BRM
Chicago, US · 1 known investors
Beneficial Reuse Management (BRM) designs beneficial reuse programs that turn industrial by-products and waste streams — such as cement kiln dust, by-product gypsum, foundry by-products, lime, biosolids, and recycled wallboard — into value-added products, operating manufacturing facilities and a US distribution network. The company serves utilities, foundries, water-treatment facilities, and agricultural customers across the continental United States.
Also known as Beneficial Reuse Management · BRM
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Beneficial Reuse Management (BRM) is a resource recovery company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that designs and manages beneficial reuse programs for industrial by-products and waste streams. The company identifies waste streams generated by industrial, utility and municipal operators, designs programs to divert those materials from landfills, and executes the programs, including regulatory coordination, program and site management, marketing and distribution. Stated outcomes of the programs include preserved landfill space, conservation of natural resources, reduced CO2 emissions and lower disposal costs for generators.
BRM supplies by-products both in their natural state and as processed, value-added products, with an emphasis on premium-grade soil amendments. Commonly handled materials include cement kiln dust (CKD), gypsum derived from manufacturing processes, foundry by-products, lime and biosolids residuals from municipal water treatment plants and paper mills, and recycled wallboard. The company serves agricultural, building materials, industrial, and utility and municipal end markets. Its processing footprint consists of pellet plants in Caledonia/Racine, Wisconsin (160,000 sq ft); Winona, Minnesota (50,000 sq ft); and Fair Oaks, Indiana (90,000 sq ft), plus drywall recycling plants in Denver, Pennsylvania (35,000 sq ft) and East Chicago, Indiana.
Founding story
Wisconsin adopted first-in-the-nation legislation to encourage and regulate the beneficial use of industrial by-products in 1999; Dave Schuurman founded Beneficial Reuse Management that year to coincide with the new legislation, following a roughly 20-year career in environmental services during which he founded and led Growth Environmental and SETCO Environmental. BRM's first beneficial reuse program was launched in partnership with Waupaca Foundry.
Business model
BRM works with by-product generators such as foundries, power utilities, manufacturers and municipal treatment facilities to design and run beneficial reuse programs as an alternative to landfill disposal, positioning the service as generating savings and avoiding disposal costs for the generator. It also processes collected by-products at its own plants into value-added products, including pelletized dry fertilizer products for agricultural end markets and reclaimed gypsum, which are marketed and distributed through its network.
Traction
The company reports that it diverts and handles roughly 1,500,000 tons of material reused or recycled each year, with cumulative by-product diversion figures cited on its site, and processing capacity of up to 300,000 tons annually across four facilities.
Latest developments
BRM announced a strategic investment from Clairvest, which the company says will support growth and expansion of its reach.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
The company describes itself as a leader in creating and managing beneficial reuse programs for by-product generators nationally, and as a leading marketer and distributor of beneficial reuse products, citing over 20 years of operating history and licenses and permits in 25 states.
BRM combines program design and regulatory navigation with owned processing capacity and a national distribution network, allowing it to handle by-products either in natural form or as processed value-added products such as soil amendments and pelletized fertilizers.
Technology
BRM applies materials science and technical expertise to determine appropriate reuse pathways for non-hazardous by-products and operates permitted processing facilities that convert high-volume waste streams into value-added materials, including pelletized dry fertilizer products and reclaimed gypsum from recycled wallboard.
Go-to-market
The company works directly with industrial partners and generators to identify waste streams and design programs, collaborates with regulators to secure permitting and efficient implementation, and markets and distributes finished products through a distribution network of more than 116 locations across the continental United States. It describes itself as a marketer and distributor of beneficial reuse products in addition to a program operator.
Foundries, power utilities, manufacturers producing gypsum and cement kiln dust, paper mills, municipal water treatment facilities, and buyers of agricultural soil amendments and building materials.
Geography
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with processing plants in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Pennsylvania, a distribution network of over 116 locations across the continental United States, licenses and permits in 25 states, and customer reach across the Midwest, East Coast and South.
History
After its 1999 founding in Chicago, BRM worked with regulators in Indiana and Illinois in 2006 to adopt the Wisconsin framework for relevant industrial by-products, and power plant by-products were confirmed suitable for beneficial reuse. Robert Spoerri joined as CEO in 2008. In 2009 the company acquired Gypsoil, a marketer of by-product gypsum from power plants for agricultural use, and Gypsoil secured long-term agreements with two major utility partners. In 2011 BRM added utility partnerships to market by-product gypsum in five additional states, signed its first non-utility by-product gypsum partner in North Carolina, and launched foundry beneficial reuse programs in several states. Leadership today includes founder and Executive Chairman Dave Schuurman, CEO and President Trevor Schuurman (who joined in 2000 as the company's first salesperson), CFO Nicholas Patrick, and division directors for pelletized products, foundry and mill residuals, and recycled wallboard.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsBRM announced a strategic investment from Clairvest intended to accelerate growth and expand the company's reach. No amount disclosed.
BRM established additional utility partnerships to market by-product gypsum in five more states, secured its first non-utility by-product gypsum partner in North Carolina, and launched foundry beneficial reuse programs in several states.
BRM acquired Gypsoil, described as the leading marketer of by-product gypsum from power plants for agricultural use; Gypsoil subsequently secured long-term agreements with two major utility partners for by-product gypsum.
BRM worked with regulators in Indiana and Illinois to adopt the Wisconsin framework for relevant industrial by-products; power plant by-products were confirmed suitable for beneficial reuse.
Dave Schuurman founded Beneficial Reuse Management in Chicago to coincide with Wisconsin's first-in-the-nation beneficial use legislation, and the company partnered with Waupaca Foundry on its first beneficial reuse program.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- BRMbeneficialreuse.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does BRM do?
- Beneficial Reuse Management designs and operates programs that convert industrial by-products into reusable and value-added materials.
- Who founded BRM?
- BRM was founded by Dave Schuurman.
- Who are BRM's investors?
- BRM's investors include Clairvest Group Inc.
- Where is BRM headquartered?
- BRM is headquartered in Chicago, US.