Personnel notes

Midland Davis expands trading team

Midland Davis Corp., headquartered in Moline, Illinois, has expanded its brokerage division with the hiring of industry veteran Wendy Larson.

Larson, who brings 25 years of industry experience to her new role, started her career with The Peltz Group, Milwaukee, and worked most recently for Waste Management Recycle America.

“We’re thrilled to add someone of Wendy’s caliber to our team,” says Leonard Zeid, president of Midland Davis’ trading division, based in St. Louis. “Wendy brings expertise in managing both national and regional accounts, marketing MRF (material recovery facility) material as well as traditional paper and plastic grades. She has excellent relationships with the generators of recycled commodities as well as [with] the consuming mills.”

Larson is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She will be based at the firm’s Milwaukee office and may be contacted at 414-290-6575 or at wendy.larson@midlanddavis.com.

Midland Davis Corp. has been serving the recycling industry since 1892. Now in its fifth generation of family ownership, Midland Davis operates from five locations, collecting and recycling many grades of ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, plastics and wood. The company operates recycling plants in Moline and Pekin, Illinois, and brokerage offices in St. Louis, Pekin and Milwaukee, as well as an agency office in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Metal Exchange Corp. names new president and COO

Metal Exchange Corp. (MEC), St. Louis, has announced the promotion of Rick Merluzzi to president and chief operating officer. Merluzzi will assume responsibility for the parent company and all of its affiliated companies: Pennex Aluminum Co., Continental Aluminum Corp., Electro Cycle Inc. and Metal Recovery Systems.

“Through thoughtful succession planning, Rick Merluzzi’s promotion marks the next step in our company’s evolution from a family-run business created 40 years ago to the large global industry leader that we’ve become today,” says Mike Lefton, chairman and CEO of MEC. “The Lefton family remains committed to the business. This transition should be seen as a reflection of our growth and our confidence in the executive leadership team’s ability to drive success well into the future.”

Merluzzi joined MEC in 2005 as president of Pennex Aluminum and later was named president of manufacturing for the entire MEC family of companies.

“I’m honored to be given the opportunity to lead such a tremendous organization,” Merluzzi says. “MEC has an exemplary 40-year track record of serving customers and establishing great long-term relationships. This is a great tribute to the dedication of the team of people at MEC, who are truly the key to our success and our ability to remain an industry leader.”

He adds, “Our core values of safety, integrity, respect and drive will continue to help guide us long into the future.”

Before joining MEC, Merluzzi held key leadership positions with Mobil Corp., FMC Corp. and Edlon Inc. He also has lived and worked in Europe and the Middle East.

Merluzzi has an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA in finance from Drexel University, with continued studies at Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

He is the immediate past chairman of the Aluminum Extruders Council and is active in a variety of charitable organizations.

Founded in 1974, MEC (profiled in the August 2013 issue of Recycling Today) and its family of companies are industry leaders in nonferrous metals, from purchasing to manufacturing and processing.

Schupan & Sons appoints process improvement manager

Schupan & Sons Inc., based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has announced that Rick Hart has been promoted to process improvement manager.

Beginning his career as a driver for Schupan Industrial Recycling Services in 1984, Hart moved to the newly formed Schupan Recycling in 1988, serving as a machine technician, maintenance supervisor and, most recently, operations manager. The company reports that Hart was a key player in establishing Schupan Recycling as a national leader in beverage container recycling.

Schupan Recycling is among the largest independently owned processors and marketers of used beverage containers in the nation. Its facilities process aluminum, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic and glass for Michigan’s wholesalers and grocers.

Tom Emmerich, COO of Schupan & Sons, says, “Rick has been instrumental and invaluable in operational improvements for Schupan Recycling. As process improvement manager for Schupan & Sons Inc., Rick’s expertise and leadership will ensure the realization of company objectives. We’re always looking for ways to improve, and Rick’s vision will help get us there.”

Schupan Recycling is a division of Schupan & Sons Inc., with operations in Wixom and Wyoming, Michigan, and in Chicago.

Triple/S Dynamics appoints new president

Dallas-based Triple/S Dynamics, part of the KMC Global group of companies, has appointed Chris Rippee as its new president.

Rippee succeeded Jeff Sullivan and commenced his new role in September 2015.

Rippee holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He began his career as a design engineer and progressed up through management roles to his most recent position as vice president of operations.

He has an extensive background in operational and manufacturing optimization, including training and implementing Kaizen principles of lean manufacturing and 360 process improvement, according to the company.

Ned Thompson, chairman of KMC Global, says, “Chris brings a broad range of talent to the table for Triple/S, and, going forward, the future of the company, the employees, the equipment and the customers will all benefit from Chris stepping into this position.”

Rippee says, “I am honored to take the reins of Triple/S and their long history of innovative engineering solutions, great products and quality manufacturing.

“The groundwork has been laid for us to take the company to the next level,” he adds.

Rippee’s appointment brings to a close the Sullivan family’s management/ownership of Triple/S Dynamics. James F. Sullivan, Jay Sullivan and Jeff Sullivan all have contributed greatly to the success of Triple/S Dynamics over their 50-plus years of ownership and management, the company says in a news release.

Since 1888, Triple/S Dynamics has manufactured equipment for the process industries, including the Slipstick horizontal motion conveyor and the Texas Shaker vibrating screen.

Builtrite Manufacturing adds two sales managers

Builtrite Manufacturing, Two Harbors, Minnesota, has added Mike Taranovich and Steve Mendenhall as sales managers. They help make up a team of five sales representatives who cover the United States for Builtrite.

Taranovich has worked for a John Deere dealership in Vermont that was initially owned by his father and then by Nortrax. He has since worked for several manufacturers that make equipment for the solid waste industry. He will cover the Southeast region, including the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina. Taranovich resides in Florida.

Mendenhall worked for many years selling John Deere Construction Equipment before entering the oil equipment industry in 2012. He will cover the Central region of the United States, including the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and western North and South Dakota. Mendenhall resides in Colorado.

Builtrite Manufacturing designs and makes stationary electric material handlers, truck-mounted material handlers and a range of attachments for the recycling, solid waste, scrap metals, railroad maintenance, foundation drilling, general construction and other industries.

US Shredder and Castings Group expands staff

Miramar Beach, Florida-based U.S. Shredder and Castings Group has hired Ryan Njavro as ferrous and nonferrous systems general manager and Drew Holland Tigner as an accounts manager.

Njavro, based in Lake City, South Carolina, previously served as general manager for SGM Magnetics and most recently was involved in extensive consulting work for various companies. He can be reached at ryan@usshredder.com and at 714-510-6135.

U.S. Shredder President Bill Tigner says, “I know of very few individuals in our industry with Ryan’s expertise and background. He began in the industry as a field technician and became instrumental in developing and perfecting some of the various systems that are used today for nonferrous separation in our industry. He has strong experience in helping customers understand how to create the various products that make their nonferrous systems more profitable. He is a technician, salesman and project manager wrapped into one.”

Drew Tigner, who is the daughter of the company’s president, graduated from the University of Alabama in 2013 and worked at orphanages in Uganda and Mexico for one year. Most recently she worked as an account manager for a firm in Nashville, Tennessee.

Drew Tigner is based in Nashville and will be responsible for supporting customers’ shredder castings, wear parts and systems’ needs. She can be reached at drew@usshredder.com or at 205-910-7055.

“We are pleased to add Drew to the U.S. Shredder team,” Bill Tigner says. “There is a strong tradition in the scrap industry for a new generation to come into a family business. Drew’s work ethic, intelligence and attention to detail will be a strong asset for our company.”

The U.S. Shredder and Castings Group offers scrap shredders, control systems, downstream systems, nonferrous recovery systems and air systems, as well as shredder castings, service, engineering, construction and installation to the worldwide scrap industry.

Vecoplan appoints director of customer relations

Matt Osborne was recently appointed director of customer relations at Vecoplan LLC, Archdale, North Carolina. In his new position, Osborne is charged with re-engaging older customers to determine, develop and implement best practices for all interactions between Vecoplan staff and the people they serve.

His initial focus will be expanding Vecoplan’s factory-certified parts program through the evolution of the company’s “constant improvements in service initiative.” Acting as a liaison, Osborne will facilitate communication and cooperation among Vecoplan customers and Vecoplan’s parts and service team.

The company says Osborne initiated the successful Vecoplan Roadshow in his former role as a regional sales manager in Vecoplan’s mobile division. During this time he demonstrated a talent for listening to users of Vecoplan machinery, gleaning insights and implementing customer satisfaction programs.

Prior to joining Vecoplan, Osborne was city manager at homebuilder DR Horton, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Takeuchi hires Southeast region business manager

Atlanta-based Takeuchi-US, a compact equipment maker, has appointed Steve DePriest to the position of Southeast regional business manager.

New to the company, DePriest brings more than 15 years of professional experience in construction equipment. His core responsibilities include managing dealer relationships, developing new and existing markets, assisting with inventories and directing sales planning and program promotions in the company’s Southeast territory.

DePriest has experience in manufacturing and wholesale and has been involved in dealer training, retail sales, customer development and selling to original equipment manufacturers. He previously has worked with excavators and wheel loaders and has been involved in all of the industries that Takeuchi serves.

“Steve is an intelligent guy and brings with him a wealth of experience in the very industries we serve,” says Kim Robinson, director of sales for Takeuchi-US.