Firmaplus Sdn Bhd
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Firmaplus and its management recognized the opportunity and close match of technology represented by palm oil processing mills. In the first instance a master license was acquired for territory in which more than 90% of the world's palm oil is currently produced. To this day, Firmaplus remains the master licensee for the Thermo Master™ technology in this territory.
In January 2001, the Board of Thermo Tech™ Technologies Inc. made a decision, that in the best interest of shareholders, the Company would acquire Firmaplus and thereby, the ownership rights to the multiple Thermo Master™ plants projected for the territory, rather than just the license fee and royalty rights. Part of the acquisition involved the voluntary resignation of the present Board and Management in favor of an entirely new Team, under the leadership of Mr. Ismail Radi, Chairman and Mr. Charles Miller, President. The Board of the Company had been looking for an attractive opportunity such as that represented by the Firmaplus acquisition, that could put in place new Board and Management able to take the Company and its technology forward to the accomplishments envisioned by the Company's founders and developers.
Firmaplus Sdn Bhd is headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, very near to the center of Kuala Lumpur. At the same time, these offices are home to the Company's key management staff, including Ismail Radi and Charles Miller.
Although Firmaplus had a small, functional office in the same Amcorp Towers complex, in order to present itself to the major industry it has targeted and to house the staff necessary to conduct both the business of Firmaplus and Thermo Tech™, a new office space was acquired and totally renovated to the needs of the firm. The executive offices, engineering and technical section, public relations, accounting and corporate support are all located in Firmaplus' main offices in the PJ Tower of the Amcorp Complex.
Key liaisons with the palm oil industry and its support organizations have been established. Market research has been conducted by expert third party firms and the reports used in preparing the Company's long term business plan.
A few key statistics concerning the palm oil industry within Malaysia and the Firmaplus territory include:
More than 380 palm oil mills in Malaysia
More than 200 palm oil mills in Indonesia
Mill sizes range from about 30 to 90 tonnes per hour, creating an ideal raw material match for standard Thermo Master™ plants
Two major waste or byproduct streams from the oil mill can go direct to the Thermo Master™ process
Oil mills operate on a daily basis, about 20 hours per day, year round with only a small seasonal fluctuation in throughput volume
The Thermo Master™ technology is being introduced to the palm oil industry, related officials and financiers, through the location of Thermo Tech™'s mobile demonstration plant in Malaysia. The "mobile unit" has been used over many years in North America for just this purpose and is now continuing to serve its purpose at the palm oil industry's experimental mill near the Kuala Lumpur International airport.
Location at the experimental mill gives direct access to the full range of potential raw material streams. It also has the advantage that while this is a working mill, staff is used to the idea that new technology is put on site for evaluation, unlike a private commercial mill where a demonstration plant, no matter how welcome, is a disruption to normal business. Cooperation at the experimental mill is superb |
