Vicenç Fisas Comella led the family-owned copper producer for 35 years.

Vicenç Fisas Comella is leaving the position of chairman of La Farga after 35 years at the helm, and having re-founded the company in 1980. The company is headquartered in Les Masies de Voltregà, Spain. On 30 Oct. 2015 Fisas chaired the board of directors for the last time and bade an emotional farewell to its members. This was followed by a ceremony at the company’s Copper Museum with all the partners and representatives of the executive employees to commemorate the 35 years that Fisas has devoted to La Farga. Fisas is credited with having created a rigorous protocol at La Farga that governs the rules of the company and that serves as a point of reference in the country. The new chairman will be current CEO and partner of the company, Oriol Guixà. Guixà will combine the two posts by serving as executive chairman, La Farga says. The other members of the company’s management team remain intact, with Miquel Garcia as managing director of La Farga Lacambra and La Farga Rod, Jordi Magnet in charge of La Farga Tub, Carles Camprubi in charge of La Farga Intec and Inka Guixà in charge of strategic management and planning. Fisas’ position on the board of directors has been taken by Fisas’ youngest daughter, Cristina Fisas, leaving Guixà as chairman and Fisas with an honorary chairmanship. The shareholder structure of the company remains intact. Fisas’ beginnings with La Farga date back to 1980, when the law firm of which Vicenç Fisas formed a part was tasked with solving the serious financial and industrial crisis in which the company, then known as Francisco Lacambra Lacambra of Les Masies de Voltregà, found itself. Although the company was near bankruptcy, Vicenç Fisas, with the assistance of his colleagues in the law firm and the collaboration of his son-in-law Oriol Guixà, fought for its restructuring and viability, in turn setting up La Farga Lacambra SA, the company reports. Since 1980, La Farga’s revenues have multiplied exponentially, the company says, increasing its productive capacity and its international presence and developing technology patents that have been sold all over the world. Fisas leaves a company that is situated in the major business areas of the sector. In 2014 the three Spain-based La Farga entities realized revenue of €905 million ($968 million). In addition, the international investment for U.S.-based SDI La Farga has reached its maximum viability, having secured, by 2016, the orders needed to ensure that the plant will operate at 100 percent of its capacity. In terms of new investments, La Farga reports it is investing in a new copper pipe production project designed to yield efficiency improvements and ability to market its copper pipes in new regions. The company says the 2015 investments are being carried out at both the La Farga Lacambra and La Farga Tub facilities in Spain. Fisas also has played a key role in the creation of La Fundació La Farga, a foundation that devotes more than €100,000 (nearly $107,000) annually for higher education scholarships to employees, the children of employees, residents of Les Masies de Voltregà and the business family. At the closing ceremony, Fisas said, “I am proud of having spent these 35 years at the head of a company that is now the world leader. All of this success that we now have has been made possible thanks to effort and dedication to teamwork, to good ideas, to the enthusiasm for the work displayed by each and every one of the people who have participated. I leave confident in the knowledge that I am leaving Oriol and the entire team of professionals who lead La Farga at the head of the company.”

Agency preliminarily finds countervailable subsidization of some flat-rolled products from China, India, Italy and Korea.

On Nov. 3, 2015, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determinations in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from China, India, Italy, Korea and its preliminary negative determination in the CVD investigation of imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from Taiwan.

In the China investigation, the agency preliminarily determined that mandatory respondent Yieh Phui (China) Technomaterial Co. Ltd. received a subsidy rate of 26.26 percent. Mandatory respondents Angang Group Hong Kong Co. Ltd., Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Duferco S.A. (and its cross-owned companies Hebei Iron & Steel Group and Tangshan Iron and Steel Group Co. Ltd.), Changshu Everbright Material Technology and Handan Iron & Steel Group either notified Commerce that they would not participate in this investigation or did not participate in the investigation. As a result, these companies received a subsidy rate of 235.66 percent based on adverse facts available following Commerce’s preliminary determination that the companies had not cooperated in the investigation. All other producers/exporters in China have been assigned a preliminary subsidy rate of 26.26 percent, Commerce states.

In the India investigation, Commerce preliminarily determined that mandatory respondents JSW Steel Ltd. received a subsidy rate of 2.85. Respondent Uttam Galva Steels Ltd. preliminarily received a subsidy rate of 7.71 percent. The agency says all other producers/exporters in India have been assigned a preliminary subsidy rate of 5.28 percent.

In the Italy investigation, Commerce says it preliminarily determined that mandatory respondents Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A. and Marcegaglia S.p.A. received subsidy rates of 0.38 percent and 0.04 percent, respectively, which are de minimis. Respondent Ilva S.p.A., which did not participate in this investigation, according to the agency, received a subsidy rate of 38.41 percent based on adverse facts available following Commerce’s preliminary determination that the company had not cooperated in the investigation. All other producers/exporters in Italy have been assigned a preliminary subsidy rate of 13.06 percent, the agency says. 

In the Korea investigation, Commerce preliminarily determined that mandatory respondents Dongbu Steel Co. Ltd./Dongbu Incheon Steel Co. Ltd. received a subsidy rate of 1.37 percent and Union Steel Manufacturing Co. Ltd./Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. Ltd. received a subsidy rate 0.69 percent, which is de minimis. All other producers/exporters in Korea have been assigned a preliminary subsidy rate of 1.37 percent, the agency reports.

In the Taiwan investigation, Commerce says it preliminarily determined that mandatory respondents Prosperity Tieh Enterprise Co. Ltd., Hong-Ye Steel Co. Ltd., Prosperity Did Enterprise Co. Ltd. and Chan Lin Enterprise Co. Ltd. (collectively Prosperity Cos.) and Yieh Phui Enterprise Co. Ltd., Yieh Corp. Ltd., Shin Yang Steel Co. Ltd. and Synn Industrial Co. Ltd. (collectively Yieh Phui Cos.) received subsidy rates of 0 percent. Because the preliminary determination is negative, no “all others” rate has been applied to any other producers/exporters in Taiwan.

As a result of the preliminary affirmative determinations, Commerce says it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits based on these preliminary subsidy rates.

Commerce states that it found that critical circumstances exist with respect to certain exporters from China, Italy, Korea and Taiwan. Where critical circumstances were found with respect to China, Italy and Korea, CBP will be instructed to impose provisional measures retroactively on entries of corrosion-resistant steel from those exporters, up to 90 days prior to publication of the respective preliminary determination Federal Register notice.

No critical circumstances were found with respect to exports of corrosion-resistant steel from India.

Because of Commerce’s preliminary negative determination with respect to Taiwan, retroactive provisional measures will not be applied.

The products covered by these investigations are certain flat-rolled steel products, either clad, plated or coated with corrosion-resistant metals such as zinc, aluminum, or zinc-, aluminum-, nickel- or iron-based alloys, whether or not corrugated or painted, varnished, laminated or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating.

The products covered include coils that have a width of 12.7 millimeters or greater, regardless of form of coil, and those not in coils with a thickness of less than 4.75 millimeters and a width that is 12.7 millimeters or greater and that measure at least 10 times the thickness. The products covered also include straight products of a thickness of 4.75 millimeters or more and a width exceeding 150 millimeters and measuring at least twice the thickness.

The petitioners for these investigations are United States Steel Corp., Nucor Corp., ArcelorMittal USA, AK Steel Corp., Steel Dynamics Inc. and California Steel Industries Inc.

Steel Dynamics Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana, has commented that it is pleased with the agency’s preliminary findings.  

The company produces corrosion-resistant steel, including hot-dipped galvanized, Galvalume® and painted steel at two facilities in Indiana, one facility in Mississippi and three facilities in Pennsylvania.

Steel Dynamics is the largest nonautomotive producer of galvanized flat-roll steel in the United States. The product is used in many construction applications, automotive parts and numerous consumer products. 

Commerce will finalize its subsidy findings by the end of January 2016, unless the petitioners request an alignment of the subsidy final determinations with final antidumping duty determinations. That decision has not yet been made. Commerce will issue preliminary antidumping determinations against these same five countries Dec. 22, 2015. Friday, Oct. 30, Commerce made preliminary critical circumstances findings based upon import surges from China, Korea and Taiwan. 

Total 2014 corrosion-resistant flat-roll steel imports from these five countries equaled $2.2 billion, representing more than 50 percent of total 2014 corrosion-resistant steel imports, SDI says. For these duties to eventually go into effect, the International Trade Commission will need to make affirmative determinations of injury or threat of injury in 2016.  

Nonferrous scrap processing company will recover and separate micro fines from shredder residue.

Mark Ridall, CEO of Dakota Metals, says the newly launched nonferrous scrap processing company is building its offices and facility in Beresford, South Dakota. The company is currently based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Ridall says Dakota Metals “will be one of a handful of companies in the world performing advanced recovery and separation of ‘micro fines,” referring to particles that measure 15 or less millimeters in size. “In short, we will have the ability to recover coffee-ground-size pieces of metal from material currently being sent to a landfill.”

The company will be using equipment from a particular supplier, though Ridall says he cannot release details as of yet. 

In addition to Ridall, who worked most recently with Wendt Corp. in Buffalo, New York, Peter S. Mason has joined the company as director of metal trading. A recycling industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience, Mason will be responsible for the day-to-day buying and selling of materials for the company.

Nearly 56 percent of U.S. households have access to carton recycling.

With America Recycles Day approaching Nov. 15, the Carton Council of North America reminds Americans that more than 65 million U.S. households can recycle food and beverage cartons in their residential recycling programs.

Since the start of 2015, more than 3 million American households have had cartons added to their local recycling programs, the Carton Council says.

“Cartons are quickly becoming a mainstream recyclable material, thanks to tireless efforts by countless stakeholders who are working hard to increase the recycling of cartons nationwide,” says Jason Pelz, vice president of recycling projects, Carton Council of North America, and vice president, environment, Tetra Pak Cluster Americas. “Cartons represent some of the highest quality fiber in the residential recycling stream, and they are recycled into printing and writing paper, tissues, paper towels and even green building materials.”

The Carton Council is a group of carton manufacturers that joined forces to grow carton recycling in the U.S. In 2009 when the Carton Council first formed, residential recycling access for cartons was at 18 percent. Now, nearly 56 percent of American households have access to carton recycling, the organization says.  

Because cartons are a newer recyclable compared to aluminum cans and plastic bottles, infrastructure must be established before robust recycling can gain momentum. As access continues to grow, so do end market solutions for recovered cartons, the Carton Council says.

Pelz adds, “As additional household access is made available to more Americans, we look forward to working with companies and brands as well as communities to help ensure more consumers are actively recycling their cartons. It is with the support of so many packaging, recycling and municipal stakeholders who recognize the value of carton recycling that we can celebrate such growth this America Recycles Day.” 

Four leading carton manufacturers—Elopak, SIG Combibloc, Evergreen Packaging and Tetra Pak, as well as associate member, Weyerhaeuser—comprise the Carton Council. 

HBC-140 now offers reduced wire breakage and lower energy consumption, supplier says.

Netherlands-based Bollegraaf Recycling Solutions and U.K.-based recycling company Re-Gen have finalized the installation of a new Bollegraaf HBC-140 baler, one of the “next-generation” Bollegraaf HBC balers. Re-Gen operates a strategically located materials recovery facility (MRF) that serves public and private sector organizations throughout the U.K. and Ireland. The MRF, capable of processing in excess of 120,000 metric tons of commingled dry recyclable waste per year, employs 40 staff members and features an automated sorting line, the company says. Equipment supplier Bollegraaf says the HBC-140 offers a significantly reduced rate of wire breakage and lower energy consumption, thereby producing heavier bales. This contributes to the production of compact, heavy bales for maximized freight and handling efficiency. “A baler is at the heart of any recycling facility, and Re-Gen wanted to ensure the design of this new installation achieved the most efficient processing plant possible,” says Colin Doherty, director of Re-Gen. “One of the main selection criteria, as part of its competitive purchasing process, was the bale weight for plastics. Bollegraaf was the only company that offered the self-learning, electronic control channel pressure. It is self-regulating and adapts to the material being baled in the channel. This system can increase your bale weight by 10 to 20 percent compared to traditional channel pressure systems.” “We’re very happy with the results of the final installation,” Doherty continues. “Our goals have been more than achieved, the capacity is enormous. We now work two to three hours less per day, big savings!” Bram Bos, sales director at Bollegraaf Recycling Solutions, observes, “With more than 50 years of experience, Bollegraaf is one of the most knowledgeable suppliers in the market. We know there is no single specification for the composition of waste, which is why we believe versatility is key. It inspires us to engineer, build and deliver tailor-made solutions that are easy to use, have a low cost of ownership, perform to your specifications, and offer an excellent return on investment. For example, Bos points out, a high bale weight cannot be reached with only five wires. In order to prevent the wires snapping at maximum compression force, bales normally will require cross-wires or double wires. Thus the cost of using double binding wire will be double. Furthermore, switching from single to double or cross wires takes time, he adds. “At Re-Gen, we used only the upper thread as double wire. In practice this is sufficient to keep the heavily compressed bales together. The big advantage is the wire consumption is reduced by two-thirds compared to cross wires or double wire,” Bos says. Bollegraaf says the company has a long tradition of producing “best-in-class” balers and have recently introduced several innovations and upgrades to the company’s existing line of HBC balers: