The headquarters office of the National Renderers Association (NRA) is moving into a new suite in the same building they currently occupy in Alexandria, VA. After December 1, 2005, the address for NRA will be 801 N. Fairfax St., Suite 205, Alexandria, VA 22314. The phone numbers remain the same.
In the “People, Places, &…” column in the October issue of Render, it was reported the NRA Latin America office had moved but their phone numbers remained the same. The office now reports the main phone number has changed to (52 55) 59-80-60-80, and the fax number is now (52 55) 59-80-60-81.
Canadian Renderer Fined
Rothsay, owned by Maple Leaf Foods, was fined a total of $682,500 after pleading guilty to charges under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (EPA), Ontario Regulation 347, and the Ontario Water Resources Act.
Numerous complaints were filed in 2001, 2003, and 2004 about odors emanating from various sources at Rothsay’s Dundas, Ontario, rendering plant. Rothsay was also accused of failing to provide on three occasions to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment shipping manifests for the transportation of wastes generated at the plant, as required under the EPA. In addition, the company further failed to comply with its Certificate of Approval, Provincial Officer’s Orders, and Orders of the Environmental Review Tribunal in a number of respects relating to storm water studies, lagoon decommissioning, liquid levels in lagoons, sampling and analysis of effluent, and maintenance of effluent quality.
Rothsay pleaded guilty to 18 counts and told the court that is has taken steps to address the odor complaints as well as the matters involved in the other charges.
Anne Tennier, vice president of environmental and manufacturing services for Maple Leaf Foods, told news agencies that the incidents occurred before the company spent $50 million to upgrade Rothsay’s environmental controls.
“The environmental controls had not been updated at the time,” she is quoted in a news story. “The fines are the product of long negotiations with the ministry. You hope you don’t get fined. We’ve dealt with the issues.”
Tennier said the money spent at this Rothsay plant includes $10 million to upgrade rendering equipment, completed in 2002; $11 million for the installation of a biofilter, completed in 2003; $27 million in improvements to the facility’s wastewater treatment; and $1.7 million in a raw material storage building, completed in October 2005.
Grandstaff Rendering Closes
After 88 years in operation, Grandstaff Rendering Service, Inc., North Manchester, IN, ceased operations in early November. G.A. Wintzer and Son Company, Wapakoneta, OH, has purchased the assets and routes of Grandstaff Rendering.
“Most of our community knows that family succession is not an option for us,” said company President David Grandstaff. “We believe we have taken the next best route in choosing family-owned G.A. Wintzer and Son to assume a majority of our services and processing.”
David is the fourth generation to work at the small, six employee family rendering plant that primarily processed poultry by-products at a site just outside North Manchester. David and his wife, Jane, have two daughters who have chosen careers outside the rendering industry. Their only son passed away in 1993.
After 43 years, the Grandstaff’s are looking forward to retirement, although they currently have no plans except to continue attending the National Renderers Association conventions and remain active in their community. David believes that in light of the challenges the industry is currently facing, it was the right time to retire.
G.A. Wintzer and Son President Gus Wintzer, a fifth generation renderer, was pleased with the opportunity provided by Grandstaff.
“It’s a good fit,” he said. “The poultry material will help the quality of our finished product.” G.A. Wintzer’s poultry processing accounts for about 55 percent of their business, with the finished poultry products being used in pet food. The Ohio renderer, which has 90 employees, is located about 125 miles from the Grandstaff plant and will lease the closed facility for two years to allow the transfer of equipment to the G.A. Wintzer plant.
Kenosha Beef Destroyed in Fire
More than 35 firefighters worked into the early morning hours of September 24, 2005, to extinguish a blaze at Kenosha Beef’s rendering plant in Kenosha, WI. The fire was reported at about 9:00 p.m.
No one was hurt in the fire but several buildings, semi-trailers, products, and manufacturing equipment inside were consumed by the flames. Officials have not determined the cause of the fire.
Rendering Group Reorganizes Corporate Structure
Sanimax, Inc., has reorganized its corporate structure to bring the company’s business segments into alignment with its corporate strategy for innovation and growth. The Sanimax Group includes Sanimal, Inc., Montreal, Canada; Anamax, LLC, Green Bay, WI; and Bi-Pro Marketing Limited, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Bi-Pro, previously a joint venture partner with Sanimal, became a full member of the Sanimax family in 2004. The Anamax Group of Companies merged with Sanimal in early 2005.
Michael Langenhorst, formerly president of Animax, has been named president and chief executive officer of Sanimax. He has been with Anamax since 1989. Langenhorst has also served as chairman of the National Renderers Association, and was the first president of the World Renderers Organization.
Operationally, Martin Couture will continue in his current capacity as president of Sanimal, and be responsible for all Canadian operations. He has been an executive with the company since 1989. Paul Feick will also remain in his role as president of Bi-Pro Marketing, a company he founded in 1992. The group’s rendered products marketing and trading operations will be centralized in Guelph under Feick.
Robert Pfeil, currently vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) of Anamax, has been named president of Anamax with responsibility for U.S. operations. He has served in executive positions with other companies and has been with Anamax since 1997. Couture, Feick, and Pfeil will report to Langenhorst.
Corporately, Claude Saulnier, currently vice president and CFO of Sanimal, has been named vice president and CFO of Sanimax. He has been with Sanimal since 1989. In addition, John Meyer Jr., who has served in various operational and development roles at Anamax since 1990, has been named vice president of Corporate Development of Sanimax. Saulnier and Meyer will also report to Langenhorst.
Commenting on the announcements, Andre Couture, Sanimax chairman, said, “We are extremely excited by the changes that are being formalized. Since the transactions with Bi-Pro and Anamax were finalized, we have worked very hard at developing an organizational structure and management team that will be innovative, growth-oriented, and capable of achieving superior results. Members of the senior team bring decades of experience, a diversity of talent, and a true desire to excel. The future is very bright for Sanimax.”
Alfa Laval Names New President
Alessandro Terenghi has been appointed president of Alfa Laval, Inc., based in Richmond, VA, and will be responsible for managing Alfa Laval’s sales company in the United States.
Terenghi joined Alfa Laval in 1982 as sales engineer for the former thermal business area in Monza, Italy. Within this group, he also held the roles of manager for heat transfer components and Thermal Division manager. In 1997, Terenghi became managing director of Alfa Laval Artec in Alonte, Italy, and most recently he took on the roles of managing director in Italy and finally, managing director of the company’s Adriatic region, comprising of Italy, Greece, Albania, Malta, and the former Yugoslavian countries.
Terenghi holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Milan, Italy. He completed post-graduate studies in marketing and business administration at SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, and also completed an executive management program at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
American Proteins Awarded
Cumming, GA-based American Proteins, Inc., received the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA’s) Energy Conservation award for its newly installed methane gas recovery system. Previously, gasses were burned off through a flare, wasting both methane and natural gas. By reclaiming the gas, the natural gas stream is now saved, as well as significantly reducing natural gas used in the boilers.
The AFIA awards are presented to companies and individuals for excellence and contributions to the feed industry.
AMI Elects Officers
The American Meat Institute (AMI) elected new officers at its business meeting in late October.
Elected to the chairmanship was Robert “Bo” Manly, president and chief operating officer (COO), Premium Standard Farms. Richard L. Bond, president and COO, Tyson Foods, Inc., will serve as vice chairman; David Miniat, president, Ed Miniat, Inc., will serve as treasurer; Rob Brenneman, president and chief executive officer (CEO), Seaboard Foods, will serve as secretary; and Bill Buckner, corporate vice president, Cargill, Inc., and CEO, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, became immediate past chairman. J. Patrick Boyle was reelected by the AMI membership to serve a 17th year as the institute’s president and CEO.
Chicken Council Chooses Officers
Don Jackson, president, Foster Farms’ poultry division, was installed as chairman of the National Chicken Council at the group’s annual conference in early October. Mark Hickman, president and chief executive officer (CEO), Peco Foods, Inc., took office as vice chairman, and Mike Welch, president and CEO, Harrison Poultry, became secretary-treasurer.
Indiana Vet to Head USAHA
Indiana State Veterinarian Dr. Bret Marsh was elected president of the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) at its 109th annual meeting in November. More than 1,400 people attended, a record gathering for the fourth consecutive year.
Other officers elected include Georgia State Veterinarian Dr. Lee Myers as USAHA president-elect; James Leafstedt, a South Dakota pork producer, first vice president; Maine State Veterinarian Dr. Don Hoenig, second vice president; California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, third vice president; Minnesota State Veterinarian Dr. William L. Hartmann, treasurer; and Dr. J. Lee Alley, retired Alabama state veterinarian, secretary.
PFI Elects Board Members
The Pet Food Institute (PFI) elected new executive officers at its annual meeting in early October.
Newly elected officers for the 2005-06 term are: Chairman Robert Wheeler, chief executive officer, Hill’s Pet Nutrition; Vice Chairman John Curtiss, general manager, Masterfoods USA; Secretary Robert Kelly, president, Bil-Jac Foods; and Treasurer Rick Shields, executive vice president, Menu Foods.
Smithfield Receives Awards
Forty-eight of Smithfield Foods, Inc., plants were honored for their achievement in environmental management through the American Meat Institute’s (AMI’s) Environmental “MAPS” award program. The plants were among 147 facilities to receive awards through the industry-wide program that was created to increase the development and implementation of environmental management systems throughout the meat and poultry industry.
MAPS refers to the four different levels that facilities can achieve: master, achiever, pioneer, and star. Facilities participating in the awards program received points for their environmental systems and activities. The four-tier program helps guide facilities on how to begin and improve upon their environmental management systems.
Web Site Addresses Bird Flu
The poultry industry has launched a new Web site to respond to any public concern that may occur over avian influenza (AI), highlight the fact that it is not a food issue, and that the H5N1 highly pathogenic AI does not exist in the United States.
The industry’s new site, at www.avianinfluenzainfo.com, will provide information to the public on such issues as the fact that U.S. poultry are protected from migratory birds and other potential sources of the AI virus. Information is given in brief articles, a question-and-answer format, and in news releases. Links are also provided to sources of official information.
December 2005 Render