America's Premier Anaerobic Digester Construction Company

At Regenis, we've evolved over 40 years, but our values have remained constant-an unwavering commitment to honesty, integrity, reliability and service to our customers, partners and employees.

Having already been well known for building farm equipment, general contracting, metal fabrication and commercial/industrial plumbing, Andgar co-owners Andy Mellema and Gary Van Loo were presented with a new challenge in 2002. A local dairy farmer was considering a relatively new technology to capture methane from cow manure and turn it into biogas for electricity to send to the power grid.

Andy and Gary took the idea back to their team, challenging them to use their decades of construction expertise to bring the project to reality. After researching different digester technologies all over the world, they found one they could stand behind, a mixed-plug flow digester recently patented by an American company, DVO Inc.

The concept of turning farm economics on its head and being able to live their own values of stewardship for the planet excited Andy and Gary so much, they went back to the farmer with the designs, diagrams and cost estimates, and then they did something very unusual for most companies-they invested their own money in the project.

The partnership paid off, and over the last 12 years a dairy in Lynden, Washington has been reliably producing electricity from the only 100% American designed and built digester on the planet. Meanwhile, Andgar completed another 11 digester projects in Washington, Oregon and Idaho and has partnered with Washington State University's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources to study and engineer additional ways anaerobic digester technology can be used to turn organic waste into valuable products like biofertilizer to save farmers money or to be sold as an additional sources of revenue.

Now with Andy and Gary transitioning out of the daily grind after 40 years of serving their clients with honesty, integrity and quality, the company has looked to its team to provide a new generation of leadership, committed to those same values and ready to lead the company over new horizons with a new name that better reflects Andgar's renewable energy division-Regenis.

"Regenis symbolizes both the rebirth of our planet's reusable organic resources and the new leadership propelling the company with a continued ethic to leave our land better for the next generation."

Todd Kunzman

Owner

Todd has served as General Manager of the Andgar Corporation for the last seven years, during which time the company built 11 anaerobic digesters. Prior to his arrival at Andgar, Todd spent 17 years as a Director of Operations and Plant Manager for manufacturing and timber companies. Originally from Oregon, Todd received B.S degrees in Decision Science and Management from the University of Oregon. When not at the office or on the job site, Todd spends time with his family, cheering them on in all their activities and enjoying the outdoors in any way possible.

Bryan VanLoo

Vice President

Over the last 22 years, Bryan has served the Andgar Corporation in various management roles, including as a frequent public speaker at industry conferences and trade shows about the mechanics and benefits of digester technology. He takes great pride in being part of the team that developed the first dairy anaerobic digester in the state of Washington. Today, his focus is the design, marketing, sales, and project management of the company's renewable energy projects. When he's not immersed in his passion for building, Bryan, his wife, Tressa, a speech therapist, and their three children are active in their church, sports and outdoor activities.

Mike Apol

Regional Manager

Mike has been working for Andgar for the last 18 years. Mike started out sweeping floors and dumping garbage's and then moving onto Residential HVAC installation where he learned about the inner workings of the company by managing the company's warehouse, selling energy efficient HVAC systems and managing projects for the HVAC division. Since 2007, Mike's focus has been in sales and project management for our renewable energy division (now Regenis), including projects in Washington, Oregon and California. Mike resides in Custer with his wife, Emily, a fourth grade teacher, and their two boys Jalen and Jackson.

Brad Weg

Regional Manager

Brad leads the Regenis anaerobic digester team in Idaho because of his diverse knowledge in numerous construction trades. He has been with Andgar for over 22 years, having started by managing and installing large industrial mechanical projects. He's been involved with constructing and overseeing maintenance for every digester project the company has undertaken in the state.

Kyle Juergens

Director of Operations & Administration

Farming is in Kyle's blood. He grew up on a dairy farm in Western Washington and received a B.S. in Agricultural Technology from Washington State University with minors in Agricultural Economics and Business. Kyle joined Andgar in 2003 shortly after finishing school, starting out as a project coordinator for the company's HVAC and plumbing divisions but moving to the company's renewable energy division within two years. Having worked on 11 digester projects since 2005, he's been involved in multiple roles from writing federal grant applications, acquiring building and air quality permits with state and local agencies, coordinating with utilities as well as project estimating and management. Away from work Kyle spends his time volunteering at his church, being outdoors, spending time with his wife and two daughters, or watching college football.

Eric Powell

Business Development Director

Originally hired by the Andgar Corporation as a project coordinator five years ago, Eric is often the face of Regenis as a guest speaker about the anaerobic digestion and nutrient recovery processes at agricultural conferences and events throughout the Pacific Northwest as well as being one of our managers of new construction projects. He brings a diverse skill set to the company, including six years of commercial and residential construction service as well as a year working in the banking industry as a loan processor and loan officer. A Northwest native, Eric earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Western Washington University. When he's not working, Eric enjoys doing anything outdoors and active including hunting, fishing, and mountain biking with his wife, Kristen, and their two daughters. Eric also volunteers his time as a board member for the Northwest Washington Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Dr. Craig Frear

Director of Research and Technology

Dr. Frear comes to Regenis from Washington State University (WSU) where he was instrumental in developing one of the nation’s most prolific applied science and engineering programs over the last decade in organic residuals and animal manure treatment for sustainable reuse. Over the last decade, Dr. Frear’s research has focused on enhancements to anaerobic digestion, biochemical recovery from waste and development of bio-refinery principles for rural and urban communities. He holds five patents (with two pending) including an ammonia stripping system to remove ammonia from wastewater without the use of chemicals. In addition to his research, Dr. Frear is the author of over sixty peer-reviewed publications on methane capture to create biogas and nutrient management to allow liquid from manure to be safely reused. He has also served as an investigator on numerous federal and state grants in the same scientific classifications. Craig holds a PhD in Engineering Science from Washington State University, a MA in Educational Administration from Columbia University, and BA in Chemistry and Theology from St. Olaf College. Outside of work, Craig enjoys reading science fiction, playing tennis, and spending time with family and friends.

Andy Hanson

Operations & Maintenance Regional Mgr.

Andy is no stranger to the dairy industry, having grown up on a dairy farm in Western Washington and working three years for a dairy supplier. After furthering his training, he became certified to work on refrigeration equipment and an electrician, owning his own company for 12 years before being recruited by Andgar. For the last two years, Andy and his team have been servicing nine digesters in Washington and Oregon, ensuring they are running in peak condition and providing their owners with greater reliability in their output of biogas and maximum engine runtime. Married for 11 years with three young boys to keep him busy, Andy loves living in Lynden and hopes his boys inherit his passion for spending time outdoors hunting, fishing and riding the family's horses in the hills that surround their acreage.