There hasn’t been much out there in the way of information to find out who is and where is waldo BioDri. The relationship visualizer below is from a Corporation Wiki website, along with the following info; BioDri, LLC is located at 3031 40th St Orlando, FL 32839. The officers include Dennis Lapin. Biodri, LLC was incorporated on Sunday, March 25, 2007 in the State of FL and is currently active. Lawrence H. Haber represents BioDri, LLC as their registered agent.
Lapin Septic Services is also listed at 3031 40th St. Orlando – http://www.lapinservices.com/index.html
Proverbs Three LLC is located at 3031 40th St Orlando, FL 32839. The officers include Dennis Lapin, Linda K Lapin. Proverbs Three LLC was incorporated on Sunday, December 19, 2004 in the State of FL and is currently active. Dennis J Lapin represents Proverbs Three LLC as their registered agent.
Dennis Lapin ran into a couple of issues, one was when an anonymous complaint led environment protection agents to observe them, consequently citing them for improperly disposing of more than 213 wet tons of sewage in February 2009. Lapin was also charged with operating a wastewater treatment facility without a permit, or failure to obtain a permit: DEP Agents Cite Suspect for Illegally Operating a Wastewater Treatment Facility. If that link doesn’t work, try this one and look up February, 19/09 for the heading above -http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2009/default.htm
A few years earlier zoning issues caused some problems too.
From the Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) Appeals, Dennis Lapin won his appeal with nine restrictions put in place. The zoning adjustment was to gain the ability to operate a lime stabilization facility in connection with a septic cleaning service located in a heavy industrial zoned area known as Regency Industrial Park. The following video link is the Public Hearing that precluded the decision of Board of County Commissioners (BCC) January 23, 2007. The video provides a better understanding how BioDri’s biofiltration works.
14. Appellant/Applicant: Dennis Lapin: Item SE-06-11-021, November 2,
2006; District 4
In the center of the screenshot is Lapin Services facility in Orlando Florida.
Lapin Services is located at the end of this street, just past the trees on the right.
Dennis Lapin had the idea for BioDri and Dan E. Young was the thread that connected Michigan to the project, he had a relationship with Blissfield Manufacturing, it was his vision to start a manufacturing enterprise here, feeling it would be up and running much quicker than in Orlando. Dan Young is the CEO of BioDri Michigan.
Recent Activity
BioDri gave a presentation at the Committee-of-the-whole meeting Monday night, April 18/2011 to sell the Village a wastewater oxygenation system. Since Blissfield is BioDri’s home base it would bode well for the company to have their unit installed in our treatment facility for demonstrative and testimonial purposes.
BioDri has moved into 324 Sherman Street doing business as GPS (Greener Planet Solutions LLC), separate entities with common ownership. They employ 7.5 people right now, none of whom are from Blissfield; luckily I met some of the team, they graciously spent time with me to explain their operations and answer my questions, they were very upbeat about their new technology and the opportunity to bring clean water to markets across the nation. Rob Robinson sat down with me in an interview, he eloquently spoke at length of his newest venture and took me for a tour of the emerging assembly portion of the plant they share with Blissfield Manufacturing. Blissfield Manufacturing will be fabricating specialty tanks and as many other components as they can.
The company stated in earlier publications they could possibly start their Michigan operation as early as May 2010. A meeting with Rob Robinson, the COO and CFO of GPS revealed that when starting a business, it generally costs twice as much as you’d think – takes twice as long as you’d plan and generates half as much revenue as you would expect it to. It looks like they’ve got a pretty good foundation in place for what’s expected to be a viable, in demand operation with a bright future.
“The name BioDri has been blowing in the wind for some time,” admitted Mr. Robinson. “We’ve been experiencing a soft and relatively quiet start for the last 6 months,” he said, further adding, “One of the things I like about us – I assume everybody would also like about us is we’re truly making this a better place for everyone. We’ll be cleaning up some pretty big messes”.
How can you argue with that premise, who isn’t for cleaner water? I mainly wanted to write this story to let the public know BioDri is here, they’re real and they are operational.
A Michigan Economic Growth Authority board issued a memo back in January of 2010 forecasting the project will create 337 direct jobs and 316 indirect jobs according to the Adrian Telegram. To lure the company to Michigan the state contributed five years of high-technology employment tax credits from the state at 200 percent for three years and 100 percent for two years. Blissfield offered 12 years tax abatement worth $389,000.00. Lenawee County provided a $400,000.00 loan to help out with start-up costs. Michigan’s contributions added up to a whopping $3.1 million dollars in incentives.
Mr. Robinson likes players on the field not coaches from the sidelines and he’s very hands on. Numerous types of jobs the company will require to fill over the long-term would include technicians for a technical staff, assembly workers, a sales force, shippers and installation crews. They are currently in search of an astute chemist to hire.
Robert Robinson presented findings at the Village meeting after running a test on a 1500 gallon tank to determine if their system could make a positive impact on our waste water treatment facility. Because of GPS’s findings, Jim Wonacott asked they immediately put the technology online as a scale test.
The scale test cost the Village about $2,500.00 and included our entire system (353000 gallons) over the 1500 gallon sample test. Before GPS would consider implementing the scale test they requested Council to write a letter of intent to purchase the equipment for a ballpark figure of $200,000.00.
Mr. Robinson said our main issues are both running at capacity right now and quality, he believes his system would negate future costs (reduce our solid waste hauling by 75% or eliminate it completely) and elongate life expectancy of our current waste water treatment operation. As of April 26/2011 the scale test was approved by Council and is being conducted.
I’ll be updating this post when I get information regarding the results of the facility scale test and what we can expect to happen next.
Update:
At the May 9, 2011 Village Council Meeting, Trustees unanimously voted to purchase GPS’s oxygenation system for the never again offered, bargain price of $165,000.00. Blissfield received the $45,000.00 discount because we are considered the pilot community for BioDri/GPS technology. Trustee Art Weeber understood and reiterated that having the technology here would be a “boon” for Blissfield. Interested parties will be visiting from all over the country and different parts of the globe to see the system operate. They will be spending money in our restaurants and shops.
The Scale Test results showed that the aeration system would save the Village $30,000.00 in sludge hauling costs and $13,000.00 in electric costs annually. Further benefits predicted are; noise reduction, a reduction of odor emanating from the wastewater treatment plant and cleaner water pumped out of the digester would be beneficial for everyone living and using the river water downstream. Rob Robinson expects a total savings per annum to be closer to $58,000.00.
Before the installation begins, we’re waiting for a technology review and possibly a permit from DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality).
Blissfield's Blog 