VECOPLAN NAMES NEW CSO Bob Gilmore has been appointed managing director and chief sales officer at Vecoplan, LLC. As a managing director, he joins Len Beusse, managing director and COO, on the strategic planning team charged with positioning Vecoplan for sustainable longterm growth, as well as day-today management of the company. Gilmore’s responsibilities as CSO include the supervision of all internal and external sales staff, and overseeing the expansion of Vecoplan markets. The move was made in conjunction with Marty Kennedy’s decision to retire. One of the founding members of the company, Kennedy announced his retirement on Jan. 1. He has agreed to continue working with Vecoplan, in a consulting capacity, during the transition. Gilmore earned a BA in economics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1986 and an MBA in management from the Wake Forest University school of business in 1996. His career includes a stint as vice-president and general manager of GAI Recycling – a privately held plastics brokering company, where he led a growth initiative that successfully positioned the organization for acquisition. Gilmore joined Vecoplan in 1998 as a sales executive and rose to become director of business development with the company before accepting his new appointment. Gilmore brings over 28 years of practical experience in both sales and management to his new position. MARTIN ENGINEERING LAUNCHES NEW BELT CLEANER Manufactured with Martin Engineering’s CARP (Constant Angle Radial Pressure) technology to maintain the most efficient cleaning angle throughout its service life, the Martin QB1 Cleaner HD features a no-tool replacement process that can be performed safely by one person in less than five minutes. “We’ve simplified the manufacturing process and also re-engineered the blade itself,” explained global engineering manager Paul Harrison. “The new profile will be less complex to produce, and because it can be roll formed or manufactured on a press brake, it will be easier to source throughout the world from any Martin Engineering manufacturing site.” The reduced weight will facilitate easier blade replacement, and the one-pin mounting system helps reduce downtime for maintenance. To replace the QB1, maintenance personnel pull the locking pin, unclamp the bracket and slide the blade out of the mainframe. The new precut blade is slipped onto the square mainframe and clamped. CARP technology is exclusive to Martin Engineering, and is designed to keep the blade at a consistent angle and pressure against the belt. Typically set at about 2 PSI (13.8 kPa) for the QB1 HD, the low blade-to-belt pressure helps protect the belt, splice and clean itself. As the blade wears, neither the surface area nor the angle is compromised, ensuring maximum performance throughout its life. The QB1 HD is available in lengths of 18 to 96 inches (457 to 2438 mm) and can also be ordered in 10-foot (3.05 metre) slugs, allowing distributors or customers to cut to length for increased versatility. CARLSBERG TO DEVELOP WOOD FIBRE BOTTLE Carlsberg announced an agreement to develop the world’s first fully biodegradable wood fibre bottle for beverages. Carlsberg has initiated a three-year project with packaging company ecoXpac, with the collaboration of Innovation Fund Denmark and the Technical University of Denmark, to develop a biodegradable and bio-based bottle made from sustainably sourced wood fibre, to be known as the “Green Fiber Bottle.” All materials used in the bottle, including the cap, will be developed using bio-based and biodegradable materials – primarily, sustainably sourced wood-fibres – allowing the bottle to be responsibly degraded. Commenting on the announcement from Carlsberg HQ in Copenhagen, Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, senior vice-president for corporate affairs, said: “At Carlsberg we are firm believers in the importance of a circular economy in ensuring sustainable future growth and development on our planet, and today’s announcement is excellent news. If the project comes to fruition, as we think it will, it will mark a sea-of-change in our options for packaging liquids, and will be another important step on our journey towards a circular, zero-waste economy.” This latest initiative forms part of the Carlsberg Circular Community (CCC) – a cooperation between Carlsberg and selected partners whose aim is to pursue a circular, zero-waste economy by using the Cradle to Cradle framework when developing and marketing new products. For up-to-date information, supplier news and new products, visit canadianbiomassmagazine.ca