Universal Environmental Services Acquires Assets of Origin Baltimore Recycling and Origin Texas Recycling

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Peachtree City, Georgia, USA, October 3, 2022 – Universal Environmental Services, LLC (“UES”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the assets of Origin Baltimore Recycling LLC and Origin Texas Recycling LLC (collectively, “Origin Recycling”). Origin Recycling is an environmental services company focused on the collection, processing, and marketing of used oil and used oil-related services.

Origin Recycling provides services to Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. We are pleased to have also added seaside terminals to our services, allowing for the shipping and receiving of cargos on barges and deep-water draft vessels.

Origin Recycling and the fifty team members joining UES will bring valuable assets and locations to our operating footprint. The experienced staff, assets, and service offerings will provide instantaneous efficiencies to our customers and our business organization. The UES family is excited to welcome the Origin Recycling employees to our organization.

UES announces its two newest Used Oil Collection facilities

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We are happy to announce that we will open two new locations: Kansas City and Indianapolis. We have tripled the number of collecting facilities in the last 5 years (from 8 to 25). Our constant focus on customer service has helped us to reach more customers and we are grateful for all the business that have trusted their used oil collection needs to us. We take good care of the customers and guarantee that the used oil will be recycled responsibly. We will be servicing the Kansas City market by the end of February ’18 and the Indianapolis market by the end of April ’18 (or sooner). We are also working on two more collection facilities that we will announce soon.

We started operations in Wilson and Fort Myers

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With an ever-expanding customer base and with our sights set on nimble and efficient service, UES is enriching our territorial base by opening facilities in Wilson, N.C., and Fort Myers, Fl. While a growing corporate customer base put a spotlight on the need to provide more points of service in these areas, all customers in these regions will benefit. With the Wilson facility coming online a few months ago and Fort Myers starting service at the beginning of October, UES is staying true to our goals to streamline services and address customer needs as quickly and efficiently as possible. The facilities join a network of 26 UES locations in 14 states across the Southeast.

Avista Becomes First Re-Refiner in the World to Produce Group III Oil Commercially

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BY LISA TOCCI • DECEMBER 7, 2016

Used oil rerefiner Avista Oil is making API Group III base oil at its plant in Peachtree City, Georgia, steadily ratcheting it up to about a quarter of its total base oil capacity now and laying plans to double that in 2017.

This makes it the first rerefiner in the world to produce Group III commercially, as well as the sole U.S. producer of Group III on an ongoing basis, according to Lubes’n’Greases magazine’s “Guide to Global Base Oil Refining.”

Juan Fritschy, CEO of Avista Oil Refining and Trading USA, on Friday told Lube Report that the plant near Atlanta is punctuating production of its Group II and II+ stocks with regular batches of Group III.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ICIS Pan American Base Oils and Lubricants Conference in Jersey City, New Jersey, Fritschy said that Group III volumes now account for roughly one-quarter of the facility’s production. Peachtree City produces around 80,000 metric tons per year of base oil, he added.

According to Fritschy, a handful of U.S. buyers have snapped up all of its Group III barrels. So although Avista recently began posting U.S. base oil prices for its Group II and II+, the company isn’t ready to post this new material “because we essentially are sold out of the entire supply.” That ready acceptance, though, has encouraged Avista to further boost the Group III share of its output.

To achieve Group III quality without changing the plant’s overall capacity, which is 1,700 barrels per day, Avista Oil staff spent two years adjusting all the steps of its used oil collection and rerefining process. “Our first milestone was to have the capacity to produce Group II+ without yield loss and without extra operational cost,” Fritschy said. “This milestone was achieved in the second quarter of this year, and we can now produce up to 100 percent of our production [as Group II+] if we think this is the best economical decision. “Our second milestone,” he continued, “was to obtain 10 percent of our production (about 8,000 tons) as Group III quality.” That happened in the third quarter of this year.

“We are now working on gradually increasing Group III production,” he said. “Depending on market conditions and on what our customers require, our next milestone is to convert 50 percent of our production to Group III quality. We expect this achieve this milestone in 2017. Our ultimate goal is to have a cost effective and flexible process that adapts to the demand for different qualities of base oil.”

Asked if Avista is indeed the sole U.S. Group III producer, Fritschy demurred and said others may be quietly moving in that direction. “We heard that at least one refiner may be considering putting its already able equipment into Group III production, but we are not sure for certain.”

Technically speaking, up until now the United States had no capacity dedicated to making Group III, Stephen B. Ames of SBA Consulting (http://directory.lubesngreases.com/search/?mode=simple&query=sba+consulting&submit=Search%20) indicated in a presentation to last week’s ICIS Pan American Base Oils conference. Petro-Canada, with 4,000 daily Group III barrels in Mississauga, Canada, was North America’s only native producer.

Meanwhile, U.S. rerefined base oil capacity surged over the past decade, and by Ames’s count there are 10 paraffinic base oil rerefineries now operating in North America, with a combined 890,000 tons per year of overwhelmingly Group II capacity. Together they hold almost 8 percent of the continent’s paraffinic base oil capacity and 10 percent of the Group II, he pointed out.
Avista may be first out of the gate, but is not the only rerefiner with Group III ambitions. Wayne, Pennsylvania-headquartered Puraglobe, which operates a 2,000 barrel a day rerefinery with twin units in Troeglitz, Germany, is installing a UOP-Honeywell process to upgrade half of its output there to Group III. Deliveries are planned for spring 2017.

Puraglobe also is steering a scheme to make Group III in Tampa, Florida, in partnership with rerefiner NexLube Tampa. Originally slated to make 1,300 b/d of Group II base oils, that plant’s final construction phase was stymied by financial woes until Puraglobe stepped in as an investor.

In September, Puraglobe said it would use UOP HyLube technology to make somewhere between 1,040 and 1,170 b/d of Group III at the Tampa rerefinery, which now is targeted for completion by the end of 2018.

On Dec. 5, Chemical Engineering Partners and Gulf Solvents announced signing of a contract to build a 155,000 metric tons per year rerefinery in Hail City, Saudi Arabia, to produce Group II/II+ and III base oils (see related story in this week’s Lube Report). In addition to base oils, Avista’s Peachtree City plant produces fuel and flux for bitumen and asphalt. Avista opened it in 2013, after first assembling a large used oil collection network to feed it. Avista Oil in 2011 had acquired a 50 percent stake in Universal Environmental Services, the facility’s originator, and subsequently increased it to 100 percent.

Parent company Avista Oil AG, based in Uetze, Germany, operates two Group I rerefineries in Europe: in Kalundborg, Denmark, with 800 b/d of base oil capacity, and Dollbergen, Germany, with 2,300 b/d.

Universal Environmental Services, LLC Acquires Metro Environmental, Inc.

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Universal Environmental Services, LLC (“UES”) has acquired Metro Environmental Services, Inc. based in Sylacauga Alabama. Metro Environmental is an environmental services company primarily focused on the collection, processing and marketing of used oil and used oil related services. Metro Environmental Services has been providing services to the Alabama and Georgia areas for over 23 years.

The Sylacauga AL location and employees will form UES’s 21st terminal operation that will provide additional volume for our used oil re-refinery in Peachtree City Georgia. The staff, assets and service offerings will provide instantaneous efficiencies to our customers and our business organization. The UES family is excited to welcome the Metro team to our organization.

About Universal Environmental Services, LLC – UES is headquartered in Peachtree City Georgia. UES owns and operates a base oil re-refinery also located in Peachtree City GA with an annual capacity of 36 million gallons. Operating from 20 service terminals UES provides its customers with used oil and related services in the Southeast United States including 13 states from the Gulf Coast to Ohio and from the East Coast to Louisiana. UES is wholly owned by AVISTA OIL AG headquartered in Uetze Germany.

Contact
Dr. JuaN Fritschy, CEO
411 Dividend Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
E-mail: jfritschy@universalenviro.com
Direct: (770) 357-0183

Universal Environmental Services Launches Customer Portal

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Universal Environmental Services (UES) launched an industry leading customer portal, the “UES Customer Portal”, specifically designed to give clients account access at their fingertips.

The UES Customer Portal is the ultimate tool kit for account management. Customers can track a detailed history of services performed including the transporter EPA ID #, quantity accepted, date, time and UES service representative.  Customers can also request services, print manifests, and access contact information. The UES Customer Portal also allows the customer to download Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), Certificates of Insurance, and transaction details in excel format. The UES Customer Portal is particularly useful for multi-location accounts where the customer has the ability to consolidate the transaction details for UES services performed across all locations from their computer.

Access to the UES Customer Portal is simple. Customers can log on to www.uesclient.com and create and activate their account with a collection receipt, in less than one minute.

The UES Customer Portal is the latest in a series of unique offerings UES has provided to its customers.  Prior to the release of the UES Customer Portal, the UES Digital Collection Tracking system was launched, which links to the UES Customer Portal  to offer real-time updates to account information.

About Universal Environmental Services

Headquartered in Peachtree City, GA, Universal Environmental Services is a leading regional south east used oil collector and re-refiner. UES collects 40 million gallons a year of used oil and operates a re-refinery with 32 million gallons input capacity.

SKion GmbH becomes new shareholder of AVISTA OIL AG

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Uetze— With a share of almost 30 per cent, SKion GmbH, Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, will become the second biggest shareholder of AVISTA OIL AG, the leading pioneer in the industry of used oil upcycling. The shareholding will mainly be realized through a capital increase and through the acquisition of shares from the original shareholders. The new funds will be used for future strategic acquisitions and also for the creation and expansion of additional re-refining capacities in Europe and the US. The intended transaction is still pending approval by the cartel authority.

Bernd Merle, the CEO of AVISTA OIL, explains by saying: „The capital increase will enable us to drive forward our global expansion dynamically. SKion’s shareholding is a milestone for our enterprise: We gain a strong and industry experienced partner on our way towards a globally leading position in the production and sale of eco base oils, eco lubricants and by-products as well as recycled fuels.”

With more than 60 years of market experience, AVISTA OIL is a pioneer and technology leader in the upcycling of used oils. The market for re-refined base oils offers a strong global growth potential: The demand for cyclic sustainability concepts with resource conserving and CO2 reduced oil products will continue to grow in the core markets, Europe and the US. With its new and innovative eco-friendly AVIeco oil recycling concept, AVISTA OIL offers all-in-one solutions for the resource conserving supply and disposal of lubricants, particularly for the industry.

 

AVISTA OIL AG

AVISTA OIL, which was founded in 1951, is one of the leading enterprises in used oil upcycling in Europe. In this field, the group of companies performs the whole range of functions from the collection of used oils, to re-refining and production and to the international marketing and sale of high-quality base oils and their upgrading to lubricants. Nowadays, AVISTA OIL serves along the entire value chain more than 70,000 customers all over the world. In addition, the enterprise offers industrial lubricants and motor oils for the car industry.

Over the past few years, the industry pioneer has continuously grown profitably and is aiming at a turnover of more than €200 million in the business year 2012. Currently, AVISTA OIL has a workforce of approx. 550 employees at four production sites and further logistics sites in Europe and the US.
SKion GmbH

SKion GmbH is a strategic investment company of the German entrepreneur Ms. Susanne Klatten. Via the owner-operated company SKion, Ms. Susanne Klatten holds 100% of the shares of ALTANA AG (special chemistry). With almost 28 per cent, SKion is also an anchor shareholder of SGL Carbon SE (carbon products and materials) and combines holdings in Nordex SE (wind plants), as well as in Gemalto N.V. (digital security) and in Paques N.V. (biological waste water and gas purification techniques). Being a fourth generation entrepreneur, Ms. Susanne Klatten pursues a long-term investment strategy.

Press contact:

Kirsten Thiel
AVISTA OIL AG
Bahnhofstrasse 82
31311 Uetze
Kirsten Thiel
Phone +49 (0) 5177 85-232
Fax +49 (0) 5177 85-228
Mail: Kirsten.thiel@avista-oil.com

Avista Eyes Another NA Rerefinery

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By George Gill

Avista Oil Group plans to partner with a used oil collector to build a second rerefinery in North America, in addition to one under construction in Georgia by its Universal Environmental Services subsidiary.

“We are talking to potential partners,” Universal Environmental Services CEO Juan Fritschy told Lube Report. “These are collectors who have enough volume or enough critical mass in used oil for us to grow them.”

Uetze, Germany-based Avista owns 86 percent of UES, which is constructing a base oil rerefinery in Peachtree City, Ga., that is expected to process 30 million gallons of waste oil per year. The rerefinery is projected to have nearly 1,300 barrels per day of total API Group I and II rerefined base oil production capacity, Fritschy said. Mechanical completion is expected to be completed by December 2012, and the plant is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2013.

He emphasized the second rerefinery would not be close to the Peachtree City location. “We are not going to compete with ourselves,” he said. “It needs to be 500 miles away from Peachtree City at least.”

Logistics were a big part of Peachtree City’s appeal, according to Fritschy. Other factors included having a rail spur on the site, and ready access by highway to ports in Savannah, Ga., and Mobile, Ala.

Fritschy explained that when Avista studied the U.S. market in 2009 and 2010, it was looking for many different potential targets. Fritschy noted that the Avista Group does not build a rerefinery if the collection of used oil is not guaranteed and under control.

“The main criteria was that they have to have at least enough collection – maybe not as big as what we need for a rerefinery – but enough collection that will give us enough time, while we’re building a rerefinery, to get to the volume we need for it,” he said.

In 2011, Avista initially acquired a 50 percent stake in UES, enabling it to grow its used oil collection business and plan the base oil rerefinery in Peachtree City. Later that year, UES also acquired the McPherson Oil Cos.’ used oil collection business.

Avista has two rerefineries in Europe. Mineralol-Raffinerie Dollbergen GmbH in Dollbergen, Germany, has 3,300 b/d of Group I capacity, and Dansk Olie Genbrug A/S in Kahlundborg, Denmark, has 800 b/d of Group I capacity.

Avista Oil Expands North Sea Presence

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By Boris Kamchev – 9/5/2012

Avista Oil AG, one of the biggest producers of rerefined base oils in Europe, became majority owner of the Dutch North Refining and Trading rerefinery. The former co-owner, Dutch Van Gansewinkel Groep, sold its 33 percent stake in the Delfzij, Netherlands-based rerefinery on Aug. 20.

“This is a successful investment for us, and we are convinced that it will be such in the future for all parties involved,” Bernd Merle, the CEO of Germany-based Avista Oil said in a press release. “The majority holding in North Refinery is another milestone within our international growth and our market position in Europe.”

The Dutch refinery has facilities for accepting used oils for the production of lube distillates, a feedstock for producing API Group I base oil, and for making flux oils. Waste oil-water composites from shipping are recycled into new raw materials and energy components. The North Refinery has the capacity to produce up to 200,000 tons of waste oil, the rerefiner said.

“Avista Oil expects an increase in the quality and capacity of the rerefinery in the next few years,” Merle said. “The Delfzijl site of the rerefinery offers optimum opportunities for expanding our base oils production.”

Uetze, Germany-based Avista, has two other rerefineries in Europe. Mineralöl-Raffinerie Dollbergen GmbH in Dollbergen, Germany, can produce 3,300 barrels per day of API Group I base oil. Dansk Olie Genbrug A/S in Kahlundborg, Denmark, has a 800 b/d of Group I capacity. In 2011 it expanded to the United States, where it acquired a 50 percent stake in Universal Environmental Services LLC, which operates a used oil collection and an oil rerefinery in Peachtree City, Ga.

“Thanks to the excellent location of the North Refinery by the North Sea, the logistics of the whole group will be optimized, which will enable us to react more flexibly to the requests of our customers and suppliers,” said Marc Verfürth, Avista’s head of logistics.

Founded in 1954, Avista Oil operates an entire lubes recycling chain in Germany, Belgium and Denmark—from collecting services of used oil to rerefining and international marketing and distribution of base oils, lubricants and other by-products. One of it products is industrial oil marketed under AVleco brand.

In 2010, Avista processed nearly 100 million gallons of used oil and other oily wastes.According to Kline & Co. consultancy, in 2009 Avista Oil held seven percent share of the global rerefined base oil supply.

Re-refiner Avista Oil Acquires Majority Holding in Dutch Refining Re-refinery

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AVISTA OIL AG, one of the leading European used oil recycling enterprises, or “upcycling” (defined as using every aspect of waste as value) enterprises, has increased its holding in the Dutch North Refining and Trading N.V., Delfzijl re-refinery from 42% to a majority holding. Following the takeover of the shares of the co-shareholder Dusseldorp Holding Inzameling en Recycling B.V., in May of this year, the group took over another 33% from the Dutch van Gansewinkel Groep. As of August 20, 2012, AVISTA OIL holds a majority holding of about 75% in the Dutch re-refining market leader.

“This is a great investment for us, and we are convinced that it will continue to be a great one in the future for all the parties involved“, Bernd Merle, the CEO of AVISTA OIL AG stated. “Our majority holding in North Refinery is another milestone within our international growth strategy and will strengthen not only our strong organic growth but also our market position in Europe.”

North Refinery has vast facilities for accepting used oils for the production of lube distillates, the precursor of the AVISTA OIL Kernsolvat® base oil, and for their recycling to flux oils. Oil-water composites from shipping are accepted and recycled. The annual capacity of North Refinery for the processing of products containing oil into new raw materials and energy components is approximately 200,000 tons.

“AVISTA OIL expects an increase in quality and capacity with North Refinery in the next few years, due to investments. The Delfzijl site of North Refinery offers optimum opportunities for expanding the production of base oils“, Merle says.

With North Refinery, AVISTA OIL now has another logistically convenient North Sea location, thus connecting the oil upcycling refineries of Dansk Olie Genbrug in Denmark and the Dollbergen mineral oil refinery, Germany, which are already part of the Group, to form an efficient logistic upcycling triangle, which also provides for the further improvement of the connection to the American AVISTA OIL upcycling refinery in Peachtree City, Georgia.

With this acquisition, AVISTA OIL was successful in significantly increasing its influence and control in the North Refinery company.

“With the inclusion of North Refinery in AVISTA OIL we can achieve a considerable benefit for our customers and suppliers by enlarging our portfolio, apart from acquiring growth potentials. Thanks to the excellent location of North Refinery by the North Sea, the logistics of the whole group will be optimized, which will enable us to react more flexibly to the requests of our customers and suppliers”, Marc Verfürth, Head of Logistics, says.

Johannes Bos, the managing director of North Refinery, expects continuous growth through AVISTA OIL’s expansion of its holding: “I expect a growth for the company due to the synergies which have now become realisable. With North Refinery we now not only have an easily accessible site but also a large processing capacity within the industry, which is sustainably improved by the market and production experience of AVISTA OIL. The already pursued path towards compliance will be continued without any restrictions, so that, together with AVISTA OIL, we will be best positioned for the future.”

AVISTA OIL, founded in 1951, has experienced continuous profitable growth, and serves its customers along the entire value chain: from collection and services in relation to used oil to upcycling and to the international marketing and distribution of high-quality lubricants and coupled products. With its environment-friendly AVIeco cycle concept AVISTA OIL offers comprehensive solutions for the resource-sparing supply and disposal of lubricants. Under the umbrella of AVISTA OIL AG, a range of subsidiaries and associate companies are bundled which cover the whole range of functions from collection & logistics, recycling and the production of lubricants, as well as international distribution. AVISTA OIL has a workforce of approximately 550 employees at four refinery sites and further sites in Europe and the US.

The North Refinery, which was founded in 2001, processes an annual of 200,000 tons of oil containing products into new raw materials and energy components. North Refinery is active in the European market with a team of 55 employees.