June/July '20
Mike Dilick founded VLS Recovery Services in 2007 with the idea of building a company culture steeped in customer service. "We had a vision to build a world-class railcar cleaning and waste management company that excels in environmental, health and safety performance and provides excellent service for our customers," Dilick said.
Thirteen years later, VLS has built a reputation as an industry leader in railcar cleaning services, waste-to-energy and engineered fuel production, and more recently, barge cleaning and repair. In January 2020, John Magee took the helm of VLS when he was appointed CEO, and today he continues to develop upon Dilick's original customer service-focused vision. After all, it's the people at VLS who make it work.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
VLS has established a niche in nonhazardous waste processing. With a focus on waste-to-energy (WTE) container management, VLS excels at providing high-level services at each of its seven locations that provide waste services.
Adapting to COVID-19 disposal
An often-overlooked need of the manufacturing sector is waste disposal. Taking out the garbage efficiently and economically is critical to manufacturing. Now more than ever, clients need a service provider that can easily adapt to the latest conditions. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic requires disposal of contaminated debris.
Facing unexpected challenges posed by the pandemic, VLS quickly adapted its processes and procedures to ensure continued safe working environments, including decontaminated workspaces, staffing only essential employees during critical times, and enforcing social distancing at on-site and off-site locations and work environments.
How to become a zero-waste manufacturer
VLS Recovery Services has converted numerous industrial manufacturing sites to zero-waste facilities. To accomplish this feat, VLS engineered a proprietary fuel called Shredded Heatâ¢, positioning the company as a leader in coal-substitute fuel in the cement kiln industry. VLS has exclusive partnerships with cement kilns to provide a consistent, clean and high-quality fuel.
What is a "nonhazardous secondary material"? One topic that doesn't receive much attention but has a large impact on recycling is nonhazardous secondary materials (NHSMs). NHSMs are, by definition, waste byproducts of manufacturing processes (e.g., plant trash, oil debris and scrap). When these byproducts are converted into a legitimate fuel and then used as ingredients in separate, subsequent manufacturing processes (e.g., as a heat source for cement kilns), they are not considered a solid waste. This is an important distinction to make regarding recycling, because this is the method by which industrial manufacturers can achieve zero-waste status.
What is a legitimate fuel? Secondary material byproducts can have heating value. When processed through sorting, blending, shredding and testing, these byproducts become legitimate fuel engineered to be a coal substitute for cement kilns. This is critical to manufacturers, because cement kilns are a clean process with no ash, higher destruction ratios and cleaner air emissions.
Excluding byproducts from solid waste rules allows for state exclusions from solid waste fees. NHSMs are shipped on bills of lading instead of waste manifests. Additionally, because NHSMs are not classified as solid waste, the process of excluding byproducts from solid waste rules is more efficient for manufacturing operations, since more haulers are allowed -- and more are therefore available -- to transport it.
RAILCAR CLEANING AND REPAIR DIVISION
VLS operates four railcar cleaning and light-repair shops with national market coverage. All four of the facilities utilize only tried-and-true processes developed over the past three decades. The result of these history-proven practices for clients is an unsurpassed level of service efficiency and quality.
VLS' performance standards have earned it the reputation of turning around railcars quickly, safely and efficiently, which is why customers rely on VLS for their railcar service needs. VLS separates itself in the market by handling even the most complex and difficult cleaning jobs with the same precision, quality and efficiency as it does for routine cleanings and maintenance. VLS' specialty is highly hazardous and/or difficult-to-remove heels and residues. VLS carefully manages waste heels, and emissions are carefully contained, scrubbed and flared, when necessary.
Partnership with Sponge-Jet®
Sustainability is a key focus in VLS' railcar cleaning and maintenance processes. For this reason, VLS has developed a partnership with Sponge-Jet® for railcar cleaning equipment. VLS chose Sponge- Jet as its partner and equipment provider for railcar cleaning because its company values match those of VLS. Sponge-Jet's patented sponge-blast media is a low-dust, low-ricochet, low-emissions and recyclable abrasive that is safe for both workers' health and the environment. The blast media replaces sand and the dust clouds it usually produces, and up to 90 percent of the media is recycled for reuse.
Another key safety feature VLS employs is the use of automated equipment. By replacing manual with automated equipment, VLS has been able to minimize confined-space entry by 80 percent.
Meeting the highest standards of railcar cleaning
In response to COVID-19, a number of manufacturers rededicated their production to beneficial goods. Beverage companies are one example of this, and VLS was ready and equipped to play a supporting role in its shift to production of sanitizing products. Upstream beverage manufacturers feverishly changed out railcars to ship isopropyl alcohol. To do so, the manufacturers required highly adaptable vendors capable of cleaning previous products from cars to food-grade specs, quickly and safely.
Another product mission-critical to medical safety is ethylene oxide (EO). Medical equipment requires thorough sterilization, and hospitals rely on EO that is untainted by other chemicals for this purpose. Its manufacturers, therefore, require the highest standards for their vendors to clean this highly volatile, pressurized gas.
MARINE SERVICES DIVISION
Expanding its mission to provide sustainable cleaning and repairs, VLS recently entered the marine services business through its acquisition of Tubal Cain Marine Services. With three locations in Texas and Louisiana, VLS' newest service offerings include marine fabrication and repair, as well as a drydock for routine U.S. Coast Guard inspections of major repairs and conversions. The Gas Free cleaning facilities also offer solutions ranging from routine U.S. Coast Guard inspections to major repairs to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ)-permitted barge cleaning.
Gas Free, located in Port Arthur, Texas, is permitted to clean and flare a variety of chemicals to get clients serviced and back on the water quickly and efficiently. All three facilities, spread across Texas and Louisiana, provide vapor control, product steaming and disposal management.
For more information, visit www.vlsrs.com, call (877) 861-8588 or email info@vlsrs.com.
Indorama Ventures (Oxide & Glycols) lauds VLS Recovery Services:
"VLS Recovery Services is an integral part of the maintenance program at Indorama Ventures (Oxide & Glycols), and we value the customer-vendor partnership that we have developed over the years.
"VLS is a very customer-focused and responsive railcar cleaning and maintenance supplier that handles the cleaning of complex, high-hazard, poisonous and flammable chemicals in a safe and responsible manner. They provide the highest quality of workmanship for every railcar that passes through the maintenance cycle, from the inbound inspection process through to estimating and, finally, the QA process essential for outbound inspections.
"They have proven to be a reliable, consistent and efficient vendor that is committed to meeting or exceeding Indorama Ventures (Oxides & Glycols) maintenance standards, providing a quick railcar turnaround so that our business stays on track and we are able to meet the operational needs of our customers."
A word from the CEO of VLS Recovery Services
VLS Recovery Services is committed to sustaining a safe and secure workplace for our employees, while achieving a superior return for our shareholders. We do this by delivering outstanding service to our clients through unique and innovative sustainability offerings for the benefit of our global environment.
Industry's reaction to COVID-19 has been the most challenging time in our collective history. VLS is shifting and adapting to provide services that meet our clients' needs. We are working with industry leaders to adapt to the new demand. That means processing COVID-19 decontamination debris for waste-to-energy, cleaning railcars for reuse as transportation for sanitizer and medical cleaning chemicals, and shifting focus to cleaning barges in order to accommodate the 30-year low in oil demand that has impacted manufacturing.
In my short time here, we have rebranded the company to better reflect how VLS is positioned in the industry. We're excited about our new branding and logo, as they mark the next phase in our journey.
We are still the same company and remain dedicated to providing the best possible solutions to the clients and communities we serve. We are thankful for our employees and proud of the accomplishments and achievements they have been a part of since 2007.
