Monthly Archives: October 2021

By TRINITY COBB The Forum BOULDER, Colo. — Bolder Industries has raised $80 million in equity and $100 million in committed project-level funding, co-led by CIM Group and Aravaipa Ventures and supported by Tauber Oil, the company said in a news release. Based in Colorado, the company has a Maryville facility dedicated to converting end-of-life tires into sustainable carbon black, petrochemicals, steel and power. The two-and-a-half-hour tire repurposing process was first developed in Dec. 2014 when Bolder Industries acquired its Maryville facility. Bolder Industries CEO Tony Wibbeler told The Forum that the company began operating in Maryville and continues to do so because of the community’s compelling argument to support economic growth and development in the area. Wibbeler added that Bolder has invested $40 million dollars in Maryville. Seven years later, he said he is happy that Bolder made this decision. Many other communities are offering Bolder a lot of money to start facilities in their region, however, Wibbeler says Bolder remains committed to Maryville because of the homey quality its people and local vendors and restaurants provide. The Maryville facility currently has 31 employees. Wibbeler predicts this number will increase by 11 over the next six months. Carbon black, an industrial coloring and strengthening agent that is used as reinforcement in rubber products and as colorant in ink, plastic and paint, is Bolder’s main product. According to a news release, BolderBlack and Bolder Oil are currently in more than 300 products including tires, automotive parts, wetsuits, phone cases and more. The company’s material science process uses 98 percent of a scrap tire for alternative purposes; redistributes 75 percent of the solids and liquids into new tires, plastics, manufactured rubber goods and onsite energy; and saves 85 percent or more in greenhouse gas emission offsets and water and power usage. By extracting steel and petroleum-based ingredients, Bolder can recover scrap tires. This recycling of carbon black does not result in a decrease in quality. “CIM Group’s support of Bolder Industries aids the expansion of its highly regarded programs to reuse what historically was deemed waste,” said Avi Shemesh, co-founder and principal of CIM Group, in a news release. “Its approach and products place it at the forefront of sustainable industries which aligns with CIM’s long-standing ESG commitment.” Bolder plans to use the funds it has raised to grow its global environmental, social and governance impact. Funds also will accelerate commercial scalability, as customer demand increases. This demand comes from long-term contracts with major automotive, manufactured rubber, plastics and sustainable petrochemicals partners. “Tokai Carbon Company investigates circular solutions for our company and Bolder is a leading company in providing solutions for end-of-life tires,” said Bill Jones, Tokai Carbon Company president, in a news release. “Bolder has assisted Tokai in becoming the world leader in delivering partly sustainable ASTM grade carbon blacks with our use of BolderOil.” Wibbeler said Bolder is working with Tokai to enhance the supply chain of sustainable carbon black. Bolder plans to increase the capacity of its Maryville plant — which has been in 24/7 commercial operation since February 2019 — by 2.5 times by the first quarter of 2022. The facility currently processes 1 million tires annually. Wibbeler predicts this number will increase to anywhere from 2.5 to 3 million tires in 2022. In addition to its European and Maryville facilities, the company plans to further expand its product facilities nationally and internationally as it continues to attract customers who are concerned with sustainability, greenhouse gas emission offsets, and water and power usage. “Our vision is to transform what it means to be a sustainable, environmentally-conscious company and we’re incredibly humbled by the support we’ve gained to do so,” said Wibbeler. “Bolder Industries is scaling at such a speed that enables existing customers to expand their business with us when they want to and new partners can see impact quickly.”        

By SKYE POURNAZARI The Forum Oct 8, 2021 Updated Oct 8, 2021 MARYVILLE, Mo. — The expansion of Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. operations in Boonville will not only create more than 270 jobs in that region, but may also relieve some of the overtime many Maryville workers have been experiencing. The company plans to operate at 2501 Boonslick Drive, the site of the former Nordyne facility that produced split-system and furnaces and moved its operation to Mexico six years ago, according to news reports. “We’re thrilled to see Kawasaki’s continued success in Missouri and are proud to be home to this new location in Boonville,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a news release. “Our business-friendly economy, central location and workforce development programs help companies like Kawasaki find opportunity here in the Show-Me state. This facility will provide hundreds of good-paying jobs for Missourians and further strengthen our thriving manufacturing sector.” Anita Coulter, Maryville plant manager and Corporate Deputy Director of Administration, told The Forum that there will be no change to the Maryville day-to-day operations, “except for (hopefully) eliminating all the overtime our employees work.” She noted that due to manpower shortages, employees have worked a lot of overtime, even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic both last year and this year. “Kawasaki employees are an awesome group of dedicated employees that make Kawasaki what it is today,” Coulter said. “The increase in our capacity has grown significantly and we are simply unable to keep up with demand.” She explained that Kawasaki has gained more market share, and that backyard enthusiasts and housing builds have been the core reasons for that higher demand for Kawasaki engines. Coulter noted that the expansion in Boonville is a true one with more engines being produced, and that at this time there is no plan to shift any production lines from Maryville to the new facility. With regard to staffing, she said a few key individuals will be selected to work at the Boonville facility, but that number is about “10 positions at most.” When asked if there was any consideration given to this expansion taking place in Maryville, Coulter said the company had been trying for several years, but that the manpower is just not available in this area. “We still have over 100 open positions we’d like to fill,” she said. According to a news release from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, work on the new facility is set to begin this month, with the start of production planned for May 2022. The company credits the state’s workforce development program, Missouri One Start, as a factor enabling continued expansion in the state. Kawasaki has used the state’s training programs for nearly 30 years, most recently creating 110 new jobs in Maryville in 2020 with assistance from Missouri One Start. The average wage of the positions being created at the Boonville facility is well above the average for Cooper County. “We were fortunate to find a location that has a hometown feel and strong work ethic, as displayed by the dedication of Boonville leaders,” Coulter said. “We appreciate the support of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Boonslick Community Development Corporation (BCDC), Industrial Development Authority of the City of Boonville (IDA), Ameren, the Cooper County Commission, the City of Boonville, Big Industrial and others that have also provided incentive programs and support invaluable to starting operations.” Kawasaki was the first foreign vehicle manufacturer to open a manufacturing plant in the United States. The company is committed to employing local labor and ensuring safety and quality. In 1989 the Maryville, Missouri Plant was opened for production of general purpose engines. The Maryville facility has grown to over 900,000 square feet on 113.7 acres of land employing over 1,100 people. For more information on Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A., including career opportunities, visit www.kawasakiboonville.com.