NEW RECYCLING INDUSTRY ANNOUNCED HERE

A new manufacturing plant that recycles materials such as tires and batteries will be located in Cape Girardeau and operating later this summer, according to an announcement made Friday morning.

Initially, the firm, known as UPR, Inc., will employ about 50 people but could grow to 100 employees within a year. It is a newly formed Missouri-based corporation.

The announcement was made by Thomas M. Meyer, a Cape Girardeau realtor, at a press conference in his office. Also on hand were Bruce Stansil, president and chief operating officer of the company; Mike Johnson, of River Forest, Ill., who owns a company that acts as a broker for raising capital for businesses; Judy Moss, economic development director for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce; and Mayor Gene Rhodes.

Stansil said his decision to locate the plant in Cape Girardeau was due to the area's "excellent climates, geographic location, and access to river, rail and highways ... we are also assured of an adequate labor force."

Stansil stressed the central location of the community will put the plant in touch with 28 states.

Initially, Stansil pointed out the firm would be trying to take materials to recycle from Missouri, but eventually would branch out to other states. The company is paid for taking the materials and has charges based on tonnage and units.

Meyer is helping UPR find a building to move into and noted some final details need to be wrapped up before the site could be announced. Meyer said the location should be announced within a week.

Stansil said he needed a facility 20,000- to 30,000-square feet with seven or eight acres of land.

Over the next 12-16 months, Stansil said UPR would make a $2.5 million investment in equipment at the plant and its first year payroll would be about $400,000. He noted that most of the starting labor wages would be $5 an hour, but stressed there would be incentives to increase that pay.

Initially, he said a lot of the training would involve teaching employees to drive a fork lift truck.

Stansil stressed the key to a successful plant that is accepted by the community is having "happy, satisfied employees who are earning a decent living."

Stansil said he had received good cooperation from Chamber of Commerce officials in Cape Girardeau like Moss, from representatives of state economic development groups, and from Meyer Realty. He said he looked forward to being part of the community. Stansil said he and his wife have moved to Cape Girardeau.

He is a native of the northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin area and has been involved in developing products for construction manufacturing materials.

Both Meyer and Stansil stressed the unique approach to recycling that UPR has and the fact the process has no impact on the environment.

"This is something very unique to the state of Missouri and the Midwest," explained Meyer.

Stansil added, "What UPR is going to do here is very unique."

He explained that the process they use is with liquid nitrogen to freeze materials, enabling it to be separated into its various components. For example, Stansil said that tires can be broken down and separated into rubber, metal, and fabric.

"We hope this can be the advent of a very economical and beneficial method for recycling materials of all kinds," said Stansil, adding that there are vast markets for recycled materials.

Since no water or heat is used in the process, Stansil contended the process has "zero environmental impact." He noted that his process had been developed at the University of Wisconsin in the late 1970s.

Stansil said the recycled materials will be made into products for such things as asphalt roads that "last twice as long" to commercial roofing applications "that are three times more durable than before."

The Cape Girardeau plant will produce the primary rubber material called rubber crumb, which comes from recycled tires.

In the press release issued by Meyer Realty, it was noted that the plant will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will process more than 10 million tires in the first year alone.

Stansil announced that he had hired Don McFall of Sikeston to serve as plant manager. McFall previously was plant manager of the rice mill in New Madrid.

"I am sure he will be a major player in this company and its success," said Stansil.