In a move that will create an estimated 450 local manufacturing jobs, Easy Energy Systems (EES), a waste ethanol technology integrator, is relocating its executive offices from Welcome, Minnesota to Phoenix. To steer the company as it establishes itself as a leader in the alternative energy space, EES has named Arizona businessman, Bill Hinz, as CEO. In the near-term, Mr. Hinz, will focus on meeting the heavy demand that is already in place for the company’s Modular Ethanol Production Systems (MEPS®). The small-scale ethanol plants enable the production of “waste” ethanol, or ethanol that’s produced from non-corn products and in small batches. EES will continue to manufacture at its two existing locations in Minnesota and Iowa while it establishes its Arizona facilities.

Bringing the company to Arizona was a decision made jointly by EES founder and chairman, Mark Gaalswyk, and Mr. Hinz. Said Gaalswyk, “Arizona was a natural choice. Not only does it allow us to take advantage of the significant business legacy that Bill has created here, the state offers affordable manufacturing and continues to grow as a hotbed for technology and innovation, which we’ve bred into our business from its’ inception.”

Unlike ethanol produced from corn kernels on a large scale, ethanol produced by MEPS allows farmers, organizations, and municipalities to create energy from small batches of materials that would often go unused. These products usually end up in landfills, are left to rot and biodegrade, or are burned as a means of removal. MEPS uses a proprietary, patent-pending technology to produce ethanol from a variety of waste products, such as milk byproducts, paper, palm fronds, soda pop, wood, and wasted crop residue like corn cobs. Every year, millions of metric tons of these products and byproducts go to waste because they are too costly or energy-inefficient to transport or remove. EES’ ability to refine waste products into ethanol helps meet the Energy Independence and Security Act requirement that the US produce more than 20 billion gallons of non-corn ethanol by 2022.

MEPS are small, self-contained, fully automatic and pre-built units that can be easily shipped anywhere in the world and assembled quickly to build any size ethanol plant. The modular and scalable design allows for ethanol production to be tested on a variety of feedstocks in a limited capacity, and then expanded to any size.

Mr. Hinz was formerly the president of Allied Signal Aerospace as well as group president of Triumph Components Group. He has built a career out of growing pioneering businesses that serve both the public and private sectors, both of which are candidates for EES systems. In addition to his immediate responsibilities in settling the company into its new desert home, Mr. Hinz will direct EES as it continues to modify its modular waste to renewable energy systems for new feedstocks.

“We have the opportunity to improve ways of life all over the world without using diminishing resources, which is truly thrilling,” said Mr. Hinz. “Our approach to creating energy has been extremely well received and we are eager to bring jobs to Arizona. We have a significant sales quote pipeline of several billion dollars already established and are excited to grow, prosper and contribute to the global economy.”

EES’ MEPS technology recently received the Future in Review 2011 FiReStarter’s Award, which honors the Top 12 World Changing Technologies around the Globe. EES was selected from a group of 4,000 candidates nominated by leaders in science and technology from all over the world, and the company will be honored at the event in May. (link to event).

About Easy Energy Systems

Easy Energy Systems allows farmers, municipalities and governments to produce high quality non-corn ethanol in ways never before seen. The company developed Modularized Ethanol Production System (MEPS®), small self-contained, fully automatic and pre-built energy producers that can be easily shipped anywhere in the world and assembled like Lego™ blocks to build any size ethanol plant. MEPS-produced ethanol can then be utilized for automobile fuel or to produce power for rural and remote locations without electricity. MEPS are designed to create non-corn ethanol from local waste products, can be rapidly assembled in a matter of weeks, and allow clients to place them near bulky waste feed stocks that ordinarily are too costly or energy-inefficient to transport to standard plants. To learn more about EES, visit the company’s website at www.easyenergysystems.com.