Board of Directors
Daniel J. Edwards - Ceo/President
Dan Edwards is CEO/President of Transtech Industries, Inc. (TRTI). Mr. Edwards brought a new management team to the company in 2012. He led the team that settled pending law suits, created new revenue streams, and forged new and vital relationships with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and local and state government officials. Transtech is now a very profitable and respected going concern with a bright future.
Previously, Mr. Edwards pioneered new products and technologies across a broad range of industries including energy, environmental sciences, life sciences, and information technology. He has also worked within highly regulated environments serving as spokesman in New Jersey for Duke Energy Generation Services, and as a corporate officer for NUI, and AGL Resources, Inc.
Mr. Edwards’s career began with a series of sales and marketing positions within E.I DuPont, and 3M. He later held leadership positions in several successful start-up companies.
His economic development activities on New Jersey’s behalf include accompanying Governor Christine Todd Whitman and members of her cabinet on trade missions to both South America and the Far East. During the reconstruction of the Balkans, he accompanied the chair of the New Jersey Assembly Environment Committee and officials from NJEDA to Athens, Greece to establish a New Jersey foreign trade office there. Mr. Edwards is a former president of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation in Holmdel, New Jersey.
A graduate of Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School and Drexel University in Philadelphia, Mr. Edwards completed the senior executive finance program at Oxford University Oxford, England. Mr. Edwards has served as adjunct faculty at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Mr. Edwards was a champion scholastic and collegiate oarsman and coach. He served in the United States Army and is a highly decorated combat veteran; he ended his service with the rank of Captain.
Gary S. DeFranco - Vice President of Operations
Gary DeFranco is a results-oriented Environmental Professional with accomplishments in waste management, innovative self-financing site remediation projects, independent power production, industrial wastewater treatment, and industrial site clean-ups. Proven skills and abilities include Innovative Project Development and Management, New Business Ventures, Market Analysis, Comprehensive Project Permitting, Contract Negotiations, Political and Public Relations and Operations Management.
Mr. DeFranco has held positions in Environmental Science since 1975, beginning as an Intern with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Resources. Since then, he has held various management positions, notably Supervisor of Solid Waste Programs, Middlesex County Department of Solid Waste Management, Manager of Technical Services, United Environmental Services, Inc., Operations Manager for Edgeboro Disposal, Inc. Mr. DeFranco is currently the Vice President of Operations for Transtech Industries, Inc. and Kinsley’s Landfill, Inc. (KLI)
Mr. DeFranco has been involved with the Kinsley’s Landfill, Inc. operations for over four decades and is one of the critical KLI Team Members who successfully developed and implemented an economically sustainable custodial care project that has given KLI the financial strength to care for the facility for years to come. The KLI project was recognized and received a 2022 NJ SWANA Sustainability Award.
He is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science, specializing in the management and operations of Industrial Wastewater Treatment Systems at remediation sites, Landfills and Sewage Treatment Facilities. He has Co-managed the Design, Installation and Operational Management of various Landfill Gas Control and Alternate Energy Recovery Facilities in the tri-state region with capital costs ranging from 50K to 2.5 million. Experiences include supervision of Superfund site remediation projects, Landfill Closure and Post-Closure Programs, and Operation and Maintenance Activities. He has managed the Permitting and Operation of Innovative Self-Financed Landfill Re Grading Programs and Environmental Improvement Projects in compliance with New Jersey State environmental regulations.
Gary is a Licensed Glider Pilot, a New Jersey Licensed Weight Master and N-3 Industrial Systems Operator.
Thomas D. Parente - Consultant /Acting CFO
Thomas Parente graduated from Drexel University in 1970 with a B.S. in Accounting and was awarded the Certificate of Public Accountancy (CPA) in 1971.
Mr. Parente was employed at KPMG (one of the four major Public Accounting firms in the US) for eighteen years, attaining the status of Audit Partner. While at KPMG and in addition to his normal client service in auditing and tax, he assisted Clients in (a) filing their initial public offering of stock; (b) Provided financing reporting assistance on high-risk matters; (c) Provided hands-on accounting and tax advice on acquisitions and sales of businesses; and aided in negotiations with regulatory authorities.
After leaving Public Accounting, Mr. Parente was employed at Suvar Corporation, a specialty chemical manufacturer with multiple locations, as the Treasurer and CFO. Major responsibilities included co-managing the business with the Owner and providing all the top-level accounting, financial and administrative reporting. Participated in the negotiations and sale of this business.
After the sale of Suvar Corporation, Mr. Parente was employed at Ole Hansen & Sons, Inc., a real estate holding company that operated and developed land-based assets, as the Director of Corporate Development. Major responsibilities included
(a) advisor to the Owner on all major transactions and opportunities as to structuring, financing, taxes, feasibility analysis (go/no go decisions), investment and divestitures
(b) provided project management and analysis and pro-forma modeling
(c) developed and managed an alternative energy program utilizing Solar Energy on Company property which provided a significant rate of return to the Company including obtaining a 10-year futures contract for the sale of SRECs. After Ole Hansen, Mr. Parente formed a Consulting Company and in 2012, was hired by Transtech Industries Inc. to provide accounting and financial assistance. During this consulting tenure, Mr. Parente assisted the new Management (Dan Edwards and Gary Defranco) with the following services:
(a) assistance to prevent bankruptcy by obtaining funding from the collection of unpaid insurance proceeds from previous settlements of environmental litigation, and other unpaid receivables along with increased revenue and reduced costs. In addition, developed a banking relationship that resulted in a credit facility, which permitted Kinsley’s Landfill to continue to operate its material fill operation as part of meeting its Posts closure care obligation. In addition, obtained a payment extension of its prior federal tax obligations.
(b) aided in developing a line of communication with the NJDEP Escrow Department that permitted Kinsley Landfill Inc. to gain approval of its 10yr financial plan. Approval of this financial plan permitted Kinsley to move forward with its Regrading Project and Solar Lease Project.
(c) Participated in the contract negotiations with PSE&G for Kinsley Landfill in obtaining two (2) twenty (20) year leases that permitted PSE&G to install 11.8 MW of solar on the top of the Kinsley landfill. These leases will provide Transtech with approximately twenty-five (25) million dollars in revenue over the initial term of the lease, and each lease had two 5-year extensions that would add an additional thirteen (13) million dollars of revenue. The cost related to these leases is minimal.
(d) Acting as CFO, during this tenure by providing accounting, financial and tax advice, including assistance in the preparation of monthly consolidated financial statements along with monthly detail reports on key operational matters, and all culminating in an Annual Report document. Also, participated in meetings with the Board on all financial and accounting matters.
(e) Assisted in the use of over 6-million dollars of federal tax carryforwards occurring prior to 2012.
(f) Monitored the approved withdrawals and receipts of funding from three NJDEP Escrow accounts to assure such activity was in-line with the previously filed Financial Plan with the NJDEP.
(g) Participated with management and the NJDEP in the turn- around of the operation of a closed Kinsley’s landfill from losses in 2010, 2011, 2012 into revenues of twenty-five (25) million dollars with an operating profit of 50% from 2013 to 2023. Mr. Parente is currently operating as CFO and working with management to obtain an addition extension of Kinsley’s Landfill Closure and Post Closure Plan through the approval of twelve (12) foot height extensions to the landfill that will produce approximately (1) million tons of revenue producing fill material that may equate to ten (10) to thirteen (13) million dollars of revenue.