AKRON-Waste Recovery Inc. (WRI) of Dallas is the largest processor of tire-derived fuel in North America, while Baker Rubber Inc. of South Bend, Ind., is the largest producer of crumb rubber, according to TIRE BUSINESS' ranking of scrap tire processors. The ranking (see chart) was based on tons of crumb rubber and TDF produced in 1994. Many of the top 10 processors plan to bolster capacity in 1995, including:
Archer Daniels Midland Co. produces TDF as a supplemental fuel for its grain processing plants.
This year the company is seeking permits to open a second tire processing operation, as an extension of an existing plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that would process 3 million tires annually.
Atlos Rubber Inc., a recycler of tread peelings, tire buffings, and industrial scrap rubber, also began collecting scrap tires last year for its crumbing operation.
Atlos, which supplies manufacturers of rubberized asphalt, athletic surfaces, friction products and bonded rubber products, plans to gradually expand its annual capacity by at least another 10,000 tons this year.
BAS Recycling Inc. plans to relocate and expand its Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., operations this year, potentially doubling its annual production to 20,000 tons, according to the company.
The company uses a combination cryogenic and ambient grinding system to produce crumb rubber for rubberized asphalt and floor mat manufacturers.
Baker Rubber operates three plants that provide crumb rubber to the makers of rubberized asphalt, pneumatic tires and other rubber products.
Last year the firm purchased Goodyear's Micron Materials plant and transferred the equipment to its Pennsylvania facility. The added equipment is expected to boost Baker's total annual capacity to about 63,000 tons.
BFI Tire Recyclers of Minnesota Inc. and BFI Tire Recyclers of Georgia Inc., both divisions of Browning-Ferris Indus-tries Inc., will have a third TDF plant beginning operations this year near Chicago.
The plants, formerly part of Maust Tire Recyclers Inc., collect tires from multistate regions in their respective areas.
Cen-Cal Tire Recycling is switching from an ambient grinding system to a cryogenic system this year in order to boost production tenfold.
Cen-Cal had to landfill some tires last year. But the new equipment, with its potential to process 120 tons daily, will allow the firm to process all the tires it collects, a company spokesman said.
Integrated Tire operates an extensive hauling operation that collects about 1.8 million scrap tires for its TDF processing operation.
Currently the company is gearing up a second plant, in Bayonne, N.J., that will allow the firm to begin ambient crumbing of tires.
National Tire Services Inc., which operates six TDF processing plants and one crumb rubber facility, plans to open two more facilities, in St. Louis and in the Indianapolis area, that would boost the company's total annual TDF production to about 85,000 tons.
NTS nets 85 percent of its scrap tires through its large hauling operation that collects from dealers in 12 states.
Tires Into Recycled Energy Sources (T.I.R.E.S.) of Eliot, Maine, runs its own hauling operation to supply tires for its TDF and crumbing operation. The TDF is sold as supplemental fuel to pulp and paper mills in the New England region.
Waste Recovery, which operated three TDF production plants last year, expects to increase its total capacity to 400,000 tons annually with two newly constructed plants in Illinois and a recycling operation it plans to buy in Pennsylvania.