VK Tanks & Silos partners with Leading Edge BC to land a major U.S. contract

Surrey, B.C., March 22, 2005 – With the help of Leading Edge BC’s patenting and business development expertise, Surrey-based VK Tanks & Silos Inc. is entering into its first international contract to build four industrial wastewater tanks in New Jersey.

"We are receiving valuable support from Leading Edge BC," said Mark Vanderbeken, president of VK Tanks & Silos Inc. "With their help, we have been able to expand and hone our marketing strategy to pursue numerous business opportunities."

The $800,000 US contract is just one of the initiatives VK and Leading Edge BC are working on. Negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy to introduce VK’s tanks to the government agencies nuclear clean-up sites in at Hanford and Idaho Falls. Japanese engineering companies are expressing an interest in putting together a licensing agreement.

"Our mandate is to lend business and marketing support to local companies seeking international opportunities," says George Hunter, president of Leading Edge BC. "The success of VK Tanks & Silos is an example of how B.C. technology companies can expand into global markets through forming innovative partnerships and alliances."

VK’s semi-automated tank and silo fabrication technology allows for cost-effective fabricating and on-site construction of storage tanks, reservoirs and silos.

The company’s products benefit owners of leaking or corroded storage tanks, who can use this technology to re-line malfunctioning tanks with stainless steel or platinum at fraction of the replacement cost. Water, wastewater, acids, hydrocarbons and agricultural products are just a few examples of the things the corrosion-resistant tanks can store.

Leading Edge British Columbia is a not-for-profit marketing and investment attraction organization dedicated to marketing the province’s competitive business environment for technology enterprise in British Columbia.

VK Tanks & Silos Inc. is the developer of a high-technology automated welding and bending system that makes the construction of tank shells possible without the use of a crane, allowing two or three people to build a silo or tank quickly and safely. By using VK’s newly patented system, companies can eliminate costly transportation and shop fabrication of tanks, as its equipment can be easily transported to remote locations.

Media Contacts:

Leading Edge BC VK Tanks & Silos Inc.
George Hunter, president Mark Vanderbeken, president
Ph: 604-691-2390 Ph: 604-541-9423
www.leadingedgebc.ca www.vktanks.com

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