Bandit Industries will host four sales and service seminars for its worldwide dealer network, Aug. 19-22. The focus of the summit, held at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and Bandit’s corporate headquarters in Remus, will be the emerging markets in biomass and wood energy.

Central Michigan University’s Steve Lawrence is scheduled as keynote speaker during the welcome reception on Wednesday evening, and will discuss the savings and economies made possible by the university’s use of wood waste for its energy needs. According to data published by the university, the use of wood chips as a renewable fuel source for steam requirements saves the university up to $2 million annually in fuel costs.

Bandit Industries, which manufactures large equipment for the production of wood chips and other valuable biomass products, is eager to share these upcoming market trends with its extensive dealer network. In addition to seminars, Bandit will also host a live product demonstration day on Thursday, featuring its complete line of chippers, stump grinders, and wood-waste reduction machines. A tour of the wood-fired plant at Central Michigan University, led by Lawrence, will follow the demonstrations on Thursday afternoon.

“Our hope is to draw attention to the enormous energy possibilities right here in Michigan with regards to biomass energy,” said Jerry Morey, Bandit president. “There are currently more than 100 million tons of wood being produced annually to supply energy to wood-fired power plants in the United States, which we believe delivers more energy than what is provided by all solar and wind energy combined. The European markets for biomass and fuel wood have been hot for quite some time, and it is exciting to introduce these trends to our dealers at both a local and national — even international — level.”

The company will also celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the original Model 100 Brush Bandit chipper.

Bandit Industries offers a complete line of hand-fed chippers, stump grinders, whole tree chippers and horizontal grinders.