Nexus Fuels culture one of ‘constant innovation, ambitious achievement,' CEO Jeffrey Gold says

Jeffrey Gold has had his hands in many different ventures.

He founded Integrated Environmental Services Inc., an environmental design and remediation services firm with expertise in performing on-site elimination of high hazard materials and solving complex environmental problems around the world.

"Some of the more unusual projects have included cleansing the U.S. Capitol of anthrax, processing chemicals that burn through steel in Papua New Guinea, neutralizing deteriorated chlorine tanks in the Niger Delta and working with the French government to design, build and deploy a system capable of neutralizing unexploded chemical munitions from World War I," Gold said.

In 2003, he founded Precision Technik, a manufacturing company that produces emergency response containment equipment for use with hazardous gas cylinders.

His first plastics industry role was founding Nexus Fuels LLC, an Atlanta-based commercial-scale converter of waste plastics into circular feedstock that is used by Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron Phillips Chemicals to create new, virgin plastic, in 2008. Nexus uses its proprietary technology to convert waste plastics into feedstocks and fuels. The pyrolysis technology has diverted more than 3.3 million pounds of waste plastic away from landfills and incineration.

"Our culture is one of constant innovation and ambitious achievement," Gold said. "We have chosen to help solve a pressing environmental issue that has eluded previous attempts through the systematic and methodical application of sound scientific and business principles."

The company continued to run throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with staff being cautious and following recommended guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to minimize the chance of being exposed.

"Uncertainty is a difficult thing to manage. Ongoing and transparent communication with employees, customers and suppliers is essential to maintaining and growing trust among all of these relationships," he said. "The news is not always good, but truth is always respected and will lead to growth and development down the line."

Nexus plans on adding more plants and expanding within the "United States, Europe and elsewhere," Gold said.

"We are expanding our operation here in Atlanta with our second-generation processing system," Gold said. "It is the result of all our learnings from our first plant and will be a truly astounding accomplishment that we hope will help dispel some of the concerns that people have about whether or not chemical recycling is for real or if it can really make a difference.

"We intend to show the world that it can work and can make a significant contribution towards combating the world's plastic waste problem," he added.

Early on in his environmental business, he worked with Fred Steinbrenner, who taught Gold the value of stepping back from a problem and seeing it from a different perspective.

"He also instilled in me the mindset of always remaining calm under trying circumstances since that would inevitably help lead me to a better decision than one born from panic or a fearfulness," Gold said. "Lastly, he helped reinforce the value of humility and service to others in all aspects of your life. Unfortunately, Fred was killed in the ValuJet crash that occurred in 1996, but I have carried his lessons with me."

Gold obtained his bachelor's degree in natural resources from Cornell University and is a member of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association.

The best pieces of advice he has received are to not take yourself too seriously, live in the moment and take joy from simple things.

"You should always strive for excellence in any undertaking and always take that charge seriously, but you are never as good as you think you are and there is always more to learn," he said.

"I have always been motivated by the simple act of creation," Gold said. "I have been fortunate in that I have been able to grow my companies past just the early entrepreneurial stage and maintain the push towards further innovation, but I would want my legacy to be someone remembered as a teacher and as someone who inspired curiosity and a taste for learning and adventure in those that I had the privilege to work with."