Supplier News

Rotochopper hosts annual two-day training event

Rotochopper, St. Martin, Minnesota, hosted Rotochopper University, an exclusive training event for owners and operators the last two weeks of February.

The two-day class included a manufacturing facility tour, equipment operation best practice training, a hands-on demonstration and networking opportunities. This year the education focused on how to properly feed a grinder, how to perform preventative maintenance and how to troubleshoot.

The hands-on demonstrations showed attendees how to install the main rotor bearings, as well as how to adjust the sheave and tension the drive belt on a Rotochopper grinder.

“The class was well organized, the instructors are very knowledgeable, plus they kept things moving with the mix of classroom and hands-on training,” says an attendee from Ontario, Canada.

Rotochopper offered two session options, with over 50 students from 35 companies across the U.S. and Canada attending.

“Rotochopper University was very beneficial,” says an attendee from Appleton, Wisconsin. “I was able to gain knowledge on every part of my machine. It felt very personal, and not like generic coverage. This was a very good course and I would recommend it to anyone with a Rotochopper machine.”

Deutz Corp. adds Power Centers in Florida, New Jersey and New York markets

Deutz Corp., Norcross, Georgia, is opening Deutz Power Centers to serve the Florida, New Jersey and New York City markets.

The company says it plans to launch two Deutz Power Center locations in Florida in the Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale metropolitan areas. Two new branch managers have been hired, with facility locations to be determined over the coming weeks, the company says. Until those new locations are up and fully operational, Deutz says it will support customers in Florida with mobile service technicians and its existing dealer network.

“We’ve already begun assembling a solid team for the locations in North and South Florida,” says Nick Vermet, general manager of Deutz Power Centers.

Deutz Power Centers are fully stocked with Deutz genuine parts and provide regularly scheduled and emergency service of the company’s engines, either at the Power Center or at customers’ sites. Manufacturers in Power Center territories can receive custom, value-added production and assembly services. Deutz also will take over sales and service responsibilities in New Jersey and New York City. More information on these changes will be forthcoming, the company says.

“Our Power Center model has proven to be very effective at providing customers with totally dedicated Deutz service and parts support,” says Robert Mann, president and CEO of Deutz Corp. “We’ve proven it in the Midwest and the Carolinas, so we look forward to providing customers across Florida, New Jersey and New York City with the top-notch sales and service that our Power Centers offer.”

Atlas Copco announces new VP of marketing

Atlas Copco Power Technique (AC), Rock Hill, South Carolina, has introduced Corbett Jones as vice president of marketing. In this position, Jones will drive marketing strategy, implementation and demand generation for AC in the U.S. and Canada, with a focus on the digitalization of the customer journey. Additionally, he will look to improve digital processes for working with dealers and national rental partners.

“I am excited to join a strong global brand with a proven track record of winning in the market through innovative products and services,” says Jones. “As a new member of the team, I want to help drive efficient and profitable growth through our channel partners.”

In addition to overseeing AC, Jones will be responsible for marketing support of the Chicago Pneumatic Power Technique and APT brands.

With 20 years of marketing and digital experience, Jones comes to AC from Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, where he served as global director of digital marketing. Prior to that, he was the vice president and director of marketing at 3D Systems Corporation.

Vecoplan announces personnel changes

Vecoplan LLC, Archdale, North Carolina, has hired a new marketing department head and has named a new director of its parts and service operation. The company also has named its employee of the year for 2020.

Kirsti Nelson has joined the company as director of marketing and communications with the goal of leading the department to new and increased market concentration. She brings more than 15 years’ experience in industrial manufacturing industries, including paper, furniture, recycling and waste. Nelson has served in marketing and sales roles for American businesses and German-owned companies with U.S. operations and earned an MBA in marketing and operations from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a public relations professional certificate from the University of Virginia.

Additionally, Vecoplan’s aftermarket department has new leadership with the promotion of Mike Wilhoit to parts and service director. Wilhoit has worked for the company for 17 years, serving in the production and engineering departments. He also served as vice president of operations.

“Mike’s energy, loyalty and commitment to Vecoplan’s success is a vital asset to our company,” says COO Len Beusse. “The promotion is warranted due to his institutional knowledge of our customers and the market. He knows where we need to focus our efforts to remain the leader.”

Also within the parts and service department, Phillip Thompson has been named Vecoplan’s 2020 Employee of the Year. Thompson has been with Vecoplan for more than 12 years, having begun his tenure in 2006 doing quality control and delivery for mobile shredding trucks. Thompson then moved to the parts and service department.

As part of the honor, Vecoplan has given Thompson an all-expenses-paid trip.

Wilhoit, who is Thompson’s manager, says, “Phillip has demonstrated unmatched dedication to his role at Vecoplan. He continues to be one of our best performing parts salespersons. We are honored to grant him this well-deserved award.”

Vecoplan LLC is a subsidiary of Vecoplan AG in Germany. The company manufactures industrial and mobile shredders for different materials, selling into the plastics, wood, biomass, paper, recycling and waste, and waste-to-energy markets.

Machinex celebrates 50 years

Machinex is celebrating its 50th anniversary manufacturing equipment in 2020 by looking to the future with its mission statement, “Design solutions for a sustainable tomorrow.”

Founded in 1970 in Plessisville, Quebec, Machinex initially offered machining services, parts and equipment manufacturing for industrial and agricultural clients. In 1985, Machinex entered the recycling sector by delivering its first sorting facility, which was in Victoriaville, Quebec. Over the years, the company has evolved to focus entirely on serving the recycling industry, constructing its first material recovery facility (MRF) for curbside recycling in Canada and creating several companies and divisions.

These various companies are gathered under the Machinex Group umbrella, which Pierre Paré has owned since 1996. He joined the company in 1983 as a sales engineer and became a co-shareholder in 1989.

Over the years, Machinex says it has developed equipment that allows its customers to improve the performance of their operations through automated sorting. The company says it adapts to market changes, offering state-of-the-art equipment. Today, Machinex continues working to deliver high-performance, turnkey MRFs, the company says.

The company says it is currently completing construction of a new technology hub for its research and development department and manufacturing equipment such as optical sorters and sorting robots.

“Half a century in business is a great source of pride but also a major accomplishment when we think of all we had to navigate through to be here,” says Paré, who is CEO of Machinex Group. “Only 10 years ago, we were barely 200 employees, and today, we are nearly 500. Machinex has greatly contributed to the development of the recycling industry and sorting technologies over time. We can affirm that we are an international reference in the environment and waste management industry for our expertise in high-performance sorting solutions. This happened due to the hard work of a great team,” he adds.

Wastequip acquires Consolidated Fabricators Corp.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Wastequip, a leading North American manufacturer of waste handling equipment, has announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Consolidated Fabricators Corp. (ConFab), a waste container manufacturer based in Van Nuys, California.

Founded in 1974, ConFab operates manufacturing, steel processing and equipment repair facilities in central and southern California with additional California locations in Sun Valley, Fontana, Galt and Otay Mesa, as well as a manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico.

Under the terms of the agreement, ConFab will continue to operate as its own entity with the existing leadership team remaining in place and reporting directly to Wastequip Chief Executive Officer Marty Bryant, according to a Wastequip news release.

The acquisition of ConFab adds a West Coast container manufacturer to Wastequip’s portfolio of brands. A family-owned business started by Al Melideo and now under the leadership of son Mike Melideo, ConFab has established itself as a leading provider of custom waste containers and related equipment specifically designed to suit the unique needs of the California market.

Existing Wastequip customers will benefit from access to a suite of products suited to their geographic market, along with additional production facilities to meet demand quickly.

This acquisition, along with Wastequip’s acquisition of Amrep in early 2019, rounds out Wastequip’s ability to offer complete nationwide product coverage for waste containers and related equipment, the company says.

“ConFab has been one of our top acquisition targets for some time because of the synergies it brings, including the ability to process steel, expand our parts fabrication and add container repair services,” Bryant says. “We are impressed by the business that Mike Melideo has built over the years in terms of vertical integration, intimate market knowledge, consistent product quality and outstanding customer support.”

Mike Melideo, CEO at ConFab, adds, “Becoming part of the Wastequip family aligns the company we’ve proudly built over the past four decades. This alignment allows us to take advantage of the strength of the Wastequip brand and leverage additional operational efficiencies to continue serving our customer base.”