The words petroleum and green are seldom mentioned in the same sentence.
But an industrial recycling company near Cleveland is working to change that perception by inventing processes that allow the refining industry to re-use some of its chemical by-products, saving both money and the environment.
Metaloy or Metal Alloy Reclaimers Inc., recycles non-hazardous equilibrium catalyst material, a by-product of the oil refining process that is necessary for turning crude oil into useful fuels. The catalyst contains chemicals needed by other manufacturers, such as the steel, abrasives and cement industries, making it valuable as a commodity that Metaloy can market.
Recycling the material, which is about the consistency of fine sand, saves money for the refineries by lowering their costs of disposing of the catalyst, and for Metaloy customers, by allowing them to use a recycled substance rather than a virgin material, says Metaloy CEO Claude Kennard. It also prevents thousands of tons of the stuff from ending up in landfills throughout the U.S.
"It's really a win-win situation," he says. "The real value proposition for our customers is that they are getting a recycled material at about 50 percent of the cost of a virgin material."
Metaloy was founded in 1983 by the late Aaron Berlin. The company has seen steady growth recently due to increased interest in recycled manufacturing materials. Kennard says he expects sales to be roughly $2 million this year, up from $1.4 million last year. This trend could continue as Metaloy finds more markets for its recycling, he estimates.
In addition, Metaloy has spun off two new companies that show significant potential in similar marketplaces,
MAR Systems, an industrial water purification company, and
MCAT Services, a catalyst separation technology. Both enterprises have received significant early stage funding and show strong growth potential, says Kennard, who is a founding principal in both.
Kennard says he expects to hire three to four new employees in both technical and clerical positions at Metaloy this year. He is currently the only employee as several former workers left to join the spin off ventures.
Source: Claude Kennard, Metaloy
Writer: Val Prevish