch and renewable energy.

Scrap company acquires two Encore Recycling facilities, including a shredder.

Portland, Oregon-based Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. says it has purchased the operating assets of Encore Recycling LLC, comprising two facilities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. One of the two facilities includes a metal shredding operation and Encore also has a recycled auto parts center.

Founded in 2013, Jefferson, Georgia-based Encore purchases and processes end-of-life vehicles, appliances, and additional ferrous and nonferrous materials from local recycling companies and industrial, commercial, and individual customers, says Schnitzer.

“Encore sells its recycled products to steel mills and foundries throughout the Southeast, the fastest growing steel and industrial manufacturing region in the country,” adds the multi-location acquiring firm.

The acquisition of Encore’s assets follows Schnitzer’s 2021 purchase of eight recycling facilities from Columbus Recycling and expands the company’s Southeastern regional footprint to 24 recycling facilities in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, says the firm.

“The acquisition of Encore will expand our platform and offerings in the robust Southeast market by establishing our first shredding operation in the region with immediate scale and meaningful synergies,” says Tamara Lundgren, board chair and CEO of Schnitzer.

“This purchase builds upon our recent strategic investments including our recently opened state-of-the-art heavy media plant in Macon, Georgia, and the purchase of eight recycling facilities from Columbus Recycling last October,” she continues. “The addition of the Encore assets is consistent with our growth strategy to expand metals recycling operations to meet anticipated increases in steel and nonferrous metals demand driven in part by the global transition to low-carbon technologies. While a variety of solutions will be required as industries, communities, and governments actively pursue carbon reduction, the increased use of recycled metals is one path that is immediately achievable.”

In 2021, the Encore facilities processed approximately 90,000 tons of ferrous scrap and 7,000 tons of nonferrous scrap, partially arising from its handling of 20,000 end-of life vehicles.

Schnitzer says it plans to make capital and other investments at the acquired facilities, including for environmental projects and programs such as a shredder enclosure and emission control system, stormwater infrastructure upgrades, and implementation of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved refrigerant recovery management program.

Carpet recycling organization names two companies and two people as recyclers of the year for 2021.

Dalton, Georgia-based Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) has announced winners of its Recycler and Person of the Year Awards for 2021. The announcements were made at the organization’s 20th Annual Conference in Minneapolis.

The 2021 Recyclers of the Year are Georgia Carpet Recovery Center, based in East Point, Georgia, and GreenWaste Carpet Recycling of San Jose, California. The 2021 Persons of the Year are Nick Fiore of Lincoln, California-based Circular Polymers and Kent Singleton of the Georgia Carpet Recovery Center.

“This year’s award winners have demonstrated true commitment in the face of relentless challenges, and many of those challenges continue to evolve today,” comments CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples.

Founded by Amir Sahebivani in 1995, the Georgia Carpet Recovery Center has been providing cost-effective, environmentally-sound carpet and pad recycling services since that year, says CARE. In 2018, the facility processed more than 9,000 tons of post-consumer carpet and carpet pad. “Georgia Carpet Recovery Center brought vital services to the heartland of the carpet recycling industry,” says Peoples. “They have evolved and adapted over the last 20 years to stay in business and exhibit the true entrepreneurial spirt on which this country is built.”

GreenWaste Recovery opened GreenWaste Carpet Recycling in 2012 to collect, analyze, sort and process post-consumer carpeting, foam carpet padding, commercial broadloom carpet and carpet tiles in Northern California. “GreenWaste Carpet Recycling is a vital partner to the California Carpet Stewardship Program,” says Peoples. “Their state-of-the-art handling facility supports the aggressive growth we need to continue expanding this program. The discipline they bring as a large player in the recycling, composting and collection system are a critical contributor for support to the carpet recycling community.”

Nick Fiore is president of 2019 CARE Recycler of the Year company Circular Polymers. He helped develop many carpet recycling technologies to explore best practices, according to CARE. Fiore has owned and operated five carpet recycling facilities and currently leads Circular Polymers. “Nick brings a wealth of financial and logistical experience to the management team at Circular Polymers,” says Peoples. “Under his watchful eye, Circular Polymers is the fastest growing carpet recycler in North America, bringing needed innovation to the challenges faced by this industry.”

Kent Singleton retired from General Motors in September 2006 after 32 years there. He then joined Georgia Carpet Processing (later Georgia Carpet Recovery Center) with a mission to improve output and reduce the ash content from 15 percent. The production goals were achieved quickly, but it took more than two years to reduce the ash content to less than 5 percent, says CARE. “Kent demonstrates the true grit of an American entrepreneur,” says Peoples. “Under relentless pressure, he has steered his company through major market upheaval. Times are tough for carpet recycling and Kent has found innovative ways to keep the mission alive.”

Since 2002, CARE says its members have diverted more than 2.5 million tons of carpet from landfills in the United States