Sortera Alloys drives efforts to reuse waste from end-of-life products, starting with automobiles
Company names new CEO as it moves from pilot to commercial operations
Sortera Alloys has appointed Michael Siemer as chief executive officer as the company moves from pilot to commercial operations. Founder Nalin Kumar will assume a new role as chief technology officer.
"I couldn't be more pleased to be named CEO of such a great company as it moves from pilot to commercial operations," said Michael Siemer. "At Sortera, we are delivering high-quality materials without the tremendous impact that comes with virgin feedstocks. I am excited to lead this experienced team forward which will have a major impact on the circularity of heavy industry."
Founded by Kumar and Manuel Garcia in 2020, Sortera is using AI and engineering expertise to deliver ideal throughput and purity in its sorting processes, while also keeping costs down. In late 2021, the company received $10 million in new funding led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Building on earlier funding from Chrysalix and the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the funding will continue to go towards scaling operations and growing the team, with initial efforts targeted at high-quality industrial metal recycling from automobiles. The company's first products include sorted aluminum alloy feedstock.
Sortera operates from a 10-acre facility in Fort Wayne, I.N., with its first mass-production plant under development and set to be operational by the summer of 2022. The company has been shipping trial truckloads of aluminum feedstock – cast, sheet, and extrusions – for the past few months from its pilot-scale plant.
Sortera's technology drives new opportunities for multiple industries by generating new recycling products through advanced industrial-scale sortation methods. Creating novel high purity recycled (and up-cycled) metal feedstocks from existing scrap streams enables ready for use supply of metals and alloys for domestic manufacturing.
"We are very proud of what we have accomplished at Sortera to bring circularity to metals markets," said Kumar. "With Michael joining as CEO, I am greatly looking forward to his taking the company to the next level."
Sortera's AI-powered sorters have the capability to both upgrade feedstock streams and also remove unwanted contaminants. The upgraded streams can then be used to make new products in markets ranging from automotive cast and flat-roll products, building and construction, aerospace, and consumer packaging.
Prior to joining Sortera, Siemer served as president of OSIsoft, a data management platform company, where he oversaw the strategic vision and future of OSIsoft, created and led the new executive committee, and supported the company's global revenue growth and subscription transition. Prior to that, Michael was vice president of operations technology at Devon Energy. He also held roles with Sandridge Energy and 3M. Michael holds a BS in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, an MS in electrical engineering from Colorado State University, and an MBA from Oklahoma Christian University.
