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How to Increase Your Sales

Could you benefit from higher income per sales hour? Lower hours spent per close? Higher close rates? This is what’s possible when you distribute quality, science-backed bioaugmentation solutions that are paired with an easy-to-understand, product education program for your sales team. Premium Solutions + Effective Training = Success At MDG, we’ve taken the time to work with the scientific community to not only understand what’s taking place inside wastewater systems, but also how to improve the efficiencies within.  This knowledge of the wastewater industry has helped us develop products and an effective training program that allow you to increase your sales while expanding business with your current customers. At MDG our tagline is Real Science, Trusted Process and Proven Success. MDG refines and delivers products and ideas by applying Real Science to a Trusted Process, yielding Proven Success. Here’s a look at what’s possible when you partner with a wastewater treatment manufacturer like MDG and distribute Biotifx® solutions. Sales Per Hour When selling Biotifx® solutions, specifically for lagoon treatment, a team of 5 sales representatives can typically expect to make $1,042 per hour on average after 1-6 months of onboarding. After 7-12 months, that dollar amount typically increases to about $2,083 per hour. These numbers are based on historic data and are possible when your team completes our thorough […]

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Under the Microscope, MDG’s Industrial & Institutional Sales Manager: Jenna Trusso

Jenna Trusso, Industrial & Institutional Sales Manager, is always ready to offer a helping hand. We recently sat down with the head of our Feed Clean Save program to learn more about how it has grown and what’s planned for the future What is the MDG Feed Clean Save Committee? MDG’s vision is to Feed, Clean and Save the World. While our products do that each and every day, our employees also like to extend efforts locally through volunteer projects. The FCS Committee is a group of employees who plan and execute activities in support of our local community. Each organization we work with contributes to an aspect of FCS. In addition to volunteer projects, the FCS Committee also keeps our vision top of mind for employees as it is a huge part of our culture. We like to say that everyone can make a difference, but only through action… the FCS committee is all about action. What is your role in the committee? Alongside the other members of the FCS committee, I assist in setting goals for the year, help to plan activities and participate in all events. As head of the committee, I get to take on a […]

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Resolving Toxic Upsets: Quats in Wastewater

Earlier in this article series, we touched on how bioaugmentation treatments for wastewater have been around for 50+ years to help resolve toxic upsets. We also explored how Bacillus, a certain genus of bacteria that can be used in microbial treatments, are resilient to oxidizers. Today, we’ll examine how Bacillus are resistant to another powerful but non-oxidizing anti-microbial: Quats. What are Quats? Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC, also referred to as “Quats”) are potent disinfectant ingredients found in both household and industrial cleaners. Some common examples are benzalkonium chlorides (BAC, BZK, BKC), alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides (ADBAC) and several other compounds identified by the words ‘ammonium chloride’ at the end of their names. How Quats Work Quats kill bacteria by puncturing or disorganizing the cell membrane, leading to interior component leakage and ultimately cell death. The use of Quats is especially common in food processing plants as tools for combating bacterial growth and contamination in the end-product. While this is effective for facility sanitization, it can potentially lead to problems in wastewater systems as they depend upon their inherent microbial community to function properly. Effects of Quats in Wastewater When a toxic substance like a Quat enters a wastewater system, it can drastically alter the […]

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Optimizing WAS Holding Systems

Before we walk through how to help your customers optimize their WAS holding systems, it’s important to understand how they work. How does a WAS Holding System work? Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) holding systems are a common part of operations in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). A WAS holding system, typically in the form of a sludge tank or lagoon, holds sludge after it has been wasted or removed from a clarifier. WAS systems may have aeration and mixing to help digest more sludge before hauling. Some systems will only hold sludge until it’s hauled away (liquid disposal), while others will concentrate the sludge by periodically allowing the sludge to settle and remove water from the top (decanting). After the sludge leaves the WAS holding system, it’s dewatered through a sludge press and disposed of or hauled as liquid. Getting to the Bottom of It If you ask an operator if they have any pains or issues, they may say, “I don’t”. However, they may not know if they do if their system has consistently under-performed and it’s always been that way. Typically, until they see a 20-50% reduction in sludge hauling along with reduced odor and labor costs, they may continue to think […]

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Identifying Pathogenic Potential – Aquaculture America Conference: Feb 9-12th

Sona Son, Technical Manager at Microbial Discovery Group, presents a new MDG Technology Development at the Aquaculture America Conference Feb 9-12th, 2014.  See poster abstract below.  If you’re dealing with problems associated with Vibrio aquaculture pathogens, we look forward to discussing our work with you.  Please contact us at info@mdgbio.com. COMBINING THE USE OF WHATMAN FTA CARDS AND DIAGNOSTIC PCR ASSAYS TO DETERMINE THE PATHOGENIC POTENTIAL OF SHRIMP WATER SAMPLES SHIPPED OVERSEAS Sona Son, Amy Lange, Heather Behn and Michael King Microbial Discovery Group and JBS United Pathogenic Vibrio spp. are a major economic concern in the shrimp industry causing global losses of approximately $3 billion USD annually. To find potential Vibrio minimizing strategies, a thorough and regular study of virulent Vibrio species collected from shrimp ponds is required. Studies of virulent Vibrio from the field is impeded by changes in the microbial community during sample transport and current field testing methods that do not accurately assess Vibrio virulence. In this study, the use of Whatman FTA (fast technology for analysis of nucleic acids) cards to preserve Vibrio community DNA during transport was combined with a Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio campbellii haemolysin virulence gene based multiplex PCR assay1. Successful protocols will later give rise […]

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Microbial Discovery Group Completes Expansion

Microbial Discovery Group (MDG) LLC celebrated the expansion of their R&D and production facility with a ribbon cutting on August 5th.  Microbial Discovery Group (MDG), founded in 2007 in their current location in Franklin, WI, needed to expand to meet demand for new opportunities for microbial-based products and solutions. MDG added a second laboratory and expanded the MDG facilities and workspaces to double the number of possible employees and accelerate the rate of technology development.  This expansion was on the heels of manufacturing expansion and processing changes that almost doubled capacity the year before.  According to MDG founder, Michael King, Ph.D., “As MDG continues to scale-up to meet demand; the number of team members has grown from 2 to 20 employees making this expansion an absolute necessity.  We needed to make room for the second laboratory but most importantly needed to house our most valuable asset, our people.”  MDG’s talented team includes scientists, engineers, technical support, production, business development and customer service. The $500,000 expansion and facility update added an additional 3500 square feet of laboratory and office space for two recently hired microbiologists, one admin position and additional interns. MDG is currently recruiting two more scientists, a production manager and a regulatory/international registration […]

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Constantly Developing New Products!

I am amazed by all of the studies and tests taking place in our lab to develop new and improved products. This really keeps our customers on the cutting edge of new technology. Just when I think we have found the final solution to a major problem area for one of our partners, we continue working to find something even better. It seems like everyone at Microbial Discovery Group has an obsession with solving problems, while others just seem to stop working after they find one solution that works pretty well. This year alone, we have developed so many new products, some we currently offer, and others should be available shortly. Don’t hesitate to ask if we have a product that works in a particular situation, you may be very surprised to find out that we have it currently on stability testing. I look forward to your call! – Michael Davis

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Industrial and Institutional

Bacillus Utilize VFAs as an Energy Source

If your customer is smelling the result of decomposing organic matter, such as feces, other bodily fluids, dairy, meat, or plant-based materials, chances are they’re smelling a Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA). Figure 1. Common odors associated with VFAs. VFAs are organic acids produced by the microbial metabolism of biomass and food waste; such as dietary fiber, starch, protein, and amino acids. To beat these odors, certain strains of Bacillus have the ability to breakdown VFAs, thereby helping to reduce the problem at the source. At Microbial Discovery Group (MDG) an in-vitro study was conducted to measure the growth of our Bacillus strains in the presence of VFAs. SporActiv® Foundation was grown in media containing acetate and a combination of common VFAs found in the I&I market; acetate, butyrate, propionate, valerate, isovalerate, and isobutyrate. These VFAs were chosen because of their known connection to unpleasant odors.   RESULTS Figure 2. Increase in growth of SporActiv® Foundation grown in media containing acetate, or a combination of six VFAs. The results show that growth of SporActiv® Foundation Bacillus increased by more than 50% when acetate was present, and by more than 100% when the six VFAs were present (Figure 2). The addition of these VFAs allowed for increased Bacillus growth, indicating the […]

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Industrial and Institutional

What’s Your SPEC?

As consumers, we constantly search for a particular level of quality in everything we purchase. From toilet tissue, cleaning products, or microbial products, there is an expectation to deliver upon standards. Those standards are established through trust, and it’s incredibly important to uphold that trust to keep the customer coming back. MDG is passionate about delivering a product that meets that high and personal standard. A standard we achieve each time through our trusted processes and quality control (QC) testing. Compatible ingredients such as preservatives, dyes, surfactants, and fragrances are recommended from a list of stability tested ingredients guaranteeing a two-year shelf life. Once an existing or newly formulated product is created, its blended and the SPECs (specifications) are tested via our quality control lab. SPECS such as the effective amount of bacteria for the application, factors that prevent spoilage (pH and preservatives), and making sure there are no unwanted organisms such as pathogens present in the final product. The SPECS are essential to consider the level of quality when QC checks a concentrated Bacillus product, see below:   CFU: AKA, CFU/g or ‘Colony Forming Units’ per gram.  This value represents the actual number of culturable cells in a gram of material. This […]

MDG Bio

Industrial and Institutional

More Bacillus Strains to be Available on the Domestic Substance List

MDG has completed its obligation to notify under the New Substance Notification Regulations (Organisms) for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on strains of Bacillus. Once imported into Canada the strains will be added to the Domestic Substance List (DSL) increasing MDG’s product offering into Canada. Adding these additional strains to the DSL will allow for more products from MDG to be available, focusing on core brands, Biotifx® for Wastewater Treatment and SporActiv® for the Industrial and Institutional market, to be sold in Canada. What is the Domestic Substance List: The Domestic Substance List (DSL) is an inventory of all chemical (and microorganism) substances manufactured in, or imported into, Canada on a commercial scale. 1 The DSL does not cover microorganisms that are regulated by other agencies such as those in food, feed, and fertilizer. The list was originally published in May 1994 with 23,000 substances included. 1 Today the list is at 28,000 substances, including microorganisms, and growing. 3 MDG Bacillus Strain on the DSL: Microorganisms, like MDG’s Bacillus, already exist on the DSL. Each microorganism strain is a unique substance, and each must be reviewed on its own merits for safety. The New Substance Notification (NSN) risk assessment includes general information on the strain, its ecological and biological characteristics, […]

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