Avis Board Announces New President and CEO

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The Avis Board is pleased to announce Greg King as Avis Industrial Corporation’s new President and CEO, effective immediately.
Greg has spent the last four and a half years as President & General Manager of Harris Equipment, one of Avis’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, with operations in Cordele and Baxley, Georgia, as well as sales and engineering offices in Wiltshire, UK.  The search for a new leader at Harris is in process, but in the short interim, Greg will continue to manage Harris in his role as President and CEO of Avis.
Prior to joining Harris and Avis, Greg worked at WestRock, formerly Rock-Tenn Company, of Atlanta, Georgia from 1989 through 2015 in various senior executive roles.
“I feel Greg is a very good fit for Avis and the unique group of companies Leland has built over the years.  I promised Leland I would step in on an interim basis if needed, and I feel good about honoring that commitment.  It is now time for Avis to move forward with a full-time, engaged leader and continue developing and growing what Leland was so passionate about,” said Ron McDaniel, Chairman.
Greg King said, “I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead Avis Industrial and its diverse portfolio of companies.  I look forward to working with the team in Upland, Indiana, and at each of our subsidiaries.  To say I am excited would be an understatement; we will work together to make a great company even better.”

King Named President Of The Harris Waste Management Group, Inc.

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Greg King has been named President of The Harris Waste Management Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Avis Industrial Corporation.  King will be responsible for all aspects of the operation and management of Harris, as well as its global product and service offerings.

King joins Harris following a 27-year career with WestRock, formerly known as RockTenn, with executive leadership experience in operations, supply chain, and finance. Most recently King served as WestRock’s Senior Vice President of Recycling.  Leland Boren, Chairman and CEO of Avis commented, “We are pleased to have someone with such a solid background in the recycling industry join the Avis team and lead the charge at Harris. King was one of our customers while at WestRock, and he understands the scrap and recyclables industry and the needs of the processors.”

King holds a BS from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Georgia.  He resides in Suwanee, Georgia with his wife Stephanie, daughter Samantha, and son Landon.

The Harris Waste Management Group, Inc., has been a leader in the recycling industry for over 100 years and manufactures both ferrous and nonferrous processing equipment.  Harris’ products include a diverse line of balers, compactors, shears and shredders that are sold worldwide.  Manufacturing facilities for Harris are located in Baxley and Cordele, Georgia, with an additional office in Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

Doug Sebastian Announces Retirement

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Doug Sebastian’s retirement from Harris Waste Management Group, Inc., effective July 17, 2015.

Doug will remain Vice President of Sales and Marketing until his retirement, after which he will serve as Consultant to the company for an indefinite period of time. As a consultant Doug will work on specific projects assigned by Avis.

Sebastian began his employment with Harris on August 1, 1993 as a Regional Sales Manager for Midwest Region. Two years later, in 1995, he accepted the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing and relocated his family from Ohio to Georgia and has remained the Vice President to this day.

Since Avis’ purchase of Harris on December 31, 2013, Doug’s leadership has been invaluable in the area of sales and knowledge of equipment and the industry, as well as strong customer relationships. We wish Doug all the best and are grateful for his continued involvement at Harris.

Doug shares these comments: “I would like to thank all of you for your support, dedication, and cooperation over the years. It has been a pleasure working with each of you and I have enjoyed my 22 years here. Avis has been kind to recognize my efforts; for that, I am most grateful and look forward to continue working with Harris/Avis as a consultant.” My retirement message is simple. “Work hard when you need to, work hard as a team, and give your best to the company without calculating your returns; they will come in due time.”

Thank you for your support of and business with Harris Waste Management Group, Inc. We look forward to continued, and increased, success together in the future.

Avis Industrial Corporation acquires IPS Balers from CP Manufacturing

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Avis Industrial Corporation, a privately-held company with ten subsidiaries throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, announces the acquisition of IPS Balers, Inc. in Baxley, Georgia.

IPS Balers, Inc. is a manufacturer of ferrous, non-ferrous, plastics, and mixed fiber balers. IPS has been providing balers and conveyors to the recycling industry for nearly two decades. Since 2008, IPS was a part of the CP Group of Companies, an international manufacturer of material recovery facilities and equipment including disc screens, trommels, optical sorters and other material separation and recovery equipment.

With this acquisition, IPS becomes the third baler company in the Avis Industrial holdings and joins The American Baler Co. and The Harris Waste Management Group, Inc.  Avis subject companies manufacture and sell shears, shredders, and compactors among other products in the recycling industry.

Leland Boren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avis Industrial states, “We are pleased to add IPS to our baler manufacturing companies. The features that are exclusive to IPS machines, including the pre-compression lids, hinge sides, and bale-tie two rams, are innovative and allow us to meet the requirements of even more customers in the recycling industry.”

In conjunction with this sale, Avis Industrial is pleased to announce the naming of CP as a strategic international distributor, authorizing CP to sell all of the Avis lines of balers.

“Six years ago, CP acquired IPS to offer customers a complete package to our sort systems. Now, as a distributor for Avis, we will be able to offer our customers even more baler solutions. CP looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial business relationship with Avis,” says CP President, Terry Schneider.

Avis says in turn, they will have direct access to CP sorting systems, including industry-leading disc screens and optical sorters, among other MRF equipment components. Boren concludes, “We are excited about future opportunities with CP, leveraging their MRF equipment and design solutions within our network.”

Schneider and Boren jointly stated they believe the global recycling industry is in its infancy.  The requirements and interest in sustainability and finding solutions to reduce waste and landfills have increased enormously.