Entrepreneurial Speaker Series: Bill Winters, President and CEO of NOVUS Wood Group, LP

Bill Winters has been actively involved in the solid waste management business since 1985. He was President and co-founder of Waste Reduction Systems, Inc. (WRS) which became a fully-integrated solid waste management company in Southeast Texas. The company merged with USA Waste Services which later became Waste Management, Inc.

In 1990, WRS began diverting wood debris from its landfills and manufacturing boiler fuel for the forest products industry. In 1999, WRS formed a sister company named NOVUS Wood Group, LP (NOVUS) and began developing an array of useful products from wood material normally destined for landfill disposal. NOVUS operates in Southeast Texas and manufactures large quantities of native mulch, colored mulch, soil amendments, playground fall surface material, erosion control products, and boiler fuel. Winters is the President and CEO of the company.

In 1993, the principals of WRS and Sprint Industries formed Rustin Transportation Company LP (Rustin) to load and transport solid waste from transfer stations located in the Houston metropolitan region to area landfills. The company became the largest solid waste transfer operator in Texas and currently handles in excess of 200,000 tons of solid waste per month. Winters sold his interest in Rustin to Sprint in 2006.

In 2000, the principals and owners of NOVUS formed WoodFuel.com LP, to aggregate quality biomass from a network of suppliers and to deliver carbon neutral renewable energy to the fuel buying community. WoodFuel.com operates in 22 states and performs biomass feedstock feasibility studies for project developers and end-users in the renewable energy market. Winters is the President of the Company’s General Partner.

In 2011, the principals and owners of NOVUS formed Freedom CNG to develop natural gas fueling infrastructure in Texas to provide a clean, affordable, American substitute for gasoline and diesel fuel. Winters is the Managing Director of Freedom Fuel Operating LLC.
Winters received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982.

October 6, 2015
McCoy Hall 119
9:30 - 10:50 a.m.