MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island Carbon has recently filled two key positions as it moves closer to completing its activated carbon plant in Kawaihae.

Arnie Aistars

Chuck Sharkey joins Big Island Carbon as vice president of business development.

Arnie Aistars completes the executive team as director of marketing and product management.

Big Island Carbon is scheduled to commission its $35 million plant early in 2011 and will start producing activated carbon for a wide range of air, water, and chemical purification applications by the second half of the year.

“As the plant nears completion, it is important to have the right individuals in place to move forward with commercialization of our product,” CEO Rick Vidgen said. “Chuck and Arnie bring the talent and expertise to get this done.”

Sharkey, a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and has an MBA from George Washington University. Prior to joining Big Island Carbon, he filled key executive and consulting roles in a variety of organizations.

Chuck Sharkey

Aistars has 14 years of experience in sales and marketing of specialty chemicals and scientific equipment. He graduated from Rutgers University and has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine.

Big Island Carbon is a start up company that will bring macadamia shell from Big Island macadamia processors together with new technology modified to fit specific requirements.

Two major processes will convert macadamia shell feedstock, currently a largely unused waste product from macadamia processing, into granular activated carbon (GAC) in a biomass conversion process.

The output of this operation will be sold for use in higher value specialty applications in the growing market for GAC in a world increasingly demanding products that clean up gas and liquid phase materials to eliminate pollutants and impurities.

GAC is the product commonly used in water filters and gas masks, and it has a wide variety of other applications. Big Island Carbon is funded by Denham Capital, a private equity firm that focuses on energy.