Sweet Growth - Jobs and Goods From Sugarcane Fiber

Sweet Growth

JOBS AND GOODS FROM SUGARCANE FIBERBy G.B. Crawford, Director of Public Relations

VISITORS entering the initial processing facility at Tellus Products, LLC encounter a faint scent of damp, chipped wood.

To Matthew Hoffman, president of the company, it is the fragrance of community opportunity.

The firm has hired more than 80 employees and applied an investment of $80 million in its first 16 months of operation while holding much promise for future expansion.

Tellus (a Latin word for earth) utilizes an annually renewable material – sugarcane fiber – to produce biodegradable plates,

bowls and takeout containers.

“We have a mission to look at food packaging, given our understanding and interest in the sugar side of the business but also, the environmental challenges surrounding plastics,” Hoffman said. “Food packaging is of great interest to us to help combat the challenge of plastics in our waterways and elsewhere.”

That mission is inscribed in the Tellus motto: “Plant, Product, Planet.” As Hoffman noted, “Farmers are at the root of it with the sugarcane plant. We innovate and create this phenomenal product that is compostable and supportive of our planet.”

Located adjacent to the mill operated by the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida in Belle Glade, the new enterprise has access to abundant

raw fiber for making products. Like the cooperative’s plant, the firm relies upon the same material as fuel, along with solar energy, for co-generation of electric power. This combined system substantially reduces its demand on the power grid.

To build a consumer product line, Tellus has pioneered a unique manufacturing technique. Facilities in other countries have been transforming sugarcane pulp into various items for years. But Hoffman and his team devised a proprietary system that avoids using a chemical and energy-intensive treatment to separate components of the fiber.

“The process that we are using is very environmentally friendly,” he said. “That was the first hurdle that we had to clear. We wanted to find an environmentally friendly

The Tellus product line may expand in the future.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF TELLUS)

and responsible way to remove the lignin and hemicellulose.”

An expansive, advanced machine tool shop allows Tellus employees to design and build product-specific dies and molds. This capability reduces costs and eliminates delays but most significantly, it gives the flexibility to make specific products designed according to customer requests.

Founded as a joint venture between the cooperative and Florida Crystals Corporation, Tellus has received enthusiastic endorsements from community leaders.

The Palm Beach County Commission has provided the company with a property tax exemption of $850,000 over the course of 10 years.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay noted that Tellus has assumed a key economic development role in the local area. “What we have been trying to do is diversify the economy of the ‘Glades community and move in manufacturing facilities,”

McKinlay said. “It builds upon what we are good at in the ‘Glades community and that’s agriculture.” “It’s tremendously important to have that manufacturing plant,” she added. “We wish them much success and hope that we can do our part to make them successful.”

With a beginning wage of at least $15 an hour for all jobs, the company has no trouble with employee recruitment.

Mary Lou Bedford, CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, said, “Tellus is the type of success story that we are all really excited about. It provides an economic impact for the community, jobs and an innovative product that is good for the environment, all created right here in Palm Beach County.”

Hoffman emphasized the shared opportunity the company has provided for area residents. “We wanted to invest in this community,” he said. “Over 90% of the jobs we created are for right here in the ‘Glades. We’re very proud of that. We will continue to grow and invest in this community.”

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Garrett Scheffer, left, product development manager, machinist Jonathan Fortin and President Matthew Hoffman pause in the machine toolmaking area; The manufacturing facility employs more than 80 workers at a minimum wage of $15 an hour.

The Tellus directors expect to add additional items in the future, including packaging for cosmetics, electronics, pharmaceuticals and the firm’s own sugarcane fiber. Each item will be a derivative of the crop grown in the surrounding area. As the portfolio increases, so will the number of employees.

In Hoffman’s view, other rural communities have the capacity to establish manufacturing facilities that transform local farm harvests into innovative consumer items. The Belle Glade project is a model for such a venture.

He admits that “We have a long way to go. We are pioneering a company and a culture. We have to have a relentless pursuit of excellence.

“In 10 years I hope that we can look to make an impact in other sugarcane-growing regions of the world and make things that we never dreamed about today.”