Denise Kennedy

Denise Kennedy, DKE Enterprises, Inc. (dba DK Enterprises) brings 34 years of leading successful business and marketing transformation strategies to the tire recycling industry and leadership in international associations and initiatives including volunteering as ASTM International Task Chair of D11.27.01 (Rubber Recycling) and Subcommittee Chair of D36.40 (Recovered Carbon Black) on Environment, Safety and Sustainability.

Ms. Kennedy is recognized as one of the nation's most widely acknowledged scrap tire industry experts. Denise Kennedy's 16 years of experience in developing, managing operations and all aspects of transportation for a four-multi-state tire recycling company and 18 years as a business and marketing consultant have been key to understanding the markets, barriers, and opportunities across the board and in turn provided the opportunity to help enlarge the tire recycling industry. Ms. Kennedy has assisted many companies in site selections and securing their minor and major waste/scrap tire facility and hauler permits.

Since 2006, Ms. Kennedy's firm has been a Contractor and subcontractor to 11 California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Contracts. Denise Kennedy has served as principal industry liaison with CalRecycle including analyzing scrap tire flows, identifying market trends, barriers and opportunities, and assisting in preparing the annual California Waste Tire Market Report and producing the California Tire-Derived Product Catalog. Ms. Kennedy has worked with over 25 testing facilities since 2006 and coordinated over 3,500 recycled rubber materials and product tests for hundreds of different products.

DK Enterprises was awarded three CalRecycle Feedstock Conversion Technical Assistance and Material Testing Services (FCS) Contracts between 2015 and 2023. The FCS contracts included identifying, qualifying and securing qualified rubber and plastic manufacturers that meet specific criteria as identified in the Feedstock Conversion Services Opportunity brochure and have the capability of developing and manufacturing a product that will replace virgin rubber, plastic, or other raw materials with a minimum of five percent tire-derived material (TDM); on-site sampling, and performed of sieve analysis to determine particle size and distribution consistent with ASTM D5644-18 (Standard Test Method for Rubber Compounding Materials) and ASTM D5603-19 Standard Classification for Rubber Compounding Materials); and supported CalRecycle' s Tire Incentive Program (TIP). Tasks included producing the "Test and Classify Recycled Rubber Video Tutorial" and User Guide to classify and test particle size distribution and identify industry and technical Terminology Terms and Acronyms and Guidelines and Test Methods.

DK Enterprises was awarded the first CalRecycle Retread Tire Services Contract (RTS), 2020-2022. DK Enterprises and The Tire Retread and Repair Information Bureau, RTS subcontractor, produced the "Retreads Work" video and brochure Choosing Retreads for Your Fleet. Both items can also be found on the TRIB and CalRecycle web sites. We held a series of seven "Virtual Retread Plant Tours and Educational Workshops" between September 2021 and March 2022, that include interactive retread plant tours with eight California retread managers and new retread manufacturers (e.g., Bridgestone Bandag, Goodyear, Michelin, Oliver Rubber).

Ms. Kennedy has also played a key role within the contractor teams as subcontractor to seven CalRecycle contracts including the following: Tire Market Analysis and Support (TMAS) Contract from 2020 – 2023; the Tire Outreach & Market Assistance (TOMA and TOMA 2) from (2013 – 2019) and the Tire-Derived Product Business Assistance Program (TBAP) (2006 - 2013).

Ms. Kennedy has assisted many companies in site selection and securing their minor and major waste tire facility and hauler permits.

Ms. Kennedy is passionate about assisting clients in utilizing best management practices (BMP) in the development of new and feedstock conversion tire-derived products (utilizing a minimum of five-percent tire rubber in place of other raw materials), site selection and preparing scrap tire facility and hauler permits to meet regulatory requirements. Ms. Kennedy's recognition of opportunities, collaborative and matchmaking skills with the rubber and plastic manufacturers, end users, compounders, tire-derived material (TDM) suppliers, equipment manufacturers, certification and testing facilities and technical experts to better ensure BMPs, have resulted in advancements in market and product development. Denise Kennedy's 16 years of experience in managing all aspects of three multi-state tire recycling facilities and 16 years as a business and marketing consultant has been key to understanding the markets, barriers, and opportunities across the board and in turn provided the opportunity to help enlarge the tire recycling industry.