Scrap Tire News

8 • STN June 2013 BI-METAL Clean Wire Systems make it possible for tire recyclers to produce and sell clean tire wire. • Custom designed to meet specific needs of new or existing facilities • Increase revenues with the benefits of low maintenance and power consumption costs Brokerage Services Available 35+ years experience Funding Incentives Spur Edge Rubber Expansion Pennsylvania funding incentives including a 10-year, $1.5 million loan and a $50,000 employee training grant have allowed Edge Rubber LLC to expand operations to support new growth in the state's manufacturing industry. According to a recent press release from Gov. Tom Corbett's office, the Guaranteed Free Training grant came from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development while Pennsylvania's Machinery and Equip- ment Loan Fund provided the loan. "Our support of Edge Rubber's expansion in Franklin County will sustain continued growth, new jobs and suc- cess for years to come," Corbett said in the press release. Together, the loan and grant package will allow Edge to double its production capacity and add 50 new jobs nearly doubling current employment. The Governor's Action Team, a group of economic develop- ment professionals who work directly with businesses that want to locate or expand in Pennsylvania, and the Franklin County Area Development Corporation put the package together with the Edge team. Edge Rubber vice president and COO, Sam Kauffman worked with both GAT and the Franklin County Area De- velopment Corporation on the deal which took about a year to complete. The final deal included assurances to pay back the loan and retain existing jobs, Kauffman said. The loan allowed Edge Rubber to lease a 35,000-sq.-ft. fa- cility in the Cumberland Valley Business Park for the col- lection and processing of scrap truck tires, Kauffman said. The expansion work at Edge's existing facility and the new Cumberland Valley facility were completed earlier this year and both are now in full production. The expansion supported installation of new wet process rubber grinding production lines at Edge's existing Chambersburg facility. With new tire processing plant Edge has diversified its pro- cessing capabilities to include truck tires and factory scrap to produce size reduced rubber for its Chambersburg fine grind operation. "It gives us more control over our raw material supply and helps us meet the growing demand in the fine grind market," Kauffman said. With the Chambersburg expansion and the new tire pro- cessing facility, Edge Rubber now has an annual processing capacity of 75 million pounds of rubber, up from 35 million previously, according to Kauffman. The company plans to add 50 jobs within three years, for a total of 110 employees when hiring is completed, the gover- nor's office said. u Tire Enforcement Grant Help Counties, Cities The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has awarded a total of $7 million in waste tire enforcement grants to cities and counties with 50 or more businesses that produce or handle waste tires, such as tire dealers, auto dismantlers, waste tire haulers, and storage facilities. Local jurisdictions use the funds to inspect facilities and conduct surveillance and en- forcement activities to discourage unsafe conditions and illegal dumping, according to the CalRecycle news release. The grants can also be used for training for staff or to help businesses with their report- ing requirements, CalRecycle's Heather Jones said. Some grantees install GPS mon- itoring or additional lighting to discourage dumping, Jones said. Among the recipients, Napa County re- ceived a $75,000 grant and will increase its surveillance and enforcement activities to reduce instances of illegal tire dumping in the county. u Visit us on the Web: www.scraptirenews.com