Innovation

A large amount of Canadian infrastructure was completed post-World War II. It is at, or has surpassed, its original design life and is getting old and tired. There is a huge need to invent improved methods to revamp this infrastructure. Natural resources are also increasingly becoming an issue in this situation.

“We traditionally viewed recycled materials as somewhat low quality, so we challenged ourselves to process materials to be as good as new material,” says Curtis Berthelot, President and Owner of PSI Technologies. PSI Technologies has rehabilitated and reconstructed roads using an innovative construction processes. PSI engages clients with sustainable and innovative road rehabilitation solutions that use alternative materials, are cost-effective, and optimize resources. For example, PSI has developed a significant improvement in methods to recycle old materials such as broken pavement and concrete, and turns them into first class new materials.

Berthelot sees an opportunity for new innovation and believes there is a lot of room for improvement. He sees an opportunity to recycle waste materials in order to make cement and asphalt, because these materials are valuable and will increasingly become a rare commodity as Canadians replace their aging infrastructure. For example, they have developed specifications and protocols to recycle asphalt millings into high value road construction materials.

Berthelot sees this as a fantastic opportunity on a major scale because you can have an impact both locally and globally. One such application of PSI’s new technology, called the “Green Streets” project in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada used funding from Communities of Tomorrow and the City of Saskatoon to demonstrate the effectiveness of recycling materials. The project was highly successful showing that the City of Saskatoon could repair 30% more road surface while saving $4.8 million over a three-year period. In addition, the environmental benefits are significant due to the re-direction of materials from the landfill.

While the primary area of success for PSI has been this engineering of waste material, PSI also recycles tailings from potash mines. Tailings are the waste material left after potash is mined. PSI has developed scientific processes to use by-products in a way that will benefit the environment. The high-end engineering processes and innovative engineering frameworks PSI has discovered allow customers to use waste products to create benefit for society and the environment, save them money, and generate profits for PSI.

According to Dr. Berthelot it is essential to not lose sight of the passion for what you are doing. You need to maintain a clear direction and maintain the passion for what you are doing. The more you put into it, the further you are going to get. You need to also find like-minded people who have the same passion you have to keep the momentum going. You need to assemble the right team.

PSI has had many partners who have helped them. However, Berthelot believes you need to make sure your partner is benefiting as much as or more than you are. Some of the partners the company has had include: clients, Communities of Tomorrow (who have funding and research advisors available), and National Research Council partners.

Berthelot’s next challenge is to determine how to get this technology into the hands of larger international companies. He is considering how to get this technology to other companies, and other industry partners who can benefit. He believes that at some point in the future his company may be acquired or become a part of a larger corporation. If this will benefit society globally he would see this as an exciting opportunity, believing it would be rewarding to see the innovative technologies they have created used internationally.

Inspiration

When asked what the most important messages he would share is, he imparted “it is to not get discouraged. It is really easy to give up. Do not lose your passion and remember the truth that is on your side. Also, in the end, do not let your life dream and passion become tainted by a failed business venture. Ask for help and watch the balance sheet. Sometimes we need to swallow our pride and ask for help but it is a small price to pay if you are trying to make a positive impact on society and the environment through a business. You need to stay true to your passion, your dream, and innovation.”

Overall impact

Material sciences of recycling materials for construction has been their largest success. Berthelot believes the biggest innovation that has had a positive impact is the recycling of materials for civil infrastructure projects. It has evolved there and elsewhere. Interestingly this process is now being applied to the mining sector as well. They have developed a platform science technology which is being used to solve problems elsewhere, like recycling mining wastes for example.

Now the company is looking at other areas that they can apply the science they have developed. It gives them a competitive advantage because they are more technically advanced than anyone else they have come up against in the market place. They are not the biggest, but they are the most technologically advanced at recycling infrastructure waste materials into “like new” materials for infrastructure application. Everyone wants to drive to work on smooth roads, in order to achieve that goal, while at the same time using fewer financial resources, recycled materials need to be used. Berthelot believes this allows us to have more resources for schools and health care.

Business benefit

Corporate Culture, Employee Recruitment, Engagement and Retention, Learning and Skill development, Operations Efficiency.

Social and environmental benefit

Community Development, Human Health, Labor.

Interview

Curtis Berthelot, President and Owner of PSI Technologies