About Our Solutions Company
SoMax is a waste solutions company converting organic waste into green solutions.
Who We Are
Mission
Improve human health, cleanse the environment and save customers money
Team
Decades of experience waste hauling, biomass transformation, materials science
Awards
Received from local borough, WWF, and Department of Energy’s Water Resource Recovery
Mission & Vision
The mission of SoMax BioEnergy is to improve human health, cleanse the environment and save customers money.
We achieve this mission by converting organic waste into clean, sustainable BioProducts, such as biofuels, fertilizers and water. Our technology platform treats waste in an innovative and groundbreaking hydrothermal carbonization reactor (HTC), eliminating harmful pharmaceuticals, plastics, and toxins from organic waste. The conversion process yields clean, carbon-based fuel, fossil-free fertilizers, and nutrient-rich water.
Our customers can recover the cost of the technology and equipment by utilizing BioProducts in their normal operations, reducing the need to purchase virgin inputs, resulting in a closed loop solution. Otherwise, our customers can sell the byproducts to third parties, creating additional revenue streams in a circular economy.
The impact of our work will improve the quality of the air, water, and soil that humanity depends upon, while providing local, sustainable, and renewable BioProducts. Our solution is scalable across the globe and is based on proven science, data-backed evidence and utilizes best practices to ensure large-scale economic and environmental impact and long-term societal change.
The ideal vision for the world is to eliminate waste, pollutants, and chemicals that can poison our air, water, and land. While we remain in a world where organic waste and pollutants exist, SoMax will convert it to something clean and useful in our communities.
History
Launch From Gray Brothers Septic Services
SoMax operates as a spin-off of Gray Brothers Septic Services, an organic waste hauling business started in 1929.
Formalized HTC As Viable Alternative
In 2018, our flagship HTC process was officially made available to combat waste disposal needs.
Year Established
First HTC Plant in North America Expected
Studies Completed
Office Staff
Team
The SoMax team of experts have decades of experience in waste hauling, biomass transformation, materials science, operations, and finance. We have run entrepreneurial and long-standing companies in multiple industries and came together to solve challenges with organic waste.
Dan Spracklin
Prior to forming SoMax, Dan Spracklin spent 15 years as a business architect in the financial services, insurance, and state government sectors. He specialized in creating value through increased efficiency in the interactions of people, processes, and technologies.
In 2013, Dan became the CEO of Gray Brothers Septic Services. One of the first things Dan noticed was the magnitude of organic waste in the local area. Rather than discarding that organic waste into landfills and wastewater treatment plants, Dan decided to capitalize on the tremendous potential of organic waste to produce Bioenergy and reduce carbon emissions. This led to the birth of SoMax.
Jeremy Taylor
Jeremy graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. After graduating Jeremy took a position in the Oil and Gas Industry at ConocoPhillips conducting research on unconventional shale plays.
In 2016, Jeremy pursued a masters in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University where he met Dan and was introduced to hydrothermal carbonization. The lab experience gained at ConocoPhillips laid a strong foundation for HTC research and his master’s thesis work. Upon graduating, Jeremy joined Dan at SoMax as the Chief Sustainability Officer.
Dr. Ross Lee - Advisor
Dr. Lee is a Professor of Practice for the Masters and PhD Sustainable Engineering programs and Engineering Entrepreneurship programs at Villanova University. After a 36-year career at DuPont, he retired in 2009 as the Director of Technology and New Business Development and Industrial Polymers. His long career yields a perspective that is invaluable to applying realistic sustainable practices within industry.
As a Science Advisor for SoMax since 2014, Dr. Lee has worked with SoMax in developing their understanding of HTC and its potential applications, while working closely with all 8 Master’s Theses and multiple RISE (Resilient Innovation through Sustainable Engineering) projects focused on varying facets of Hydrothermal Carbonization.
Dr. Justins Satrio - Advisor
Dr. Satrio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Biomass Resources and Conversion Technologies Laboratory at Villanova University. His work at Villanova is preceded by being the Program Manager at the Center of Sustainable Environmental Technologies at Iowa State University. He is recognized internationally for his work in biomass conversion, and especially in his home country of Indonesia.
Dr. Satrio works intimately with undergraduate and graduate level lab researchers to develop and deploy characterization criteria and unique testing protocols and is instrumental in SoMax’s product development research. His role as a Science Advisor at SoMax merges bleeding edge research and implementation of industry disrupting technology.
Dave Stoklosa - Advisor
Dave Stoklosa has over 25 years of executive experience and a strong background in processes, operations, plant design, and facilities management in the chemical, food, and beverage businesses. He has held executive leadership positions at Eastman Kodak, LiDestri Foods, Love Beets USA, Gesundheit Foods, and most recently as VP of Sales at JCS Process Control Systems. Dave holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo.
Dave’s engineering background and industry experience makes him a critical piece for SoMax’s expansion into the food and beverage industry, as he fulfills his role as an Industry Advisor.
Art Balzereit - CFO
Art has over 25+ years’ experience in finance, acquisition, and operational management working in various industries including beverage, cosmetics, real estate, manufacturing, and plastics primarily in the CFO or General Manager role. Art has an MBA in finance from La Salle University.
As Chief Financial Officer for SoMax, he leverages his experience in industry and financial oversight to grow the company and lead investor relations.
Affiliates
SoMax partners with local engineering firms who specialize in waste and environmental permitting, construction firms with expertise in “waste to products”, and multiple technology and equipment providers.
Through our partnership with Villanova University School of Sustainable Engineering, we have published numerous academic articles based on our rigorous studies on biomass transformation via hydrothermal carbonization, while sponsoring eight Masters of Sustainable Engineering Students, creating sustainability leaders of tomorrow, who have presented our findings at scientific and industry conferences both domestically and internationally.
Awards
Borough of Phoenixville (2019)
SoMax was awarded the design build contract for the first hydrothermal carbonization plant in North America by the Borough of Phoenixville in suburban Philadelphia. (2019)
Manure Challenge - WWF (2020)
SoMax was a finalist in the Manure Challenge presented by Yield Lab and WWF. (2020)
Department of Energy - Resource Recovery (2020)
SoMax was selected as a Phase 1 winner of the Department of Energy’s Water Resource Recovery Challenge. (2020)