Equipment report

Otto Environmental Systems names president

Otto Environmental Systems North America Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, has named Michael Costello as the company’s president. Costello takes over the role from Dave Piejak, the company’s departing CEO.

“We all want to thank Dave for his time and commitment to the company,” Costello says. “Dave came in at a difficult time in our history and laid the groundwork for a new Otto. He worked hard to stabilize the company and prepare us for our transition to growth.”

Callidus Capital Corp., the Toronto-based owner of Otto, appointed Costello to align with the customers the company serves in the waste and recycling industry.

Costello has nearly three decades of leadership experience in the waste industry, and he is committed to the manufacturing, sales and service of waste containers, the company says.

“I’ve been in the waste industry for over 25 years, holding leadership roles with Waste Management, Allied and Browning-Ferris Industries, and owning my own waste company. I know what our customers need to serve their residential customers,” Costello says. “What separates us is our commitment to our customers. Otto is the only residential cart manufacturer that focuses only on waste carts as our core business.”

Shred-Tech acquired by The Heico Cos.

The Heico Cos., Chicago, has announced that it has completed the acquisition of a majority interest in Shred-Tech Corp. Shred-Tech specializes in the design and manufacture of mobile and stationary shredding equipment for the document destruction and recycling industries. Based in Ontario, Canada, Shred-Tech also has operations in the U.S., U.K. and Thailand.

Heico has partnered in the acquisition with Rob Glass, Shred-Tech’s president and CEO, who will continue to lead the company.

“Rob Glass and his terrific team have built a high-class company that is a leader in its field. We are excited to work with them to take the company to its next level,” Emily Heisley Stoeckel, Heico chairman, says. “We are optimistic that Heico’s array of global resources will help Shred-Tech continue to grow and expand its offering of exceptional products and services to customers worldwide.”

“We reached a time when some of our founding shareholders were ready to exit the business, and we went on a search for a partner that would provide both a strong, long-term home for the company and its many valued employees and also the resources to continue our growth and development,” Glass says. “With its deep operating expertise, global network of businesses and long-term investing approach, Heico fits that requirement very well, and we are excited to work with it for years to come.”

Shred-Tech designs and manufactures a range of vehicles that provide mobile document destruction and secure document collection solutions. It also offers an array of stationary and mobile shredding systems for many different materials and applications.

Brokk hires central Canada regional sales manager

Brokk, Monroe, Washington, a manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition machines, has named John-Paul Duquette as regional sales manager for central Canada. Duquette manages sales for Brokk robotic demolition machines and provides support for new and existing customers throughout Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“Throughout North America, construction and demolition contractors are realizing the potential of Brokk machines in a variety of industries and applications,” says Peter Bigwood, Brokk vice president of sales and marketing. “To ensure these customers have the support and service they need, Brokk has been working to grow our knowledgeable and experienced staff by adding individuals like John-Paul. His technical background, in addition to his sales experience, make him a valuable asset to our Canadian team.”

Duquette joins Brokk with 20 years of experience in equipment service, sales and management. He received certification as an automotive and heavy truck technician from Ontario-based Conestoga College before joining Pointe-Claire, Canada-based Hewitt Material Handling. During his decade at Hewitt, he returned to Conestoga College to complete the Ontario Management Development Program.

Most recently, he spent nine years at Liftow Ltd., another full-service lift truck dealership operating across southern Ontario. At Liftow, he worked as a customer service manager and transitioned into manager of the business development sales team.

Rokla acquires crusher and screening company

Langenburg, Germany-based rotary cutter manufacturer Rokla GmbH, which operates under the Rockwheel brand, has announced its acquisition of crusher and screening bucket company Hartl Engineering & Marketing GmbH, headquartered in Reiferdorf, Austria.

As of June 27, the acquisition is in effect and includes the use of the Hartl brand, inventory and intellectual property. The Hartl family’s Modular Solutions Division is not included in the deal.

Rokla says it will allocate its resources to allow Hartl to expand its market coverage and customer base.

“The market for Hartl’s [products has] developed in recent years and this acquisition promises to further strengthen Rokla’s position as a leading supplier of excavator attachments,” says Robert Piasecki, managing partner of Rokla. “Rockwheel and Hartl products are particularly complementary, making the rationale behind the deal even more compelling for customers.”

“With Rokla, we have found the ideal buyer. It is a dynamic and owner-driven company that is a market leader in its respective segment,” says Dominik Hartl, the co-founder of Hartl. “We are confident that Rokla will help deliver Hartl further success, benefiting customers, distributors and suppliers alike.”

Untha U.K. forms new management team

Untha U.K. has announced its new board of directors at the halfway point of the company’s financial year.

Managing Director Marcus Brew, who has been at the helm of Untha U.K. since 2016, is joined by Peter Streinik, who serves as director of global strategy.

Working with the team in the U.K., Austria-headquartered Streinik combines knowledge and insight from almost every continent of the globe, the company says.

Andrea Gratzer, based in Austria, also has joined the U.K. board as finance director. Gratzer has been with Untha for 16 years, and the company says she will be a key decision-maker as the U.K. operation strives to achieve 20 percent year-on-year expansion between now and 2022.

Gary Moore, promoted to sales director in September 2018, will blend his U.K. responsibilities with those of director for global business development. Untha says this dual company involvement represents the U.K.’s mounting presence on the international map.

“We’ve worked hard to secure the best possible people for these roles at a crucial time in our organization’s journey,” Brew says.

“Inviting Peter and Andrea to join our board from our Austrian headquarters reflects our closer integration into this global business and the voice we now have within central operations,” he continues. “The U.K. market is very different than many others worldwide. Customer relationships matter a lot and the growth potential here—for both machines and service products—is vast.”

Julian Lamb has recently been appointed as Untha U.K.’s sales manager, Julie Cassidy serves as service coordinator and ex-chairman Chris Oldfield also has recently rejoined the team as commercial director.