WasteExpo 2018 News and Product Updates

The opening of WasteExpo 2018 brings news from Dennis Eagle Inc., Safety Management Systems, Power Knot, City of San Diego, Groupe Solmax and Meridian Waste.

Dennis Eagle Inc. Unveils New ProView Cab

Dennis Eagle Inc., a subsidiary of UK garbage and recycling collection vehicle manufacturer Dennis Eagle, has announced the launch of a new, high-performance cab designed to meet the needs of customers in both the U.S. and Canada.

The ProView will officially be unveiled at this year’s WasteExpo, held April 24-26 in Las Vegas. Offering the best and safest in-cab visibility in class, it is built to withstand the toughest conditions and features an ergonomic design specifically engineered to provide maximum comfort for drivers and crews.

Narrowed ‘A’ and ‘B’ pillars aid peripheral vision to give an unobscured view and prevent traffic from disappearing from sight, while longer, panoramic windows provide enhanced over-the-shoulder visibility at junctions. The cab is also positioned closer to the road, giving drivers a better sense of the vehicle’s proportions and more visibility of cyclists and pedestrians.

At around 17 inches from street to step, the ProView will be one of the lowest entry cabs on the market, with a flat, unobstructed walk-through design helping to reduce leg and back strain for operators. Fewer dash-mounted switches and a telescopic, tilting steering wheel with unrivalled steering radius make for simple operation, while noise levels below 70db(A) will further enhance operator and crew comfort.

Initially available in a 6x4 configuration, the ProView is available with dual control and left-hand steer options in diesel, and Dennis Eagle Inc. will also be offering compressed natural gas (CNG) variants, with both 3000 or optional 4000 series Allison gearbox. Customers will also benefit from aftermarket support provided by a network of well-established vocational truck dealers and service centres.

“While the Elite chassis with ProView cab has been engineered specifically for customers in the U.S. and Canada, it is based on an established design that has a proven track record as one of the safest and most reliable cabs in the UK and Europe,” said Robert Mecchi, president of Dennis Eagle Inc., in a statement. “First introduced in the 1990s, the Elite cab has undergone many upgrades and developments since then. With unrivalled visibility, access and focus on safety, as well as comfort, and a proven US drivetrain, it is what the market has been asking for. The first models went on trial with customers earlier this year and have been extremely well received, with great feedback from drivers and owners. More are at our various body builders awaiting delivery and, as we will be starting production in early 2019, we are already discussing orders with customers to reserve slots in the program.”

Safety Management Systems Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

Safety Management Systems, a business specializing in affordable Risk Management SaaS solutions, focused on the quality, health, safety and environmental regulations and best practices in the workplace, has announced national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women Presidents' Educational Organization - NY, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

WBENC’s national standard of certification implemented by the Women Presidents' Educational Organization is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their suppliers, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier diversity programs.

Power Knot to Debut New Liquid Food Composter and Bin Lifter at WasteExpo

A fifth-generation LFC-V Liquid Food Composter that converts solid food waste into drain-safe wastewater through bio-digestion will debut at WasteExpo 2018, held April 23-26 in Las Vegas. Manufactured by Power Knot LLC, it offers greater cleanliness, reliability and tracking capabilities, allowing commercial kitchens, food resellers and other food handlers to reduce disposal costs and environmental impact with greater efficiency and convenience. Also being unveiled is Power Knot’s SBT Bin Tipper that lifts and tips all popular waste skips and bins into the new composter.

The lid of the new composter is a proprietary design that remains open at any desired angle without the use of gas struts and latches that commonly collect food waste, create hygiene problems and are difficult to clean.

"The lid and access opening of the new LFC-V are free of any protrusions where bits of waste typically become lodged, allowing personnel to simply sweep any spills into the rimless opening of the composting vessel and easily keep the entire area clean," said Power Knot President Iain Milnes in a statement.

The all stainless-steel machine is also equipped with an integral hose to clean the interior and exterior, as well as bins or buckets used to transfer food waste, enabling operators to maintain hygiene with minimal effort.

All Power Knot composters can be connected to the internet to monitor the amount of waste digested per hour, day, week, month and year, as well as the number of times the lid is opened during these periods and the amount of CO2 diverted from landfills. The LFC-V composter upgrades from a 32-bit to a 64-bit platform for improved processing speed and archiving of data. In the event an internet connection is lost, the system can save two years of data and upload it as soon as the connection is restored.

Also called a bio-digester, the machine uses natural microbes and enzymes, along with automated infusions of hot and cold water in the presence of oxygen, to aerobically turn solid food into liquid that drains continuously into ordinary municipal waste piping. Food waste can be added to the unit at any time and requires about 24 hours to become wastewater.

According to Milnes, Power Knot is the world's leading producer of liquid food composters with more units sold into more countries than any competing product, and it’s the only LFC manufacturer offering a three-year comprehensive warranty as standard.

The SBT Bin Tipper is used to load waste from a roller or wheelie bin into the composter. Constructed of stainless steel, completely waterproof and hygienic for kitchen use, it can lift bins up to 140 litres (40 gallons) weighing up to 90 kg (200 pounds) and can be supplied to lift U.S. bins compatible with ANSI standard Z245.60 or non-U.S. bins compatible with EN 840.

The battery-powered unit can lift approximately 500 bins before being recharged overnight by plugging its integral waterproof charger into a standard 110 V to 240 V outlet. At only 800 mm (31.5 in.) wide and mounted on casters, it can fit through standard doorways, making it easy to retrieve skips and bins containing food waste from various areas of the facility and to roll the unit outdoors for washing.

Safety is assured by requiring the operator to use two hands for operation. Optional single- or double-side guards and a door are also available for enhanced operator protection.

Sanitation Driver for City of San Diego Named Top Driver in the Nation

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced the winners of the organization’s annual Driver of the Year awards, naming one of the City of San Diego’s longtime drivers Roger Bronner (aka “The Cleanup Man”) as the nation’s top sanitation driver at the group’s annual awards breakfast during WasteExpo in Las Vegas. Bronner is a sanitation driver II and a 29-year veteran of the city’s Environmental Services Department (ESD), Collections Services Division.

“My sincere congratulations to Mr. Bronner on this incredible honor,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer in a statement. “He represents this city’s commitment to excellence in customer service so well, and we’re proud to have him on our team.”

Bronner officially received his award during the waste and recycling industry’s annual WasteExpo, which is co-organized by the NWRA and Waste360. The industry's brightest stars are honored annually at the National Waste & Recycling Association's Awards Breakfast. Bronner previously finished as a semi-finalist in this award competition in 2004. The awards presented at this event include Driver of the Year, Operator of the Year, Hall of Fame, Distinguished Service, Member of the Year and the Chapter Leadership Award.

Bronner was recognized by the NWRA for his many contributions in time and labor to his job, including a notable record of zero traffic accidents over the span of his 29-year career with the city. He joined the city’s ESD on April 17, 1989, and has driven a variety of different trucks, including his current ride, one of the city’s new CNG trucks. Over the years, Bronner earned recognition for his dedication and commitment to customer service. He has also earned some nicknames along the way, including “Jive,” “Rog” and “The Cleanup Man.”

“His co-workers call Roger the Cleanup Man because he’s always doing extra duties as needed whenever he’s asked,” said Bronner’s supervisor and Collection Services Deputy Director Johnnie Perkins in a statement. “He’ll drive any vehicle, any time because customer service is paramount to him, and he really enjoys helping people.”

Groupe Solmax Acquires GSE Environmental

Groupe Solmax, a Canadian-based company and an industry leader in the production of high-quality polyethylene geomembranes for industrial and environmental applications, has acquired Houston-based GSE Environmental from Littlejohn & Co., LLC and certain funds and accounts managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC, both Greenwich, Conn.-based private investment firms. Both Solmax and GSE operate globally in the geosynthetic products sector, supplying large industrial players with high-quality containment systems for domestic, hazardous or industrial waste burial sites, retention ponds, fracking and heap leaching pads. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ are Solmax’s financial partners for this transaction. Both will have equity positions in the company.

Warren Equity Acquires Meridian Waste

Warren Equity Partners, a lower middle market private equity fund, has closed its acquisition of the solid waste subsidiaries of Meridian Waste Solutions, Inc. The acquired entities comprise Meridian Waste’s integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services business, primarily operating in Missouri and Virginia.  The acquired business will maintain and operate under the name Meridian Waste post-closing.  

“Warren Equity has a successful track record of investing in infrastructure service companies,” said Steven Wacaster, managing partner at Warren Equity, in a statement. “The acquisition represents an excellent opportunity for us to partner with management to build an industry-leading waste services platform through optimization of Meridian Waste’s existing assets, as well as through bolt-on acquisitions and organic growth. We are excited to back a nimble, customer-focused company with a world-class leadership team.”

Meridian Waste will be led by industry leader Walter “Wally” Hall as CEO. Hall was one of three founding members of Advanced Disposal Services, Inc., which grew to become the fourth largest solid waste company in the U.S. under his operational leadership from 2000 to 2014. During his tenure at Advanced Disposal, Hall led and implemented more than 150 acquisitions, serviced more than 800 municipal contracts and grew operations to more than 3,000 collection vehicles, more than 40 landfills and a team of more than 5,000 waste professionals.

“We expect that our partnership with Warren Equity will be a growth catalyst for Meridian Waste. The transaction gives us access to capital that will allow us to continue to deliver superior service to our customers, while also providing a springboard into new markets,” said Hall in a statement. “I believe that, with this partnership, we can build a great company, and we have assembled a talented management team that can deliver on our potential.”

Meridian Waste currently services more than 130,000 commercial, industrial and residential customers in two primary marketplaces:  St. Louis, Mo., and Richmond, Va. The company’s assets include a fleet of commercial, residential and roll-off trucks, two transfer stations, one recycling facility and three municipal solid waste landfills. The business will continue to focus on maximizing financial value and service delivery within these two markets while pursuing growth opportunities that expand and enhance the operational footprint of the company in other marketplaces.

“We have been impressed with the pedigree of Wally and the Meridian management team, as well as the hard work they have put into building the company. We look forward to many years of a successful partnership,” said Henrik Dahlback, partner and COO of Warren Equity, in a statement.

The transaction is Warren Equity Partners’ ninth acquisition since its formation in mid-2015.

Have a news item to share? Email Waste360 Editorial Director Mallory Szczepanski at [email protected].