Florida-based company sells magnetic systems and mineral separation equipment designed and built by Master Magnets Ltd.

Newton, Kansas-based Bunting Magnetics Co. has announced it has signed an agreement to acquire  Global Magnetics Inc. The Boca Raton, Florida-based company sells and distributes magnetic systems and mineral separation equipment designed and built by Master Magnets Ltd. throughout the United States, Canada, Central America and South America. 

Rich Evangelista In January 2017, Bunting Magnetics acquired Master Magnets, a brand of industrial magnetic separation equipment, such as eddy current separators, permanent and electromagnets, including overband magnets, drum magnets, magnetic head pulleys and suspension magnets sold through a worldwide network of distributors, including Global Magnetics Inc.  “Global Magnetics has a strong customer base and growth strategy in place to accelerate our footprint in the mining, minerals, quarry and aggregate industries with the world’s most innovative and quality processing and recycling equipment,” says Bob Bunting, president and CEO, Bunting Magnetics. “With their deep understanding of these markets and our recent acquisition of Master Magnets, the business is an excellent strategic fit and brings a unique opportunity to be competitive in additional industries and markets.” The company’s growth in these markets will be led by new sales team member Rich Evangelista, business development manager, aggregate, mining and minerals. In his new role, Evangelista is responsible for growing the Master Magnets line of equipment in these markets throughout the Americas.  “Rich has extensive knowledge and background in industrial equipment sales and service. As we strive to grow these markets, we look to his sales expertise and vast material handling knowledge to elevate our brands even higher,” says Rod Henricks, director of sales. “These industries are a significant focus for us and we are confident that Rich’s experience makes him perfect for this critical position. We’re delighted to welcome him to the team.” Evangelista has more than 21 years of material handling and magnetic separation equipment sales experience. He recently worked in sales and customer service at Weise USA, a Wichita, Kansas-based material handling equipment provider. He will based at the company’s global headquarters in Newton. Global Magnetics President Marshall Gralnick will assist in the transition in a consulting capacity. Gralnick  adds, “Global Magnetics and Bunting Magnetics share the desire to serve customers with high quality, innovative products. I look forward to working with Rich and the Bunting Magnetics team as they meet our customers, provide solutions to remove tramp metal from processing and recycling streams, and develop strategies to grow these markets.” Terms of the acquisition of Global Magnetics Inc. were not disclosed. Bunting Magnetics is a leader in magnet and magnetic equipment design, manufacturing and distribution.

New York state-based recycling company makes purchase from Wendt Corp. during Demo Days event.

Pictured above, from left: Wendt Corp.'s Tom Wendt, Gershow Recycling's Kevin Gershowitz and MTB's Jean-Phillipe Fusier. 

Wendt Corp., headquartered in Buffalo, New York, has announced the sale of an MTB Cable Box to Gershow Recycling, Medford, New York. The sale represents the fourth such unit to be sold since its launch last year and the second in recent weeks.

Gershow Recycling is a second-generation, family-owned business that has been serving the scrap industry since 1964. With more than 750 employees, the company operates nine locations in Suffolk County, Nassau County and Brooklyn in New York. Gershow prides itself on operating modern, technically advanced processing facilities while offering competitive prices and a high level of customer service.

Wendt Demo Days took place the week of June 26, 2017, and provided companies with the opportunity to see four different material types (shredder wire, No. 1 copper wires, aluminum cables and aluminum copper radiators) processed with the Cable Box system.

“After seeing the Cable Box demonstration of running shredder wire, we came to the conclusion that this system would be a good fit for our operation,” says Sam Gershowitz, founder and chairman of Gershow Recycling. “With the tightening of export restrictions from China, the Cable Box provides us with the ability to upgrade our materials and market them here in the U.S. The Cable Box’s containerized design, its versatility and the high-quality products it produces, combined with the support and experience of the Wendt and MTB organizations were all determining factors in our purchase decision.”

Gershow’s Cable Box features a BDR 1245 shredder, two BAT 800 granulators, air density tables, screens, magnetic separators and integrated electrical controls and dust collection system. This containerized, turnkey solution incorporates a complete cable recycling line using two 40-foot containers, one 20-foot container and one 10-foot container. Although smaller in size and footprint, Wendt says the system shares the same robust and advanced design as MTB’s larger systems, enabling it to efficiently treat lower-quality cables while delivering highly valuable output materials. Designed to process up to 3 tons per hour, the system can process shredder wire as well as aluminum conductor, steel-reinforced (ACSR) cable, armored (BX) cable, direct burial (URD) cable, Category 5 cable, tubing encapsulated cable (TEC), “jelly” cable and zorba fines.

“We are so proud and excited to announce the sale of one more Cable Box to Gershow,” says Jean-Phillipe Fusier, president of MTB, headquartered in France. “The private trials and Demo Days event at Wendt allowed us to showcase what our recycling line in a box can do. Our strong relationship and combined experience with Went made the client more comfortable knowing that we will be there along the way and even after to support their operation. We look forward to working with Sam and his team soon in Long Island!”

Gershow Recycling will install and commission the Cable Box in the fourth quarter of this year. 

World Plastics Council says it commends the G20 member states for their commitment to reduce marine litter and its impacts by 2025.

The World Plastics Council (WPC), an organization comprised of executives from leading companies that produce plastic resin, has issued a news release saying it welcomes and supports the Marine Litter Action Plan released July 8, 2017, by the G20. The WPC adds that it commends the G20 member states for their commitment to substantially reduce marine litter and its impacts by 2025.

“This urgent issue requires all of us working together, and we look forward to further collaboration with G20 member states to solve this global challenge,” says WPC Chairman Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, executive vice president, petrochemicals, for SABIC, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

WPC says plastics makers agree with G20 leadership and the growing scientific consensus that the most effective step we can take under this urgent priority is to develop integrated and sustainable waste management infrastructure in rapidly emerging economies where such systems are lacking. Investing in waste collection and treatment facilities and promoting access to these infrastructure resources is the most responsible way to help prevent land-based waste from leaking into our oceans, the WPC says.

“The global plastics industry is already working with leaders in regions where ocean plastic inputs are highest to ensure that waste management infrastructure is a priority,” Al-Fegeeh says. “We look forward to sharing knowledge and expertise with G20 leadership.”

Around the world, plastics makers currently have more than 260 projects either planned, underway or completed to combat marine litter the WPC says. These combined efforts to research and prevent marine debris under the Declaration of the Global Plastics Industry for Solutions on Marine Litter have grown each year since 2011, when it was launched, the organization says. Signed by 70 plastics associations in 35 countries, the declaration focuses on education, public policy, best practices, plastics recycling and recovery, plastic pellet containment and research.

The WPC is represented in the United States by the American Chemistry Council, in Europe by PlasticsEurope and by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association in the Arabian Gulf. 

Facility in New London, Connecticut, would handle C&D debris, oversized MSW and recyclables.

A new waste and recycling facility has been proposed in the city of New London, Connecticut. According to a report in The Day, Jason Manafort, principal of Connecticut Waste Processing Materials LLC and Four Realty LLC is seeking approval for a 26,382-square-foot facility on 3 acres of land that used to be a railroad maintenance yard near an existing rail line.

The application to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission indicates the facility would receive nonhazardous solid waste and recyclable materials, including oversized municipal solid waste (MSW) and recyclables, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, wood, scrap metal, electronics and regular trash.

Manafort reportedly plans to build a railroad spur to enable materials to be shipped out by railcar, similar to a facility he operates in Berlin, Connecticut.

The application also indicates the up to 10 jobs would be created.

A public hearing for the plan is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 20, 2017, during a commission meeting at City Hall.

According to the report, Manafort was sentenced to a month in federal prison back in 2007 in a sweep by law enforcement of more than two dozen in a federal investigation into racketeering and price-fixing among waste haulers in Connecticut and eastern New York, The Day says, during a probe that targeted James Galante, who at the time controlled more than two dozen waste disposal companies in the state.

This should not impact the city’s decision, according to one official who cited Manafort’s philanthropic and business successes.

Mid South Aluminum Inc. is a coil distributor based in Jackson, Tennessee.

Nonferrous scrap metal brokerage firm Kripke Enterprises Inc. (KEI), headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, has announced the acquisition of aluminum coil distributor Mid South Aluminum Inc., based in Jackson, Tennessee. (KEI was profiled in the March 2017 issue of Recycling Today.) Matt Kripke, president of KEI, says the newly acquired company will operate as a division of KEI and will retain its name.

In 1995 Alan Sallee Jr. established Mid South Aluminum, which specialized in the sales and distribution of coil and accessories to the gutter and downspout industry. In 2008 the company expanded into wide coil. Today, Mid South Aluminum is one of the country’s leading distributors of aluminum coil for home building, sign and lighting manufacturing, outdoor sheds and patio enclosures. 

This is the first acquisition for KEI, which has focused on organic growth up to this point, Kripke says. “We have been looking for opportunities to expand for quite some time. We have been successful in the aluminum scrap world and are excited to add vertical integration in aluminum coil.”

Kripke adds that within six months, he plans for Mid South Aluminum to be sufficiently integrated into KEI so that the division can begin to add to its brokerage team. He says he expects full integration by the one-year mark.

“I’ve worked with Alan and his team for over 20 years, and I felt this was the right time to join forces,” says Kripke, who now also serves as president of Mid South Aluminum.

“With this acquisition and Alan’s leadership and expertise, KEI will quickly move further into the aluminum finished goods supply chain,” he adds. “We are excited to build on the great reputation and good name that Alan has built up for the company.”

“The sale of my company was a hard decision, but I am excited to grow Mid South, and KEI complements our business and culture,” says Sallee, the former owner and now vice president of Mid South Aluminum and KEI. “With the support of KEI, Mid South can expand into new markets, build tolling arrangements and provide added value to our current customers.”

According to a news release from KEI, KEI and Mid South Aluminum’s combined sales will reach more than $160 million in 2017. 

Founded in 1993, KEI is an aluminum brokerage firm with locations in Toledo and Jackson as well as in Boca Raton, Florida.