Supplier news

General Kinematics appoints new president

General Kinematics, a manufacturer of custom-engineered vibratory process equipment based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, has promoted Thomas P. Musschoot to president. Musschoot succeeds William Acton, who will remain a member of the company’s board of directors.

Musschoot holds a bachelor’s degree from Bradley University and an MBA from Webster University. Since starting with the company in 1999, he has held various positions in marketing, production and sales. Most recently, Musschoot served as vice president of North American sales.

Paul Musschoot, chairman and CEO of General Kinematics, says, “I am very proud and honored that Tom has accepted the role as president. I know we can count on Tom’s leadership to continue General Kinematics’ commitment to provide quality products and superior service to our customers just as our founder Albert Musschoot had intended.”

Clean Methane Systems upgrades California biogas systems

To meet more stringent emission regulations, Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) is upgrading two biogas conditioning systems at its Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, California, locations. Clean Methane Systems (CMS), Tualatin, Oregon, was selected as the supplier.

CMS provided four larger vessels and reused one of the original vessels. With the upgrade, the 1.4 billion cubic feet of digester gas produced each year will meet the county’s air quality standards. The gas will be used to power eight engines with a total capacity of 23.5 megawatts.

The CMS system incorporates three carbon-based media to filter the biogas. The company says the project will save OCSD $3.5 million per year and has a 7.2 year payback period without incentives.

Bandit completes plant expansions

Bandit Industries, Remus, Michigan, has completed its fourth plant expansion in nine months to keep up with increasing demand.

Bandit moved into a rebuilt facility in October 2014, increasing its capacity for rebuilding used machines. The move also freed up construction space in the forestry mower and Beast buildings, allowing for increased production in both areas, the company says. Bandit completed a new electronics facility in November 2014, allowing for increased production of electronic control panel harnesses. Control panels and proportional drives featured on Bandit’s Tier-4 engine options are built at the new facility. In February the company completed a new drum chipper head and rotor manufacturing facility, and in April a new tree chipper facility was completed.

“These four expansions have allowed us to add 80 full-time employees and add much-needed production,” says Jerry Morey, president of Bandit. “The additional production capacity will reduce lead times by the end of the second quarter.”

Impact Bioenergy enters agreement for microdigester

Seattle-based Impact Bioenergy has completed an agreement with ForTheGood Public Benefit Corp. (FTG) as the first U.S. and Washington state customer of the Horse microdigester. The Horse is described by the company as a living machine that uses biomimicry to convert food waste into renewable energy and fertilizer with zero waste.

FTG is working on building a community-scaled “hyperlocal” enterprise with craft food and beverage businesses and urban farmers to divert their rich bioresources from hauling and disposal.

FTG is focused on taking fossil fuel out of the waste recycling and fertilizer equations. That in turn creates the opportunity to take the truck out of the food supply equation as well.

The companies say the three biggest benefits to on-site organics recycling are:

• diversion from disposal and export;
• production of valuable biofertilizer; and
• production of renewable bioenergy.

Together with Seattle Urban Farm Company, FTG plans to add urban greenhouse food production to capture the heat, humidity, carbon dioxide and fertilizer benefits by coupling a greenhouse to the bioenergy system. The company says the microdigester offers a local solution for neighborhoods and businesses.

Komptech joins Hirtenberger Group

Austria-based industrial equipment company Hirtenberger Group has acquired an 80 percent stake in the equipment company Komptech GmbH, also based in Austria and with a U.S. subsidiary, Komptech Americas LLC, located in Westminster, Colorado.

Hirtenberger is involved in the automotive, medical technology, defense technology and mining industries. The deal for Komptech is Hirtenberger’s first acquisition in the environmental sector.

“Adding sustainable, environment-saving technologies was an important goal in expanding our business portfolio,” says Stefan Odenthal, chief executive officer of Hirtenberger. “The acquisition of Komptech supports our sustainable growth strategy.”

Komptech CEO Heinz Leitner says, “Hirtenberger’s involvement substantially strengthens our equity capital base, so that we are well prepared for the future.”

Leitner continues, “In the last several years we have made large investments in the development of new products and the expansion of our production locations. Now we have to further roll out our innovative solutions to the world market. We’re convinced that we will benefit from numerous synergies.”

“With Komptech, we can significantly strengthen our entire group in the coming years,” adds Odenthal.

Komptech GmbH manufactures machines for mechanical and biological waste treatment as well as for processing wood waste for use as a renewable energy resource. The company has facilities in Austria, Slovenia and Germany.

Terex acquires CBI

Terex Material Processing, a business segment of Terex Corp., Westport, Connecticut, has acquired the equipment company Continental Biomass Industries Inc. (CBI), Newton, New Hampshire. With the acquisition, Terex says it has significantly expanded its Terex Environmental Equipment (TEE) product line, which serves the wood, biomass and recycling industries.

The acquisition will add customization and specialty product capabilities that enable TEE to serve even the most demanding requirements of customers worldwide, the company explains.

Kieran Hegarty, president of Terex Materials Processing, says, “Wood processing, biomass fuel production and recycling are strong and growing industries that are driven by increasing global demand for environmentally responsible solutions to waste disposal and alternative energy. We see a real opportunity to bring value to customers in these industries by providing equipment that combines the know-how of CBI and TEE with our existing materials processing expertise.”

CBI, which has been in business since 1988, says it has a long history in the wood, biomass and recycling markets and brings an experienced team that will drive specialized product and project sales on a global basis. CBI also offers a portfolio of products that when combined with Terex products will be able to form the basis for a line of standard products that can be sold and supported through distributors.

Following the acquisition, TEE will serve customers through three distinct sales and support channels:

• The CBI brand will be maintained as a Terex brand within the portfolio. CBI products will serve the high-capacity, full-feature needs of recycling, wood processing and biomass customers, including custom-engineered solutions, where appropriate. CBI products will be represented by a direct sales force who will work in collaboration with TEE and Terex distributors.
• The Terex Eco product range will address midrange recycling and wood processing needs for turnkey mobile solutions. This product line will primarily be sold by a network of specialized distributors.
• The Terex Arborist line will include hand-fed chippers and other smaller equipment that is primarily used by tree service specialists, utility line maintenance and construction/ landscaping contractors. The line will be sold via a network of tree service-specific dealers.

CBI founder Anders Ragnarsson will continue as the managing director of the CBI product line and will support Tony Devlin, worldwide business director for TEE.

“Terex Materials Processing has a long history of providing application-specific equipment,” Devlin observes. “We’re excited to build on that heritage as we further expand into the recycling, biomass and wood processing industries.”