CNE Direct Designates Ohio for New Facility
In choosing a location for its new plant, CNE Direct kept downstream movement in mind. This is typical of ITAD companies who wish to reduce costs and lessen the environmental impact of collecting used electronics. Placing facilities close to clients greatly helps target these goals.
“We needed a location that would optimize the logistics and the carbon footprint spend, not just on the way in but on the way out,” Omur Bagci, of CNE Direct, stated.
At the beginning of this year, the Boston-based IT asset management and disposition company ended operations at its 50,000-square-foot facility near Salem, Mass., shifting focus to a larger site near Columbus Ohio.
By January, the company’s new 100,000-square-foot Ohio plant was fully operational and processing electronics.
New Location Details
When speaking to E-Scrap News, Bagci noted that the new Columbus-area facility is twice the size of the old site in Massachusetts, and uses more automation. This is significant upgrade which has tripled the organization’s throughput capabilities.
CNE reports that the new plant is, “a modern 93,000 sq. ft. facility featuring secure industrial processing space, expansive warehouse storage, efficient conveyor system, and spacious shipping and receiving capabilities. The new facility compliments a global network of offices and facilities located throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.”
He mentioned that there were about 120 staff members employed at the plant, which is subject to a prolonged lease agreement.
A Fully Certified Site
In addition to its launch, the site has met critical industry standards such as R2v3, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.
Adherence to R2v3 certification, better known as Sustainable Electronics & Recycling (R2) Standard v3, helps with an effective management of used IT assets which are intended for resale in global markets.
This entails ensuring downstream vendor management, appropriate data sanitization, and testing and repairing of such equipment before it reaches customers. These measures play an integral role in proper management of the technology lifecycle.
CNE is proud to announce that the company has also been awarded certifications, “to the ISO 9001 quality management system, ISO 14001 environmental management system, and ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system.”
“The combination of these important industry certifications speaks volumes that CNE’s processes and procedures have been thoroughly vetted by an independent certification agency,” Stated Bagci.
“We pride ourselves on delivering our customers an exceptional level of quality and security, and these standards establish a baseline to insure we have the right policies and procedures in place to ensure we deliver for our customers each and every day.”
Omur Bagci Named CEO
Paul Knight is the founder of CNE Direct and principal owner, with operations based in Memphis, Tenn.; Hoofddorp, Netherlands; and Hong Kong.
And as of December, Bagci was promoted to CEO of CNE Direct.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Omur Bagci to the position of Chief Executive Officer at CNE Direct,” Paul Knight, Founder and Chairman, CNE Direct stated.
“Omur is the right leader for CNE, demonstrating himself as an innovative and transformational entrepreneur, guiding CNE to fulfill our mission of being a prescriptive, full-service IT lifecycle partner for technology driven companies. With Omur’s appointment to this key role, we are committed to our digital strategy bolstered by our demonstrated customer focus.”
“Hub-and-Spoke” Model
According to Bagci many processors tend to utilize a “hub-and-spoke” model by setting up locations near the sources of used electronics. In fact, during an exchange with one computer chip producer, the customer pointed out how critical it was for CNE Direct to have a nearby facility.
But when CNE Direct decided to enhance its website, the firm also thought about the effectiveness of getting secondary electronics out into the market. Taking this into account, CNE sought to create a platform which would help the company to expand its reach.
Bagci reported that the vast majority of electronics reaching CNE Direct remain operational, and are then resold. Electronic devices in data centers, which form the basis of the business, can be bought by end user customers, integrated partners, and electronics manufacturers.
“End-of-Runway” Service
To save on costs and emissions, CNE Direct opted for an “end-of-runway” service, situated near a major airport hub. Columbus, Ohio was chosen due to its strategic position. It was additionally determined that deliveries from this site would drastically cut down on the amount of added flight activity required to get CNE’s products in circulation.
“Instead of running hub-and-spoke, we’re basically running point-to-point,” he said.
He emphasized that this approach stands out when dealing with commodities of considerable worth. Furthermore, Bagci conceded that CNE Direct would need to be closer to its suppliers should it decide to recycle a greater number of incoming devices.
