Waste = Food & Recycling
Champion Nominees
Entrepreneurs for Sustainability
November 2005

• Tim Curtiss *winner*
• Dean Heidelberg

*winner* Champion: Tim Curtiss, Liquid Resources *winner*
Nominated by: Herb Crowther, Midwest Biofuels
Tim Curtiss ‘ mission at Liquid Resources of Ohio, located in Medina, is to marry sensible business plans with sound environmental concepts, Liquid Resources specifically reduces and eliminates flows of expired beverages, byproducts and goods from landfills while producing ethanol, a fuel that has “a lot of economic and social utility.” Diverting landfill waste, creating beneficial reuse and increasing the supply of ethanol for transport fuel and other uses leads to a winning bottom line.
This integration of capitalism, civic values, and entrepreneurism has moved rapidly from concept stage in 2002 to operations in 2004, and is approaching a run rate of $1 million a year in 2005. Tim has helped major global beverage and brewing companies and many other customers achieve their sustainability goals. This waste-to-product success story is frequently highlighted in corporate annual reports and consumer communications. Although often “preaching to choir” Tim has inspired his management team and customers to be relentless about eliminating waste and creating value. 

Champion: Dean Heidelberg, Metro Hardwoods
Nominated by: Dave Rubb, Green Leaf Cabinetry
I believe Dean is a true champion of sustainability. Metro Hardwoods caters to all from the hobbyist to the professional wood worker, from construction companies to some of Cleveland’s restaurants for their wood burning ovens.
Metro Hardwoods utilizes municipal trees that have been cut down or have fallen down due to storms. Dean processes the trees by cutting, kiln drying, stacking, and sorting all the different wood species for resale. Trees that otherwise would have ended up as firewood or worse, sent to a landfill instead end up in the hands of craftspeople that make everything from bowl turnings to fishing pole handles. From construction companies to cabinet makers we all truly benefit from the efforts and very hard work of Metro Hardwoods.