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Submission

introduction
title
Eco-Solutions Team
short description
To solve Still Austin’s issue by mechanical separating the stillage into all-natural products and selling it to agricultural communities.
Eligibility
Please describe your business idea and the overall impact it would have on the Austin community.
Eco-Solutions’ business idea is to take 100% of the distillery`s waste stream and manufacturing several products. Turning the facilities current waste streams into a zero waste. Our business idea consist of installing a centrifuge at Still Austin’s location. The centrifuge will be used to separate the water from the grain. After the dewatering process, the grain can be sold to local ranchers as a feed source. The value of this grain will be determined daily base on the market (today’s market $200 per dry ton). The water will be captured in an upright vessel for further blending, turning it into several all-natural organic products that are used as fertilizer, pre-emerge herbicide, and soil amendment. Our business will be utilizing 100% of the waste stream not allowing any part to be hauled away to the landfills. Still Austin will save $150,000 in hauling fees per year. The major impacts to the community will be keeping 100% of the stillage out of the landfill and eliminating the hauling cost. This will allow Still Austin to double their production, which will allow them to expand their market share in the community, and create opportunities to hire more employees.
Which [Re]Verse Pitch Material Supplier byproducts would your business repurpose?
We will be repurposing a 100% of the distillery stillage from Still Austin Whisky Co.
What makes your proposed business model viable?
Eco-Solutions business model creates a viable entrepreneurship opportunity (dewatering business). It generates all-natural products that will be sold to farming, agricultural and other related markets. It reduces the waste going to the landfill. It reduces the businesses operating cost, which will allow businesses to expand, which will add new jobs. This will increase household spending, which will add to the stability of the City of Austin’s economy.
How scalable is your proposed business model?
Eco-Solutions believes that its business model is viable because it is a proactive solutions that is scalable to other breweries and distilleries, which will reduce their operating expense.
There are currently 35 breweries and distilleries within the City of Austin. By operating from a local processing facility located in Austin. The centrifuge equipment will be operated from a local facility. This will allow us to provide dependable on time service, frequent pick-ups, which will allow the repurposing of storage space into workspace. Having our operation in a central location will reduce transportation cost, and reduce our carbon footprint. This business is also scalable because of the many products can be created from the stillage. This includes, but not limited to, feed additive, protein blocks for cattle, protein blocks for deer, blocks used in capturing wild hogs, pellets as a heat source used in boilers, fertilizers, soil amendments blinds to reach farmers goals, such as PH increaser or decreaser for different levels. With continued research and development, this business will be able to explore other markets.
What funding will be required to fully implement, and then scale your idea? What funding do you plan to seek (beyond Reverse Pitch funds), and what will make your idea attractive those funding sources?
Beyond the funds from the Pitch, Eco-Solutions will require very little startup funds as the sale of the product will generate any necessary funding needed for operating expense. We are already prospecting potential agricultural and farming clients. We will provide In-Kind professional experience and equipment. A large portion of the equipment needed is currently under the team’s ownership. This business venture can be mobilized within a short space of time.
Describe your team and how your experience relates to your ability to execute your business plan.
The Eco-Soluions team consists of Trey Sheffield, Don Couper and Cody Brock. Trey Sheffield has been in the agricultural and cattle business for over 35 years and has experience composting waste streams generating an all-natural fertilizer used on his 200 acre property. He is also partnering with a California company that manufactures and markets certified all-natural organic fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. Don Couper has 25 years’ environmental experience. He was the owner of two companies which were sold. Full turnkey service companies that provided transportation, disposal, mobile belt presses, mobile centrifuges, dewatering and regular roll-off containers and roll-off trucks, vacuum tankers, vactor trucks to clean out wastewater treatment plants and perform sewer line cleaning. These services were provided to over 200 Municipal Utility Districts wastewater treatment plants that included cities within a 14-county area. Mr. Couper also has experience with the TCEQ and the EPA acquiring permits. Cody Brock has owns and operates for 13 years a centrifuge company which buys, sells, rents, leases and repairs centrifuges. He has a large inventory of equipment that we can commission into our recycling business as it grows.
How will your business impact the Austin economy? Include the quantity and quality of jobs that the business would create and how the business would support other Austin businesses.
Eco-Solutions will impact the Austin economy by taking all of the disposal expense away from the distillery and breweries. This will decrease their operating expense, allowing them to expand the business, increase production, and hiring 1-2 new employees at the Living Wage Scale. Also the centrifuge facility will be located locally will require 1 new employee to run the equipment. Most of the products created will be sold locally generating revenues for Austin.
Please describe the overall environmental and zero waste impact of the operation, including whether the product design allows for the material to be diverted to its highest and best use at the end of the product’s life.
Eco-Solutions’ overall impact would be repurposing 100% of the waste generated by breweries and distilleries creating zero waste from their waste streams. The products created will be all-natural organic products that are tested and analyzed to ensure that the do not harm animals or the environment. Continuous research and development will ensure that the products will diverted to its highest uses.

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