NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ontario-A new company is hoping to more effectively connect recycled products manufacturers with potential buyers through a catalog it distributed to government and public sector organizations in Ontario in late May. Third Loop Inc. was incorporated Feb. 1. However, for 18 months prior to that the company, founded by Glen Finbow, gathered information on manufacturers that used recycled materials and developed a list of products made with a variety of recyclables, including tire rubber, plastics, textiles, glass and ceramics.
Many manufacturers do not have access to certain markets or they only distribute in their immmediate geographic area, according to Roman Prokaziuk, Third Loop's director of sales and marketing. ``We saw an opportunity to act as a marketing arm for them.''
He said Third Loop is the only distributor of such a wide variety of recycled and environmental products in North America.
The firm's inaugural eight-page catalog provides a listing of available end-products made with recycled materials and items used in environmental projects, such as curbside collection containers for recycling programs.
The company is not dealing in equipment or crumb rubber and does not do any manufacturing itself, Mr. Prokaziuk noted.
The catalog includes about 100 recycled rubber products, such as floor mats for industrial plants, pallets, soil additives, pails etc. The catalog offers general descriptions of a variety of products-minus the manufacturers' identity. The company officially represents about 20 manufacturers but has included product information submitted by numerous other manufacturers for its catalog. Most of the manufacturers are from the U.S.
When a customer inquires about a particular product, such as a speed bump, Third Loop can present products made of recycled rubber or plastic as well as advise the client on the appropriate application, according to Mr. Prokaziuk.
In late May, Third Loop mailed its catalog to a test market in Ontario-to waste management operations, hospitals, school districts, universities and federal, provincial and municipal agencies. The catalog generated numerous calls of interest from these areas, Mr. Prokaziuk said.
The company targeted the public service sector first since this market includes the most aggressive buyers of recycled products.
The next target will be the business sector, Mr. Prokaziuk said. The company is developing a catalog for business customers that is due out possibly by July, he said.
Third Loop currently has six employees at offices in Niagara-on-the-Lake and in Niagara Falls, N.Y., who conduct telemarketing and sales calls.