Fibracast to Establish New Hamilton Area Global Manufacturing Facility for Game-Changing Water Treatment Membranes; Groundbreaking Ceremony Today

ANCASTER, ON, July 17, 2015 /CNW/ - Fibracast Inc. will hold a groundbreaking ceremony today at 1:30pm EST.  It will take place at 525 Glover Road, Hamilton, Ontario, the future site of Fibracast's advanced manufacturing facility.

This facility will manufacture Fibracast's patented FibrePlate™ hybrid membrane for advanced water treatment and reuse.  This new hybrid membrane technology combines the best advantages of hollow-fiber membranes, including high packing density and a backwash capability, with the low trans-membrane pressure and ease of operation of flat sheet membranes. The result is a significant reduction in the amount of space needed, as well as reduced capital and lower operating costs coupled with exceptional operating flexibility. All these features result in major benefits for wastewater treatment facility owners and operators, and are seen by many in the industry as being "game-changing."

Fibracast recently closed a financing transaction, with the assistance of Richardson GMP Limited, which brought in growth equity capital.  Fibracast also received an investment under the Advanced Manufacturing Fund from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev).  The new capital will be deployed to finance the ramp-up in Fibracast's membrane production capacity at the new facility and also to develop Fibracast's commercialization capability.

"The feedback from our lead customers in the US, in Europe and in Asia is that FibrePlate™ membranes have achieved a critical breakthrough.  This breakthrough is due to these membranes significantly improving the economics of implementing systems by reducing the footprint and energy requirements and increasing the sustainable water filtration rates, as compared to conventional membrane systems.  Therefore, we see significant opportunities for our product in markets around the world and we are now ready to expand our production capacity.  Thanks to the financial backing of Canadians from across the country who participated in our recent equity transaction, along with the FedDev transaction, Fibracast is positioned to meet the demand for our innovative products and to build another leading global water technology company" said Steve Watzeck, Chairman of the Board and Chief Commercialization Officer of Fibracast Inc.

"We are very pleased that after developing our unique membranes in the Hamilton area, our new technologically advanced membrane production facility will also be here. Fibracast is the only company manufacturing immersed water treatment membranes in North America, and with this new facility Fibracast will become a top tier global supplier. The Hamilton area has world-class water engineering, manufacturing expertise and supply chain support to successfully compete with any membrane manufacturing location in the world," said John Tomescu, Chief Executive Officer of Fibracast Inc.

"It is certainly a big achievement for Fibracast as it moves beyond the low volume to high volume manufacturing phase for an advanced made-in-Canada technology that will help meet the growing global demand for clean water, while creating long-term, high-quality jobs for Canadians. FedDev Ontario is proud to be a partner in Fibracast's growth," stated David Sweet, Member of Parliament for Ancaster–Dundas–Flamborough–Westdale on behalf of the Government of Canada.

"The Anaergia group of companies has a proven suite of unique technologies among which FibrePlate™ stands out as an important breakthrough in the membrane industry.  As a former professor at Hamilton's McMaster University and founder of an earlier membrane-technology innovator, Zenon Environmental, I am particularly proud that we developed and manufacture a new generation of products here.  Southern Ontario's exceptional water technology ecosystem makes this region an excellent location for any new water technology company." said Dr. Andrew Benedek, Chief Executive Officer of Anaergia Inc.

About Fibracast
Fibracast Inc. is the global leader in the research, development and manufacturing of advanced membrane technologies for water and wastewater treatment. Founded in Ancaster, Ontario, in 2010, by an expert team of water-technology veterans, Fibracast created the next generation of membrane filtration technology that improves on the robustness, performance and operational flexibility of existing membrane designs.
Fibracast is a member of the Anaergia group of companies.  For more information, please visit: http://www.anaergia.com/fibracast/.

About Anaergia
Anaergia Inc. is the global technology leader in recovering value from waste for the municipal, industrial, and agriculture sectors worldwide. Through its proven portfolio of proprietary technologies, Anaergia's integrated solutions create value for its customers in the forms of clean water, renewable energy, and quality fertilizers while dramatically reducing the costs of waste management. Anaergia's global headquarters are located in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, with regional lead offices in the United States, Germany, China and Singapore, and services through 14 offices globally. Anaergia technologies are in use at hundreds of resource recovery facilities worldwide, creating new revenue sources for its clients while benefiting the environment. For more information, please visit: http://www.anaergia.com/.

SOURCE Anaergia Inc.

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