About Us
Envires LLC is a Kentucky limited liability company that is commercializing a breakthrough gasification technology trademarked HyMelt®. This exciting new technology utilizes molten iron as a reaction medium. It promises to be the “next generation” in gasification.
HyMelt® advantages include substantially lower capital and operating costs, and greater operating flexibility and efficiency. It offers the feedstock flexibility to gasify a broad range of coals, petroleum coke, heavy oil, and biomass with greater efficiency than current technologies.
A description of the HyMelt® process is presented in the HyMelt® Technology section of this website.
Management
EnviRes has an experienced management team with extensive executive, technical and operations experience in the energy industry. Brief biographies of key personnel follow.
Dr. Thomas C. Holcombe – President & CEO
Dr. Holcombe recently assumed the position of President and CEO of EnviRes. He is also the founder and President of THolcombe LLC, a consulting company specializing in business and technical development for technology companies. From 2000 to 2003, he was a commercial director at Engelhard Corporation, where he had P&L responsibility for a $200 million global business providing mobile emission catalysts for heavy-duty diesel, motorcycles and small engines. His business won 40% of the US 2007 heavy duty diesel market and took all of Caterpillar’s and Harley-Davidson’s global business away from competitors. Earlier, he managed the PremAir® business and led the creation of “market attack teams” in Engelhard’s New Ventures Group.
From 1995 to 2000, Dr. Holcombe was President and CEO of EnviRes LLC, a start-up company created to develop the HyMelt® gasification process. He negotiated an exclusive license agreement for HyMelt with Ashland Oil, the original developers of the technology. EnviRes has been awarded millions of dollars in grants from the DOE and state agencies and has successfully demonstrated the HyMelt process at one-third commercial scale.
In the early 90s, Dr. Holcombe was President of American Biotherm Company, a technology development and licensing company focused on evaporative drying and solvent extraction. Earlier, Dr. Holcombe was an associate director of technology with Union Carbide Corporation, where his department developed, designed and licensed processes to Amoco Oil, Exxon, Shell Oil, Texaco, and over 30 other licensees around the world. His first job after college was in the International Division for Asia and Latin America at Procter & Gamble.
Dr. Holcombe has a B.S. in chemical engineering, an MBA and a DPS (Doctor of Professional Studies) in operations research and international business. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey and is an inventor in 14 issued U.S. patents and one pending U.S. patent application.
Thomas M. Ward – VP of Business Development
Thomas M. Ward is a former Kentucky state senator who, while serving on the committee for environmental protection, realized the need for a technology that could utilize Kentucky coal and biomass in a manner that was economically attractive and friendly to the environment. Upon learning of the HyMelt® process being developed at Ashland Oil (at that time the largest industrial corporation in Kentucky), and meeting the inventor, Don Malone, Mr. Ward realized the potential that this new process had for Kentucky. Accordingly, he founded EnviRes LLC in 1995 to hold exclusive rights to and commercialize the technology. In the past, he has served in various positions with EnviRes, including President/CEO.
In addition to his work with EnviRes over the past several years, Mr. Ward has served as a member of the University of Kentucky Institutional Review Board, which approved applications for federal grants for the UK hospital, medical center and the Veterans Administration Hospital, reviewing grant requests in the hundreds of millions. He also served as a college instructor, teaching at Midway College of Kentucky and in the evening division of the University of Kentucky. Mr. Ward graduated with a degree in history from Louisiana State University, where he also did some graduate studies.
Donald P. Malone – VP and Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Malone is the inventor of the EnviRes HyMelt® process. Don has a B.S. and M.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky, and 30 years experience in R&D and refinery operations with Ashland Petroleum and Marathon Ashland Petroleum. During this period he served as Assistant Technical Manager and Technical Manager for the H-Coal direct coal liquefaction plant, a $300 million coal liquefaction pilot plant; as a research, process and project engineer; and as a plant manager.
Don retired from Marathon Ashland Petroleum in 2000 as Senior Research Associate. He is an inventor in 25 U.S. patents. Don is a professional engineer and a member of AIChE, with several publications to his credit.
T. Morgan Ward, Jr. Esq – Chief Legal Counsel
Morgan Ward is a member of Stites & Harbison PLLC and focuses his practice on business litigation, including contracts and real estate related litigation. He is a graduate of Davidson College with B.A. in economics (1985), and the University of Kentucky College of Law (1989). He joined Stites & Harbison in 1989 and has handled a variety of federal and state court litigation matters involving the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, various types of contractual disputes, and litigation connected with the expansion of Louisville's International Airport. He is an AV-rated lawyer, the highest designation awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, and was listed in the Kentucky Super Lawyers 2007 magazine for excellence in commercial litigation.
Mr. Ward is a 2003 graduate of the Leadership Kentucky program. In 2002, he was recognized by Business First as one of “40 under Forty” business leaders in Louisville. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy and the Legal Aid Society, where he is a past board chair. He is a past member of the Louisville Bar Association (2006-2008) and the Metropolitan Housing Coalition.
Scott Smith – Environmental and Administrative Consultant
Scott Smith is the founder and a principle of Smith Management Group. Founded in 1989, Smith Management Group (SMG) is in the business of helping companies improve their immediate and long term health and stability by offering services in four key strategic areas: Environmental Management; Health & Safety / Industrial Hygiene; Management Consulting; and Information Technology.
Scott is the former Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. In this capacity he oversaw the Kentucky Departments of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, Labor and Public Protection.
Mr. Smith is a permitting and regulatory expert, with the unique credentials of having broad experience in both the environment and business management.
Sara G Smith – Grant Coordinator
Sara Smith has served as President of Smith Management Group for four years and previously dedicated over 15 years as Vice President and Counsel to the firm. She negotiates all contracts with clients and contractors. She analyzes project risk management, provides ongoing analysis of legal developments in the environmental arena and directs interpretation of environmental regulations. Ms. Smith provides consulting services to SMG clients with regard to regulatory issues and interface with agencies.
Ms. Smith received the first legal fellowship granted by the Institute for Mining and Minerals Research under Title III of the Federal Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. Prior to her legal practice, she worked as a title abstractor for an oil & gas exploration and development company and as a surveyor. Since beginning legal practice, she has developed experience as a transactional attorney, a certified mediator and as the senior manager for Smith Management Group.
Ms. Smith has a B.A. from Temple University and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. She is admitted to the Kentucky Bar, is a Certified Mediator and has several professional publications and presentations to her credit.
Dennis Wend – Federal Grant Advisor
Mr. Wend currently serves as the President of Wend & Associates Inc., a technology based consulting company working with various government agencies and private sector firms to optimize leveraging activities. Prior to this, he served over 27 years as a civilian with the U.S. Army in various jobs in procurement, logistics, weapon system management, product management. As Executive Dir of the National Automotive Center, Mr. Wend developed collaborative dual use technology programs that involved the U.S. military, industry and/or academia working together and administered approximately $200 million in annual R&D funds. By leveraging these funds, he was able to foster emerging technologies into the U. S. military ground vehicles and reduce the cost of their ownership. Mr. Wend retired in January 2007 as a distinguished executive.
Mr. Wend was the recipient of the Meritorious Civilian Medal, the Secretary of the Army Competition in Contracting Award, the AMC Commanders Medal, Federal Manager of the Year Award, the Secretary of Transportation Award and numerous other awards. Mr. Wend serves the Michigan Governor by sitting on the Strategic Economic Investment and Commercialization Board and supports the community by serving on the Ennis Center for children Board and the Marine City Creating Entrepreneurial Cities Team.
Wend’s has a master’s degree from Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree from the Detroit Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of the Department of Defense System Management College and a lifetime member of the Association of the United States Army.
Dr. Burtron H. Davis – Technical Advisor
Dr. Davis is the Associate Director of the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, in Lexington. In a career of 35 years in chemical science, Dr. Davis has specialized in the production of synfuels and analysis of synfuel products. He is an internationally recognized expert in the effect of coal structure on direct and indirect liquefaction and catalysis in coal conversion. Dr. Davis is the co-author of a text on the Fischer-Tropsch process. He serves on an advisory board of Sasol, the global leader in coal-to-liquids based in South Africa.
Dr. Burtron H. Davis obtained his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Florida and was a Research Associate under Professor Paul H. Emmett at The Johns Hopkins University. He is responsible for catalysis, Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis and direct coal liquefaction research at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research. Burt created a program that involved both academic research and cooperative research with industry. He has developed a laboratory with extensive capability in the use of radioactive and stable isotopes in reaction mechanism studies and materials characterization and developed research programs in: Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, surface science studies, heterogeneous catalysis, materials science, organic analysis, 1/4 ton per day direct coal liquefaction pilot plant operation, liquefaction mechanistic studies, clean gasoline reforming with superacid catalysts, and upgrading naphthas. Dr. Davis has held various offices and membership in several professional societies including the American Chemical Society, The Catalysis Society, and the Materials Research Society. He is the recipient of the H. H. Storch Award for 2002. He is also the author of more than 450 technical publications.