Avis introduces Harris American Co.

Avis Industrial Corp., headquartered in Upland, Indiana, has integrated its three wholly owned subsidiaries, American Baler Co., Harris Waste Management Group and International Baler Corp., into one new business unit, Harris American Co.

Creating Harris American is the next part of a strategic plan that began in 2023 when those businesses were brought together under the Recycling & Waste Equipment Division of Avis. Harris American harnesses the legacy of the combined 295 years of business operations, offers the largest breadth of recycled materials baling solutions across four manufacturing locations and supports the largest global installed base of balers for recyclables, Avis says.

Harris American’s product lines include single-ram, horizontal, two-ram, ferrous and specialty balers; scrap metal and automobile shear/baler/loggers; and high-volume waste and scrap compactors. The company is headquartered in Cordele, Georgia, with operating locations in Cordele and Baxley, Georgia; Bellevue, Ohio; and Jacksonville, Florida.

“We began building our ownership position in these companies back in 1979 and brought them under one divisional roof in 2023,” Avis President and CEO Greg King says. “We believe that ongoing investment in our people, products and facilities is vital for our continued growth and value creation. This core belief led us to the decision to create Harris American as the logical next step to leveraging the collective experience of the three legacy businesses to provide unprecedented solution capabilities to our recycling and waste industry customers.

“We are pleased to announce that D.J. VanDeusen will serve as the president of Harris American, and I am confident he will effectively lead the integration of the legacy businesses, building on his success guiding those businesses over the past two years."

“With our 350 talented team members and four manufacturing locations, we have unprecedented resources for the design, production and support of our best-in-class equipment,” VanDeusen adds. “We remain committed to the legacy products that have made each of the businesses successful while, at the same time, focused on the future through ongoing product innovation and investment.

“Our customers have come to expect an unyielding commitment to delivering superior solutions and service, and our team members have come to expect unmatched opportunities for success. I am excited to see Harris American deliver far beyond the expected.”

Avis Industrial is a privately held industrial holding company. Through its nine wholly owned subsidiaries, each trusted brands in their sectors, Avis says it is focused on long-term growth, value creation and the continuous elevation of manufacturing capabilities across its portfolio and dedicated to being an innovative and diversified global supplier of quality products and creative solutions.