With support from key local corporate, economic
and political stakeholders, the facility is expected to prevent and
process wasted food and create new jobs in the community
Divert, Inc., an impact technology company on a mission to
Protect the Value of Food™, today announced Harrison, Ohio as the
location of a future Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility.
The facility is expected to prevent and process wasted food and
spark local economic development through bringing new jobs to
Hamilton County.
“For nearly 17 years, Divert has pioneered advanced technologies
and sustainable infrastructure that prevent wasted food,” said Ryan
Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert. “Hamilton County is an
important hub for agriculture and food manufacturing, and we are
eager to introduce our mission and solutions to benefit this area.
Divert is grateful to have significant local support, and we are
ready to get to work to make a positive environmental, economic,
and social impact on this community.”
The U.S. produces more than 63 million tons of wasted food
annually. At the same time, wasted food accounts for up to 10% of
global greenhouse gas emissions. In Hamilton County, Ohio alone, 60
million pounds of food is wasted a year, equivalent to
approximately 74 pounds per person. With the food insecurity rate
in the county at 12.5%, nearly 1% higher than the national average,
there is a clear opportunity to address this crisis.
Divert is tackling this problem across the U.S. and soon in
Ohio, leveraging technology enabled infrastructure to prevent food
from going to waste by converting inedible wasted food into
renewable energy. The facility will also provide companies with
actionable data to take preventative steps to waste less food and
donate more to feed people, addressing food insecurity.
"Cincinnati takes great pride in welcoming Divert's first
processing plant in Ohio and further contributing to a region which
Site Selection named as the No. 3 U.S. metro for sustainability,"
said Kimm Lauterbach, REDI Cincinnati president and CEO.
"Transforming wasted food material into renewable natural gas
energy underscores our region's dynamic, advanced manufacturing
sector and unwavering dedication to innovation. Additionally,
Divert’s commitment to rescuing and redirecting edible food to our
community aligns with the collective effort to foster prosperity
and well-being for all across the region."
“We welcome Divert’s first investment in Ohio, which attracts a
company to Hamilton County that will bring its cutting-edge,
sustainable technology while creating 50 new jobs,” said JobsOhio
President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Divert’s advanced system of
creating energy while reducing food waste will move forward with
the ingenuity and hard work of Ohioans as the company leverages the
customers, partnership and talent it needs to thrive.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Divert to the community,” said
Harrison Mayor Ryan Grubbs. “And we celebrate the successful
collaboration between our regional and state partners that has
brought this esteemed company to our area. Divert’s presence not
only fills a critical need for our community, region and the State
of Ohio, but also strengthens our local economy and workforce. We
look forward to supporting Divert’s growth and shared success in
the years to come.”
“The Harrison Township Board of Directors, Hamilton County,
welcomes Divert, Inc. to the Harrison Township/City of Harrison
Joint Economic Development District,” said Tom Losekamp, president
of the Harrison Township Board. “Divert is a company using
technology to focus on recycling food waste in our society into a
usable, clean energy resource. We look forward to partnering with
Divert for the benefit of the surrounding community and state. By
locating near a farming area, any food produced by these farms may
come back as food waste, turned into gas, and sold to the residents
to help improve their lives.”
“As the Chair of the Hamilton County Solid Waste Policy
Committee, waste diversion is a top priority,” said Hamilton County
Commissioner Denise Driehaus. “Only by collaborating in taking bold
steps will we be able to make a difference together. I am excited
to welcome this facility to Hamilton County and grateful to add
Divert to our list of valuable partners in this effort.”
“Kroger is proud to collaborate with Divert to further our Zero
Hunger | Zero Waste plan, which aims to end hunger in our
communities and eliminate waste across our business,” said Keith
Dailey, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs and
chief sustainability officer. “Divert's facilities are instrumental
in supporting our operational efforts and Divert's new facility in
Ohio will greatly benefit our local communities by providing the
necessary infrastructure to efficiently manage and recycle unsold
organic products.”
Divert operates 13 facilities across the U.S., capturing wasted
food from retailers, food manufacturers, and other companies,
transforming it into carbon-negative renewable energy, thereby
preventing it from emitting harmful methane in landfills and
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To date, the company has
processed 2.6 billion pounds of wasted food and helped to
facilitate the donation of over 14 million pounds of food to feed
communities in need.
For more information about Divert, please visit
www.divertinc.com.
About Divert, Inc.
Divert, Inc. is an impact technology company on a mission to
Protect the Value of Food™. Founded in 2007, the company creates
advanced technologies and sustainable infrastructure to eliminate
wasted food, driving social and environmental impact. Divert
provides an end-to-end solution that prevents waste by maximizing
the freshness of food, recovers edible food to serve communities in
need, and converts wasted food into renewable energy. The company
works with over 6,600 customer locations across the U.S. to reduce
wasted food and positively impact people and the environment. Its
customer base spans across industries and includes five Fortune 100
companies. For more information on Divert, Inc., please visit
www.divertinc.com.
About REDI Cincinnati
The Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Cincinnati
is the first point of contact for companies locating or growing in
the 16-county region at the heart of southwest Ohio, northern
Kentucky, and southeast Indiana. REDI Cincinnati is supported by
top business leaders and community partners and staffed by a team
of economic development experts who are uniting the Cincinnati
region to compete globally. The future is bright, and we’re
building it right now. Join us at REDICincinnati.com.
About JobsOhio
JobsOhio, Ohio's private nonprofit economic development
corporation, enhances company growth and personnel development
through business attraction, retention, and expansion across ten
competitive industry sectors. With a team of seasoned
professionals, JobsOhio utilizes a comprehensive network to foster
talent production in targeted industries and attract talent through
Find Your Ohio. Collaborating with seven regional partners,
including Dayton Development Coalition, Lake to River Economic
Development, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus,
REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership, and Team NEO,
JobsOhio delivers world-class customer service to provide companies
with a competitive advantage. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240517200248/en/
Divert Media Contact Caroline Legg Director of Public
Relations (203) 313-4228 clegg@divertinc.com
REDI Cincinnati Media Contact Jay Brock Senior Manager,
Strategic Communications (513) 562-8442
JBrock@redicincinnati.com
JobsOhio Media Contact Matt Englehart JobsOhio Press
Secretary (614) 300-1152 englehart@jobsohio.com