RMDZ Business Success Story

California Bio-Mass

View Video (4 min., Windows Media, multiple bit rate)

What do you get when you mix green waste, liquid waste from food processing plants, and gypsum wall board? At California Bio-Mass you get a rich organic soil amendment...and a profitable business.

Dave Hardy and his brother Michael started California Bio-Mass in 1991. They now have 45 employees and two locations and are an important part of helping California cities meet their diversion goals.

California Bio-Mass is located in the High Desert Recycling Market Development Zone. This four-minute video shows how John Davis, the zone administrator, helped California Bio-Mass lease 25 acres of land next to a wastewater treatment facility. The timing was perfect. The Victor Valley Water Reclamation Authority was in the market for a company that needed reclaimed water, and California Bio-Mass was in the market for water. It was an ideal match.

In addition to helping California Bio-Mass find a perfect location, the RMDZ program loaned the company $900,000 to purchase commercial real estate, for capital improvements, equipment purchases, and working capital. At a rate of 5.3 percent instead of 8 percent that was available on a conventional loan, the RMDZ loan saved California Bio-Mass $250,000.

"It’s a tremendous program," said Dave Hardy. "The RMDZ program is integral to our business. You’re losing out on a competitive edge if you don’t use it. It makes good business sense."

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Last updated: November 01, 2007