North America Outlook - issue 10

AG R A I N D U S T R I E S , I N C

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Issue 10

GENIE ENERGY LTD Advancing the solar generation

PACTIV EVERGREEN Sustainability and innovation in food and beverage packaging

MOELLER AEROSPACE Ascending to new heights of discovery in air travel and industrial gas turbine technology

Expert Eye, Amanda Li, discusses the unsustainable nature of modern infrastructure investment

travel magazine I

n a changing world, where the travel industry must adapt to challenging global situations, our mission at Outlook Travel remains the same. We will continue to showcase some of the world’s most inspiring destinations, offering real insight and comprehensive travel guides for when global mobility resumes.

ISSUE 08

The major component of the publication takes the form of our Outlook Travel Guides, providing executives, avid travellers and our existing 575,000 international subscribers with the ultimate rundown of all the major economic drivers and thriving hubs across the world, with exclusive input from tourism industry associations and stakeholders – the people who know these places the best.

T R AV E L GUIDE

CYPRUS

Mediterranean escapism in the Land of Aphrodite F E AT U R E

YACHTING’S SUSTAINABLE REVOLUTION Charting cleaner waters for the Adriatic

You can join the vast numbers of tourism sector players enjoying the exposure we provide across our digital and print platforms with a range of options, from advertising through to free-of-charge editorials, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and increase exposure.

TRAVEL GUIDE

PUERTO VALLARTA From quaint fishing village to bustling resort getaway

From Kyrgyzstan to Indonesia, we go Behind the Lens with culinary storyteller, Karolina Wiercigroch

THAILAND TRAVEL GUIDE

THAILAND

MALAYSIA TRAVEL GUIDE

This Southeast Asian country is a perennial favourite, thanks to an intoxicating combination of beautiful beaches, world-renowned cuisine and incredible temple complexes

M A L AYS I A

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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nown as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand is a friendly country that welcomed 38.27 million tourists to its shores last year.

There are plenty of reasons why this Southeast Asian destination is so popular.

For a start, there’s the beaches. In the south, Thailand’s two coastlines stretch for miles, populated by swathes of icing-sugar soft sand, the bays speckled with dramatic limestone formations. Thailand is also home to 1,430 islands, ranging from full moon party spots like Koh Pha Ngan to the more off the beaten track Similan Islands, a national marine park popular with scuba divers.

Then, there’s the food. Thailand’s noodles, stir fries and curries are beloved around the

world, characterised by the fragrant taste of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and tulsi. Every town is bursting at the seams with floating markets, street food stalls and high-end restaurants where you can try delicious local dishes.

Thailand’s rich spiritual heritage also attracts tourists. Golden temples and larger-than-life Buddha statues can be found across the country. Visitors can experience colourful religious festivals in the northeast of the country or explore the underground cave shrines in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi.

Despite Thailand’s popularity, it’s easy to find a quiet corner to relax, be it on a deserted island or an eco-retreat in the craggy mountains north of Chiang Mai.

Malaysia is a melting pot with a unique culture, a world-renowned food scene and a spectacular landscape of islands, ancient rainforest and mountains Writer: Dani Redd Project Manager: Joe Palliser

NAMIBIA TRAVEL GUIDE

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here are many reasons why Malaysia is a tourist favourite.

For a start, there’s the landscape. Imagine 878 islands, ringed with white sand beaches leading down to translucent waters. Vibrant coral reefs lie just offshore, home to a profusion of marine life. Inland are ancient rainforests, the shaded canopy seemingly impenetrable.

Take a guided walk to learn about this habitat’s astonishing biodiversity.

You might even catch sight of a tapir, or a silver-leafed monkey swimming through the jungle canopy.

Outdoor enthusiasts will also relish tackling some of region’s towering granite mountains or exploring the intricate networks of limestone caves.

Then, there’s the culture. Malaysia

is a melting point of Malay, Indian, Chinese and aboriginal groups (Orang Asli). There’s a packed calendar of religious festivals, including Wesak, or Buddha’s birthday, celebrated with processions of flowers and candles.

Cities such as Melaka and Georgetown boast fascinating heritage districts where you can experience this fascinating fusion for yourself. Make sure you take time out to try Malaysia’s delicious cuisine, which reflects its multicultural population.

Of course, Malaysia has a modern side too. It can be found in the SEYCHELLES malls, skyscrapers and fine dining TRAVEL restaurants in larger cities, such as the GUIDE capital Kuala Lumpur.

S E YC H E L L E S Most people visit this archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the beaches, but it has much more to offer than that Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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escribing the Seychelles, it’s easy to veer into cliché. These picture-perfect islands are blessed with white sand beaches lapped by translucent water, fringed with palm trees and interesting rock formations. The dramatic sunsets, laidback atmosphere and a wide range of luxury accommodation make them a popular spot for honeymooners.

The Seychelles consists of 115 islands and some small islets, located

NAMIBIA Namibia is a country of rugged, otherworldly landscapes; a desert realm with a complex history and culturally diverse inhabitants Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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amibia is known for its sparse, otherworldly landscapes. It gets its name from the Namib, the world’s oldest desert; a sparse, windswept region extending 1,900 kilometres down Africa’s Atlantic coast. The desert is characterised by its red dunes, which plunge down towards the ocean at Sandwich Harbour and Skeleton Coast. It’s also known for its white clay and salt pans, such as Deadvlei, where there are hundreds of ossified trees.

Another scenic spot in the desert is Moon Landscape, named after its eerie, pockmarked topography.

But sightseeing in Namibia isn’t just about deserts.

Inland you’ll find the green-gold grasslands of the Kalahari, and rugged mountains such as the Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Damaraland.

Tourists flock to Namibia to experience its remote corners. Hot air ballooning, sand boarding and offroad quad bike excursions are all popular activities.

When it comes to safaris, Namibia offers some unrivalled experiences – head to Etosha National Park to see big cats, elephants and black rhinos.

Namibia has a fascinating history. It was inhabited as early as 25,000 BC, with tribes such as Ovambo and Herero gradually migrating into the country. In the “Scramble for Africa” Namibia became a German colony, known as German South West Africa, in 1884. After over a century of bloody battles, Namibia finally gained independence in 1990. These days it’s a country rich in historical attractions and cultural diversity; a country with plenty of stories to tell.

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in the Indian Ocean at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. Most of the action is concentrated around the three major islands: Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. Mahé is the largest and most populous; home to the capital, Victoria, and transport hub to the rest of the islands. La Digue is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the archipelago. Praslin, meanwhile, is home to the idyllic Vallée de Mai nature reserve.

But there’s more to the Seychelles

than just the beaches. Trek through the granite mountains and lush rainforests of the Morne Seychellois National Park. Try some of the island’s traditional Creole dishes at a local restaurant. Or if you’re a nature lover, head to Bird Island to observe its population of fairy terns and common noddies, as well as the giant Aldabra tortoises endemic to the archipelago. You’ll be bowled over by what the Seychelles has to offer.

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

EDITORIAL Head of Editorial: Phoebe Harper phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com Senior Editor: Marcus Kääpä marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Jack Salter jack.salter@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Ed Budds ed.budds@outlookpublishing.com

Tech Takes Charge Technology is the cornerstone of the American economy.

In our 10th issue, we cast our eye on organizations

PRODUCTION Production Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

leveraging tech in its myriad forms to propel future development – from space construction specialists ICON

Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com Production Assistant: Talia Smits talia.smits@outlookpublishing.com Social Media Manager: Fox Tucker fox.tucker@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS CEO: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Managing Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Commercial Director: Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com REGIONAL DIRECTOR Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Felix Revell felix.revell@outlookpublishing.com Tom McConnell tom.mcconnell@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com

to e-commerce experts, Au Vodka.

In the US Gulf of Mexico, BOE Exploration & Production LLC is the oil and gas titan keeping pace with technological advances to ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency. For COO Joseph Leimkuhler, such innovations, including state-of-the-art deepwater rigs and fit-for-purpose production platforms, are instrumental in delivering some of the world’s lowest emission oil and gas, as BOE moves forward with ESG at the fore.

“We see a bright future for BOE in being a significant contributor to energy security, as well as smart solutions, through the energy transition,” shares Leimkuhler.

Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE Sam Love sam.love@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com Marvin Iseghehi marvin.Iseghehi@outlookpublishing.com SALES & PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Alfie Wilson alfie.wilson@outlookpublishing.com Deane Anderton deane.anderton@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Krisha Canlas krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Lloyd Hanley lloyd.hanley@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION

Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Assistant: Suzie Kittle suzie.kittle@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT North America Outlook 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 363 631 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com www.northamericaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: @northamericaoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @NA_Outlook

Elsewhere, Pactiv Evergreen is the name behind North America’s most innovative food and beverage packaging solutions. The company’s industryleading leading innovation centers are the foundation of state-of-the-art production technology and material science expertise, where new and exciting solutions are continually tried and tested.

“Our primary focus areas for product innovation are the development of packaging with useful new features, engineering new materials that improve the performance of our products, and commercializing new environmentally responsible packaging that will help us to reach our 2030 sustainable goals,” shares CEO Mike King.

Priding itself on delivering ‘perfect parts on time’, technology is the wind beneath the wings of component manufacturer Moeller Aerospace, where operational excellence is a guarantee. Raising the bar of turbine engine excellence, the company’s signature Click-Loc® technology is a customdesigned self-locking device that adds quality, reliability, and maintainability to any mission-critical fastening application.

Showcasing the versatility and power of technology across all facets of industry, we hope that you enjoy this issue.

Phoebe Harper Head of Editorial, Outlook Publishing North America Outlook issue 10 | 3

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CONTENTS N O R T H

A M E R I C A

O U T L O O K

REGULARS

6 NEWS

10

|

I S S U E

1 0

TO P I C A L F O C U S

24 SPACE TECH The New Era of the Space Age

Around North America in seven stories

3D-printed construction projects that are out of this world

8 EXPERT EYE

22 EVENTS

Managing infrastructure emissions in the fight against climate change

BU SI N ESS I N SI G H TS

10 ENERGY & UTILITIES The Power of Water Green energy from the source

A Force to be Reckoned With Exploring digital possibilities at Salesforce World Tour London

86 THE FINAL WORD What technology is helping to transform your industry and how?

16 FOOD & DRINK The Golden Touch

16

Sights set on the States for the UK’s most followed spirit brand

24

74 Genie Energy Ltd

F E AT U R E S

The Solar Solution Changing the game in the renewable energy space

28 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

O IL & GAS

30 BOE Exploration & Production LLC Deepwater Powering the Energy Transition

58

58 Moeller Aerospace Perfect Parts On Time

Deepwater value in the Gulf of Mexico

Specializing in aerospace manufacturing excellence

MANUFACTURING

EN ER GY & U T I L I TI E S

46 Pactiv Evergreen Packaging a Better Future Sustainability and innovation in food and beverage packaging

46

74

66 AGRA Industries, Inc

80 CR&R Environmental Services

The AGRA Advantage

Eco Pioneers of the Golden State

Durable and responsive operations from Wisconsin

Recycling and reusing across Southern California

80

66

North America Outlook issue 10 | 5

NEWS

Around North America in seven stories…

TECHNOLOGY

FOOD & DRINK

STARBUCKS LEADERSHIP SWITCH CO F F E E G I A N T Starbucks has changed its leadership.

The company’s North American president Rossann Williams has left Starbucks to be replaced by the head of the coffee chain’s Asia Pacific (APAC) division. Sara Trilling, who has been with Starbucks for two decades and previously oversaw the APAC region, has succeeded Williams, with the event marking the most recent change to the company’s leadership under interim CEO Howard Schultz.

Williams has a history in the retail sector and has worked for Starbucks since 2004, while being one of the public faces of the company over the course of 2021.

APPLE WORKER’S FIRST VOTE FOR UNION A PPL E WORKERS in Towson (Maryland) represent the third of the company’s stores to launch a push for a union this year, but have become the first to successfully hold a vote to establish the tech giant’s first retail union in the US. Short for Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, the Apple Core

union stated that the bid was “about us as workers gaining access to rights that we do not currently have”, but that it did not want to “go against or create conflict with our management”.

This action follows the move towards unionization by two other Apple stores in Atlanta and New York.

TRANSPORT

TESLA STAFF REDUCTION TO IMPACT WORKFORCE E LO N MUSK has said that Tesla will reduce its salaried workforce by approximately 10 percent in the next three months.

At the same time, the company will expand the number of hourly employees hired.

After two former company employees launched a lawsuit against 6 | North America Outlook issue 10

Tesla regarding alleged breached US labor laws, Musk sought to clarify how many Tesla workers will lose their jobs. At an event hosted by Bloomberg, Musk stated the numbers and prospective rise in hourly workers.

Recently, Musk has been under scrutiny when it comes to the treatment of employees, and this action will impact around 3.5 percent of Tesla’s overall workforce.

H E A LT H C A R E

R E TA I L

PROTECTION FOR THE YOUNG AGAINST COVID-19

A PRIME DAY TO BUY

DO C TO RS’ OFFICES, pharmacies and other medical providers are now able to administer COVID-19 vaccine shots to children as young as six months, an action signed off by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s committee of vaccine experts unanimously voted for such recommended shots, supporting both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s

A M A ZO N ’ S B I G annual Prime Day sale is returning on July 12th through to the 13th, as announced by the company.

The event is a huge revenue driver for the company, providing customers around the globe with competitive offers and discounts for all kinds of products, from homeware to clothing and technology, with Amazon Prime members gaining even earlier access to deals beginning on June 21st.

According to Adobe Analytics, total e-commerce sales during the two-day event exceeded $11 billion in 2021. Prime Day will begin at 3am Eastern Time on July 12th and continue for a 48-hour period in several countries, including Sweden and Poland for the first time.

COVID-19 jabs with vaccinations beginning this week.

The federal government has made an initial 10 million vaccine doses available to its local partners.

In under two years since the first shots became available for the vulnerable and elderly, almost everybody in the US is now eligible to receive a vaccination.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

A NEW FRONTIER FOR CLEAN NUCLEAR ENERGY

TECHNOLOGY

CLASSIC BROWSER HITS RETIREMENT F O L LOWING 27 years of use, Microsoft’s classic browser, Internet Explorer (IE), has been retired.

This follows the company’s statement in 2021 that it would be putting an end to IE and push users to its Edge browser instead.

The first version of IE was introduced in 1995, with Edge arriving decades later in 2015, providing users with a more modern browsing experience than IE, while solving issues that its predecessor had with

speed, bugs and compatibility.

Currently, Google’s Chrome is the world’s most used browser, dominating with around a 65 percent share of the international market, followed by Apple’s Safari at approximately 19 percent, while Edge trails with a global use sitting at around four percent.

I DA H O N ATI O N A L Lab (INL) is exploring a new frontier of clean nuclear energy in the US. One of the country’s preeminent nuclear research laboratories, the INL is working on a project aiming to build a tiny and relatively inexpensive micronuclear reactor with promising clean-energy potential.

If successful, this project could become a key part of the clean energy grid alongside those of wind and solar energy, with the microreactor itself manufactured in a factory, allowing for the production of hundreds a year.

A prototype is currently underway aimed to help the development of the industry.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 7

Modern Infrastructure Investment is Unsustainable Amanda Li, co-founder and COO of Banyan Infrastructure explores the growing economic case for green infrastructure projects and the critical need to streamline and accelerate investment therein Written by: Amanda Li, co-founder and COO, Banyan Infrastructure

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e all have an important role in the battle to fight climate change. However, certain carbon heavy sectors, such as the built world, will need to work harder than others to address the pressing challenge - this also creates the area for enormous opportunity.

Currently, the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) estimates that 60 percent of global emissions are from infrastructure[1]. As such, it’s clear that future developments will have a huge impact on our ability to meet the 2050 Net Zero targets agreed to in the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, research

by McKinsey has shown that for the world to achieve net-zero emissions in 2050, $3.5 trillion more would need to be invested into low-emissions capital stock each year than it is now [2].

BUILDING FOR CHANGE The need for change is immediate, and the growing economic case for green infrastructure projects is certainly accelerating the appetite for corporate investment. Fossil fuel-based energy 8 | North America Outlook issue 10

has become less appealing due to factors such as geopolitical events, policies that favor green, and volatile markets - whereas green alternatives, such as solar energy, are becoming more highly sought after. However, to take advantage of these trends, we must first create capacity to accelerate investment into this market.

Today, investing in sustainable infrastructure projects remains a largely manual and inefficient set of processes, with limited standards of technology to leverage. Despite the advances in the availability of asset and financial data, many companies are slow to deploy investment for these projects with the same outdated techniques used for the past many decades. Moreover, while sustainable infrastructure projects have broadly become smaller, cheaper, and more numerous, the complexity of infrastructure lending has hardly changed.

RISK ASSESSMENT Now, with the world poised for an economic downturn, there is

an added layer of complexity for businesses to navigate. Although the interest to invest in sustainable infrastructure remains strong, there is a natural increase in risk assessment for investment decisions and without access to the full scope of data required to make an informed decision, businesses may well be less likely to invest at the needed scale or speed. Furthermore, where the process remains cumbersome and complicated, businesses stand to lose out on financial advantages that could have been gained. The World Economic Forum identified new sustainable buildings as a $24.7 trillion investment opportunity by 2030, in emerging markets alone [3].

AN AVOIDABLE DISASTER A slowdown in sustainable infrastructure investment at this point would be detrimental to the targets set for net-zero emissions.

Ultimately, it could well end up being a fatal blow to the global community’s pursuit of broader environmental goals, including the IPCC’s universally

EXPERT EYE CONSTRUCTION

ABOUT THE EXPERT A former infrastructure investor at Generate Capital, Amanda Li has significant expertise in sustainable infrastructure investment. Her career spans product roles across technology and renewables startups in Canada, China, and the USA – which has led her to cofounding Banyan Infrastructure.

heralded 1.5°C target. If this were to happen, the worst effects of climate change would become largely unavoidable, which would ultimately cost lives.

So, the question becomes how do we improve the process for investing into sustainable infrastructure projects? Well, at Banyan Infrastructure, we have a few ideas that might just help. In fact, since our inception in 2018, we’ve already helped to deploy and manage over $1 billion of capital towards sustainable infrastructure developments, including solar, energy efficiency, energy storage and more. Now, our attention is focused on going even further, and faster.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S NEEDED As a business, we want to help to facilitate more sustainable infrastructure projects around the world. However, we understand that the long-standing complexities of the process often make this difficult. As previously mentioned, investment in sustainable infrastructure is still largely

dictated by a manual and inefficient set of processes which provides little flexibility or transparency to those on the other side of it.

Therefore, the sector would massively benefit from new, technology-driven solutions, which make the sustainable investment process more straightforward.

Similarly, it’s important these solutions are accessible, intuitive and fully transparent - which in turn significantly helps to inform decisions around risk.

BANYAN: THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE

infrastructure projects can benefit from automated contractual compliance.

The innovations in technology have allowed our platform to help to provide loans originated at a higher velocity, serviced at a lower cost, and syndicated with greater liquidity. As such, the system is helping to both simplify, and optimize the mechanisms needed to continue financing the switch to green infrastructure.

ADAPTATION AND EVOLUTION Right now, there is a significant opportunity for the sector to adapt and evolve, utilizing the technology available to adopt new solutions that allow sustainable infrastructure projects to happen in a more straightforward, efficient manner. If this happens, the industry can begin to make good on its promises of cutting carbon emissions around the world, and in doing so, will help the broader global community to meet several crucial carbon reduction targets.

We created Banyan to facilitate transparency and increase accessibility.

Our innovative, technology-led system For more information about Banyan, provides dynamic online checklists and please visit: scorecards, approval-based workflow automation, a centralized data vault www.banyaninfrastructure.com sync and a self-service client portal to help streamline the sustainable [1] - https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/investing-ininfrastructure investment process. All climate-investing-in-growth_9789264273528-en in all, our platform has been purpose[2] - https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/ operations/our-insights/global-infrastructure-initiative/ built to meet the modern demands voices/infrastructure-for-a-net-zero-economyof project finance and sustainable transformation-ahead infrastructure teams.

[3] - https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/4-expertWith our solution, major sustainable views-how-to-accelerate-investment-green-buildings/

North America Outlook issue 10 | 9

T H E P OW E R O F WAT E R

Rock Island

10 | North America Outlook issue 10

GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Key to a cleaner future, hydropower is at the forefront of the renewable energy space. We speak to executive members of GE Hydro Solutions, and discuss the company’s drive towards the energy transition Writer: Marcus Kääpä Project Manager: Tom McConnell

R

enewable energy is an evergrowing space, and one critical to the health and betterment of the planet.

In the US, key companies forge the path ahead in areas such as solar, wind and hydropower, facilitating greener energy solutions for Americans all over the country.

“It is definitely a very exciting moment. We met with all the industry players in Washington DC earlier this year and the consensus is that hydropower is gaining real momentum,” introduces Romain Pellegrino, General Manager North America at GE Hydro Solutions.

“Indeed, hydropower is uniquely positioned to support the energy

PHOTO: CHELAN COUNTY PUD

North America Outlook issue 10 | 11

GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

transition as it provides baseload renewable power that is dispatchable and local. But hydropower also provides the flexibility and the longterm energy storage that is needed to stabilize and optimize electrical grids with a growing amount of intermittent energy such as wind and solar.”

According to Pellegrino, on the backdrop of these features, hydropower enables the integration of other renewables, and it is now widely understood that without hydropower, Net Zero cannot be achieved by 2050.

“Overall, we are lucky enough to have in the US and Canada respectively the third and fourth largest hydropower installed bases in the world, with a total of more than 180 gigawatts (GW),” he continues.

“Half of the units are 30 years old or more; hydropower plants are designed to operate safely and reliably for decades. Innovation has significantly improved the performance of the machines over the past decades. Retrofitting the existing plants and upgrading the electromechanical equipment is all that is needed to significantly increase the hydropower installed capacity

while extending plant lifetime by another 50 years or more.”

ENERGY GIANT GE Hydro Solutions is part of GE Renewable Energy, the $16 billion energy business (under the multinational conglomerate General Electric) offering one of the broadest portfolios in the renewable energy industry to provide end-to-end solutions for customers demanding reliable and affordable green power.

Combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydropower, energy storage, utility-scale solar, and grid solutions as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings, GE Renewable Energy has installed over 400 GW of clean renewable energy and equipped more than 90 percent of utilities worldwide with its grid solutions.

With nearly 40,000 employees present in more than 80 countries, GE Renewable Energy creates value for customers seeking to power the world with affordable, reliable and sustainable green electricity.

“GE Hydro Solutions is one of the key players in the clean energy

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: HOW DOES THE GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS TEAM CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS? PASCAL RADUE, PRESIDENT AND CEO: “The success of GE Hydro Solutions is based on our people, their expertise, their skills, their diversity and their determination to accelerate and support the energy transition.

“The GE Hydro Solutions team is located on all continents. They all work with the same objective: to design and manufacture hydropower high-quality solutions and provide the level of services required by our customers to support the expansion of renewable energies and fight against climate change.”

12 | North America Outlook issue 10

transition,” Pellegrino tells us. “We believe that the combination of our extensive hydro and digital intelligence makes GE Renewable Energy well-suited to serve this intense and ongoing energy transition.”

Smarter and more connected, GE Renewable Energy’s hydro plants no longer just generate power; they store it and deliver it to the grid with an unmatched level of predictability, flexibility and efficiency. As of today, GE Hydro Solutions has equipped roughly 25 percent of the world’s hydro installed base, is a leader in hydro storage with more than 25 percent of globally installed bases, and has a broad portfolio from five megawatts (MW) to 850 MW power per unit.

“Our communities and policymakers are deepening their understanding, so we are excited to see hydropower getting back on the agenda of the energy transition,” Pellegrino adds. “The International Energy Agency (IEA) has confirmed that we will need to double the global installed capacity of hydropower and the US is planning to support further hydropower development through the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

“Of course, not everything is perfect as we need more support from the policymakers to simplify the early stage of project development and we need to continue to explain how important hydropower is for our future. Yet, there is a clear momentum, and it is a very exciting time to be in the hydro industry in North America.”

HYDRO EXPERT Pellegrino has worked in the hydropower industry for over 15 years and has had the privilege of working across areas including engineering, tendering and business operations.

During this time, he has experienced several leadership roles in engineering, as well as the positions of Technology Operation Director,

GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Hydro Digital General Manager, and a number of engineering roles in the company’s French, Swiss and Brazilian units.

“Before being appointed General Manager of GE Hydro Solutions for the North America region, I led the company’s global technical tendering,” he says. “I hold a Master’s degree in engineering from the Grenoble (France) Institute of Technology and I’m a graduate of GE’s Accelerated Leadership Program.

“Growing up in Grenoble, a French city at the heart of the Isère region surrounded by mountains and qualified as the cradle of hydropower, it’s very hard not to get excited by hydropower. So, it was pretty obvious for me to dedicate part of my career to this industry. This year, Grenoble has been elected the EU Green Capital!”

ASSET EXTENSION According to the International Hydropower Association (IHA), by 2030, over half the world’s existing hydropower capacity is expected to have undergone, or be due for, modernization. This is especially the case in the US where many hydropower plants are now reaching the end of their lifecycle.

“At GE Hydro Solutions, we are proud to support our customers when they need to extend the lifetime of their assets,” Pellegrino explains. “To give you two examples: two years ago, we signed a Design Build Agreement (DBA) with Chelan County PUD, a US public utility, to start the design process for the rehabilitation of eight bulb generating units at Rock Island Powerhouse 2 in the US. “The units have a 40-year design life, and they are beginning to show signs of wear. This rehabilitation project aims at maintaining the overall plant equipment reliability for the next 40 years using innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, two important factors that guided the

“OUR MISSION IS CLEAR AND SIMPLE: DELIVER ON TIME QUALITY HYDROPOWER E Q U I P M E N T T H AT W I L L E N A B L E T H E P R O D U C T I O N O F M O R E A F FO R DA B L E , F L E X I B L E A N D R E L I A B L E R E N E WA B L E ENERGY” – PA S C A L R A D U E , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O – H Y D R O, G E R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y

development of a new GE solution.”

As part of the rehabilitation, GE Renewable Energy will provide a new oil-free runner solution. Traditional runners use oil as lubricants; by avoiding this, the company’s design eliminates the risk of oil leaking into the water passing through the runners.

“The second example concerns the rehabilitation of four generators at the Long Lake Powerhouse, a site listed on the US National Register of Historic Places,” Pellegrino says. “Upon completion of the refurbishment project, the facility will have an installed capacity exceeding 100 MW. This amount of energy is sufficient to meet the demand for electricity of approximately 80,000 homes. The first modernized Long Lake unit is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2024 and the last one in 2029.”

LATEST IN THE FIELD GE Hydro is always looking towards the latest and best technology to help further the incorporation and use of renewables.

Last year, more than 33 percent of California’s total energy generation came from renewable sources. Solar power production in California booms at lunchtime and peters out in the evening, when the sun sets, and people turn on their lights.

To cover the shortfall between demand and production, the state’s thermal plants, which mostly lie idle in the day, come online at dusk. While

generators are using more battery energy storage, the lithium-ion cells alone aren’t sufficient to do the job.

This is where Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) comes in.

“There remains a robust debate about the best way to store the energy produced by wind turbines and solar panels when demand is low, and use it when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine,” Pascal Radue, President and CEO of Hydro for GE Renewable Energy, elaborates. “PHS is actually an existing way to store massive amounts of energy. The method uses excess electricity to pump water to a lake uphill when demand is low and then, when demand spikes, lets it run downhill through a power-generating turbine to a lower lake.”

For GE Hydro, this technology is innovative, well proven and reliable. A new report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy and produced

by GE Research asserts that the addition of PHS to a large grid with a high proportion of renewables can cut the total cost of annual electricity production on the network by tens of millions of dollars, while remaining a profitable proposition for power producers and project developers alike. It also reduces dependency on fossil-fuel plants to step in when demand rises and renewables can’t keep up, which can cut millions of tons of carbon emissions.

“GWh-scale storage is needed for durations beyond two or four hours,” North America Outlook issue 10 | 13

GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

Radue adds. “The study calculated that a single 500 MW PHS plant in California with eight hours of storage could reduce annual electricity production costs on the western grid by up to 0.5 percent, or $62 million assuming the western grid is generating 50 percent of its annual energy from wind and solar by 2028, a scenario that is now looking more likely.”

A MISSION INTO THE FUTURE

GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS Tel: +33 (0)4 76 39 30 00 https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/ contact-usCompany https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/ hydro-power

14 | North America Outlook issue 10

PHOTO: AVISTA UTILITIES

Moving forward, GE Hydro Solutions is committed to supporting in every possible way the development of hydropower projects in North America. As a result, the company is engaged in significant growth to support the increasing demand of its clients.

“Our mission is clear and simple: deliver on time quality hydropower equipment that will enable the production of more affordable, flexible and reliable renewable energy,” Radue concludes. “We have to do so in an unprecedented challenging macro environment: high disruption in the global supply chain, shortages in the labor market, hyperinflation, change of policies toward more local content; facing these challenges, we benefit from our strong engineering and industrial footprint in the US and Canada, but also in the rest of the world to find the best scheme for each project.”

GE HYDRO SOLUTIONS ENERGY & UTILITIES

2012 Long Lake Dam

North America Outlook issue 10 | 15

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HTTPS://AUVODKA.CO.UK

16 | North America Outlook issue 10

AU VODKA RETAIL

THE GOLDEN TO U C H Jordan Major, Head of E-Commerce

Encapsulating the spirit of a luxury drinking experience, we explore the explosive growth of the ultra-premium British brand, Au Vodka and ambitions for North American expansion Writer: Phoebe Harper

T

he most followed UK spirit brand, the internet’s second most popular online spirit brand, and a year-over-year growth of 10,000 percent recorded in the space of 2021. These are just some of the remarkable accolades achieved by ultra-premium British brand Au Vodka (Au) since the company’s inception in 2016. It is fair to say that the trajectory of this young and dynamic company is nothing short of meteoric.

An online success story, Au is the ultimate example of e-commerce

and forward-thinking marketing tactics fueling a company’s growth.

Leveraging social media as a key tool in propelling brand awareness, Au demonstrates the necessity of a strong online presence to attract a loyal following and maintain a position at the forefront of consumer awareness.

Based in Swansea, Wales, Au has amassed a devoted gathering of social media followers, coupled with celebrity endorsements and multimillion-pound growth. With iconic North America Outlook issue 10 | 17

AU VODKA RETAIL

branding, Au’s token golden bottles with hand-crafted pewter labels have become synonymous with a luxury drinking experience.

We take a dive into Au’s growth and international sights for expansion with Head of E-Commerce, Jordan Major.

North America Outlook (NA): Firstly, could you briefly introduce us to Au Vodka?

Jordan Major, Head of E-Commerce (JM): Au was founded in 2016, when Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn thought of the idea after seeing everyone gifted the same boring spirits at Christmas time. We have seen real growth from 2019 to the present, going from £700,000 in turnover to £45 million last year. The main products we sell are our 70cl flavored vodkas. This started with Black Grape then we moved on to Fruit Punch, Blue Raspberry, Green Watermelon, Red Cherry and our latest flavor Pineapple Crush. We also did a special edition Coffee Liqueur that we have since stocked in Tesco as well as on our online site. We also sell a great range of merchandise, from glassware to money guns - we are trying to offer something for every Au fan.

NA: As one of the UK’s fastest growing online brands, could you expand on the role that e-commerce plays at the company?

JM: E-commerce is a massive part of our brand. It generated just 10 percent of our overall sales in 2021 however we believe it’s 90 percent of what people see from us. We love coming up with unique ways to show our customers what we are doing at Au from day-today office life on TikTok to our huge marketing campaigns on Instagram and Facebook. E-commerce pulls it all together and allows customers to purchase what they see us advertising directly from us.

18 | North America Outlook issue 10

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HTTPS://AUVODKA.CO.UK

“ W E S E E 2 0 2 2 A S A Y E A R W E C A N S TA R T T O TA K E O V E R T H E E U E - C O M M E R C E S P A C E F O R S P I R I TS AS W E L L AS L AU N C H I N G I N TO T H E US AND MAKING SOME NOISE OUT THERE, G R OW I N G F R O M £ 5 . 2 M I L L I O N TO £10 MILLION NEXT YEAR” – J O R DA N M A J O R , H E A D O F E - CO M M E R C E , AU VO D K A

NA: How did the company navigate the COVID-19 pandemic? Did you notice any new trends during this time?

JM: During COVID-19 we saw a number of challenges arise, as did everyone in the business world. We managed to use the fact consumers were at home with more disposable income to our advantage from an e-commerce point of view as we were able to target people with new drinks they could make at home. Developing our Social Media pages was a massive focus during COVID-19; everyone was at home, so why not try and gain as

many followers and likes as possible before people’s lives go back to normal and they don’t have time to scroll Facebook and Instagram feeds for hours? We saw massive success from this, growing to the most followed UK spirit brand.

NA: How does Au Vodka differentiate itself from the competition on the retail market?

JM: We have an obvious USP in the fact we have unique colored liquids complemented by an amazing taste.

As well as this we use Social Media and the “modern” way of marketing

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HTTPS://AUVODKA.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HTTPS://AUVODKA.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HTTPS://AUVODKA.CO.UK

to our advantage as some of our competitors are much slower to react to trends.

NA: Looking ahead, how will e-commerce continue to develop the company’s growth?

JM: I have massive personal goals to achieve with our e-commerce department this year. We see 2022 as the year we can start to take over the EU e-commerce space for spirits as well as launching into the US and making some noise out there, growing from £5.2 million to £10 million next year. Alongside this, to keep ourselves busy we will continue to push the boundaries with our marketing and social campaigns with the amazing work from our PPC team.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HTTPS://AUVODKA.CO.UK

https://auvodka.co.uk North America Outlook issue 10 | 19

Outlook Creative Services Complementing the production of North America Outlook, APAC Outlook, EME Outlook and Africa Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilizing these same specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customizable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN: Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 363 634 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

E D I TO R I A L : Phoebe Harper +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 363 656 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Marcus Kääpä +44 (0) 1603 363 653 marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com

A F O R C E TO B E R E C KO N E D W I T H

O

fficially the largest Salesforce event in Europe, this momentous occasion brings together thousands of partners, customers, technology innovators and thought leaders to share ideas, discuss industry trends and perhaps most vitally, to network.

People from across the globe have flocked in colossal numbers to both celebrate and investigate further the benefits and developments of the Salesforce platform. Several inspiring minds and master innovators are in town to share tips and tricks on how to implement better customer engagement and retention tactics within a business throughout the day.

This jam-packed show of innovation, connection, and learning is aimed at inspiring and preparing users and visitors for what lies ahead across all industries. In the keynote sessions, we are treated to demonstrations and insight into Salesforce optimization by some of the UK and Ireland’s leading Trailblazers, surprise guests, exciting 22 | North America Outlook issue 10

We attend the Salesforce World Tour London event, as business leaders and innovators showcase the new era of digital work Writer: Ed Budds

innovation announcements, and live product demos. Trailblazers are using the new Customer 360 feature to strengthen their relationships, overcome challenges and accelerate growth as users look to the future.

A key mantra repeated throughout the day is ‘Knowledge is power, but shared knowledge influences’. The sharers of this world are the ones that inspire, motivate and provoke change for the better. World Tour London offers all attendees the chance to experience the UK’s largest cloud ecosystem under one roof, along with

the chance to network with thousands of the sharpest minds in business.

The main hall of the event is a bustling hive of activity and furious networking. The unadulterated enthusiasm for the Salesforce product is palpable in the room, with animated conversation sparking up everywhere you turn. There is then a flurry of activity as vast supplies of breakfast pastries and coffee emerges from all sides, cue the stampede to the buffet tables to refuel and re-caffeinate in between conversation.

The organizers have created a real carnival style atmosphere, with an abundance of stalls and pop-up features to explore. There are stands offering every form of development tips and masterclasses on how to achieve excellence with new Salesforce features, aimed at empowering all users to create engaging experiences online using modern development tools.

The sheer scale of the event is breathtaking, with London’s ExCeL

SALESFORCE WORLD TOUR LONDON EVENT

playing its part in bringing the day to life. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still exhilarating to be back in rooms with this many people.

Passing by the Trailblazer Theatre we observe a variety of talks taking place on the new software development tools of Salesforce, the power in scriptable control, code building software updates and lightning frameworks which use the modern language of the web.

As we settle in for the first keynote session, there is a live band serenading us into the impressive underground arena. Saxophones and booming beats from the live house band ring out across the innovative circular stage design, which allows for equal viewing from all angles.

UK tech giant Currys shows us how accelerating its digital transformation has helped to create the best

possible customer experiences, using Salesforce, with the Customer 360 feature. This allows the company to bring the convenience of the online shopping experience to stores with a live feed chatbot feature, directing buyers to the sales team, made available when purchasing products at home. £1 in every £4 spent on technology in the UK is through Currys, which is why it must continue to evolve with the latest advances in data evaluation and customer personalization. Employees on the sales team, with the help of Salesforce Customer 360, can view a comprehensive summary of customers’ purchase history, discarded basket items, and search data, in order to provide a more personalized form of guidance. Additionally, Salesforce’s new augmented reality feature allows for a digital virtual mock-up of a product to be displayed in your workspace at home in order to effectively try before you buy.

Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO for Salesforce UK, details how every innovation anchors around the customer, and improves the experience of using the platform.

She then discusses the way in which brand managers can personalize the experience for customers, as well as the focus on exploration of the new frontier that is the NFT (non-fungible token) market.

Concluding the day’s bountiful offerings is the final keynote presentation in the form of an in-depth interview with Hollywood megastar and global activist Benedict Cumberbatch CBE. Answering every question with detail and a thoughtful consideration, Cumberbatch comes across as wonderfully unassuming and down to earth, which is no mean feat for someone we are so accustomed to watching on the big screen as one of Earth’s mightiest superheroes.

He even seems faintly embarrassed when asked about the recent unveiling of his name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Talking extensively about his passion for activism, as well as his charity work, Cumberbatch details how he helped to create an educational outreach initiative as part of his theatre work over the years in collaboration with the Barbican centre, London.

Then moving on to eloquently tackle the subject of equality and equal pay in Hollywood, Cumberbatch explains how he tries to constantly use his significant platform to give those who remain voiceless a chance to speak out and therefore enact change. Finishing with a discussion of his excellent Oscarnominated role in Jane Campion’s fierce drama, The Power of the Dog, he then drops a teasing hint about an upcoming film in development with dynamic director Paul Greengrass.

Cumberbatch is a delight and an uplifting crescendo to this hugely successful event.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 23

THE NEW ERA OF THE S PAC E AG E From space-based construction systems to simulated habitats, ICON is supporting the exploration of our solar system through innovative 3D printing Writer: Jack Salter

TOPICAL FOCUS SPACE TECH

T

he paradigm of homebuilding on Earth and beyond is shifting.

Enter ICON, the Austinbased advanced construction technologies company dedicated to revolutionizing homebuilding.

Through proprietary 3D printing technology and cutting-edge materials, ICON provides sustainable solutions to a number of the world’s most pressing issues, including the difficulty of constructing space habitats.

Building humanity’s first home on another world will be the most ambitious project in human history, and will push science, engineering, technology, and architecture quite literally to new heights.

Here on Earth, ICON has delivered two dozen 3D-printed homes and structures to date across the US and Mexico, the most completed by any construction tech company.

For ICON, the journey to transform construction began with the delivery of the first permitted 3D-printed home in the US. Having unveiled its next-generation Vulcan 3D printer in 2019, the first ever US citizens to live in 3D-printed homes moved into their 400 square foot properties at Community First! Village in Austin (Texas) a year later.

A number of projects are now underway at ICON to deliver social housing, disaster relief housing, and mainstream housing developments, in addition to construction systems for further exploration of the Moon and, eventually, Mars.

PROJECT OLYMPUS In October 2020, ICON announced it had been awarded a government Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, including funding from NASA, to launch Project Olympus and begin research and development of a space-based construction system to support future exploration of the Moon.

NASA has indicated that the Moon will be the first off-Earth site for sustainable surface exploration.

For a permanent lunar presence to exist, however, robust structures need to be built on the Moon that provide better thermal, radiation, and micrometeorite protection than metal or inflatable habitats can provide.

Under the SBIR and with the support of NASA, ICON will continue to mature off-Earth applications for potential use in sustainable lunar missions, and develop technology with shared agency benefits for both Earth and space.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 25

TOPICAL FOCUS SPACE TECH

In partnership with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the company will also test lunar soil simulant with various processing and printing technologies, to help design, develop, and demonstrate prototype elements for a possible full-scale additive construction system that could print infrastructure on the Moon.

ICON has also engaged two award-winning, world-renowned architecture firms as partners for Project Olympus.

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group has previously worked on multiple concepts for the Moon and Mars, whilst SEArch+ is recognized on a global scale for its innovative ‘human-centered’ designs for space exploration.

Together, new material, technological, and environmental frontiers are being pioneered through this audacious project.

MARS DUNE ALPHA Meanwhile, ICON has recently completed 3D printing of the first simulated Mars surface habitat for NASA. Designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and located at Johnson Space Center in Houston (Texas), Mars Dune Alpha spans 1,700 square feet and will support long-duration, explorationclass space missions.

26 | North America Outlook issue 10

Mars Dune Alpha is the highestfidelity simulated habitat ever constructed, and serves a very specific purpose – to prepare humans for life on another planet for a long duration.

Aiding humanity’s mission to expand into the stars, this unique 3D printed environment was developed

by ICON for NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) program.

CHAPEA is a sequence of three one-year Mars surface mission simulations, each comprising a crew of four individuals isolated together in Mars Dune Alpha, where life resembles the expected experience for those living in a future Mars surface habitat.

The layout of this innovative structure is organized in a gradient of privacy. Four private crew quarters are located on one end of the habitat, with dedicated workstations, medical stations, and food-growing stations located on the opposite end, sandwiching the shared living spaces found in between.

Varying ceiling heights vertically segmented by an arching shell structure accentuate the unique experience of each area to avoid spatial monotony and crew member fatigue, whilst a mix of fixed and movable furniture will allow crew members to reorganize the habitat according to their daily needs.

Crew tasks include participation

in scientific research, use of virtual reality and robotic controls, and time delays in communication.

Results from such ground-based missions help NASA to prepare for the real-life challenges of space exploration, inform their standards for long-duration exploration missions, and provide important scientific data to validate systems and develop countermeasures.

For example, the analog missions provide valuable insight and information to assess NASA’s space food system, as well as physical and behavioral health and performance outcomes for future space missions to Mars, when astronauts will live and work on the Red Planet for long periods of time.

As such, ICON and Mars Dune Alpha will potentially lay the foundations for a new Martian vernacular, and take us one step closer to becoming a multiplanetary species.

www.iconbuild.com

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world.

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent.

With content compiled by our experienced editorial team complemented by an in-house design team, the resultant Outlook Creative Services department ensures delivery to the highest standards in promoting the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories across the length and breadth of the US & Canada.

As a bi-monthly publication, North America Outlook constantly has its finger on the pulse of the latest trends, biggest developments and business successes from each corner of the region, epitomized by the diversity displayed across each magazine. It incorporates an annual calendar-tailored front-of-book section, a showcasing segment dedicated to the most fascinating success stories in North America, and an event focus assortment sure to fill executives’ diaries throughout the year. The aligning North America Outlook website is also honed and ready to serve as a host for these facets and much more.

To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, James Mitchell, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for FREE, in one of our upcoming editions.

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Issue 10

D E E P WAT E R P OW E R I N G T H E E N E R GY TRANSITION

MOELLER AEROSPACE Specializing in aerospace manufacturing excellence

PACTIV EVERGREEN

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC Powering the energy transition with deepwater value from the Gulf of Mexico

Sustainability and innovation in food and beverage packaging

Expert Eye, Amanda Li, discusses the unsustainable nature of modern infrastructure investment

BOE Exploration & Production LLC is laser-focused on oil and gas operations in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico. We speak to Joseph Leimkuhler, COO of the company, about the latest technology and the future of exploration and production Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: David Knott

O

il and gas - and their importance to the global economy - cannot be understated.

From transportation and heating buildings to producing electricity and raw materials (everything from plastics to pharmaceuticals), oil provides a reliable and affordable foundation for many comforts of daily life.

The US is the world’s leading producer of oil, and collectively with natural gas and coal, provides approximately 80 percent of the country’s energy needs.

30 | North America Outlook issue 10

While renewable energy is increasing in scale based on global climate concerns, oil and gas are arguably fundamental to the global energy solution for the foreseeable future. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2022, in their base case, petroleum and natural gas will remain the most-consumed sources of energy, and will actually increase in the country through to 2050.

In Texas alone, the oil and gas industry accounts for over three million jobs, and together

North America Outlook issue 10 | 31

www.northamericaoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

D E E P WAT E R P OW E R I N G T H E E N E R GY TRANSITION

BOE Exploration & Production LLC is laser-focused on oil and gas operations in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico. We speak to Joseph Leimkuhler, COO of the company, about the latest technology and the future of exploration and production Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: David Knott

O

il and gas - and their importance to the global economy - cannot be understated.

From transportation and heating buildings to producing electricity and raw materials (everything from plastics to pharmaceuticals), oil provides a reliable and affordable foundation for many comforts of daily life.

The US is the world’s leading producer of oil, and collectively with natural gas and coal, provides approximately 80 percent of the country’s energy needs.

30 | North America Outlook issue 10

While renewable energy is increasing in scale based on global climate concerns, oil and gas are fundamental to the global energy solution for the foreseeable future. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2022, in their base case, petroleum and natural gas will remain the mostconsumed sources of energy, and is actually increasing in the country through to 2050. This highlights the importance of domestic oil and gas development and production in areas with the

North America Outlook issue 10 | 31

low emissions footprint, such as the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

In Texas alone, the oil and gas industry accounts for over three million jobs, and together with Louisiana, the two states make up over half of the oil and gas-related jobs in the entire country. These states border the Gulf of Mexico and offer abundant access to oil and gas reserves both inland and offshore.

“It has had its share of ups and downs during the past 35 years, but the geology and significant existing infrastructure of the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico is the gift that keeps on giving,” says Joseph Leimkuhler, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BOE Exploration & Production LLC (BOE).

BOE – AT A GLANCE BOE Exploration & Production LLC is an operator in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

COMPANY MISSION To responsibly deliver high value, low carbon energy to the US market from the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

COMPANY EXPERTISE BOE has assembled a cohesive team of experts who share a large-scale vision for the company as a partner of choice in the Gulf of Mexico.

“THE GEOLOGY AND SIGNIFICANT EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE D E E P WAT E R G U L F O F M E X I C O I S T H E G I F T T H AT K E E P S O N G I V I N G ” – J O S E P H L E I M K U H L E R , C O O , B O E E X P L O R AT I O N & PRODUCTION LLC

The barrels of oil and gas produced by companies like BOE, in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico - renowned as the lowest in carbon intensity - make up 15 percent of the US production, according to the EIA. As COO for BOE, Leimkuhler is responsible for all offshore engineering and operations. During the last 38 years, he has worked in a variety of offshore engineering capacities: Vice President of Drilling for LLOG Exploration; various 32 | North America Outlook issue 10

positions for Shell International E&P Co, and Shell E&P-Americas, including Well Delivery Manager for Gulf of Mexico well operations, Subsea Development Manager, Deepwater Drilling Superintendent, and teaching Shell’s drilling engineering classes; and positions with M-I Drilling Fluids and ARCO. Leimkuhler was one of several significant operational experts who joined BOE in 2019, a time of significant expansion.

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OFFSHORE OIL The Gulf of Mexico is well-known for its deepwater oil and natural gas reserves.

1938 saw the first offshore well drilled in Texas, with the first discovery of oil made a few years later in 1941. Today, the Gulf remains the primary offshore source of these resources for the entire US, generating approximately 97 percent of all the country’s OCS (outer continental shelf) oil and gas production.

“Deepwater offshore operations require substantial offshore experience,” Leimkuhler says. “The collective experience of the BOE team - coming from a diverse group of offshore operators - includes many successful discoveries and developments over the years, across a range of offshore projects. The overall breadth and capability of the team is impressive, and BOE’s team is energized by new opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico.”

With the geological, engineering, development, construction, finance, accounting, land, and legal functions in its Houston office, BOE opened a

“WE SEE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR BOE IN BEING A S I G N I F I C A N T CO N T R I B U TO R T O E N E R G Y S E C U R I T Y, A S WELL AS SMART SOLUTIONS, THROUGH THE ENERGY TRANSITION” – JOSEPH LEIMKUHLER, COO, BOE E X P L O R AT I O N & P R O D U C T I O N L L C

34 | North America Outlook issue 10

second office in Covington, Louisiana in 2019.

“Over the years, a substantial portion of the offshore oil and gas industry moved from Louisiana to Texas,” Leimkuhler tells us. “BOE saw an opportunity to attract talent with Louisiana roots, and Covington was a great choice - providing the ability for our employees to work in an industry they love at home in Louisiana.”

By the summer of 2019, BOE assumed operation of several subsea producing fields, and continued to grow. In late 2019, BOE signed its first deepwater rig contract for the Deepwater Asgard, a deepwater,

EDISON CHOUEST OFFSHORE World Leader in Maritime Solutions

Founded in 1960, Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) is recognized today as the most diverse and dynamic marine transportation solution provider in the world. ECO operates a growing fleet of almost 300 vessels and serves an expanding global customer base.

ECO has the largest base of shipyards in the U.S., owns and manages world-class port terminal facilities and operates worldwide in all oceans. Staying on the forefront of new technologies is an integral part of the ECO vision, as evidenced by recent advances in the areas of emissions reductions, subsea support services, integrated bridge systems, remote monitoring systems and global communications. The ability to design, build, own and operate diverse, high-capacity and technologically superior vessels has made ECO an unrivaled leader in the maritime industry.

C-INNOVATION Single Source for Subsea Solutions ECO affiliate C-Innovation is a global, integrated marine services company specializing in advanced subsea solutions including ROVs, AUVs, subsea construction, fleet services, survey and positioning, and tooling services. C-I provides innovative solutions to complex challenges in engineering, project management and subsea field development.

C-PORT Raising the Bar for Efficiency in Cargo Movement ECO’s expansive port facilities provide superior vessel support and unmatched efficiency. In an industry where the bottom line is controlled by efficiency in cargo movement, expediting vessel turnaround is a key factor in determining profit or loss. Chouest’s port services are second to none, reinforcing ECO’s role as the preeminent offshore supply source in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and Guyana.

www.chouest.com | www.c-innovation.com

Halliburton Enhancing offshore development Halliburton enhances offshore development with advanced products and services that include rotary steerable systems, downhole tools, and fluids.

Through collaborative engineering, automation, and remote operations, we help plan, design, and execute the optimal well.

Whatever your drilling environment, our rotary steerable systems accurately place the well bore in the reservoir, preserve borehole quality, and maximize rate of penetration, to reach target depth.

The iCruise® intelligent rotary steerable system reduces well time through fast drilling, fast tripping time and quicker casing drill outs. The system accurately places the wells in the reservoir using precise steering capabilities, and reliably reaches total depth so you can drill longer wells, predictably, on time and on budget.

The iStar™ platform acquires highdefinition measurements closer to the bit and deeper into the formation for enhanced subsurface insight. It provides real-time visibility of the type and quantity of reservoir fluids and uses data science techniques to optimize reserves calculations and improve well placement.

dual-activity drillship owned and operated by Transocean, an offshore drilling contractor offering well construction services worldwide with a focus on deepwater rig operations. Drilling operations began in January 2020, and continued through the COVID-19 pandemic, with two discoveries made in the first campaign.

PASSIONATE ABOUT SAFETY BOE is passionate about the offshore industry and safety. Bestin-class performance in Health Safety & Environment (HSE) is a 36 | North America Outlook issue 10

core value, and the BOE staff are empowered to build programs that are fit-for-purpose. A robust and responsive Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS) developed by its HSE team meets BOE’s high standards.

“The BOE SEMS is not just a binder on the shelf, we strive to make it the way we work,” Leimkuhler continues.

“Offshore operations depend on every person, and every company, focusing on safe operations as a core value: “priorities change, but values don’t”. We work with our trusted contractors, ensuring alignment with

The BaraECD® solution helps manage risk, improve well site safety, and improve overall performance. It helps prevents barite sag and risky weight variations by maintaining stable gel strengths and low-shear viscosity at advanced temperatures and pressures.

And, during real-time operations, our automated drilling platform helps directional drillers make quicker, smarter decisions to stay on plan and achieve predictable results consistently.

www.halliburton.com

Optimize Well Placement Using our advanced drilling technologies Deliver Consistently Make quicker, smarter, real-time decisions to stay on plan and achieve predictable results consistently with our automated drilling platform.

Enhance Performance Enhance performance with our performance-driven services, solutions, and advanced products that include rotary steerable systems (RSS), drilling mud motors, turbodrill turbines, downhole tools, and fluids.

Optimize Resources Reduce well time and cost by digitally collaborating to plan, design, and model high-angle and complex well trajectories utilizing our software. © 2022 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.

halliburton.com

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK:

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR ENTRANCE INTO THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY? JOSEPH LEIMKUHLER, COO: “After graduating from the University of Montana in 1981 with a dual degree in Geology and Forestry, my career in the oil and gas industry started as a “Mud Engineer” for MI Drilling Fluids working in the Overthrust Belt play in Wyoming. This was a great fit with my interest in clay chemistry, geology and just digging big holes!

“By 1984, as a result of the volatility in the industry, I was ready to leave and go to law school. On my last hitch, a professor from the University of Wyoming brought his drilling class to the rig for a tour of the drilling fluid or mud system. That started a long relationship with Dr. Jack Evers, and he convinced me that I was an engineer and belonged in graduate school studying petroleum engineering.

“Thus, I went to the University of Wyoming in Laramie, earned a master’s degree in petroleum engineering in 1987 and then headed south to the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

I’ve been in the Deepwater ever since, enjoying a 25-year career at Shell, seven years at LLOG Exploration Company, and now three years at BOE.”

our contractor’s SEMS to achieve safe, efficient operations. We work with excellent offshore service providers, those who can safely deliver the best technical solution, and who are committed to good corporate citizenship.

“There have been significant changes and tremendous improvements in safety and technology over the past few years, from well designs to the equipment used to drill and complete the wells. For example, improved well designs allow deep sub-salt wells to be drilled faster, and more safely compared to years ago.”

According to Leimkuhler, stateof-the-art deepwater rigs and fitfor-purpose production platforms enable safe and efficient production 38 | North America Outlook issue 10

“ F O C U S E D O N H I G H VA L U E , L O W C A R B O N ENERGY” – B O E E X P L O R AT I O N & P R O D U C T I O N L L C

of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico, with the world’s lowest emissions and attractive overall lifecycle cost per barrel.

“Specialized equipment, such as MPD (managed pressure drilling), has become more effective, allowing the potential to conduct drilling operations efficiently with a reduced risk profile,” he adds.

MPD is an adaptive drilling process that accurately and continuously monitors and controls the pressure in a wellbore. The ability to change

operating parameters in real-time and with automated adjustments by the MPD system adds both safety and efficiency.

In addition, Leimkuhler is also enthusiastic about continued improvements in seismic imaging and data processing. He says those advancements allow the industry to “see” the geology below the seafloor better than ever, revealing new and exciting plays, such as the Norphlet and the Wilcox formations, often below massive sections of salt.

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

Sooner Pipe Sooner has unparalleled inventory availability, access to all major domestic and international manufacturers, and multiple wholly owned service and logistics centers.

Sooner delivers to any location servicing every major US Basin and offshore shelf and deep-water regions. Whether you are a small independent producer or a major multinational, Sooner provides multiple product options and the services to help your project succeed.

Sooner has been a strategic business partner to BOE Exploration & Production LLC since the beginning.

Sooner remains diligent in providing the best service and products to our customers with safety as our top priority.

Who We Are

Leimkuhler’s passion for the industry translates to action.

He serves on the HWCG Well Containment Group (Chairman of the Board of Directors); the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) (Board of Directors, Chair-HSE Committee); and the American Association of Drilling Engineers (ADDE) (National Board and National President from 2007 to 2009). A 35-year member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Leimkuhler serves on various advisory boards focused on Petroleum Engineering. He is a recipient of Meritorious Service Awards from API and AADE (2011), the AADE Lifetime Outstanding Service award (2017), and the Distinguished Alumni Award (2022) and Eminent Engineer Award (2019) from the University of Wyoming.

40 | North America Outlook issue 10

Leimkuhler brings significant safety insight to the entire industry through his service to the well containment response issue, as the Chairman of the HWCG Well Containment organization. Fourteen companies that are active in deepwater, including BOE, have pooled their resources to make sure state-of-the-art well containment response capability is immediately available across the US Gulf of Mexico.

CREATING VALUE FOR THE LONG TERM BOE is particularly proud to be a member of NOIA (National Ocean Industries Association), an organization that represents and advances the offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect workers, the public and our

Sooner has a clear purpose: to connect the people who create the world’s energy with the supplies they need. For nearly a century, we’ve been serving and expanding on that purpose, growing into one of the world’s largest OCTG distributors and logistics service providers to the oil and gas industry.

Sooner’s growth has enabled us to reach further and deliver better service to our customers. Each of Sooner’s acquisitions has brought a distinguished history and strong customer base to the combined company.

In our latest moves to connect the world’s energy creators with the supplies they need, Sooner acquired CTAP, LLC in February of 2019. In 2020 Sooner announced the creation of TerraTech Services, offering a full suite of oilfield services and logistics.

From here, the future is very promising, we look forward to continuing to provide the best products and logistics services to our loyal customers.

www.soonerpipe.com

Sooner Pipe Beyond Distribution Connecting the people who create the world’s energy with the supplies they need Sooner offers more while providing better service for our customers. We are number one in the industry for a reason.

www.soonerpipe.com

www.reallygreatsite.com

01

Deep Sea Development Services, Inc. (DSDS) DSDS’s association with Beacon comes through their relationship in well containment response preparation as well as with supporting ongoing production operations and maintenance activities.

DSDS is also supporting Beacon with the groundbreaking Shenandoah development as a key member of the small but focused BOE project team overseeing the work of their EPIC contractor Subsea 7.

In addition to the Shenandoah development, DSDS is involved in BOE’s efforts to identify and execute development opportunities that grow Beacon’s portfolio as a responsible operator and desirable technical partner.

DSDS’s role in this effort involves bringing our experience to the table to de-risk schedule acceleration and cost optimization.

FMC Subsea Systems Pushing Boundaries Through Mutual Trust, Innovative Technologies environment. BOE embraces the foundational ESG principles of NOIA. BOE’s desire to produce low carbon barrels as efficiently and safely as possible reflects those principles.

“The barrels coming from the Gulf of Mexico have a low carbon production footprint, as well as a low carbon transportation footprint, resulting in the lowest overall carbon footprint barrels on the planet, making offshore barrels especially attractive during the energy transition,” Leimkuhler explains.

“The U.S. Energy Information Agency’s (EIA) 2022 base case estimate is that the country’s oil needs in 2050 will be greater than they are today, even with a substantial ramp up 42 | North America Outlook issue 10

in renewable energy. In our industry’s efforts to achieve a greener future, the lowest carbon barrels will be the most valuable in the years to come and the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico will be a very important contributor while also providing efficient domestic energy supply.

“Cycle times for oil and gas developments has compressed through standardization, but nevertheless often require multi-year investment commitments prior to first production. In order to meet the projected demand for oil and gas in the next eight to 10 years, companies must invest now in offshore assets and exploration/development activities.”

TechnipFMC and Beacon Offshore have developed a strong relationship built on mutual trust. Through collaboration, both teams strive for the best technical solution to successfully and safely execute a subsea project.

For the Shenandoah project, TechnipFMC is responsible for the delivery and installation of industry-leading high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) Subsea Production System (SPS) equipment, including wellhead, trees, controls and chokes. Our 20K tree system is an industry-first, and these innovative technologies address the challenging conditions of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico field.

TechnipFMC looks forward to strengthening the relationship and supporting Beacon’s future developments.

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

Deep Sea Development Services Inc. (DSDS) is a Houston-based engineering consulting company focused on subsea and deep-water development projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Eastern Canada.

Deep Sea Development Services, Inc. 19219 Katy Freeway, Suite 260, Houston, Texas 77094 Phone: (713) 725-4082 Andy Jefferies, President ajefferies@dsds-usa.com

The company was formed in 1996 to meet the need for experienced subsea systems personnel and to support operators with their deep-water development activities from concept framing, through execution, operation, and eventual abandonment.

DSDS has been in continuous operation since its formation and continues to be involved with operators who are pushing the technology envelope to meet the worlds energy needs in an environmentally responsible way.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 43

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

NOIA FOUNDATIONAL ESG PRINCIPLES: • NOIA member companies provide the energy that is essential for everyday lives and raises the quality of life of communities, reducing poverty and hunger while promoting good heath and well-being.

• NOIA operates in coastal and ocean environments with safety, health, environmental protection and sustainability as core values.

• NOIA shares a commitment to a high standard of corporate citizenship and continuous improvement in ESG performance.

• NOIA recognizes the risks of climate change and the need for continued action. As innovators, NOIA is committed to contributing solutions and best practices to optimally balance societal and environmental needs.

Weatherford Weatherford consistently delivers a trusted approach to our customers’ wells, and we continue to innovate and push the industry forward.

We have redefined what our customers can do with managed pressure. By applying our field-proven technology to deliver higher quality, stable wellbores with fewer surprises, we help create comprehensive pressure management strategies that enhance safety, lower wellconstruction costs, reduce wellcontrol risks, and increase production.

Since 2018, Weatherford has used managed pressure wells solutions in the Gulf of Mexico on 40 deepwater wells for a total of more than 350,000 feet.

For Leimkuhler, increased focus on renewable energy can present challenges to access capital for oil and gas projects. The offshore leasing environment for US federal waters has recently been delayed and questions regarding incremental regulation can impact the ability to proceed with near term developments on existing leases. On top of this, as with all industries, the offshore industry is challenged by shortages of materials and experienced staff due to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, fragile supply chains, and the subsequent economic implications.

“BOE has been focused, authentic and diligent in its ESG journey, embracing challenges head on,” Leimkuhler continues. “The unique

culture, purposely cultivated by BOE’s leaders “empowering experience” results in engaged team members who collaborate to deliver results.

“It has been impressive to watch the team come together. From geology, engineering, construction, drilling, completions, reservoir, land, finance and accounting, BOE professionals know how to put a plan in place, work with regulators to gain approval, and then execute with success.”

BOE views opportunity through an ESG lens and seeks opportunities for carbon reduction, big or small. For example, BOE is working with its key vendors to reduce fuel consumption and improve efficiencies. Additionally, in conjunction with his service on the University of Wyoming, College of Engineering Advisory Board,

www.weatherford.com

Leimkuhler connected BOE with a research project on improving carbon capture efficiency, that if successful could have a lasting onshore and offshore impact. Hopeful for carbon solutions that can positively impact the industry, BOE elected to underwrite part of the study.

BOE is excited by the way that the offshore energy industry has embraced the energy transition.

Working through organizations such as the NOIA, BOE is motivated to leave a positive legacy of change.

“We see a bright future for BOE in being a significant contributor to energy security, as well as smart solutions, through the energy transition,” Leimkuhler concludes.

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC

(346) 867-0548 44 | North America Outlook issue 10

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

NOT JUST FOR DRILLING

YOUR WELL

YOUR OPERATION

YOUR ENVIRONMENT

BETTER MANAGED

MANAGED PRESSURE WELLS With the knowledge earned from more than 50 years of experience, thousands of jobs, and millions of operating hours, we are the pressure professionals. Our Managed Pressure Wells solutions enable you to combine your knowledge of your wells with our industry leading portfolio of products and services to manage pressure.

Weatherford.com/ManagedPressureWells

© 2022 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Laborde Marine operates one of the industry’s most dependable and diverse fleets, manned by highly qualified and safety-oriented crews. The Company is suited to support all offshore operations including exploration, drilling and production support, construction support, as well as many other aspects of offshore marine support.

www.labordemarine.com

OIL & GAS TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS

Now Hiring All Positions

Leasing all truck sizes:

• FLATBED • HOT SHOT • MINI FLOAT • PERSONNEL OFFICES Corporate 601 Poydras Street, Suite 1725 New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 T 504-582-2185 F 504-582-2396 Operations 1601 Highway 182 Morgan City, Louisiana 70380 T 985-399-9066 F 985-399-9503 Mailing address: PO Box 2945 Morgan City, LA 70381

DRIVE4EAGLE.COM North America Outlook issue 10 | 45

PAC K AG I N G A BETTER FUTURE Speaking to CEO, Mike King, we unpack the sustainable and innovative food and beverage packaging solutions being delivered by Pactiv Evergreen Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: David Knott

PACTIV EVERGREEN MANUFACTURING

and brand-building capabilities.

Products are supplied to a broad and diversified mix of companies, including full-service restaurants (FSRs), quick service restaurants (QSRs), foodservice distributors, supermarkets, retailers, non-commercial foodservice establishments, as well as food and beverage producers and processors.

With customers ranging from large blue-chip multinational companies to national, regional, and local businesses, Pactiv Evergreen has developed strong and long-standing relationships with customers.

“We have amazing customers who are partnering with us on many strategic and innovative projects. We take pride in making our customers indispensable to theirs,” King emphasizes.

PRODUCT SEGMENTS

P

ackaging plays a critical role in the food and beverage industry.

Not only does it protect our favorite products, but it also improves shelf life, maintains freshness, provides food safety, and promotes brands.

In the US, whether you’ve grabbed a cup of coffee on the way to the office or enjoyed a home-cooked breakfast, the chances are that you’ve relied on packaging from Pactiv Evergreen.

“With a team of approximately 16,500 employees across more than

70 manufacturing facilities, Pactiv Evergreen is a leading manufacturer and distributor of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America,” opens CEO, Mike King.

“We produce a broad range of more than 15,000 products in 14 different materials that protect, package, and display fresh food and beverages for consumers.”

Pactiv Evergreen’s broad material expertise allows it to provide a portfolio of packaging that meets a wide array of technical requirements

Pactiv Evergreen manufactures and sells products through three reportable segments: Foodservice, Food Merchandising, and Beverage Merchandising.

The company’s Foodservice segment manufactures a broad range of products that enable consumers to eat and drink where they want and when they want with convenience, including food containers, drinkware (such as hot and cold cups and lids), tableware, serviceware, and other products that make eating on-the-go easier and more enjoyable.

“Our foodservice customer base includes chain restaurants, FSRs, established and emerging QSRs, distributors, non-commercial foodservice (such as airports, schools and hospitals), and convenience stores,” King informs us.

For products that protect and attractively display food while preserving freshness, Pactiv Evergreen’s Food Merchandising segment manufactures a broad range of food containers and tubs for prepared and ready-to-eat food, North America Outlook issue 10 | 47

At INX International Ink Co., delivering innovative, safe and sustainable solutions that enhance the customer experience is our top priority. We want consumers, brand owners, and customers to feel confident in their product choices; and that’s why we develop our products to have minimal impact on the environment without sacrificing machine, processing, and end-use product performance.

Renewable, natural-based Ingredients that reduce your carbon footprint We replace petrochemically derived ingredients with clean, renewable, and sustainable ingredients without sacrificing machine, processing, and end-use product performance.

Recycle-Ready products for productive end-of-life scenarios We assist brand owners and customers in making products easier to recycle and promoting the development of circular economies.

Product Quality & Material Health for Consumer Safety Through our ISO certified Business Management System we ensure the highest quality products starting with a complex and closely monitored process for raw material selection.

Functionality for Consumer safety and Social Responsibility Our formulation efforts take into consideration the functionality of the finished product and its impact on the environment.

Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future

Our Mission

Lead the industry in delivering innovative, safe, and sustainable solutions that enhance the customer experience.

Our Offering

A complete line of ink and coating solutions technology for commercial, packaging, and digital applications.

Pactiv Evergreen is reducing its carbon footprint with INXhrc™ Natural-based inks

info@inxintl.com l www.inxinternational.com

PACTIV EVERGREEN MANUFACTURING

trays for meat and poultry, molded fiber egg cartons, and packaging for food processors and brand owners.

Beverage Merchandising, meanwhile, is responsible for manufacturing fresh refrigerated beverage cartons, primarily producing integrated fresh carton systems,

which include printed cartons, spouts and filling machines for dairy (including plant-based, organic and specialty dairy), juice, and other specialty beverage end markets.

The Beverage Merchandising segment offers paper and paperboard products to paper and

PACTIV EVERGREEN - OUR VALUES CELEBRATE PEOPLE – We champion diversity of thought, background and perspective. We support and empower our teammates to grow personally and professionally. We help ensure safety and wellbeing. We reward strong performance and promote from within.

DO WHAT’S RIGHT – We act with uncompromising integrity and ethics. We treat everyone with courtesy, respect and dignity. We protect our planet’s natural resources. We innovate to deliver sustainably manufactured products.

WIN TOGETHER – We collaborate to create value for customers and consumers.

We are a winning team of unique individuals. We support the communities in which we work and live. We have each other’s backs.

DEMAND EXCELLENCE – We know what good looks like. We know what got us here will not take us where we need to go. We anticipate and innovate to meet our customers’ and consumers’ changing needs. We are the best at what we do.

OWN IT – We treat the business as if it were our own. We deliver on our commitments. We are accountable, credible and responsible. We bring passion and dedication to everything we do.

50 | North America Outlook issue 10

packaging convertors, made from responsibly-sourced fiber from forests in the US where responsible forestry practices are used.

“We have a large, well-invested manufacturing base and a hub-andspoke distribution network in the US, and in the international geographies in which we operate,” outlines King.

“Most of our assets are in the US, which allows us to provide an extensive offering of US-manufactured products to our customers. We believe our manufacturing footprint and distribution network provides us with a competitive advantage in each of our segments.”

Operational and manufacturing flexibility has been prioritized across the Pactiv Evergreen network, allowing the company to efficiently navigate the changing demands of the marketplace.

As both consumer preferences and customer requirements continue to evolve, Pactiv Evergreen strives to develop useful new features and products to meet those needs through longstanding customer relationships.

INX International Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future

I

NX International Ink Co. is a leading producer of inks and coatings in North America with fullservice subsidiaries in Europe and South America as part of Sakata INX’s worldwide operations. INX International offers a complete line of ink and coating solutions technology for commercial, packaging, and digital applications.

There has never been more awareness and attention from brand owners, consumers and the print-and-packaging industry to embrace and embed sustainability goals within a business’ products, services, and culture. This isn’t new to INX International; sustainability has been an ongoing goal of ours, adding additional value to our high-quality products and services.

Partnerships that support a circular economy While delivering sustainable, socially responsible products and services, INX is proactive in working with supplier partners and customers like Pactiv Evergreen who support our goals to ensure packaging products conserve resources and minimize the impact on the environment.

Inks and coatings can play an essential role in the three Rs of waste management: Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling of packaging; and helping our customers create circularity is key to shaping the future of the print and packaging industry.

Customer confidence in Sustainability and Performance INX develops products to have minimal impact on the environment without sacrificing machine, processing, and end-use product performance so consumers, brand owners, and customers can feel confident when choosing them.

Our solutions are developed to increase productivity and lower costs and at the same time contribute to

a more sustainable future. They can easily applied by our customers to increase efficiencies that result in using the least amount of product, increasing production with high-quality results.

Material Health and Consumer Safety Using renewable, natural-based raw materials from ethical and sustainably managed sources, our product development efforts focus on material health and safety, product functionality for environmental impact, and consumer safety with a mind for recycle-friendly products. Our solutions meet regulatory standards and deliver the highest level of quality.

Leader in Research and Innovation INX International—together with Sakata INX—has research and development centers located in Asia, North America, and Europe, and is recognized as a leading source of advanced technology and innovation for the print and package market.

Our global, multi-faceted research and development efforts range from basic laboratory analyses and developing ink dispersant technology to ink-andmedia matchmaking, jetting testing, system software design, print head technology and more. We develop customized solutions for unique customer needs, bringing new ideas and the latest innovation to market—including breakthroughs in ink, coatings, and digital printing systems.

Progress Forever INX International is a company rooted in visual communication through color, sustainability and innovation. Our history is formed by the intense desire to understand changing market dynamics, to solve customer problems and to bring solutions to challenges - both big and small. It is our commitment to ‘Progress Forever’.

info@inxintl.com | www.Inxinternational.com

PACTIV EVERGREEN MANUFACTURING

“Our ability to respond to the changing marketplace with relevance, speed, and agility is one of the many ways we continue to position Pactiv Evergreen as an industry leader,” King continues.

“We can offer different substrates and product lines to match changing market needs efficiently and at a low cost. This enables us to scale production in response to the

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: COULD YOU PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO YOUR CAREER TO DATE? MIKE KING, CEO: “My career started in the automotive and aerospace industries. I grew up on the manufacturing floor in high pressure, intense environments.

“Over time, I had the opportunity to further my operations experience into the technical realm using my engineering degrees. I advanced my career by combining my operations, engineering, product development and sales experience in a variety of leadership roles with TI Automotive Fuel Systems, Lear Corporation, and Huhtamaki.

“During this time, I discovered a passion for leading and building high-performance teams, where a people-centric focus, accountability and ownership come first. The next step in my career journey took me to Graham Packaging, where my first role was VP, Global Sales and Marketing, and I ultimately led the company as President and CEO from 2018 to 2021. I joined the Pactiv Evergreen board in 2020 and accepted the role of CEO in March last year.”

52 | North America Outlook issue 10

requirements of our customers and trends in the market, including for example, increasing our use of recycled and recyclable material to produce a greater number of sustainable products.

“We have strategically invested in flexible manufacturing assets that can be quickly converted to produce alternative products; our broad manufacturing base includes approximately 1,100 production lines.”

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS Over the years, Pactiv Evergreen has undergone a series of strategic mergers, name changes, and corporate realignments, all while expanding its product portfolio and customer base to secure its position as an industry leader.

“Pactiv Evergreen is relatively new to the market as a publicly traded company, but we have a long history of performance and deep roots in our communities,” notes King.

As part of the corporate integration of Pactiv and Evergreen Packaging, the company has recently advanced its sustainability commitments. In fact, by 2030, Pactiv Evergreen aims to manufacture 100 percent of its products using materials that are recycled, recyclable, or renewable.

Impressively, the company is already more than 60 percent of the way towards achieving this aggressive target, which is well aligned with many of Pactiv Evergreen’s customers who have publicly stated goals to increase the use of sustainable materials and products.

Likewise, the industry as a whole is taking steps to provide food and beverage packaging in an environmentally responsible way to help protect the planet.

“As customers look to switch to more sustainable alternatives, we are well

Packaging Personified We are a vertically integrated company capable of handling complex and wide-ranging customer needs, through our state-of-theart extrusion, press, pre-press, lamination, converting, slitting, and microperforation capabilities.

With multiple manufacturing facilities strategically located in the Midwest, we consistently provide our industry leading customers with quality custom flexible packaging, delivered on time at a competitive price.

Like Pactiv Evergreen, Packaging Personified is committed to sustainability and we maintain our responsibility to conduct business in a manner that has minimal impact on the environment.

We understand the current challenges created by the use of plastics when they are not handled responsibly, and we continue to develop innovative solutions to overcome these obstacles.

Pactiv Evergreen has a proven history of product innovation, and at Packaging Personified, we also strive to develop new and improved solutions.

Packaging Personified is committed to developing materials and processes that contribute to a safe, clean environment. Our commitment is to encourage sustainable practices and to take a leading role in educating our employees, suppliers, and customers about the available options for achieving environmental sustainability in packaging.

In line with Pactiv Evergreen’s ambitious goal to manufacture 100 percent of its products using materials that are recycled, recyclable, or renewable, Packaging Personified ensures that all of our extruded materials are recyclable and any extruded production byproducts are recycled internally or through external partners.

Packaging Personified will continue to develop more efficient and sustainable packaging options.

www.packagingpersonified.com

Founded in 1975, Packaging Personified is a leader in the flexible packaging industry.

Packaging Personified Inc. 246 Kehoe Blvd Carol Stream, IL 60188 Packaging Personified Inc. 122 South Aspen Street Sparta, MI 49345

Email Marketing@packagingpersonified.com Phone (630) 653-1655 www.packagingpersonified.com

PACTIV EVERGREEN MANUFACTURING

positioned to support them quickly and effectively thanks to our innovative teams of material scientists and engineers,” King tells us.

Pactiv Evergreen has a rich and proven history of product innovation, a key focus area for the company as it strives to enhance its product portfolio, drive growth, while also increasing margins.

Sustainable innovation in particular is critical to Pactiv Evergreen, who today provides customers with sustainable alternatives across almost all products and categories.

Indeed, the company has introduced thousands of innovative new products over the last five years, including resealable beverage cartons, strawless lids, compostable cutlery, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers made with recycled content, reflecting Pactiv Evergreen’s commitment to sustainable lifecycle principles.

Recently, the company also partnered with a key strategic customer to launch new circular cups made from post-consumer recycled polypropylene and bio-based materials, including the customer’s used cooking oil.

“Our primary focus areas for product innovation are the development of packaging with useful new features, engineering

new materials that improve the performance of our products, and commercializing new environmentally responsible packaging that will help us to reach our 2030 sustainable goals,” shares King.

“We believe our EarthChoice brand is the largest sustainable foodservice packaging brand in North America.

Our Greenware and Recycleware brands, which we acquired as part of the Fabri-Kal acquisition in 2021, complement our sustainable offerings.”

Fabri-Kal is well known for its sustainable packaging solutions, such as commercially compostable packaging as well as packaging made from post-consumer recycled content.

The acquisition of Fabri-Kal has further expanded and strengthened Pactiv Evergreen’s position in the foodservice and consumer packaged goods business, and broadened the company’s sustainable packaging product offerings.

“We continue to grow our offering of sustainable products with new, plant-based resin and fiber-based products,” reveals King.

“Through our state-of-the-art production technology and material science expertise, we can develop new value-added and sustainable solutions.”

It is Pactiv Evergreen’s diverse material varieties, technologies and capabilities that enable the company to support existing customers as they work to achieve their sustainability goals, while uniquely equipping itself to attract new customers who are looking for new materials that align with their business objectives.

The company’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond its products. One of Pactiv Evergreen’s key pillars is to protect the planet’s resources, which includes actions related to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), energy, water, waste, recycling, and forestry.

“ O U R A B I L I T Y TO R E S P O N D TO T H E C H A N G I N G M A R K E T P L A C E W I T H R E L E VA N C E , S P E E D, A N D AG I L I T Y I S O N E O F T H E M A N Y WAY S W E C O N T I N U E T O P O S I T I O N P A C T I V EVERGREEN AS AN INDUSTRY LEADER” – M I K E K I N G , C E O, PAC T I V E V E R G R E E N

ALIGNED WITH SUPPLIERS

Pactiv Evergreen YouTube video

54 | North America Outlook issue 10

Between 2019 and 2021, Pactiv Evergreen spent $64 million on R&D efforts. With dedicated technology and innovation facilities, the company employs personnel focused on product development, material innovation, and process improvement.

“Our material science expertise and state-of-the-art product design and testing capabilities enable us to engineer high-performing materials and create new and innovative products to meet the requirements and preferences of customers, as well as increase food safety,” explains King.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 55

“A S C U S T O M E R S L O O K T O S W I T C H T O M O R E S U S TA I N A B L E A LT E R N AT I V E S , W E A R E W E L L P O S I T I O N E D T O S U P P O R T T H E M Q U I C K LY A N D E F F E C T I V E LY ” – M I K E K I N G , C E O, PAC T I V E V E R G R E E N

“We have industry-leading innovation centers where, among other things, we develop innovative resin blending and compounding formulations, processes, and new engineered materials using paper/ fiber substrates, which have on-site design, testing, prototyping, and production capabilities.”

These unique material and product design capabilities allow Pactiv

Evergreen to partner with customers to rapidly develop and commercialize new and innovative solutions, that further increase the value provided.

As well as its own dedicated expertise and capabilities, King stresses the incredible importance of partner and supplier relationships to Pactiv Evergreen.

“We collaborate with our suppliers to provide innovations that enable our customers to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and meet the changing needs of their consumers,” he comments.

Pactiv Evergreen is fortunate to partner with suppliers who understand both the needs of the business and those of its customers. Being a leader in the industry, it is important for the company to work with suppliers who are aligned with its business priorities, such as sustainability and innovation.

“Many of our key materials are commodities, so working with suppliers who know how to treat a commodity in a more strategic way is important, because it may be a commodity to the market, but to us, it is a key ingredient for our products.

PACTIV EVERGREEN MANUFACTURING

“As we continue to prioritize strategic investments in digital transformation projects across our business, we need suppliers who are ready to help us unlock the value of digitization in our supply chain,” King states.

EXCITING JOURNEY At what is a transformational time for Pactiv Evergreen, the organization is on an exciting journey towards excellence and long-term growth.

Through its five key strategic initiatives, namely People, Operational Excellence, Digital Transformation, Social Responsibility, and Profitable

Growth, Pactiv Evergreen will deliver on its purpose of “Packaging a Better Future” while creating long-term value for all stakeholders.

“Last year, we laid a solid foundation that will set us up for success in 2022 and beyond. We prioritized building a corporate culture around our purpose and core values, in addition to the creation of a Talent and Culture team,” King reflects.

“Our purpose, mission, and values represent the principles we honor, the promises we keep, and the foundational beliefs we share. They communicate what our customers and shareholders expect from us, and

what we can expect from each other.”

With great products, incredible people, and a growing market, this is a truly exciting time to be at Pactiv Evergreen.

“I would like to thank the entire Pactiv Evergreen workforce for their commitment and continued dedication to serving our customers, and enhancing the value of the company for all our stakeholders.”

www.pactivevergreen.com North America Outlook issue 10 | 57

PERFECT PA R T S O N

T I M E

Moeller Aerospace specializes in the manufacture and distribution of quality complex componentry across the aviation sector. CEO, Ron Felix details his journey through every step of the industry Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: David Knott 58 | North America Outlook issue 10

Together we ascend to new heights of discovery in air travel and industrial gas turbine technology. We continuously evolve to meet the needs of the travellers and industrial consumers that we serve every day.”

Moeller Aerospace (Moeller) has carefully cultivated a diverse product

MOELLER AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING

portfolio across commercial, military, space, and industrial gas turbine applications, earning the right to be considered an industry leader in turbine airfoil and complex precision componentry.

Through its many valued partnerships, Moeller has consistently raised the bar of turbine engine

excellence by continuously advancing all processes to meet new technical challenges, while maintaining a competitive edge on quality, delivery and cost.

Moeller also produces Click-Loc®, a custom-designed secondary self-locking technology that adds quality, reliability, and maintainability

to any fastening application that is safety/mission-critical or exposed to high vibration, high stress, or high thermal environments. The company specializes in turbine airfoils and complex components including blades, vanes, nozzles, flow path parts, seals, dampers, mounts, and locking parts.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 59

MOELLER AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING

TEAM Aerospace Solutions We at Team Aerospace Solutions are proud of the relationship we’ve built with Moeller Aerospace, a highly regarded industry leader.

It is always our goal to work with the best of the best. Moeller fits that criteria and we’ve been thrilled to call them a partner since 2001 — over 21 years ago.

Ron Felix, President, and CEO of Moeller Aerospace has been thoroughly immersed in aerospace throughout his whole career and is now able to call on 37 years of valuable experience across every facet of the aerospace industry. Felix explains how this is a passion and vibrant enthusiasm that was ignited in his formative years.

“I was always fascinated with aerospace as a kid. I am a child of the Apollo programme, so I loved watching people land on the moon as a young child. Around the time that I was in high school the Space Shuttle fascinated me and drove my passion to study science and become an engineer. Living close to an airport in Pennsylvania, I used to gaze up at the old Boeing 727s flying over the town each day, it was an amazing and fascinating site to me to watch those jet take-off and land,” he opens.

After completing a mechanical engineering degree, Felix then took

a job offer from Pratt & Whitney (P&W) to work on the design, test and production of gas turbines. His career has been split into two distinct halves, the first of which consisted of climbing up the ranks at P&W, starting out as a curious design engineer based in West Palm Beach.

Progressing inquisitively, Felix transitioned from engineering to operations, various finance roles, strategy, program management, technology development and some supply chain experience, and traversed a wide spectrum of the many vital processes and products within the industry. With this expansive CV under his belt, Felix led business units in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and California, and contributed to the development of many exciting projects, working on jet engine technology, rotor head assemblies for both Apache and Chinook helicopters, space and missile propulsion and aerospace fastening

In that span, we’ve worked with Moeller to provide over 1,000 quotes along with verification services across a number of key areas, including ultrasonic, radiographic, blue etch, titanium clean, macro etch, FPI and cleanliness. The result of this partnership: tens of thousands of aerospace parts processed and inspected.

TEAM is best known to the aerospace industry as the one stop for NDT, metallurgical and chemical processes.

We work with an extensive list of clients — including some of the world’s largest aerospace firms — to provide expedited service with the reliability and flexibility our customers require.

Whether its MRO services or new part components, TEAM is relied upon by its customers to deliver fast integrated services to exacting standards — on time, to cost and with exceptional support. Our highly skilled operators and technicians are committed to providing a level of service that exceeds expectations.

We see the same drive for excellence at Moeller, a company we’ve committed to working with for years to come. Our collective pursuit for customer satisfaction benefits both companies and the industry at large, and we’re excited for what lies ahead.

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Cincinnati, OH | Hartford, CT | Milwaukee, WI | Minneapolis, MN | Phoenix, AZ | Netherlands

Hy-Vac Technologies Hy-Vac Inc. is dedicated to providing first class thermal processing services, constantly striving to meet and exceed all of our customers’ requirements.

We do this by continuously improving our processes, and systems. Hy-Vac is customer focused, and quality driven.

technology primarily for the F35.

Eventually Felix found himself switching back to his roots with Moeller, where the company was focusing on turbine componentry, a high-end complexity component operation.

ADAPTATION AND INNOVATION “Moeller is going through a journey still, transitioning from a family-run business to an independent, private equity-owned, standalone company.

Not just a components operation, we now have some exciting IP too and

look to drive operational excellence in every process of our business.”

Felix knows better than most how the aerospace industry has changed vastly over the last decade. Tasked with the challenge of identifying what this sector’s contribution to carbon footprint reduction is, there is a different evolution now happening in commercial aerospace too, as well as the quest to join the green energy transition. Currently residing as a mid-market company, with a specialist team of 430 staff members based over several locations, Moeller was

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: HOW VITAL ARE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU CREATE AND MAINTAIN THROUGHOUT YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN? RON FELIX, CEO: “The importance of an efficient supply chain is incredibly critical.

There can be many complications with contract manufacturing and being part of a highly technical service chain, and alongside vertical integration of critical components, we therefore need strong partnerships to get the final product produced. In the end we are all in this together.

“Nurturing these relationships is an essential process of business because partnering with the supply chain will make or break this company. Getting hold of key alloys like titanium and nickel or other alternative aerospace metals are also becoming more difficult in a post COVID-19 supply chain, one of many challenges involved when the company itself is not self-sufficient in producing its own raw materials and needs strong raw material partnerships to depend upon.”

62 | North America Outlook issue 10

Hy-Vac considers its customers partners. We work with our partners to help them understand every part of our process so they are confident in the service we are providing them.

We hold many approvals, and provide multiple services, which allows us to be a great resource for their heat treat needs.

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MOELLER AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING

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“ W E N E E D T O D R AW O N T H E C R E AT I V I T Y A N D TA L E N T O F O U R P E O P L E A N D TA K E T H E W O R K I N G K N O W L E D G E O F O U R T E A M T O S O LV E P R O B L E M S ” – R O N F E L I X , C E O, M O E L L E R A E R O S PAC E

previously a family-owned company.

Eventually sold after 60 years, there was a vital need for an implementation of an entirely new culture and ownership structure in a transitional period for the business, coinciding with Felix’s entrance to the operation.

The overarching mantra that Felix trusts in is ‘perfect parts on time’. This is the mission statement for ensuring a premium service and bringing value to Moeller’s customers. “If parts are delivered on time, on date and with no technical issues, then you start to nurture a dependable track record, which ultimately leads to customer trust and rampant success. This success has brought exciting business opportunities with major jet engine

giants General Electric, RollsRoyce, Pratt & Whitney, GKN, MTU, Avio and other key players in propulsion technology,” Felix tells us.

“As CEO I try to really empower my teams. I’m attempting to build a healthy culture of service, a drive to serve, and offer efficient value solutions for customers. A key part of this is in the realization that you will never be able to manage all the variables that occur in manufacturing every day, so you must value the knowledge on the floor and therefore how you extract it from your team is vital.”

Felix strongly believes that a crucial component of good leadership is in nurturing and empowering talent.

North America Outlook issue 10 | 63

MOELLER AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING

“WHETHER IT’S DEALING W I T H T WO PA R T S O R 20,000 UNITS, ALL PA R T S N E E D T O B E T R E AT E D A S E Q U A L S , THEY POSSESS THE SAME VA L U E P R O P O S I T I O N TO MOELLER, THE CUSTOMER, AND THE EVENTUAL END USER” – RON FELIX, CEO, M O E L L E R A E R O S PAC E

Drawing on his own career, Felix has enjoyed an educationally beneficial exposure to many different mentors, twinned with a varied journey coming up through the ranks of aerospace manufacturing.

“We need to utilize the creativity of our team and take the working knowledge of our people to solve problems. I am trying to drive culture and empowerment here; I am a very hands-on CEO, aiming for a continued focus on service, whilst trying to empower people to make decisions at all levels of the organization,” Felix adds.

MANUFACTURING A BRIGHT FUTURE Manufacturing 4.0 is revolutionizing the way companies such as Moeller manufacture, improve and distribute their products. Embracing this new technology and the use of computers and data, moving on from the era of old-school spreadsheets and 64 | North America Outlook issue 10

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paperwork, investing in advanced material flow forecasting tools, and capacity analysis tools are part of Moeller’s development slate going forward.

Embracing digitization and staying up to speed with cutting-edge tools and inspection techniques has been identified as a specific focus for Moeller in relation to the standard of excellence in material conversion that the company demands.

“Whether it’s dealing with two parts or 20,000 units, I believe all parts need to be treated as equals, they possess the same value proposition to Moeller, the customer, and the eventual end user. You need all components to make an engine work, and I believe there is true value in ensuring everything is given equal priority.”

A key concern for Moeller in the next two years is recovering to pre-COVID-19 levels of business and production. This target is prioritized

alongside the drive towards customer diversification and operational excellence. There are many available avenues for potential diversification that Moeller has its sights set on, such as the development and investigation into smart emerging green propulsion technologies and clean energy projects, as well as the exploration of commercial space.

“Looking to the future, we must ask ourselves if we have a part to play in rail travel, personal mobility, on-shoring of high tech as well as the continued expansion of aerospace opportunity. We are additionally looking at plenty of potential smart technology investments, as we are constantly on the search for what is next. Becoming less dependent on upstream suppliers and investing in vertical integration are further investments in competitiveness that we are striving to achieve,” explains Felix.

Moving forward, Felix believes there

is one key question that needs to be addressed by Moeller as a company in the modern day, the industry, and even the nation as a whole.

“As a society we need to figure out how to get the youth of America interested in manufacturing again.

We need to dissipate the outdated stereotype of what manufacturing work looks like; it does not have to be an old-school, sweaty, oily laborintensive environment, as here at Moeller we are nothing short of the opposite to that,” concludes Felix.

MOELLER AEROSPACE Tel: +1-248-960-3999 quotes@moeller.com www.moeller-aerospace.com www.click-loc.com North America Outlook issue 10 | 65

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

T H E AG R A A DVA N TAG E A trusted single point of contact for EPCM projects, AGRA Industries, Inc is an established leader in the seed, feed, sand, biomass and ethanol industries. We speak with members of the executive team to find out more Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom McConnell

T

he energy and biomass sector faces innumerable challenges that are yet to be solved. For many large companies across the US, answers are sought in a small town in Wisconsin.

Merrill, Wisconsin is home to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and manufacturing leader, AGRA Industries, Inc (AGRA) - a secondgeneration privately-owned and family-oriented organization.

AGRA is an established leader in the design, fabrication, and complete

construction of new turnkey facilities.

Finding application in a host of industries, AGRA’s remit extends to ethanol plants, seed processing facilities, wood biomass facilities, grain processing and feed mills.

In seed processing, it is estimated that approximately one-third of all US corn seed passes through an AGRA dryer. Elsewhere, in the biomass field, AGRA is the exclusive provider of steam explosion pellets developed

by Arbaflame technology in North America.

The company is bolstered by an

industrial legacy that stretches back to the company’s founding in 1962

by Roger W Hinner, who built the foundations of the company in a small Quonset building. During these humble beginnings, AGRA specialized in the detailing, manufacturing, and installation of fire escapes, tanks, feed mills and grain facilities.

Fast forward to today, and that niche has expanded significantly to encompass turnkey ethanol, seed corn, feed mill, and biomass pellet facilities.

“To simplify things, I like to say that AGRA conveys, stores, and dries any

North America Outlook issue 10 | 67

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

The Millwright Company The Millwright Company LLC has been helping clients across the country with their construction needs since 2017. Our typical construction services include millwright services, structural steel erection, building equipment installations, pipe fitting installations, and civil concrete services.

Turning the vision you have for your company into a reality, The Millwright Company LLC can help you plan, build, expand, maintain, and repair your grain storage, biodiesel, seed, and feed facilities.

We guarantee exceptional construction services that meet your budget and expectations, and our millwrights are extremely well-versed in many aspects of construction and demobilization.

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THE WHOLE KERNEL A major accolade for AGRA is its contribution to the development of the modern corn dryer, with unique technology controlling the rate at which moisture is pulled from the corn kernel.

“Each one of our customers has a rate at which they want to dry corn; it has to be fast because the harvest is short, but it can’t be so fast that it damages the kernel,” says Hinner. “We know how to create the equipment that gives them complete control over the process.”

Roughly 40 percent of North America’s corn seed is used in the production of ethanol. Having constructed eight complete ethanol facilities, AGRA has developed significant expertise in the industry.

AGRA soon became fixated on the inherent inefficiencies of a traditional ethanol plant, whereby entire kernels are boiled to extract the starch from which alcohol is produced. This means that the whole kernel is processed, and energy is wasted.

By separating the corn kernel on the front end using a dry fractionation process, the complete utilization of the corn kernel can be achieved and the integrity of the components of the kernel is preserved to maximize the value extracted.

The starch produces the ethanol with a third less energy, the fibers from the bran are processed into cellulosic ethanol, the oils are extracted primarily from the germ creating a renewable diesel or aviation fuel, and the germ produces a high protein gluten-free flour that directly competes with soy-based food markets.

“We are all about increasing the yield of the kernel.”

68 | North America Outlook issue 10

and all products in the seed, feed, sand, biomass and ethanol industries,” introduces AGRA President and CEO, Pat Hinner.

Hinner brings to the company a wealth of experience in the agricultural and ethanol industry. With a career spanning over 46 years, Hinner began

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

GRAIN AND FEED MILL FACILITY BUILDERS The Millwright Company LLC has 7 Premium Travelling Crews dedicated, skilled, and professional journeyman Millwright, journeyman Pipefitters/welder team of workers to meet all of your needs anywhere in the country.

Our Typical Construction Services Include: • Millwright Services • Structural Steel Erection • Installation of Building equipment • Pipe Fitting Installations • Civil Concrete Services

Eric Magana - President The Millwright Company LLC T (302)274-9590 Themillwrights@outlook.com Themillwrightcompanyllc.com

“‘DURABILITY BY DESIGN’ IS OUR E N G I N E E R I N G M OT TO ” – P AT H I N N E R , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O , A G R A I N D U S T R I E S , I N C

working for the family business at the age of 16, and has been instrumental in the AGRA name becoming synonymous with the development of the modern corn dryer.

Over this time, Hinner has amassed significant experience in all phases of large-scale projects, from the initial design to hands-on construction, whilst maintaining a constant focus on the concerns of the client and striving to make products and processes safer and more cost-effective, without compromising on quality.

The concept of longevity, as a second-generation family-run company with a rich history, also translates to AGRA’s product offering, where reliability and a longstanding service is key. “‘Durability by design’ is our engineering motto,” states Hinner.

“When you purchase AGRA equipment, you are purchasing something that your grandchildren will service and that is something we North America Outlook issue 10 | 69

are very proud of.

“Through many years of experience, we have taken failure points or areas that wear out, changed the designs and added abrasion resistant plates to ensure longevity,” he elaborates.

STRUCTURE FEEDS CULTURE A key component of the leadership style that Hinner brings to AGRA is an emphasis on development and guidance for assigned managers and department personnel.

As an apt example of this, joining Hinner is Ben Bostrom, AGRA’s Vice President of Operations, who worked his way up to the company’s leadership team after originally joining as a welder in 2007.

“I came to AGRA with five years of welding experience from a large structural steel manufacturer, and I quickly progressed into multiple leadership roles in the company,” he recalls.

Hinner personally approached 70 | North America Outlook issue 10

Bostrom, who at the time was in the position of Plant Manager, and encouraged him to undertake a degree that would enable him to eventually progress to oversee all AGRA operations. “I accepted, and in May of 2021, I graduated with a B.S. in organizational leadership with a minor in Operations Management.”

AGRA’s corporate structure is designed in a way that facilitates efficiency, and fosters agility, split into multiple teams divided into Engineering, Project, and Construction with each lending their unique strengths. The three primary business units comprise AGRA Industries, Merrill Fab, and AGRA Construction, with Bostrom overseeing all operational functions.

“We all have our divisions that we are responsible for and we do it without a lot of bureaucracy, which makes AGRA lean and fast,” comments Bostrom.

A key tenet of these divisions

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

AGRA IN ACTION “One recent example of our solutions-driven mindset was displayed in the proppant industry. AGRA was approached by a long-standing EOM customer that had a problem that didn’t fit with their business model. This concerned a highly accurate (two percent) frac sand delivery system that could meter sand from 50 – 550 TPH and last for 45 days without a major rebuild in the highly abrasive environment. To make matters worse they had spent much of their R&D budget, with only three weeks for a new solution.

“Our internal team evaluated the situation and was committed to solving the problem. Within 24 hours we had the first drawings released to the production floor, and within three days we had a fully functioning prototype running frac sand in our R&D facility. Unfortunately, Prototype One failed miserably soon after testing, but this is where AGRA is different.

“We immediately developed Prototype Two and were testing within days.

The result was a rotary feeder that can meter frac sand from 44-650 tons with less than a half of one percent accuracy discrepancy. Fast forward three weeks and AGRA found itself in Odessa Texas installing the Frac Feeder, with our customer stating that, “AGRA has revolutionized the last mile of frac”.”

- Ben Bostrom, Vice President of Operations, AGRA Industries, Inc

is Merrill Fab, as the company’s manufacturing segment. Alongside undertaking EPCM projects, Merrill Fab enables AGRA to manufacture its own line of mechanical equipment, including gates, valves, conveyors, structural steel and EOM products for conveyor and pollution control customers. As an area of major investment, Merill Fab is the backbone of AGRA’s manufacturing prowess which has advanced significantly with major investment into top-of-the-line equipment that reduces lead times and streamlines efficiency.

“We are extremely pleased with the recent capital investments that Ben and his team have chosen,” says Hinner. “We have always had quality equipment, but with recent technology advancements I am blown away by the speed, quality, and reduced operational costs.”

With structure walking hand in hand with culture, AGRA’s organization complements an environment

“ W E A R E A N A G I L E O R G A N I Z AT I O N T H AT P R I D E S I T S E L F O N B E I N G S A F E , SOLUTIONS-DRIVEN AND EXPEDITIOUS” – B E N B O S T R O M , V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F O P E R AT I O N S , A G R A INDUSTRIES, INC

North America Outlook issue 10 | 71

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

that is conducive to employee empowerment and development that encourages promotion from within.

“At AGRA, we don’t have a bunch of managers with their heads in the clouds,” says Plant Manager Chris Marcott. “It’s a normal occurrence to see the President and Vice-President going for regular shop walks looking at the safety, quality and productivity of the plant.”

Aside from establishing a favorable company culture that encourages and nurtures its people, the company’s structure truly lends AGRA a competitive edge for customers, as its model of vertical integration permits full control over the scheduling of its products to allow timely delivery that guarantees customer satisfaction.

This entails additional client advantages, with not only a highly efficient, streamlined process, but also the elimination of areas for mark-up that reduce the overall cost of service.

“A typical engineering, procurement and construction 72 | North America Outlook issue 10

(EPC) provider will procure all the components and add another layer of cost as they sell it to the end user,” Bostrom explains. “AGRA is able to engineer, manufacture, and construct all under one umbrella, reducing and in some cases eliminating this added markup.”

This idea of delivering costefficiency touches on the customer satisfaction that is so critical to AGRA. As Bostrom attests, “a repeated theme for every project that we work on is our customers and their investors’ ROI (Return On Investment). This is something that Pat takes great ownership in, stating that a product is only successful if the sub-contractors, the customer, and AGRA are satisfied at the end of the day.”

This notion of mutual profitability and benefit runs at the core of all AGRA’s endeavors. As such, AGRA prides itself on maintaining fruitful, long-term relationships with its clients and working partnerships.

This is evidenced in AGRA’s Engineering team – a division formed of 18 people led by Engineering Manager Josh Neumann. Here, a combination of mechanical and structural designers, detailers, and engineers leverage the latest scanning and 3D software to ensure products meet or exceed the necessary specifications.

A key element within this is the ongoing strategic partnership with McClure Engineering, enabling the validation of all structural components.

“Through this partnership, we are able to have our licensed engineer perform the engineering design while collaborating with McClure Engineering to produce final construction documents. The relationship has been a wonderful addition to our partnership network,” comments Bostrom.

Complementing this is the AGRA Projects team, headed

by Director Chris Barlow, where several partnerships with millwright

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC ENERGY & UTILITIES

contractors across the US ensure scalable construction staffing in addition to direct employees, feeding the workforce that keeps the cogs of major projects turning.

REMAINING RESPONSIVE AGRA currently faces a volatile market resulting from global geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions lasting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to combat supply chain issues, AGRA heavily engages with its project team during the sales process to identify critical path scheduling, so that once a project is sold, design, procurement, fabrication and construction can get underway immediately.

Exciting new avenues are now paving the way forward for the company.

“One of the opportunities that we

are excited about is biomass pellet production with waste streams and invasive feedstock,” says Hinner.

As such, the company is working closely to address and overcome the problems faced by traditional pellet plants, including the bridging of materials, capacity, and quality of pellet production.

Whilst also expediting solutions for conventional white biomass pellets, AGRA is currently working in close cooperation with Arbaflame – a Norwegian company pursuing the transition to black biomass pellets.

Through Arbaflame’s patented steamtreatment technology, wood pellets and biochemicals are produced under the brand name of ArbaCore™.

Boasting numerous advantages that make the pellets ideally suited to replace or supplement coal in coal-fired, or combined heat and

power stations, Arbaflame is an environmental gamechanger, with a 90 percent reduction in emissions from coal-fired energy production compared to coal.

With Arbaflame’s first full-scale commercial plant – ArbaOne – initiating commercial production in early 2022, Arbaflame and AGRA will continue to work together to explore opportunities for producing steam exploded black pellets in North America.

Similarly, in the renewables field, AGRA is currently developing a major project, raising $420 million to construct a state-of-the-art bioenergy plant to produce products that will serve a host of industries. Biofuel is one key element of this, as a major contributor to reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. Alongside this, AGRA will further expedite North America’s green energy transition with research into renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and continue its efforts in biomass, as the country’s exclusive project producer of the steam explosion pellet developed by Arbaflame.

Aside from the above, AGRA will continue to focus on the pillars of supply chain management, sustainability, automation and increased market share moving forward, as it also seeks to increase the square footage of manufacturing and growth.

Whatever the project, AGRA remains the one-stop solution to expedite it. As Director of Projects, Chris Barlow, concludes, “it is in our DNA that we do not accept failure.

We find a way as a group to make it happen.”

AGRA INDUSTRIES, INC Tel: 715-536-9584 Info@agraind.com https://www.agraind.com North America Outlook issue 10 | 73

GENIE ENERGY LTD ENERGY & UTILITIES

THE SOLAR SOLUTION Intent on bringing the advantages of renewable energy to as many people as possible, Genie Energy Ltd is at the forefront of advancing technology and options to make solar generation something that anyone can benefit from in the US. We speak to CEO Michael Stein to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Tom McConnell

74 | North America Outlook issue 10

R

enewable energy is a growing sector within the US. Around 21 percent of all electricity generated in the country stems from wind, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric and solar, and it is only increasing in demand.

Alongside this rise, ensuring that renewables are accessible to the masses is key to shifting energy consumption away from fossil fuels.

Already a long-standing end to end provider of residential and commercial services, Genie Energy Ltd (Genie) companies are leading the way as providers of traditional and renewable/sustainable electricity, including rooftop and community solar and other forms of clean energy, North America Outlook issue 10 | 75

GENIE ENERGY LTD ENERGY & UTILITIES

natural gas, and carbon offset solutions in deregulated energy markets worldwide.

Energy deregulation means that consumers across the US and in select markets worldwide, can choose their energy supplier. In deregulated markets, energy generators produce energy. The electricity and natural gas that Genie procures on behalf of its customers is delivered by the local utility companies through their existing networks of pipes and wires.

Genie offers traditional, renewable, fixed and variable rate energy supply programs, and strives to deliver a host of options and value in a manner that local utilities may not.

“The genesis of the business is to operate in a deregulated energy space, which allows independent companies like us - those who don’t own assets such as pipes or wires that interconnect people’s homes – to facilitate utility services to those who need them,” begins Michael Stein, CEO of Genie.

“Genie has been a publicly traded company for 11 years, operating primarily in the deregulated energy space, starting operations in a single state offering just electricity and natural gas supply directly to customers in a single market. We have since grown to cover 17 states in the US, and into international markets.

In all, across our entire portfolio of

76 | North America Outlook issue 10

products offered, we serve over 350,000 customers.”

COMMUNITY SOLAR In the US, Genie provides commercial and industrial clients with energy advisory and brokerage services, as well as innovative solar solutions and solar panels designed and engineered in the US. Genie’s residential customers may also benefit from Community Solar installations available in select states.

“We have also opened operations in countries in Europe, such as Finland and Sweden, on top of operations in Israel,” Stein tells us. “Domestic and overseas business expansion is a key part of Genie’s plan, and a lot of this growth is focused on the renewable energy space.

“We are currently offering renewable power to approximately one-third of our customers exclusively, and one of our largest and most exciting products is Community Solar, where we are able to bring the benefits of solar to customers who, for example, live in apartments and don’t have rooftops to accommodate solar panels. We do this by virtually connecting them to large solar fields that are built in surrounding neighborhoods.”

Community Solar is at the core of Genie’s service. For Stein, this offer is revolutionary because it levels the

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www.utilitybillcutter.com

playing field for many – no longer is there any upfront or out of pocket investment required as there would be typically to install a traditional rooftop solar array.

“Community Solar is a game changer for the average customer,” he elaborates. “Not only is it renewable and good for our environment, but with government incentives that exist in many of the states we operate in, customers are guaranteed savings.

This is critical given the circumstances we find ourselves in on a global scale, with prices continuing to climb across the board. Seeing 10 or 15 percent annual savings on the electric bill helps keep hard earned dollars where they belong; in our customers’ savings accounts.

“While community solar is key, for those customers who desire a more direct or longer-term solution, and for our larger commercial consumers, we are able to serve traditional rooftop solar. In that regard, we operate as a

GENIE ENERGY LTD ENERGY & UTILITIES

Power Marketing Group, LLC has been in business since 2011, working with energy suppliers in US deregulated markets to provide alternative energy solutions to residential and commercial customers.

Our management team has a combined 50+ years of experience in the energy marketing industry.

Office: (267) 722-8229 Toll Free: 1 (877) 639-5620 Email: info@utilitybillcutter.com www.utilitybillcutter.com

North America Outlook issue 10 | 77

provider and installer, in addition to manufacturing our own bi-facial solar panels that are nearly twice as efficient at producing power as traditional panels.”

“In addition, in Israel, we are working on advanced technology to recycle used oil-based fuel products that would typically be disposed of. Instead, we clean and produce

re-usable materials without the usual production of hydrocarbons and release of other harmful chemicals into the environment.”

IN-PERSON SUPPORT In addition to energy related products, and opportunities to save, Genie offers an array of “whole home” services as well, such as home

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO YOUR CAREER TO DATE? MICHAEL STEIN, CEO: “My career started right after college, simultaneously in business finance and in the clergy, and after acknowledging that I had to choose between them, I focused on the latter for about three years before pivoting towards working in business development.

“I ended up working for IDT Corporation (IDT), a multinational provider of

warranty, appliance, protection plans and home security.

“Something else we have been focused on is facilitating enrollments on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Plan (ACP), a benefit program aimed at helping households in need afford various necessary utilities. The program provides critical connectivity to high–speed internet, mobile phone service and more to people who have a hard time making ends meet.”

But at Genie’s core, is its focus on customer care and expert support, which make a big difference to customers around the world.

“We prefer the personal touch of traditional face-to-face and phone sales and support to ensure customers properly understand and take advantage of these services to their fullest extent.”

telecom systems and services, in their FinTech division. At this time, I was part of a team that was developing financial products and services for underserved

FACILITATING SOLAR

communities. For example, we helped provide international money transfers

According to Stein, Community Solar has the power to change the way Americans view and use energy, and therefore better the sustainability aims of communities across the country.

“Most residents in the US either live in apartments that have zero accessibility to rooftop solar, or live in houses that – for one reason or another – are not qualified for solar, for example if too much shade is cast by the surrounding environment, a rooftop is

as well as international bill payments through which customers can help their families and friends overseas pay their bills digitally from the US. I did this for a few years helping IDT launch its money transfer business before being asked to move to Genie in a business development role.

“After three years, I became the CEO of Genie’s main operating subsidiaries, including the retail energy supply business in the US. When the company pivoted away from oil and gas exploration, the retail business was the only business Genie had at the time, so I became CEO of the whole company, and here I am today!”

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GENIE ENERGY LTD ENERGY & UTILITIES

facing the wrong way, or the capital commitment/credit score does not work for the solar investment to be financed for certain customers.

“We work with solar developers to bring solar to residential customers customers en masse while helping them save, all the while, we aim to be a massive contributor towards many states’ environmental and emissions efforts.”

GENIE – AT A GLANCE Genie is changing the way people look at their energy bill. Whether consumers aim to save money, run a more energy-efficient home or business, or a cleaner and “greener” one, the company’s management team represents decades of combined energy industry experience. Genie delivers tailor-made strategic energy plans to meet short, medium and longterm goals at the same time as helps customers finance, lease or buy systems and show them how to maximize all the grants and other incentives available.

GENIE – DIVISIONS: RETAIL: • Procures and supplies electricity and natural gas to residential and commercial customers in the US and offers Community Solar programs that guarantee savings.

SERVICES: • Provides end to end energy advisory, brokerage, LED and sustainable solar energy generation services for commercial and industrial clients.

INTERNATIONAL: • Procures and supplies energy to residential and commercial customers outside of the US.

“COMMUNITY SOLAR IS A GAME CHANGER P R O D U C T F O R T H E AV E R A G E C U S T O M E R .

N O T O N LY I S I T R E N E WA B L E A N D G O O D F O R O U R E N V I R O N M E N T, B U T W I T H G O V E R N M E N T I N C E N T I V E S T H AT E X I S T I N M A N Y O F T H E S TAT E S W E O P E R AT E I N , C U S T O M E R S A R E A L S O G U A R A N T E E D S AV I N G S ” – M I C H A E L S T E I N , C E O , G E N I E E N E R G Y LT D

This all starts with Genie’s customer education. Through the expertise and help of the company’s face-toface sales and marketing teams, knowledge of Community Solar reaches thousands of people each month, helping drive the realization that renewable energy is not difficult to incorporate, nor only designed for specific residents.

“We quite literally visit potential customers, and market to them in various ways to let them know that this product and option exists and is accessible,” Stein says. “Many customers don’t even know that they have the option to take advantage of solar or many of the other programs we have to offer.

“This is the second part of our offer to customers. There is quite a bit of education involved in teaching the customers about the opportunity of Community Solar, how It works, seeing the benefits both from an environmental perspective as well as the financial savings side, and we make this a core part of our marketing, outreach and services.”

communities,” he says. “I believe that we have the platform to get there.

“There is a real-world energy crisis at the moment, and the answer to that crisis is facilitating renewables,” Stein continues. “Competition is more important than ever due to this crisis.

The only way out of energy scarcity is to encourage more people and companies to welcome renewable energy options. Companies need to be incentivized to move towards renewables, just as energy companies need to move into providing renewable energy.”

Genie is committed to the expansion and uptake of renewable products and services, and it is the company’s belief that it’s job is to facilitate renewable and cleaner energy to as many people as possible, while thinking about both people and the planet.

“We are simply trying to be a company that does well by doing good,” Stein adds.

OUTREACH EXPANSION For Stein, the future of Genie revolves around the scaling of products and services to reach a larger client base than ever before, to better both access by under-served areas, in addition to facilitating a greener planet.

“I would like to see us become the largest sales engine for Community Solar and communication products in general for underserved

GENIE ENERGY LTD Tel: 973-438-3500 ContactUs@Genie.com www.genie.com North America Outlook issue 10 | 79

CR&R ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

ECO PIONEERS OF THE GOLDEN S TAT E CR&R Environmental Services continues to work tirelessly towards the goal of leaving the planet in a better place for generations to come. Senior Vice President, Paul Relis details his outlook for a sustainable future Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: David Knott

W

ith almost 40 million people calling California home today, its residents are placing an unprecedented strain on Earth’s natural resources and infrastructure, much like everywhere else on the planet.

Landfilling of waste continues to grow in spite of recycling efforts, and California’s air quality is consistently the worst across the US. Despite the progressive legislation that has been enacted to bolster waste diversion and recycling, Californians still dispose of more than 30 million tons of waste in landfills every year.

CR&R Environmental Services (CR&R) will never stop pushing its commitment to achieving zero percent landfill and zero percent fossil fuels.

Paul Relis, Senior Vice President of CR&R, can truly be regarded as one of the pioneers of recycling in the US, after founding a non-profit organization in Santa Barbara, California in the 1970s that established one of the first curbside collection programs, material recovery,

composting, household and business hazardous waste facilities in the nation. This exposure to waste recycling and management early on in his working life went on to shape the pathway of his career in the field.

“As I worked with materials consuming industries both domestic and foreign, I found the recycling field absolutely fascinating,” he opens.

Later, in 1991, he was appointed by California’s governor to implement the Golden State’s nation-leading waste management program to reduce the dumping of waste going to landfill by 50 percent. At that time California disposed of more than 90 percent of its municipal waste in landfills. This recycling mandate impacted most of California’s 30 million people at the time and resulted in a multi-billiondollar investment by waste companies and local governments in recycling and composting infrastructure. By the time Relis left his position in Sacramento, landfill disposal fell by nearly 40 percent.

“I was pleased by our progress, North America Outlook issue 10 | 81

CR&R ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

of organic waste. It has been a long and challenging road we’ve been on, but now we’re here. Mr. Ronnenberg was steadfast in making it happen.”

In addition to helping bring forth the development of a new anaerobic digester (AD) plant, Relis has been instrumental in policy-making, laws and regulations in California. As the former Chair of the Bioenergy Association of California, which now includes 100 bioenergy companies and many governmental agencies, he also serves on an advisory committee to the powerful South Coast Air Quality Management District that regulates air emissions in Southern California.

A RAPIDLY GROWING INDUSTRY

but I knew we had much further to go, and I wanted to pursue technology that could take us there,” adds Relis.

“I joined CR&R in 1998 because the owner, Clifford Ronnenberg and I shared a vision. The vision was to pursue technologies that could increase the recovery of recyclable materials and focus on the recovery of organics. To the greatest extent

possible, we wanted to develop a closed-loop system. To do that we needed an organics recycling process that would extract energy from the organic waste and produce fuel that could power our fleet and reduce our dependence on diesel fuel. This vision was cast more than a decade ago, before the state’s focus on reducing methane emissions from the disposal

NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: WHAT DIFFERENTIATES CR&R FROM YOUR DIRECT COMPETITORS? PAUL RELIS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT: “CR&R has been an industry innovator for more than 50 years. The company initiated curbside recycling, employing three container systems in the US, built the first mixed material recovery facility, employed the first bio filtration system for odor mitigation, constructed the largest anaerobic digestion plant in the nation, and finally installed the first commercial scale biomethane pipeline connecting with SoCal’s (Southern California’s) natural gas grid. These technical innovations and list of achievements set CR&R apart from other direct competitors in the field, although I strongly believe the companies that we compete with are sophisticated and innovative in their own right.”

82 | North America Outlook issue 10

“The Southern California marketplace is ever-changing, as large segments of our client cities are fast growing. Bold legislation aimed at reducing waste, recycling more commodities, and reducing air emissions is simply a fact of life each year. Our new ambitious organics recycling law (SB 1383) aims to reduce short lived climate pollutants (basically methane) by 40 percent by 2030, which is even more ambitious than our earlier recycling law,” Relis explains.

Meeting SB 1383’s objective could require the construction of nearly 100 new or expanded organics recycling facilities. This creates enormous growth opportunities for expanded infrastructure and marketing opportunities to move organics to the landscapes and agriculture throughout California.

“We are seeing major new composting and anaerobic digester proposals as well as some new facilities. This growth will persist over the next decade provided that local governments provide incentives and service rates that support investment by companies such as CR&R. These incentives need to go hand-in hand with the new laws and regulations,”

CR&R ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

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continues Relis.

CR&R has been a muscular industry giant in terms of its application of innovation for more than 50 years now.

“We are primarily a provider of comprehensive waste, recycling and composting services with a client base of three million residential customers, and 25,000 businesses.

We employ some 2,300 staff and operate 1,100 trucks in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, and Imperial Counties to fulfill our service obligations and ensure compliance with state laws.”

The diverse array of communities served by CR&R range from high-density coastal ones like Newport Beach, planned suburban communities like many in Orange County, and sparsely populated desert communities.

Just on the horizon is an impressive new investment in phases three and four of the Perris Anaerobic Digestion facility.

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“A S I W O R K E D W I T H M AT E R I A L S C O N S U M I N G I N D U ST R I E S B OT H D O M E ST I C A N D FO R E I G N , I F O U N D T H E R E C Y C L I N G F I E L D A B S O L U T E LY FA S C I N AT I N G ” – P A U L R E L I S , S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T, C R & R E N V I R O N M E N TA L SERVICES

North America Outlook issue 10 | 83

CR&R ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

“This new investment will double our AD throughput to an estimated 200,000 tons per year, while producing two million gallons of renewable natural gas, enough to power more than 300 heavy-duty waste collection trucks. Phase three and four’s developments will cost an estimated $60 million and when completed, CR&R’s total investment in its AD platform will total about $160 million,” Relis continues.

Despite new investments and positive progress regarding general expansion, a crucial challenge for CR&R remains rooted in maintaining an efficient and well-oiled supply chain. The significant issues often encountered in relation to this are in securing parts and components for the digester operation. Dealing with delivery dates pushed back continuously, in some cases by months, is an ongoing reality.

While most of CR&R’S sustainable business practices take place at private facilities, the company’s fleet of ultra-low emission vehicles is the

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“ W E A R E E M P OW E R E D BY O U R E XC E L L E N T S TA F F, A N D W E TA K E I M M E N S E P R I D E I N T H E C O M PA N Y ’ S C O M M I T M E N T TO C I R C U L A R E CO N O M Y P R AC T I C E S ” – P A U L R E L I S , S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T, C R & R E N V I R O N M E N TA L SERVICES

CR&R ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ENERGY & UTILITIES

most visible symbol of how it is literally driving innovation. With this fleet of collection, transportation and street sweeping vehicles, CR&R has one goal in mind: to clean our air and reduce our carbon impact to near zero.

EMPOWERING STAFF AND COMMUNITIES “CR&R has been fortunate enough to attract and retain an incredibly talented management team, many of whom have been with the company for decades. We are empowered

by our excellent staff, and we take immense pride in the company’s commitment to circular economy practices, an element of the business that is a major company drawing card,” Relis explains proudly.

The commitment made by CR&R to making the world a better place for future generations is also demonstrated through its community involvement programs, whilst encouraging all current staff members to get fully involved and to make a positive difference in the lives of

others.

One of these programs tackles social leadership. CR&R invests in numerous organizations that focus on developing solutions for issues that impact society as a whole, regardless of geography, demographics, or economic status.

The future of CR&R holds many exciting possibilities and promises numerous innovative ventures already in development, such as the complete permitting of phases three and four of the AD plant and its construction.

CR&R is also working to utilize the non-recyclable portion of the waste stream as a lower carbon fuel substitute for fossil energy in cementmaking, as well as considering green hydrogen and the electrification of segments of its fleets.

CR&R ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES Tel: (714) 890-6300 https://crrwasteservices.com/ North America Outlook issue 10 | 85

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

What technology is helping to transform your industry and how?

Joseph Leimkuhler

Mike King

Michael Stein

COO, BOE Exploration & Production LLC

CEO, Pactiv Evergreen

CEO, Genie Energy Ltd

“Seismic processing and our ability to see and understand geology is better than ever. The geology in the US Gulf of Mexico is unique, there’s no place like it on earth.

The region is analogous to what you see in the Dead Sea in the Middle East, or the Great Salt Lake in Utah (US); water that is disconnected from the oceans that instead flows in from rivers forming a salt-saturated inland sea containing thousands of feet of salt and sediment. Only recently has seismic processing improved to the point where we can process sound waves, see beneath the salt layers and look at oil trapped beneath. Seismic processing is the most significant enabling technology of our time at the moment.”

86 | North America Outlook issue 10

“A few of the top technology trends in manufacturing include automation, connected factories, smart manufacturing and smart supply chains – think Industry 4.0. Any of these could be viewed as transforming the industry. For Pactiv Evergreen specifically, we are investing in digital transformation as one of our key strategic priorities. A recent example of this investment is the increased use of automation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As technology advanced and hiring became more challenging, automation and autonomous trends helped to maintain productivity, safety, and quality, while also upskilling the workers who used that technology.”

“The proliferation of bifacial panels, of which Genie’s Prism subsidiary is the world’s foremost expert, is changing the industry. The additional energy output improves the economics of solar and the twosided glass design allows for light to go through the panel. The design’s aesthetic advantage increases adoption. It also unlocks certain farmland as compatible with solar without impeding on the growth of underlying crops.”

Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact North America Outlook now!

Deepwater value in the Gulf of Mexico...

BOE EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LLC OIL & GAS

See page

30 24

D E E P WAT E R P OW E R I N G T H E E N E R GY TRANSITION

BOE Exploration & Production LLC is laser-focused on oil and gas operations in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico. We speak to Joseph Leimkuhler, COO of the company, about the latest technology and the future of exploration and production

with Louisiana, the two states make up over half of the oil and gas-related jobs in the entire country. These states border the Gulf of Mexico and offer abundant access to oil and gas reserves both inland and offshore.

“The US Gulf of Mexico has had its share of ups and downs during the past 35 years, but the geology of the Gulf is the gift that keeps on giving,” says Joseph Leimkuhler, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BOE Exploration & Production LLC (BOE).

The barrels of oil and gas produced by companies like BOE, in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico - renowned as the lowest in carbon intensity - make up 15 percent of the US

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: David Knott

O

il and gas - and their importance to the global economy - cannot be understated.

From transportation and heating buildings to producing electricity and raw materials (everything from plastics to pharmaceuticals), oil provides a reliable and affordable foundation for many comforts of daily life.

The US is the world’s leading producer of oil, and collectively with natural gas and coal, provides approximately 80 percent of the country’s energy needs.

While renewable energy is increasing in scale based on global climate concerns, oil and gas are arguably fundamental to the global energy solution for the foreseeable future. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2022, in their base case, petroleum and natural gas will remain the most-consumed sources of energy, and will actually increase in the country through to 2050.

In Texas alone, the oil and gas industry accounts for over three million jobs, and together

OFFSHORE ENGINEERING EDG HAS 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF FIXED OFFSHORE PLATFORMS BOTH DOMESTICALLY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND INTERNATIONALLY.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE YOU CAN LEVERAGE

INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS TO HELP SUPPORT ALL PHASES OF PROJECT DELIVERY

BOE – AT A GLANCE

EDG tailors integrated customer solutions, pairing necessary expertise with budget requirements and project schedules to tackle project objectives and improve performance. We help customers reduce risk, improve safety, and save on operating costs with integrated solutions that maximize asset performance, optimize existing resources, and enhance project delivery.

BOE Exploration & Production LLC is an operator in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

COMPANY MISSION To responsibly deliver high value, low carbon energy to the US market from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

COMPANY EXPERTISE BOE has assembled a cohesive team of experts who share a large-scale vision for the company as a partner of choice in the Gulf of Mexico.

“THE GEOLOGY OF THE GULF OF MEXICO I S T H E G I F T T H AT K E E P S O N G I V I N G ”

BROWNFIELD OPERATION SUPPORT PROJECT SOLUTIONS EDG’S PRESENCE FOR GOM OPERATIONS SUPPORT

– J O S E P H L E I M K U H L E R , C O O , B O E E X P L O R AT I O N & PRODUCTION LLC

EDG has the Operations Support capabilities to ensure our client facilities run smoothly. We take an active role in operations on a full-time or as-needed basis with prompt engineering and design responses. Our active participation includes participating in weekly operations meetings, managing MOC processes, and involvement in process troubleshooting and optimization. EDG communicates routinely with BSEE, ABS, and USCG for regulatory issues.

We ultimately become an extension of staff to the operators.

GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENTS

30 | North America Outlook issue 10

North

production, according to the EIA. As COO for BOE, Leimkuhler is responsible for all offshore engineering and operations. During the last 38 years, he has worked in a variety of offshore engineering capacities:Outlook Vice President of Drilling America issue 10 | for LLOG Exploration; various positions for Shell International E&P Co, and Shell E&P-Americas, including Well Delivery Manager for Gulf of Mexico well operations, Subsea Development Manager, Deepwater

Drilling Superintendent, and teaching Shell’s drilling engineering classes; and positions with M-I Drilling Fluids and ARCO. Leimkuhler was one of several significant operational experts who joined BOE in 2019, a time of 31 significant expansion.

“Deepwater offshore operations require substantial offshore experience,” Leimkuhler says. “The collective experience of the BOE team - coming from a diverse group

FIELD DEVELOPMENTS

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Offering solutions balancing lowest total installed costs, operability, and project cycle time including considerations for SIMOPS & TARs.

Extensive experience with facilities, design, power systems, control systems, automation, layouts, and operability considerations.

Minimal structure design, deepwater jacket, and long list of projects at various water depths, oceanic, and soil conditions.

Strong knowledge and relationships with key industry suppliers and contractors to maximize benefits to our clients.

JAKE LEININGER Business Development

TOBY ZERINGUE Business Development

504.455.0858 jleininger@edg.net

337.371.9004 tbzeringue@edg.net

WWW.EDG.NET 888.334.9298 @EDG

32 | North America Outlook issue 10

BOE Exploration & Production LLC has told its story.

Now, why not tell yours? Our bi-monthly magazine North America Outlook is essential reading for business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting US and Canada businesses across all industries.

Reaching ever increasing audiences across the continent and beyond, your company can take advantage of this global exposure with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

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Complementing the production of North America Outlook, APAC Outlook, EME Outlook and Africa Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilizing these same

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