Marja Hillis Ranks No. 84 on the W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs

Marja Hillis Ranks No. 84 on the W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs 

Mount Forest, Ontario (October 15, 2013) – Today, Marja Hillis, CEO of Molok North America Ltd., ranked No. 84 on the 15th annual W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs, produced by PROFIT Magazine and Chatelaine. Ranking Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs on a composite score based on the size, growth rate and profitability of their businesses, the W100 profiles the country’s most successful female business owners. Published in the November issue of PROFIT and the December issue of Chatelaine and online at PROFITguide.com and chatelaine.com, the W100 is Canada’s largest annual celebration of entrepreneurial achievement by women. 

“This year’s W100 are a dream group of ambitious, forward thinking entrepreneurs who defy outdated notions of female entrepreneurship,” said Ian Portsmouth, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of PROFIT. “They are running sophisticated and sizeable businesses in challenging industries, and finding new ways to operate and innovate for growth and sustainability.” 

Marja Hillis says, “It's been a challenging ride from the time I first came to Canada 16 years ago to start a business, to where we are now. Even though W100 is celebrating the top 100 female entrepreneurs in Canada, I can honestly say that behind this all is an amazing group of dedicated employees without whom none of this would be possible. I'm looking forward to keeping the momentum going and having a great time with my team while doing it!”

Link to press release

Alternative containment works in Kitchener

Municipalities and property owners are increasingly interested in alternatives to the traditional stand-alone dumpster, the unsightly wooden enclosure or, more recently, the fully enclosed and roofed structure. According to Mount Forest Ontario-based Molok North America, their Deep Collection™ system is a refuse and recyclables containment revolution that could drastically improve the way in which waste materials are dealt with.

In place of ugly containers hidden in the back corner of a property, these Deep Collection™ systems can be prominently displayed in common areas and incorporated into site design. They can be used for many kinds of developments, including IC&I or residential applications, and for parks and public spaces.
The concept of the Deep Collection™ system takes advantage of the laws of nature: earth temperature and gravity. With two thirds of the eight-foot container installed below grade, waste materials are kept cool in the summer, odours are virtually eliminated, and the ground’s insulating effect prevents freezing in the winter.

The small surface area (relative to the depth of the container) and its cylindrical shape cause materials to naturally compact by gravity, increasing capacity by 1.5 to 2.5 times the container’s actual volume. This compaction leads to less frequent pick-ups.

Additionally, these units are rotation-molded from a single piece of polyethylene plastic and are entirely leak-proof, so soil and groundwater are protected from contamination. Molok® Deep Collection™ systems are available in different sizes (in a variety of above-grade finishes to suit any development), and for a variety of materials such as mixed waste, recyclables, cardboard and even organics and cooking oil.


City of Kitchener

The City of Kitchener, Ontario’s initial interest in Deep Collection™ started about 10 years ago, in the multi-residential sector, where systems were installed in low rise apartment complexes. Since then, the systems have gained popularity, and now over 80 percent of site plan applications submitted to the City use Molok® Deep Collection™ systems as their preferred choice for waste management.
According to Molok®, Deep Collection™ units can be located virtually anywhere, resulting in greater flexibility of a site plan layout. The space savings, compared to traditional waste enclosures, allows for more amenity space or landscaped areas on a site, and on small properties, these units can make it easier to meet regulatory requirements for setback and parking.

“While I was with the City of Kitchener the use of the Molok® system was such that approximately 80 to 90 percent of all new site plan applications were using this system for their waste and recycling containment,” says Brian Page, VP of Municipal Affairs, Molok North America.

“Essentially this system did not require a full enclosure complete with roof and a garage door as it provided its own aesthetically pleasing enclosure, used less land area, and required less number of pick ups. This, in turn saved the developer money and provided more land area for development which gave him/her a greater return on investment, while still fulfilling all the requirements of the City’s Site Planning Requirements.”

Kitchener planning staff has been impressed with Molok® solution and has supported the trend towards their use by installing the Deep Collection™ system at city facilities and parks. The City recently installed 40 units along its prominent downtown King Street, when the area was revitalized.

Molok® says the aesthetic benefits of these units on Kitchener’s King Street, are many. No longer are businesses piling bags of waste on the city’s main street seven days a week. With the Deep Collection™ units, all materials are conveniently contained and pick up has been reduced from seven days per week to three or four days per week. Plus, with a recent increase in public events and festivals in Kitchener’s downtown, the City says their Deep Collection™ units have been able to meet the needs of the event goers without having to place numerous portable containers on the street.


From site layout to site safety
Plus, with an increasing demand for in-fill development on older, small properties, Molok® says the Deep Collection™ system can make the difference between being able to redevelop or not. In addition, traditional dumpsters are limited in their placement by the way they’re emptied, requiring a straight-on approach by a truck, which typically results in the need for additional paved surfaces.

Molok® Deep Collection™ unit, on the other hand, uses a reusable lifting bag that’s raised by a knuckle boom crane, and can be approached from any direction. When emptying, the release mechanism on the bottom of the bag is opened, allowing materials to fall neatly (and cleanly) into a truck, and then the emptied bag is returned to the unit. As these units protrude only three feet (0.9m) above grade, they are also user friendly and easily accessible by persons with disabilities, as well as children.
In many municipalities, with evolving municipal garbage and recycling separation requirements, the number of containers required on site has increased. Unfortunately, existing waste material enclosures typically cannot accommodate additional containers, often resulting in new containers being placed outside of the original enclosure. In some cases these additional containers are being located in parking spaces or being placed in landscaped areas, creating unattractive and potentially unsafe sites.

Alternatively, when additional Deep Collection™ containers are required, they have a much smaller footprint and avoid the need for an enclosure, making source separation relatively easy.

With respect to the City of Kitchener’s focus on safety (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), the Deep Collection™ unit is proving to be an excellent alternative to traditional enclosures they’ve used in the past. The City says they like that the units can be prominently displayed on a site, serving as an activity generator, and creating opportunities for natural surveillance. The units also eliminate the risk of entrapment or ambush and naturally deter graffiti because of their round shape and exterior finish.

Link to web article

Molok North America Ltd. announces return of Mark Hillis to the Molok® family

Molok North America Ltd. announces return of Mark Hillis to the Molok® family 

Mount Forest, Ontario (August 9,2013) - Molok North America Ltd. is pleased to announce that Mark Hillis has returned to the Molok® family as Chief Operating Officer after working for Waste Management as Business Development Manager. Waste Management will continue to be a non-exclusive distributor and service provider of Molok® containers. In his new position, Mark will run the day-to-day operations with a focus on forging new partnerships and working with national customers, service providers and installers. As Chief Executive Officer, Marja Hillis’ focus will be on long-term strategy as the company continues to grow. 

Link to press release

Molok North America Ltd. Ranks No. 364

Molok North America Ltd. Ranks No. 364 on the 2013 PROFIT 500 
PROFIT Magazine unveils 25th annual list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies 

Mount Forest, Ontario (June 3, 2013) - PROFIT Magazine today ranked Molok North America Ltd. No. 364 on the 25th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the Summer issue of PROFIT Magazine and online at www.PROFITguide.com , the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their revenue growth over five years. 

Molok North America Ltd. made the PROFIT 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 127%. 

“To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fastest-Growing Companies in Canada, the PROFIT 500 has expanded to recognize the entrepreneurial achievements of more than 500 Canadian companies,” says Ian Portsmouth, Editor-in-Chief of PROFIT Magazine. “PROFIT is proud to now showcase Canada’s forward thinking small business entrepreneurs and honour their talents and innovations.” 

For Molok North America Ltd. being in the incredible group of PROFIT 500 is an enormous honour. President and CEO Marja Hillis expresses her gratitude by saying: “I feel like I’m at the Academy Awards ceremony receiving an Oscar and trying to fit all the people in my short speech whom I want to thank for making this possible. It is an impossible task as there is a countless number of individuals, organizations and other partners who have worked with us in achieving the growth we are seeing now and in the future. A special thanks goes to our incredible staff – I couldn’t ask for a better crew – they simply make my job a pleasure every day!”

Link to press release

Waste Expo 2013: A Look at Molok

Looking at the Molok waste container on the floor of WasteExpo 2013 in New Orleans.

WasteExpo 2013: A Look at the Molok

Algonquin Park: A Waste Diversion Success Story

The park's public education efforts and use of the innovative Molok containers more than doubled waste diversion.

The crown jewel of Ontario’s provincial park system is being recognized for hitting a crucial milestone not often associated with our parks system: removing garbage.

With approximately one million visitors flocking to Ontario’s largest and most popular park destination, Algonquin Park in Central Ontario is earning praise from the province’s Environmental Commissioner for improving their waste diversion rate from 20 per cent in 2004 to 40 per cent overall by 2011/2012.

And 40 per cent is simply the average: six sites in the park diverted more than 50 per cent of their waste, with one – the Algonquin Park Visitors Centre – hitting 70 per cent diversion.

“It’s encouraging to see how a few dedicated public servants can change the way Ontario’s campers experience our parks, while keeping more waste out of landfills and educating visitors and staff about responsible waste management,” said Commissioner Gord Miller on his blog.

The ECO recognizes a government program or project each year that “best meets the goals of the Environmental Bill of Rights” and is judged by an arms-length panel that selects the winner.

Miller stated that it’s his belief that this project, and others like it, will demonstrate that improving waste diversion percentages can be done “in any context.”

“If applied across Ontario’s protected area system, improved waste management could help educate park users and lessen the impact of the more than 10 million visits that these special places receive each year,” he said.

A spokesperson for Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle agreed there is an opportunity to spread the importance of proper waste diversion.

“Due to the number of people that visit Algonquin Provincial Park in a year, our waste management strategy has the opportunity to educate and engage a significant number of people on the value of environmentally responsible waste management,” said MNR’s Jolanta Kowalski.

The park was able to achieve such a high diversion rate through the use of Molok containers, vertically oriented waste units that are planted, in a way, roughly two-thirds underground.

“The containers are visually appealing, and are in over 30 locations along the Highway 60 corridor [for] a total of over 130 Molok containers” in the park, Kowalski said.

The Molok units work by installing a liftable bag into the unit and securing the lid to prevent wildlife from getting their paws on the waste we leave behind. To empty the container when it’s full, the bag is lifted from the unit and emptied from the bottom into a waste recovery truck. The reusable bag is then put back into the container to be filled again.

The Friends of Algonquin Park state on theirwebsite that the entire emptying process takes three minutes, meaning all of the park’s 130 units can be emptied in little more than six and a half hours.

Built into this system is the ability to measure the amount of organic and recyclable material the park is diverting overall, but also within the park, to identify which sites are collecting their fair share and which sites need a boost.

“It allows us to focus efforts on areas that need to increase waste diversion as well as acknowledge areas with above average waste diversion rates,” Kowalski said.

The 215 tonnes of recyclable material ­– paper and plastic containers in addition to organic waste – diverted from landfill in 2012 alone, through the park’s use of Moloks, were taken to the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre for processing.

The park hopes to reach a 60 per cent diversion threshold in the coming years through greater public education efforts. But even at 40 per cent, the park is well above the provincial rate, which has hovered at 22.6 per cent in recent years, according to the Recycling Council of Ontario.

Want to do your part? Next time you’re visiting Algonquin ­– or any other of Ontario’s hundreds of provincial parks – make sure your recyclable and organic waste finds it into the appropriate bin whether you’re passing through for the day, camping off the highway or canoeing into the interior.

With your help, Algonquin staff can reach 60 per cent sooner than expected.

View the article online: Alternatives Journal