Our Story
Competitive Green Technologies was created to make biomaterials ubiquitous for a greener planet.
One sure way of achieving this is to adopt an innovative approach to cost that in turn moved us to think of bio-composites as opposed to only bio-polymers. Using biomass or other such fillers to reduce total cost without compromising performance is the forcing factor in creating a ubiquitous use of biomaterials. This in turn reduced the global dependence of non-renewable resources like fossil fuels from which traditional polymers are made.
Our company represents a successful collaboration between the end-customers, moulders, farmers and the University of Guelph.
We all get on the same page – have ONE UNDERSTANDING – from the beginning of any development. This ‘EINVERSTANDEN’ or ONE UNDERSTANDING is key to sustained success.
There is rarely a slam-dunk in the very first solution that we offer to the customer in a new project. We can however, iterate very quickly to ensure application needs are met with our bio-composite resins. The University of Guelph plays a key role in this iterative development.
We have used this approach successfully in commercializing bio-composite resins in an efficient and timely manner – from idea to market in well under two years and often in less than a year.
Our unique biomass technology is transferable to different crops and geographies worldwide. Below is just a small sample of the possible biomass that could be used in our processes: wheat straw, soy hull, corn stover, switchgrass, miscanthus, coconut - among several others.
One sure way of achieving this is to adopt an innovative approach to cost that in turn moved us to think of bio-composites as opposed to only bio-polymers. Using biomass or other such fillers to reduce total cost without compromising performance is the forcing factor in creating a ubiquitous use of biomaterials. This in turn reduced the global dependence of non-renewable resources like fossil fuels from which traditional polymers are made.
Our company represents a successful collaboration between the end-customers, moulders, farmers and the University of Guelph.
We all get on the same page – have ONE UNDERSTANDING – from the beginning of any development. This ‘EINVERSTANDEN’ or ONE UNDERSTANDING is key to sustained success.
There is rarely a slam-dunk in the very first solution that we offer to the customer in a new project. We can however, iterate very quickly to ensure application needs are met with our bio-composite resins. The University of Guelph plays a key role in this iterative development.
We have used this approach successfully in commercializing bio-composite resins in an efficient and timely manner – from idea to market in well under two years and often in less than a year.
Our unique biomass technology is transferable to different crops and geographies worldwide. Below is just a small sample of the possible biomass that could be used in our processes: wheat straw, soy hull, corn stover, switchgrass, miscanthus, coconut - among several others.
Our 25,000 tons per annum plant is located in Leamington ON, Canada. In 2018, our annual capacity will be expanded to 50,000 tons per annum.
As we meet the needs of customers worldwide, we will be looking out for joint venture / acquisition opportunities to expand our manufacturing footprint for serving local customers with local compounding capability using local biomass supply chains. This is facilitated by us having characterized and hybridized several different biomass varieties from all over the world.
As we meet the needs of customers worldwide, we will be looking out for joint venture / acquisition opportunities to expand our manufacturing footprint for serving local customers with local compounding capability using local biomass supply chains. This is facilitated by us having characterized and hybridized several different biomass varieties from all over the world.
Management Team
Atul Bali is a passionate believer in a sustainable bio-economy. He helped Competitive Green Technologies in its formative year as a consultant. Atul has market access with leading moulders, end-users, OEMs, mass merchandisers in USA, Canada, Germany and India and uses his industrial bio-technology skills in promoting the interests of Competitive Green Technologies. Since the beginning of 2014, Atul, took over as Chief Executive Officer, and has helped steer its growth, working closely with Mike Tiessen.
Mike Tiessen is a farmer with strong engineering skills and a global vision of a bio-economy that leverages local under-valued biomass and adds value to this through the creation of bio-composite resins that substitute fossil fuel based resin systems. Dedicated crops and undervalued waste streams of bio-mass are used in these price-performance competitive bio-composite resins at a commercially viable level.
Mike is President of Competitive Green Technologies. Together with his cousin Dean Tiessen (pic below) he facilitated the creation of the company's manufacturing plant in Leamington, ON. Sustainable supply chain of the all-important Ag biomass in the format these are needed for compounding is a key area of focus in biocomposite resins. Mike brings that expertise to bear on the success of Competitive Green Technologies.
Mike is President of Competitive Green Technologies. Together with his cousin Dean Tiessen (pic below) he facilitated the creation of the company's manufacturing plant in Leamington, ON. Sustainable supply chain of the all-important Ag biomass in the format these are needed for compounding is a key area of focus in biocomposite resins. Mike brings that expertise to bear on the success of Competitive Green Technologies.
Dean Tiessen is a visionary. A successful miscanthus and greenhouse vegetables grower, he started New Energy Farms in mid 2000s with a strong management team with a view to creating a 'local for local' bio-economy overseas and in Canada by finding ways of reducing the plantation cost of plant propagated crops through his unique innovation of CEEDS technology (artificial seeds), dramatically improving the yield per acre. He also encourages the use of dedicated non-food bio-fuel crops in innovative applications in bio-plastics. That seeded (pun intended!) his interest in the patent pending formulations that facilitate Competitive Green Technologies in realizing his vision. We are deeply grieved to report that we lost Dean in a tragedy in Brazil in 2013. His indomitable spirit continues to inspire us in our path forward.
Advisory Board
Dr Gord Surgeoner, President, Ontario Agri Food Technologies, Guelph, ON, is a recipient of the Order of Ontario and is well-known for his tremendous love for Agriculture and in particular to create a sustainable bio-economy in Ontario. Gord's vision is to create value at farm-gate through the innovative use of Agricultural co-product streams and purpose-grown crops in bio-materials. Gord's drive, passion and guidance are key in the growth of Competitive Green Technologies as a pioneer in North America in bio-plastics.
Dr Blair Feltmate, Chair of the Canadian Climate Change Adaption Council, Intact Chair at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo, and an Associate Professor, Dept of Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, joined the Advisory Board of Competitive Green Technologies in the spring of 2013. His multinational experience and serving on the Board of several large for-profit enterprises and Not-for-Profit NGOs is of great value in providing guidance to Competitive Green Technologies.
Herr Udo Reichling brings a wealth of experience in Logistics strategy, automotive supplier credentials, M&A projects, from his vast consulting experience with McKinsey an Co., Inc. where he served as a General Partner and then as Managing Director of Triad Consulting in Germany. Udo is based in Berlin, Germany and has been Managing Director of Granada Holding GmbH, Berlin (2005 – present) and was Chairman of the Board of C.A.R.U.S AG, Norderstedt (2009-2010).
As an Advisory Board Member of Competitive Green Technologies, Udo brings European gravitas to the organization.
As an Advisory Board Member of Competitive Green Technologies, Udo brings European gravitas to the organization.
Our Leamington, Ontario facility
Partners
Our technical partner - the University of Guelph
The Bio-Products Discovery and Development Centre, University of Guelph, is our technology provider and collaborator. We commercialise world-leading biomaterials technology solutions under exclusive world-wide commercial license of patent – pending technologies, deploying our innovative extrusion technology, to create price-performance competitive bio-composite resins.
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), (Federal Ministry), Agriculture Adaption Council (AAC), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMFRA) and Ontario Agri-Food Technologies (OAFT), Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP ) run by National Research Council of Canada (NRC) – all these have been and continue to be sterling partners of Competitive Green Technologies, providing research assistance grants and facilitating commercialization.
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), (Federal Ministry), Agriculture Adaption Council (AAC), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMFRA) and Ontario Agri-Food Technologies (OAFT), Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP ) run by National Research Council of Canada (NRC) – all these have been and continue to be sterling partners of Competitive Green Technologies, providing research assistance grants and facilitating commercialization.