One Earth, One Mission

Keeping Our Eyes and Ears Open

Harmony Enterprises is constantly monitoring trends in waste handling and recycling to better educate our customers.  Keeping our eyes and ears open also helps us understand the ever-changing global marketplace.

It was no surprise that in October of 2017, a news story, entitled, “16-year-old gives town curbside recycling”,  produced by reporter Boyd Huppert at KARE 11 NEWS in the Twin Cities caught our attention.  The feature focused on a 16 year-old high school student from Pillager, MN, Noah Brogle, and his recycling company, One Earth Recycling.

At that time, Noah had been in business for eleven months and had already generated a curbside recycling base of 75 customers in a 100 mile route near his home!  Noah would spend over six hours per weekend providing his service, stating, “We really only do have one earth.”

As inspiring as the story was then, Harmony Enterprises’ Leadership Team knew that there could be another chapter added to this story.

What We Noticed

Harmony Enterprises’ Core Purpose is Career, Community, and Culture.  Our Core Values of being Committed, Passionate, Innovative, Having The Courage To Make A Difference, and Enhancing Our Shared Experience are all focused around that Core Purpose.

Noah’s actions align perfectly with our Core Values and our mission to make our one earth a better place for generations to come.  Noah’s character, initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit made us wonder what we could do to help him achieve his recycling and business goals.

What We Did

With that, President, Steve Cremer, and VP of Operations, Ramon Hernandez agreed to donate a reconditioned M30HD Vertical Baler to One Earth Recycling.  The baler would assist Noah and his father, Jason, in their cardboard recycling efforts.  Having a baler onsite would certainly help them with their cardboard collection, storage, and hauling, saving them valuable time, space, and money.

Baling cardboard will allow them to make fewer trips to the recycling center, as well as earn more revenue with added commodity delivered with each trip.  It also reduces the number of hauls needed to recycle the cardboard, which, in turn, reduces the amount of carbon emissions emitted during hauling.

The baler was recently reconditioned at our main production facility in Harmony, MN, and shipped to One Earth Recycling near Brainerd, MN, courtesy of Baler & Compactor Service Company based in Mankato, MN.  Both the freight and installation of the baler were donated by BCS as a way to support Noah’s cause.

Supporting Excellence

Not only did Harmony Enterprises and BCS recognize the positive contributions Noah is making in our state, but Boyd Huppert and KARE 11 News did as well.

Their news crew was on hand when the baler was delivered this past Monday, March 11th.  They captured the moment and spread the message of the good work being done by One Earth Recycling and Harmony Enterprises in story aired on March 26, 2019.  See the news story here.

“I’m extremely grateful for the support Harmony Enterprises has given me through the donation of the baler. It will certainly help with business operations and will allow me to earn more money than I would have without it. Again, thank you for your generous support!”

-Noah Brogle
Owner of One Earth Recycling & Author of The Scavenger

Why The M30HD Vertical Baler?

Harmony’s recycling baler product line consists of seventeen different models, all designed to provide a solution to a specific need.  When making the decision of what type of baler to donate to Noah and One Earth Recycling, several factors were considered:

• Operational Space:  Noah’s business can only use a baler that would fit in the garage space designated for his recycling program.  Due to the dimensions of this area, a baler with a smaller operational footprint was the best choice.
• Electrical Configuration:  All of Harmony’s recycling balers are UL listed, but can come in a variety of configurations.  We did not want to donate something that would require Noah’s family to completely change over the service to their recycling area, so we needed to use a baler with a 115/230 volt, 1 phase set up.  This would require little to no updating in that operational space.
• Size & Quantity of Cardboard:  Because Noah is providing a curbside service to residents in his neighborhood, the cardboard is naturally not as large, thick, or in the same quantity of a large retail store.  A 30″ baler allows Noah to manage his cardboard sufficiently.
• Ease of Operation:  Safety, maintenance, and ease of operation are all a concern with any piece of recycling equipment.  The M30HD meets or exceeds all OHSA and ANSI standards, is easy to service, maintain, and operate.  The fast 37 second cycle time, hydraulic bale eject, and the maximum weight of a 240 lb bale makes it possible for him to make bales quickly and move them without using a forklift.
• Durability:  Noah’s business may not be in the stage where it can sustain repair costs on capital equipment.  Any donation we made needed to one that could handle a variety of materials in the harshest of environments.  The M30HD has a powerful 3” cylinder with a heavy-duty 2” rod, combined with an energy efficient motor for low operation costs and longer life.

With all of the support that Noah and One Earth Recycling has received, we know we can continue to expect amazing things from them in the future!

If you would like to learn more about Harmony Enterprises, our M30HD Vertical Baler, or our commitment to community and the environment, call us at 507-886-6666, Contact Us, or sign up to receive our free monthly Enewsletter today!