Equipment Report

Equipment Manufacturers Share "State of the Industry" Perspective
During the 2011 C&D Recycling Forum, held near Baltimore in late September, Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine shared the results of its inaugural State of the Industry Report, which appeared as an insert in the September/October 2011 issue. Sponsors of the report were asked to offer their observations of the industry and what they are seeing in terms of equipment needs.

D. Reeves

Dick Reeves of General Kinematics, Crystal Lake, Ill., remarked that the last couple of years have been tough on equipment manufacturers.

The biggest change General Kinematics has seen in the last two years has been in processing capacity, he says. Because there is more capacity than materials available, he says processors of C&D material have tried to either find other markets or to optimize what they have. Material flow does appear to be coming back, with material often coming from smaller projects. "They are not the major demolition projects we have seen in the past," Reeves said.

"We have to be a little more flexible with the markets and the commodities that are out there," he commented. Reeves has seen an increased interest in renewable energy from waste. There are more plastics, paper, and organics in the waste streams for companies to extract, he says. "With energy prices high, that is definitely a viable option," Reeves said.

Recovery rates are increasing with capacity down, Reeves told the audience. He explained that processors have more time on their hands to pull additional commodities out to increase recovery rates.

"You have to be creative in this job environment," said Reeves. "As a custom equipment manufacturer, we are not limited to what has been done in the past but we like to work with the end user to explore those ideas of what we can provide in the future."

Terri Ward of SSI Shredding Systems, Wilsonville, Ore., agreed that there has been diversification in material processing. "Our customers are diversifying feedstock materials," she said. "Customers are finding new markets in which to put their equipment to work." The waste streams are becoming more difficult than what may have traditionally been processed as C&D. Problematic materials can include carpet, mixed plastic and bulky waste. She concurred with Reeves that customers are trying to achieve higher recycling rates for in-bound material.

Wood-based fuels are being blended with other materials that can make it more conducive for a shredder than a grinder, Ward said. Plastics, rubber and carpet are among the materials being blended into the fuel stream. Ward said she also has seen a move toward custom-designed fixed plants, adding that fuel prices are steering some people away from running diesel motors and instead turning to electricity.

Paul Smith of KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, Yankton, S.D., remarked, "2009 seemed to be our rock bottom." He said the company has seen 40 percent growth per year since that initial low. The Sunbelt states seem to be struggling the most, he added.

Resurfacing and road work, more inner city demolition projects and landfill reclamation seem to be areas where there is activity. Smith said there has been more onsite recycling and utilization of tracked machines.

Construction & Demolition Recycling's 2011 State of the Industry Report is available at http://www.cdrecycler.com/FileUploads/file/SOI_CDR.pdf .

The 2011 C&D Recycling Forum was Sept 25-27 at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Md.

S.B. Cox Opens Second C&D Facility Designed and Installed by CBI
S.B. Cox Demolition Contractors, Richmond, Va., has opened a second C&D recycling facility, located in Yorktown, Va., which is now fully operational.

The company says after several years of operating its first C&D recycling facility in Richmond, Barbee Cox, president, decided to go one step further and build a second facility. S.B. Cox has worked exclusively with Continental Biomass Industries, Inc. (CBI) of Newton, N.H., in designing and installing these two facilities.

CBI provides engineering, manufacturing, installation and product support for the entire system.

The new facility is designed to recycle C&D materials and reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill. It also is engineered to allow S.B. Cox to add a second line, which would provide higher production in the future if needed. The system also allows wood that is pulled from the waste stream to go directly to a CBI 5400 horizontal wood grinder. As well, the grinder can be loaded directly without mobile material handling equipment or an operator.

CBI manufactures and distributes a complete line of grinders, chippers and shredders for the biomass recovery, processing, and recycling industry.

More information is available at www.cbi-inc.com.

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens Spearhead National Infrastructure Campaign
KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, based in Yankton, S.D., has announced a trailblazing campaign, "The Road Connection," which will spotlight the need for infrastructure funding and increase pressure on government to fund road construction. The company says it is a critical time for the campaign, as American infrastructure "has sunk from 6th best in the world to 16th in just two years."

Curt Peterka, advertising manager for KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, will be one of several company employees who will travel the highways and interstates in the “Road Connection” truck to attend dealer stops, demo days, open houses and industry trade shows.

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, a worldwide manufacturer of heavy equipment for the aggregate and recycle markets, announced the launch of the campaign at its National Dealer Conference, held in New Orleans, Sept. 12-14, 2011.

"As an industry leader, we feel compelled to do our part to help secure a multi-year, federal highway bill to improve our roads and bridges," says Joe Vig, president of KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens. "It is imperative that we invest in our transportation system, not only to improve our quality of life and infrastructure, but also to put more Americans back to work."

"The Road Connection" is a year-long campaign driven by KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens and supported by industry organizations. The campaign is designed to demonstrate the need for infrastructure funding and generate a legislative call-to-action.

Throughout 2011 and 2012, KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens will travel the highways and interstates in all parts of the United States and host and attend dealer stops, demo days, open houses and industry trade shows.

"Our goal is to partner with others to speak as one voice," Vig says. "We know that better roads and better bridges mean better business, not just for our industry, but for every industry. We hope 'The Road Connection' brings about real, positive change that will help improve the day-to-day lives of our fellow Americans."

In early November, the U.S. Senate blocked two competing proposals to boost spending on roads, bridges and other infrastructure as Democrats and Republicans squabbled in part over President Obama's $447 billion jobs plan.

More information on "The Road Connection" program is available at www.kpijci.com and www.astecmobilescreens.com.

Rapid Recovery Opens Territory in Florida
Rapid Recovery, a nationwide refrigerant abatement company based in Peoria, Ariz., has announced the opening of its Jacksonville, Fla. territory. Chan Ritchie and Hank Taylor will own and operate the business. The Jacksonville location is the first for Rapid Recovery in Florida and will serve all cities in Florida and the Gulf Coast area.

The Jacksonville location is Rapid Recovery's 28th location. Rapid Recovery operates in more than 42 states across the United States and continues to expand to meet the need for EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)-compliant refrigerant recovery.

"Industry leading EPA documentation and superior service are just two of the things that set Rapid Recovery apart," says Adam Dykstra, president of Rapid Recovery. Another aspect is the company's franchise model, which Dykstra explains is "great service backed by local ownership that provides a huge plus for local contractors."

"I like to say that we are really in the man-hours-savings business," says Richie. "We can recover as much as 500 pounds of refrigerant in an hour, 10 times faster than your average recovery machine. This saves contractors a ton of costly time that can be repurposed to more productive activities than waiting around on recoveries." Richie adds, Rapid Recovery assumes all EPA liability for every pound of refrigerant it recovers.