News Feed

The BD focus this week highlights updates on current companies in different stages of the queue:

• Hearthside (Beaching-In Progress)
• Sauder (Harpooning-In Progess)
• Mars Pet Care (Harpooning-Queue)

Hearthside Food Solutions
Recently, the PPT team completed the on-site sound data collection for the Hearthside Detailed Evaluation which is near completion. In the meantime, the local champions for this project are strongly encouraging the decision makers at corporate to move forward.  Chris Avery, the local Plant Manager, has had positive feedback from the Energy Procurement group as well as the Sr. V.P. of Operations.  Chris is working to schedule a conference call with OE and Hearthside as soon as possible to discuss any inquiries that the decision makers at their Illinois corporate headquarters. This project is a great Wind for Industry® opportunity for Hearthside as well as One Energy as it meets all projects standards from a technical and financial viability stand point.  

Sauder
The Initial Evaluation for Sauder is currently in process.  We met with Mark Ryan, Director of Equipment Reliability and Maintenance Operations, to capture footage of Sauder’s facility and location to create an OE Business Development video for them.  Mark was very impressed with the commitment that we have to learn more about him, the company and their facility.  Sauder operates the industry’s largest co-generation facility where they convert wood fuel into steam and power.  While touring with Mark, we learned that Sauder captures just under 2,000,000 lbs of sawdust and wood scraps a day producing approximately 35% of Sauder’s energy needs.  

MARS Pet Care
The Mars Pet Care plant in Leipsic (also referred to as the Iams plant) has been on the Whaleboard for some time waiting for it to surface. The location for this plant plays well into the One Energy project development strategy for the Leipsic area as it is located next to the Pro-Tec, POET and the new proposed Bunge site. In preparation for the development of these projects, OE deployed one of our LiDar units in the area to capture specific wind data for that location.

Through a lead from John Recker, the Sr. PM for the Regional Growth Partnership, NORED and Curt Cory, the ED Director for the Putnam County Community Investment Corp., we arranged an initial meeting with Michael Johnson, the Plant Lead, and Pat Cunningham, the Reliability Manager, for this Friday at 2:00pm on site at the NFWC.
 
Mars is the 6th largest privately held company in the US.  They are primarily known as the candy maker of Mars bar, Milky Way, M&M’s, Skittles, Snicker, and Twix, but expanded their business line into the Pet Care industry, making a variety of pet food brands, including Pedigree, Iams, and Nutro.  They also own veterinary clinics/hospitals which employ over 4,000 veterinaries.  The Mars Corporation very much cares about making the world a better place with a focus on their “Sustainability in a Generation” campaign to innovation in agricultural research and investing in renewables.  Take a moment to review the video link to learn more about this potential customer: 
 https://youtu.be/F_bUOe7zOPI