[theshark]

Green technologies company in midst of expansion in Belledune

Expansion by the Atcon Group into Belledune is still in it's initial stages.

Envirem Technologies, a waste recycling company which is part of the Atcon group, has had a small-scale operation based out of Belledune since 1994. The company indicated to The Northern Light earlier this summer that it is entering into considerable expansion in the near future in Belledune.

Bob Kiely, general manager of Envirem, said things have been moving slowly and the group has not added any infrastructure or workforce to this point.

"We've been pretty busy with some issues but nothing to really update on at this time," he said.

Envirem is an export-based environmental manufacturing company that specializes in green technologies. It has eight facilities in Atlantic Canada including a headquarters in Miramichi. They manufacture, market and export various organic products including: composts, organic soils, bark mulches, growing medias, potting soils and fertilizers under their trade names of Greenhouse GoldTM Organics and Nutri-WaveTM.

Mr. Kiely noted that Envirem exports a variety of products into the United States and they're increasing shipments by ocean. He said Envirem secured a long term contract with a company called Cemex for exporting aggregate into the markets and that a Panamax vessel with 50,000 tonnes left on July 1 from the Port of Belledune. He said that shipment was the first of many to come from the Port of Belledune, which is a year-round deep sea port.

"We sent the ship out July 1st and another ship tentatively coming in sometime in September. This is kind of year zero so it's kind of a year understanding, getting approvals in place and next year we ramp up to big quantities," said Mr. Kiely.

Mr. Kiely said Envirem's expansion in Belledune requires a larger building to work out of. It just so happens that on July 3, Bennett Environmental Inc. announced that it was entering into an agreement to sell it's idle Belledune plant for $2.9 million.

Neither Bennett officials or Mr. Kiely would confirm if Envirem is the buyer.

As for additional workforce, Mr. Kiely said that may come in early 2009.

"We're going to hire crews over the winter time from the local area and most of the crew next year will be local guys. So we're busy on that front and on the offices and trying to get a location for some of that stuff, it's just been at a standstill."

Mr. Kiely said Envirem in Belledune will be an eight month a year operation with a five-year ramp-up to reach their desired volume peak.

He noted that as many as 100 jobs could be created from the expansion.

By James Mallory
The Northern Light