Pallet businesses, whether pallet recycling operations or new pallet manufacturing companies, can generate significant quantities of scrap wood and other waste wood material. Whether the company is fully integrated, with its own sawmill or scragg mill, remanufacturing lumber into pallet parts, or repairing pallets and conducting other pallet recycling operations, unused new and recycled wood piles up: slabs, trim ends, shims, broken or otherwise flawed used pallet parts, and entire pallets.
The material presents a challenge to pallet companies on two fronts. One is simply solid waste disposal: how do they get rid of the stuff? The second is: how can they add value to it and increase revenues and profits for their business?
Some companies have made investments in machinery to grind scrap wood and to produce colored mulch. Some businesses sell colored mulch wholesale to landscaping companies while others also invest in systems to bag finished colored products for eventual retail sale. Others may choose to partner with companies that are involved in the colored mulch business, perhaps by supplying scrap wood or uncolored mulch.
There are a number of companies now supplying machinery and technology to produce colored mulch. Some suppliers have focused on expertise in coloring wood fiber while others offer systems that both grind wood and color the mulch product. There also are a number of companies that supply colorant products in a wide range of colors.
Converting waste wood to colored mulch may not be appropriate for many pallet businesses. On the other hand, it certainly deserves attention from those companies looking for ways to increase revenues.
Pallet Enterprise has featured several companies in recent issues that have invested in colored mulch technology or are partnering with other businesses that produce colored mulch.
Wisconsin-based Oak Creek Wood Products, for example, reported how it was partnering with another company that makes colored mulch; most of Oak Creek’s scrap wood is removed for free by a company that uses the material to make colored mulch.
Another Wisconsin pallet company, Performance Pallet, spun off a separate business, Performance Wood Products, that converts waste wood into ground wood fiber for colored mulch and other products. "We just said where else can we start to grow the company," Terry Brill told Pallet Enterprise.
In western Massachusetts, Green Meadow Lumber owner Steve Oleksak, whose company makes lumber, timbers, and pallets, processes cut-offs and trim ends in chipping machinery. Bark and chips are sold to his brother, James Oleksak Jr., who processes that material with a tub grinder and sells bark, mulch, colored mulch, and ground wood fiber for playground surfaces.
In North Carolina, Chris and Michael Helms invested in grinding machinery for their company, Tree Brand Packaging, which manufactures custom skids and crates. Tree Brand also is closely considering entering the business of producing colored mulch. "We’ve looked at colorization," said Mike. "That’s just a little ways off."
In this issue we have a feature story on Kaple Lumber. (See story beginning on page 10.) The Ohio company has a hardwood lumber operation and a pallet mill. Several years ago it added a business unit to produce colored mulch.
Of course, pallet companies need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of starting a colored mulch operation, just as they must any strategic business decision. It requires researching or investigating markets for colored mulch as well as precisely assessing the costs and potential revenues — in short, a sound business plan.
On this and the following pages, we present information from suppliers who provide colored mulch technology — machinery or colorants. The companies are listed in alphabetic order with information about how to contact each one.
Amerimulch
Independence, Oh.
(888) 556-3304
www.amerimulch.com
New Amerimulch Systems Target Smaller Producers
Amerimulch has introduced a new line of high-energy mulch coloring machines, the Mighty Mite line, in order to respond to the needs of small and mid-sized mulch producers.
"Small to mid-sized producers were telling us that they liked our machine’s performance and reliability, but that they didn’t need a machine that could produce 250 cubic yards an hour," said George Chase, Amerimulch president.
The Mini-Mite is the smallest in the series, producing between 45 and 75 cubic yards per hour and priced at $29,000. The Middie-Mite produces between 125 and 160 cubic yards per hour and is priced at $45,000. The Color Mill, previously Amerimulch’s only high-energy mulch coloring machine, has been renamed the Mega-Mite; it produces 175 to 275 cubic yards per hour and is priced at $69,000.
"The Mini-Mite in particular provides an opportunity for sawmills and grinding operations that currently do not color scrap wood to explore the market in a way that won’t be too expensive," said George. For about the cost of a pick-up truck or a sport utility vehicle, he noted, "every sized colored mulch producer can afford a superior system that makes a beautifully colored mulch with any kind of wood fiber."
All Amerimulch Mighty Mite machines come complete with a standard bulk feed hopper and a variable speed drive to adjust feed rates for different textures of wood fiber. They also feature sensors that enable or disable the colorant injection system and the flow of water based on the presence or absence of wood fiber.
Diesel and mobile models also are available.
Bayer Corporation
Pittsburgh, Penn.
(800) 662-2927
www.bayscapecolors.com
Bayer BayScape Colorants Available in 11 Shades
Bayer Corporation recently launched BayScape colorants for premium landscape mulch, which transforms ordinary wood waste into a ground cover that retains its hue and fresh appearance year-round. The product line is targeted to specialty mulch producers and wood recycling companies that produce color-enhanced mulch for homes and businesses.
Bayer is strategically positioned to help wood waste recycling companies and mulch producers turn previously unusable wood waste into new, competitive revenue sources.
BayScape colorants are available in 11 standard colors most popular with homeowners and landscapers. Colors range from mahogany, brown, red, yellow and gold, to black, blue, green and orange. Specialty colors also are available and can be color-matched to produce unique shades.
BayScape colorants offer quality performance for mulch producers. They are consistently high in pigment solids for greater tinting strength and cost-effective coverage. BayScape colorants also are specially formulated to withstand adverse weather conditions, which over time can often affect the appearance and performance of ordinary mulch; BayScape colorants resist fading in sunlight and will not wash off with rain or snow. In addition, the colorants remain stable during freeze-thaw cycles.
The materials used to make BayScape colorants are TSCA-listed. BayScape colorants are not considered hazardous wastes under RCRA. As an active participant in the Responsible Care ® initiative, Bayer is committed to environmental protection and safety. Information pertaining to health and safety can be found in the product’s material safety data sheet (MSDS) or by contacting Bayer Corporation.
Becker-Underwood
Ames, Iowa
(515) 232-5907
www.bucolor.com
Becker-Underwood Offers Machines and Colorants
Becker-Underwood’s Mulch Magic ® colorants and Second Harvester™ and Second Harvester Sahara™ mulch coloring systems can be used on almost any kind of recyclable wood, bark mulch, or green wood. The company offers to customize machinery and pricing programs.
In contrast to auger systems used in some batch mixers, the Second Harvester uses a unique, five-stage continuous mixing action to aggressively blend the colorants and mulch. The combined mixing technology and pneumatic colorant delivery system enables the Second Harvester series to use less water, which reduces drying time and shipping weight. The result is a high quality, evenly colored product that appeals to landscapers and homeowners.
Mulch Magic PF colorants are highly concentrated. Original Mulch Magic PF colors in red, black, brown, gold and rose have been complimented by a variety of custom shades to suit regional markets and also primary colors that are attractive for schools, playgrounds, and amusement parks. Becker-Underwood colorants are specially formulated to be non-toxic to plants and animals.
Becker-Underwood ships in-stock orders on a same-day basis. A quality control program ensures colorant products are uniform with each order. The company also is an ISO 9001 registered business.
The company has a technical staff and research facility devoted to improving the performance of its products.
Exterior Designs
Cincinnati, Ohio
(513) 245-1777
Exterior Designs Provides Mobile Coloring Service
Exterior Designs provides a mobile wood fiber coloring service to customers that have ground wood fiber that they want colored. Working from his central, Mid-West location, owner Chris Brown transports his equipment throughout the country to service pallet companies, sawmills, wood recyclers, and bark wholesalers.
Exterior Designs usually bases its fees by the cubic yard of mulch colored. Factors include the volume of mulch processed per visit and the amount of colorant required to achieve the shade preferred by the customer.
One of the many benefits of the service is the opportunity for companies to test colored mulch in their market before making a capital investment in coloring equipment. Many companies also have found the service to be convenient and cost-effective, and they regularly call Exterior Designs back for large production runs.
Exterior Designs services both large and small customers. In addition to having a supply of clean wood fiber, customers need only to furnish a front-end loader with operator and a supply of water.
Exterior Designs utilizes a Second Harvester 200 and Mulch Magic Pf colorants supplied by Becker-Underwood.
Fecon
Cincinnati, Oh.
(800) 528-3113
www.fecon.com
Fecon Colorizer Features Continuous Mix System
The Fecon CMD 2000 Mulch Colorizer features Fecon’s continuous mix system to economically process wood waste while exceeding industry standards. The machine can produce more than 250 cubic yards per hour, an output that enables it to keep up during times of peak demand without unnecessarily tying up dollars in large stockpiles of processed material.
Fecon’s continuous mix system may be fed either by bucket loader or directly from the discharge of grinding equipment; the latter method minimizes material handling and reduces operational costs of labor and equipment.
Fecon’s blending mechanism increases stain coverage and dispersion, utilizing less concentrate. The system incorporates a pre-mix chamber that breaks up clumps and charges the coloring section with a consistent stream of material; this enables greater surface coverage and more consistently colored finished product. In the coloring chamber, colorant is sprayed through a series of wide-angle fan nozzles as material is rapidly agitated, exposing all the surfaces to the colorant for thorough, uniform coverage. Sophisticated metering devices further ensure pigment optimization by accurately proportioning the ingredients; a consistently optimized product means less run-off, faster cure and dry time, and lower pigment usage.
The standard machine is powered by an 80 hp diesel motor (electric power). The powerful drive turns a severe-duty steel shaft that extends through the pre-mix and coloring sections of the system.
Morbark
Winn, Mich.
(800) 233-6065
www.morbark.com
Morbark 4000-P Made for High-Volume Producers
Morbark’s trademark heavy-duty construction and simple operation are now available in a portable mulch coloring unit that is capable of working in systems with high-production grinders and screens.
Morbark, which also manufactures industrial tub grinders, has targeted its Model 4000-P mulch coloring unit for high-volume producers. It consistently colors wood waste in a variety of popular pigments at rates in excess of 250 cubic yards per hour.
A simple addition to an existing grinding or screening operation, the Morbark coloring system will handle the output of the most productive grinders while increasing the marketability and value of processed wood waste by several fold.
The Morbark Model 4000-P is easy to set up and operate. It has simple controls for managing colorant, water, and material flow for an efficient cost per yard of colored mulch. The coloring system also has a number of operator-friendly features, including barrel racks, a swing arm lifting device, and an air-powered colorant mixer that help make the machine easy to use and productive.
Three feed augers and two mixing augers, along with 14 replaceable colorant nozzles ensure complete, consistent coloring of material while maintaining high throughput. An anti-plugging system prevents costly jamming of material while a folding discharge conveyor enhances portability.
National Paint & Coatings
Nashville, Tenn.
(800) 526-5811
National Paint Supplies Standard, Special Colors
National Paint & Coatings Company, founded in 1948, is a manufacturer of specialty paints, coatings, and colorants.
Its Color Mulch line of colorants includes red, brown, dark brown, black, and hardwood black. Specialty colors are also available. The colorants are non-toxic and contain only biodegradable ingredients.
Color Mulch colorant provides the end user with a brilliantly colored product resistant to ultra-violet light and "bleeding."
National Paint & Coatings does not sell coloring systems but is familiar with colorant application tecnology and the machinery available on the market.
National Paint & Coatings also offers distributor agreements for Color Mulch Touch-up. Color Mulch Touch-up is a concentrate colorant used to rejuvenate faded mulch. Four ounces of concentrate is diluted in a gallon of water and can be applied with a simple garden sprayer. This product can be marketed to landscape contractors or sold directly to the consumer.
Rotochopper
Coon Valley, Wis.
(608) 452-3651
www.rotochopper.com
Rotochopper Machine Both Grinds and Colors
The Rotochopper MC 166 XLT Power Application System produces quality mulch at low production costs. It efficiently applies pigment, odorants, or pesticides to ground wood. The machine’s high-speed grinding action creates a high-energy explosion of wood and colorant, minimizing the volume of water required.
The Rotochopper MC 166 XLT is a fully integrated factory on wheels and is road-legal without permits. The tough, aggressive grinder sets up in less than 15 minutes and produces a uniform, marketable colored mulch product in a single pass. A good operator can produce a semi-load (100 yards) of colored mulch (2-inch minus) from waste pallets in one hour.
Higher production rates can be achieved when simple volume production is the goal; an MC 166 XLT grinding pallets produced 200 yards per hour of uncolored, 5-inch material.
When used to produce bark mulch, several operators have reported filling four semi-loads in one hour with time to spare.
All Rotochopper machines are available in diesel or electric configurations. Electric models are true all-electric with solid state electronics. Diesel models transfer power to the grinding motor without a clutch, a failure-prone component on diesel grinders.
Wood’n Colors Inc.
Elkhart, Ind.
(219) 522-7430
www.woodncolors.com
Wood’n Colors Supplies Colorants and Equipment
Wood’n Colors manufactures mulch colorants and coloring equipment.
Most shades produce quality colored mulches when applied at a rate of 2.5 to 3 pounds per yard; rates depend on equipment, water-to-colorant ratio, and the content of the fiber being colored. Colors are formulated to dry fast and for long-lasting color; they resist settling and are water-resistant, so they will not run off after the colorant has cured.
Colorants are available in the following shades: cedar, cypress, heritage red, forest brown, dark brown, jet black, blue, brick red, blue green, grass green, and gold. Colorants are priced at 89 cents per pound or from $2.25 to $2.66 per yard.
The Wood’n Colors 90250-EZ can color mulch at rates ranging from 90 to 250 yards per hour. It uses 13.5 gallons of water per yard on low-moisture ground wood and 9 gallons on high-moisture green chips, bark and sawdust.
The Wood’n Colors 90250-EZ has three major components: the hopper section, the coloring section, and the electric panel. The hopper has a 14 cubic yard working capacity that can be loaded from three sides. A variable speed 30 hp inverter duty motor drives the 6-inch-thick shaft bushed on the 6-inch-diameter feed shaft.
The coloring section, with 45 agitation points, is operated independently of the hopper section with a 20 hp inverted duty variable speed motor.
The spray hood is 60 inches wide by 21 inches tall and is equipped with 12 brass, wide-fan high pressure nozzles.
The electric panel is dual voltage, 440/220 three-phase; a generator also can power the machine. Controls for all three sections are located in the electric panel with separate digital LED read-out controls for the variable speed motors on the hopper, coloring sections, and colorant pump speed.
The unit has a self-supporting frame with removable legs.
