Zeeland company hits pay dirt with organic waste recycling, add four employees

For more than 15 years, Spurt Industries has been a successful compost processing and wood waste recycling company. The Zeeland-based firm accepts organic materials such as discarded pieces of wood and fallen leaves to generate top quality soils and mulches that are sold to landscapers, garden centers and retail shops.

But 1 ½ years ago, owner Tom Turner began thinking of new ways to hit pay dirt with organic materials.  He realized that companies were paying big bucks -- perhaps $80 to $90 a ton -- to haul and dispose of their solid waste in landfills, Turner said. Yet between 75 percent to 85 percent of that waste was valuable organic material.

Turner reasoned that he could haul the organic material away at nearly half the cost if the customers would separate organic waste -- such as food scraps, coffee grounds, paper, grass clippings, and cardboard -- from solid waste.  Spurt could process the organic waste by mixing it with yard waste at his Zeeland company, and then resell the end product as nutrient-rich soil.

That "green" idea sprouted into a new Spurt program called SORT -- Specialized Organics Recycling Team -- that has blossomed into a thriving business today. Nearly 50 companies, including Amway, Metro Health Hospital, Steelcase and San Chez Bistro, have recognized the value of separating the organic waste from junk solid waste, he says.

"We're very excited about it," says Turner.  "I picked up eight customers in the last 1 ½ months. These companies have a goal to recycle.  We provide the training and try to make it as easy as possible. Our goal is to have four times the volume within another year or so."

SORT allowed Turner to expand his workforce this year from seven to 11 employees this year alone. He hopes to add one or two more workers next year. Turner also opened three more locations, one each in Ada, Bryon Center and Wixom.
Not bad for pay dirt.

Source:  Tom Turner of Spurt Industries

Sharon Hanks is the innovation and jobs news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].