Need a "water" engineer

Seriously!

Need an engineer who is certified or qualified or credentialed or whatever in hydrology or some related field. I think most such folks are chemical engineers.

Maybe another engineer will suffice because I need someone who can "certify" a machine, a water-purification unit, and who can/will represent this company at trade shows or at least meet with potential investors and potential customers. Also, someone who will produce drawings/specs that anyone (a lay person) can understand, but still convey the technical aspects of this system.

Now...a hitch. This company is cash-strapped. So, right now, the best they can offer is an equity position in the company. This company had such an engineer but he was run over by a truck about 6 months ago. I'm not being funny. He was helping someone change a tire and was hit/killed. He was doing some work pro bono with an eye on sharing future profits.

The inventor has only a high school diploma, but he's one of those McGyver types who can build anything with any spare parts. He's also a little "eccentric." Great fellow though! Fun to talk to. Obviously, serious venture capitalists prefer to see someone with initials behind their name.

Here's part of the rub. Have some investors interested but they are waiting for this system to be operational. But, no municipality can/will make it operational (even at no cost) because they say both DHH and EPA have to approve the system first. It's the old "chicken and the egg" scenario. Now, private entities, like a golf course or any manufacturing facility with water discharge, would benefit from this system at save a bundle of money too! This system can either treat potable water, or treat waste water and make it meet EPA standards, so water can be discharged back into creeks, bayous, rivers, lakes.

The prototype has been tested in two controlled situations (laboratory setting, one at the Univ of Michigan) but needs a "real world" test run. It is warehoused in Pineville and arrangements can be made to see it and meet the inventor and his business partners.

I am 100% serious. I think this is a $billion business waiting to explode.


Now...there's this....because most water treatment systems, really ALL systems, are dependent on chemicals, the chemical industry lobby have their henchmen out and have blocked this company on several occasions. We had approval for a "real world" test, and then suddenly the DHH intervened and stopped it.

But, there are other states and other countries who are chomping at the bit for this system to go operational. For instance, the nation of Tanzania is very interested, and initial talks have gone well.

Anyway, if you know of someone who would like to take a look, let me know. Of course, the design has a patent and is completely protected, which is why there is no issue with showing it to interested parties.

Thanks.

We have used something similar on a drilling location. The wastewater from all the trailers was recycled and used for rig water (all non-potable). I don't know what happened with it, we don't use the system anymore. It was trailer mounted and portable. I wish I knew who owned it, so I could pass more information along.

The website http://www.globalsplashinc.com/

This company is sitting there in need of help. This is an opportunity for investors, engineers, entrepreneurs.... anyone who wants to get in now, and help turn this into a $billion company.

On the engineer front I have been given a name of a fellow who is interested, but he's a ULL grad! Do we really want a ULL person getting equity in a $billion business? Just imagine what he can do for his alma mater! Surely there's a Tech engineer who'll step up.
Ultimately I have a fiduciary duty to my clients and I will enlist the ULL fellow if I have to.

Investors? Here's a chance. This is an S Corp with 900 of 1,000 shares outstanding.

How much per share?

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Originally Posted by JuBru

How much per share?

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Based on an email I got about 30 mins ago, I'm gonna punt on that question for now. I have a meeting with the principals later today. I will post an answer tonite or tomorrow.

Thanks for the question and the interest.

FYI

On my recommendation the powers-that-be will be meeting next week to discuss restructuring the debt. Ultimately it's their call, but I hope they pull the financing debt off the balance sheet (i.e. make it their own personal debt). That will encourage investors since they won't be buying into that sitting debt. The only debt that'll be left on the balance sheet will be a few loans that were used to buy equipment. But they will all be paid off in less than 18 months. And, of course, new investors will be part-owners of that equipment, so they should expect to get some liabilities with the assets.

Depending how the board votes on the debt issue, the shares will be revalued and an asking price published.


In the meantime, I still need an engineer!!!!!

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Originally Posted by splicer

We have used something similar on a drilling location. The wastewater from all the trailers was recycled and used for rig water (all non-potable). I don't know what happened with it, we don't use the system anymore. It was trailer mounted and portable. I wish I knew who owned it, so I could pass more information along.

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Where was this? i.e. Town, State?

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Originally Posted by dawg80

In the meantime, I still need an engineer!!!!!

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Have you asked the career center for some recommendations? Alumni use their services.

Yeah. Is Mr. Painter still alive? Sounds like a job for a civil engineer. When my ex roommate was a mechanical engineering professor he used to do consulting.

Mr. Painter passed away a year or two ago.

Do you have a prototype filter that can be installed? You could go to a small civil engineering firm that could make drawings of it and possibly run some test for pressure drop at different flow rates. Do you know any engineers that work at the Campti paper mill or the Hodge paper mill? They have lots of filters in paper mills. Can you send me a picture of it?

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Originally Posted by DONW

Do you have a prototype filter that can be installed? You could go to a small civil engineering firm that could make drawings of it and possibly run some test for pressure drop at different flow rates. Do you know any engineers that work at the Campti paper mill or the Hodge paper mill? They have lots of filters in paper mills. Can you send me a picture of it?

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I'm no engineer, so I am answering this based on my limited understanding of this unit. As I understand how it works, it does not use paper (membrane) type filters. It does use a charcoal and sand(???) medium as part of the filtering process, but the patented process is a combination of air-induced flow and electrically charged rods that attract particles out of the water. The unit is a series of chambers, five per unit, through which the water is cycled, and recycled, meaning the water is "treated" by the system multiple times before exiting the unit. These units are designed to be "stacked," meaning a city or a factory would buy as many as they need to meet their needs. There are two sizes. I can't remember the exact numbers, but it's something like the small units can treat 100,000 gallons/day (???). Maybe more.

An added benefit is they are low-energy users. The patented system back-washes itself as part of the normal operation. There are 5 operational chambers and one holding chamber per unit. The water is held temporarily in the holding chamber, and then a series of floats sends that water "backwards" through the system's medium "back-washing" it. It's more the energy of gravity that accomplishes this task. And, the beauty is, the unit is still cleaning water at that same time. Other systems require a complete shutdown of the system for the back-washing step.

Another energy-saver is each unit is independent of the others. So, a city can control how many units are operating at any time. At 2am to 5am, for instance, during low water usage, some of the units can be idled. The units are computerized and are easily connected to a central control computer. Literally, NO humans are needed to operate the system. Another cost-saver. Of course, you would want at least one person "on duty" to monitor the system just in case. But, when operating no human interaction or "dial turning" is required.

I posted the link to their website above: globalsplashinc.com But, it needs updating and completion. Part of the money issues this company is having right now.

I am "pushing" them as quickly as I can to fill in the gaps.

The BOD held their meeting and voted to keep the big debt on the company's balance sheet, but state that it is "personally guaranteed" by two of the founders. I do not agree with this. If it is personal debt, and it is, then it needs to be on their personal balance sheets, not the company's. I was not present at that meeting, because I was not invited. It was a closed board meeting. I am requesting an opportunity to address the board and explain my position on this matter.

The total of equipment debt is a mere $10K. They paid a chunk of it off recently. The "big" debt is down to $313K.

We pulled our water straight out of the Arkansas River and ran it through some sand filters for our process water and controlled ph using chlorine and something else which I don't remember. If you use no chemicals and the pressure drop across the filter is less than present filters, that will be the dollar savings, chemicals and horsepower to justify your filter. When I retired almost 8 years ago, we had to have an ROI of at least 20% before taxes. The Campti mill would be a good place to run a trial if they're getting their process water out of Red River. They probably already have by-pass line you could put your filter in. The mill mechanics would need to install a control valve and a flowmeter. If they don't already have fabricating facilities for making multiple filters, you could talk to ML Smith,jr,inc. in Ruston. They make a lot of stainless steel equipment. They also have a very good Tech mechanical engineer that designs all of their tanks and misc. His name is Tommy Gregory, and of course you should have met Billy Patton at our tailgate. ML Smith ph.#318-255-4474. Here's Billy's cell ph#318-243-4475.

Thanks, Don.