COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Recycling industry veterans Jill Vaské and Robert Houghton announced that they have together formed Sage Sustainable Electronics LLC (http://www.sageSE.com) in order to set new standards for electronics reuse and repurposing. The pair previously founded Redemtech in 1998, a two-time Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in IT Asset Disposition, leading the company until its sale to Arrow Electronics (ARW) in 2012.
According to Houghton, the electronics industry is headed in the wrong direction when IT assets are retired. “We’re reusing less and recycling more than ever before. Values for used electronics are falling. Ultimately customers and the environment are paying the price.” Sage’s business model uses innovative methods and up-to-the-minute technology to simply reuse more and recycle less of what they receive, improving both financial and environmental results for their customers.
“Our mission is to make the world more sustainable by creating longer life for used electronics,” said Vaské. “Of course financial benefits accrue from improving wasteful practices, but there are also many social benefits from making low cost refurbished electronics available to underserved low income markets.”
Vaské said the two have spent the last two years obsessing about how to improve industry practices. “By starting fresh, we’re able to innovate in ways we only dreamed of before,” she explained. Sage will be the first fully data-driven electronics refurbisher, using “big data” technology, advanced analytics, and workflow automation to increase both efficiency and reuse to unprecedented levels. “Customers will also be more secure,” Vaské stated. “We are building the world’s largest repository of data security information to ensure that every data bearing device is sanitized.”
Not everything about Sage will be different, however, with five of six senior leadership positions filled by former Redemtech executives. “I’m proud of our former business for its customer focus and ability to execute,” said Houghton. “Those critical success factors depend on people, and Jill and I are thrilled to be working with colleagues of many years who share our values and commitment to Sage’s mission.”
The company will launch its national service on January 6, 2015 with three processing facilities—one on each coast, and one at its headquarters in Columbus. Plans are to add additional facilities, one every six months, for the first two years. SageSE will be recruiting to fill customer service, warehouse, and technical positions beginning in September.
Media Contact: Robert Houghton, Sage Sustainable Electronics, (937) 206-9032, [email protected]
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SOURCE Sage Sustainable Electronics
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