VRM Principals
Benjamin P. Cowart
President of General Partners
Benjamin P. Cowart, the founder president, General Partner of the Vertex Group Companies based in Houston, Texas, has been involved in the petroleum recycling industry for over 21 years. As a leader in the residual management field, Ben was a pioneer in the reclamation industry by developing recycling options for many residual materials previously managed as hazardous waste. Ben co-authored the industry's first e-commerce operating system for the digital management of petroleum waste and residual materials. Ben was awarded with the prestigious 2003 Business Man of the Year and serves as an Executive on NORA's Board of Directors. In addition to his many accomplishments, Ben has taken an active role in the petroleum industry with his involvement in speaking, consulting, chairing, and serving on various committees and industry associations. Prior to the formation of Vertex, Ben served as the Vice President of Aaron Oil Company, a regional recycler in Alabama.
Ronald L. Gemeinhardt
Vice President, Limited Partner
Ronald L. Gemeinhardt is a recognized expert in the development and application of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliance systems. He has developed and led national, regional and facility system design and operations supporting petroleum related environmental management programs. He has worked in the petroleum industry for 36 years in various technical capacities in support to refinery, distribution terminal, pipeline and retail operations. For the last nineteen years he has focused on facility environmental compliance, residual management, remediation and emergency response activities in support to a major oil company. As an environmental specialist his experience includes Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) audits, regulatory agency negotiations, litigation support, facility environmental audits, environmental compliance training program development and environmental management systems auditing. Plan and permit development activities related to Risk Based Corrective Action, SPCC plan development and oversight, FRP, Waste Minimization, Air and Water discharge, Post Closure and Closure Plans. Emergency Response support includes active response management, ICS training and site closure management.