MDG News and Updates

Under the Microscope is a member of our Blending Operations Team, Bob Pustejovsky. Bob is one of the team members working in our new facility in Oak Creek, WI and is one of the last employees to handle the very products that leave our shipping docks before arriving at our customer’s location. 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I wasn’t very happy with my previous line of work and was looking to try something completely different. Everything that I had heard about MDG sounded awesome, and I really liked the idea of having a more physically active job instead of just sitting around all day. 2. What does your typical day look like? Most days I’m putting together formulas for either liquid or powder blends. I’m weighing out ingredients and loading them into the mixers to spin. After everything is nicely blended, I collect samples of the formula and we send them to our friends in the lab. They test the samples to ensure we have a quality product and if everything looks good I package and ship it off to our customers. 3. What are you working on right now? Now, I’m getting ready to grind up […]

Not too long ago, a biofertilizer customer came to me frantically and explained, “I need to grow 7 strains of Bacillus in 3 weeks because it’s planting season and I can’t miss this year’s season.” I felt sorry for him, yet I had no choice but to say: “I’m sorry, but we cannot help you. Your timelines just aren’t realistic.” This exact interaction has happened more times than I care to remember. Trust me, I understand how big the opportunities are, especially with row crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat, and it truly pains me not to be able to help. Nevertheless, the size of the market and opportunity doesn’t magically reduce the time needed to optimize the microbial strains. Down the road he went, hoping to find someone who would say yes to his impractical timeline. He found someone who would take his money, but they too were unable to deliver. I would later come to find out that both his product and company didn’t make it. I wish we could have done more; if only they had involved us earlier! We find customers will spend years on strain development to only flush it all down the drain by giving their […]

We had an unexpected and wonderful guest last week! My family and I volunteered to escort the chart topping Christian singer Matthew West to a very special concert at the Milwaukee County House of Correction, an important stop before his show at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds later that night. At the House of Correction, his lyrics touched the hearts of those in attendance. FOX 6 was there to capture it all, and Matthew shared with them, “No matter how messed up this stage of your life might be, this does not have to define you.” After the show, I shared how his song “Do Something” had played a role in creating our Feed, Clean, Save vision, as we also hope that we can make an impact in someone’s life, doing more than just being a business. To our surprise, he was excited to learn more about our efforts. Since we were less than a mile from our Franklin office, we invited him to stop by and talk more. While he was here, he shot a personal video message to one of our employees, who was also inspired by his songs and is currently doing mission work in Haiti. It was such an inspiring day and I will […]

Under the Microscope this month is Josiah Menako, MDG’s Wastewater Technical Service Specialist. Josiah plays a key role on our wastewater treatment team by specializing in servicing and educating our distribution partners for success! 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group (MDG)? While in school, I was working in several research labs and I strongly desired to continue that professionally. In my mind it is the coolest job. I’ve been a scientist at heart since I was a kid. The story of how I specifically got to MDG is pretty unique. I worked at Panera all though high school and a bit during college. A few times a week, I would take the order and make the food for Mike King, his wife Sharron, and their two daughters. Little did I know, Mike was writing the business plan for MDG while he was there. As I got to talking with him more and more, I mentioned that I was going to school for Microbiology and he told me to give him a call someday. One year before graduating, I decided it was time to give him a call and the next thing I knew, I was an intern doing […]

Sona Son is one of Microbial Discovery Group (MDG)’s first employees and was hired back in 2008. Her role has evolved over the past decade, but her passion remains the same: utilizing real science to solve real problems. 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I joined MDG in 2008 as a recent college graduate. Back then, the building was still under construction, so I had to wear a hard hat on my first visit. The conference room where I was interviewed did not even have a conference table – only two folding chairs and a whiteboard! I was drawn to MDG because of that – the opportunities to make an immediate impact and continue to learn and grow. Most of all, I was inspired by Mike King’s passion and enthusiasm toward research and the company’s future potential. 2. What does your typical day look like? This can really vary! In my role, I work across departments and have the opportunity to make a difference on a daily basis. I spend a good portion of my time in meetings where I focus on everything from big picture items to day-to-day challenges. Between problem-solving both short and longer-term R&D ventures, […]

Our QA/QC team is constantly working hard to ensure both of our facilities are running in tip-top shape. Nicole DeGeorge is a key member of this team and most recently played an instrumental role in adding Food Ingredient to the scope of MDG’s HACCP Certification. 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? MDG caught my eye back in 2015. From working in third-party testing labs over a number of years, I already had a lot of regulatory and laboratory experience under my belt. MDG offered a rare opportunity to put some of the more specialized knowledge to use and to start growing my career in a unique way. I was also impressed by their commitment to helping communities near and far. Many companies are all talk when it comes to that sort of thing; on my first visit I was able to see how much they had accomplished through their Feed, Clean, Save (FCS) program. 2. What does your typical day look like? Over the years, this has been changing dramatically. I’m finding myself doing much more than just performing routine testing for our products. Recently, more and more of my time is spent programming/coding and developing technological solutions for handling […]

Lift stations are commonly used as a part of operations across a variety of different industries. While they are extremely useful, they can be difficult to maintain when not cared for properly. At Microbial Discovery Group (MDG), we have spent countless hours in the field with our partners, reviewing their customer’s maintenance challenges, and looking for new ways to innovate. As a result, we were inspired to create a comprehensive approach to lift station treatment that can garner results quickly. LIFT STATION BASICS By design, lift stations are used to pump liquid, typically some form of wastewater or sewage, from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. This process begins when sewage is fed into the station and into an underground well. The well is furnished with several different float switches to detect the volume of sewage present. When the sewage level rises to a predetermined point, the pump begins to propel the sewage upward through a pipe system until it exits the station. From there, the sewage could be arriving to a wastewater treatment plant or to flow downward with gravity until it arrives at the next lift station. In some cases, the pump transports the sewage through a […]

Microbial Discovery Group LLC (MDG) has expanded their HACCP scope which now includes food (human) ingredient. This has been part of their strategic plan and an important milestone in increasing their Bacillus fermentation capabilities. Having a Food Safety Plan and certification creates custom fermentation opportunities for MDG within the $44 Billion human probiotic market. This plan is a vital part of HACCP and the Food Safety Modernization Act and is a complementary piece to MDG’s recent fermentation facility expansion. “We’re excited to add food ingredient to our HACCP approved scope. This couldn’t have come at a better time, as we’re seeing the market space rapidly growing. What other market segments, such as plant and animal have seen over the past two decades is now being realized by the food industry for human consumption. If the trends hold true, we could see the human segment go from a 1% market penetration to well over 50% in a relatively short period of time. The other exciting thing is it offers our current and potential new customers a sense of comfort and peace knowing that the strains that they are purchasing are pure and are grown and monitored within a strict HACCP Program,” said Ardean Veldkamp, MDG […]

Microbial Discovery Group (MDG), a leading Bacillus fermentation company, announced their newest product line, SporActiv™, for the industrial and institutional cleaning market. MDG’s SporActiv liquid and powder product line contains safe ingredients that enhance a variety of residential and commercial cleaning needs. Applications include odor control, floor and tile cleaners, carpets, drains, portable restroom cleaning and more. As the market trends towards environmentally friendly and natural products, biological cleaning solutions will become increasingly prevalent. SporActiv is designed to stay ahead of this trend, bringing a full product line enhanced with both classroom and lab support services. MDG’s customer package includes training materials, lab data, research and more.  “We wanted to create an offering that made it easy for our partners to do business while both meeting and exceeding cleaning manufacturer’s needs.” said Jenna Trusso, Marketing and Business Development. “In order to do that we knew we had to deliver a powerful cleaning ingredient while providing our partners with the speed and support they’ve been missing.” Built upon MDG’s extensive Bacillus library, the SporActiv Product Line includes a variety of different concentrations and bacterial counts. SporActiv also features a two-day shipping line, liquid and powder products, and water-soluble packages making it easy to incorporate the […]

Under the Microscope is Production Manager, Ed Tomassetti. Heading the team at our Oak Creek facility, Ed oversees the blending, packaging, and shipping aspects of our business. 1.  What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I was looking for a company that offered a meaningful product/service and cared as much about its employees as financial success. I found that company in Microbial Discovery Group. 2. What does your typical day look like? I start every day in a production meeting with my team where we set daily goals and discuss issues that need attention. Afterward, I create product blend formulations for customer orders and inventory replenishment. After a little management, I usually review strain inventory to confirm that our fermentation tank schedule will provide strains in the needed order. Afternoons are typically filled with confirming that the day’s shipments have been picked up, answering emails, making phone calls, and purchasing needed materials/packaging. Did I mention lunch? I always manage to squeeze in a little lunch 🙂 3. What are you working on right now? I’m currently focused heavily on strain, finished product, and ingredient/packaging inventories.  I enjoy looking for ways to improve our accuracy and ensure we manage our inventory […]