About Us
We aim to reduce waste, improve the planet, nourish people, and boost bottom lines by gleaning excess and underused resources and transforming them into nutritious, profitable materials with our innovative technology. Our revolutionary RENU™ Drying & Milling System powderizes fresh produce and other raw materials in a single step without added heat or nutrient degradation—in seconds!
Our Story
In 1999, our Founder & President, Gary Schuler, was a sales executive at America’s largest uniform supplier. While at work, he noticed a 30-foot-high wall of pallets stacked in the distribution center. He was told they contained “this week’s returns” and were headed for the landfill. Gary felt he couldn’t stand by, knowing thousands of brand-new uniforms were being tossed out. Landfilling the garments was a waste of resources and bad for the company—not to mention the environment.
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Working with several humanitarian organizations, Gary coordinated the donation of garments to impoverished areas and disaster victims around the globe, also helping the company claim tax benefits from the donated clothing. In the first year alone, they realized $4 million in tax savings!
Following this model, he went on to advise several other businesses on waste reduction and the subsequent tax benefits. Gary was motivated to launch an organization dedicated to the efficient distribution of returned, wasted, or unused materials. He founded GTF in 2015. GTF is short for “Gleaning the Fields,” inspired by Leviticus 19:9-10:“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and the stranger.”
Although much has changed since GTF’s inception, our passion for reducing waste, caring for people, and improving the environment remains the same.
Our Values
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First and foremost, we aim to do the right thing for all parties involved. We act with honesty, transparency, and personal accountability.
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Our entire team is passionate about GTF’s mission to improve the planet and feed people while enabling our customers to succeed.
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We partner with our customers to find creative solutions to their business challenges. Our natural curiosity produces a continuous improvement mindset, as we search for more and better answers.
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We aim to bring out the best in each other by respecting and benefitting from one another’s strengths. We value open and honest communication. We don’t shy away from conflict but acknowledge differences as avenues to greater understanding.
The GTF Pillars
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We make food production and processing more eco-friendly.
More than 1/3 of food ends up rotting in landfills, creating 3 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year! In fact, reducing food waste is considered the single greatest solution to climate change. GTF upcycles excess foods and other plant materials, diverting them from the landfill. We enable farmers and food processors to use their resources more efficiently while dramatically reducing our collective carbon footprint.
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We believe technology is integral to our vision.
Our RENU Drying & Milling System simultaneously micronizes and extracts moisture from produce and plant material in seconds, while retaining its nutrient profile. Our technology offers a world of possibilities for improving sustainability, boosting business, and nourishing people.
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Our network of connections enables successful business opportunities.
We connect food producers and processors to companies interested in GTF-milled powder. These companies include upcycled food brands, vitamins and nutraceuticals, ingredient brokers, industrial applications, and many more. GTF is integrally involved, opening doors for customers on both sides of the equation.
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At the heart of our work is a desire for worldwide food equity.
Up to 828 million people are hungry while uneaten food rots in landfills. Our initial motivation for starting GTF was to reallocate valuable resources and feed hungry people. To that end, we’ve created our 501c3, Gleaning the Fields. We partner with NGOs and other charities to get our GTF-milled powders directly to the people who need them most, and we donate off our top line to fund this work.
Our Team
We’re incredibly proud of the technology and services that make our company hum, the beautiful facilities that make work comfortable and efficient, and the highly valuable powders that come out of our RENU™ Drying & Milling System— but it’s the people who make GTF special.
Gary Schuler
Founder & President
As Founder and President, Gary casts the vision, leads strategic growth, and oversees business development for the company. He uses his expertise to identify opportunities to capitalize on reallocating resources. This fulfills his deeper purpose of not only providing a financial return, but also a positive outcome for those who are under-resourced. Gary has a deep love of Northern Michigan and spends much of his time there, both for work and for fun.
Jim Weaver
CEO
From leading, innovating, and growing multiple companies over the last three decades, Jim's visionary approach to maximization, expansion, and impact has improved numerous globally relevant corporations. His extensive experiences as president, COO, CEO, investor, board member, and two-time patent holder have culminated in his most current endeavor with GTF. As CEO, Jim continues to execute the company’s vision, manage financial oversight, and lead the team in achieving its goals. A fan of adrenaline, Jim has a love of fast cars and pushing his limits on the road.
Jay Fournier
Director of Engineering
With an EMBA from Quantic School of Business & Technology, a Mechanical Engineering degree from GVSU, and a career focused on custom automation along with entrepreneurship, Jay uses his expertise and skills to translate customer needs into actionable solutions. A natural analytic problem solver, a mentor, collaborator, and volunteer firefighter, he gives one hundred percent to everything he does.
Michael Nicolas
Director of Process & System Development
Michael is a graduate of Texas A&M’s Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering program. His degree, along with his experience as a United States Naval Officer and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, helped him to develop excellent problem-solving skills under pressure. As Senior Project Engineer at GTF, Michael is responsible for the design and operation of our RENU™ System, as well as process design and operations. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, water sports, and spending time with his dog, Arleigh.
Liz Weaver
Director of Marketing
Through the lens of creativity, Liz is an expert at taking complicated, unattractive problems and synthesizing them into easy-to-understand and interesting communications. She uses that passion to represent the GTF brand across all touchpoints, including the website, print materials, and social media. As a people person, Liz also gets to engage with customers, always striving to ensure their time with GTF is as valuable to them as it is to the company. When she's not taking care of the brand and our customers, she's spending quality time with her friends, family, and foster dogs.
Dora Fowler
Office Manager
Dora’s previous experience in account management, operations, and human resources makes her the perfect Office Manager. Dora manages administrative activities and collaborates with all functional areas to make sure our company runs smoothly. Her planning, process, and organizational skills are a huge asset to GTF and every customer that interacts with her. Outside of work, Dora is happy to curl up with a good book or cheer on her favorite Formula 1 driver.
Madison Hoffman
Process & Sustainability Coordinator
Madison holds a B.S. in Environmental & Sustainability Studies from Grand Valley State University. As the Sustainability Tech, she manages our customer sample tests and assesses GTF’s environmental impact and carbon offsetting. She is passionate about the planet and helping companies and individuals reduce their carbon footprint and food waste. A true environmentalist, Madison enjoys spending time in nature, hiking, and exploring the Grand Rapids area.
Dillon Lawyer
RENU Specialist - Process & Product Development
Dillon’s heart for helping people dovetails perfectly with our company culture. He graduated with a degree in Intercultural Studies along with Bible and Theology and has worked in non-profits in countries all around the globe. Dillon’s eagerness coupled with his technical expertise have made him an invaluable support to production runs and research efforts at our Center of Technical Innovation. Dillon loves spending time with his wife and extended family as well as playing basketball and working out.
Barb Weaver
Marketing Manager
With an advertising degree from Michigan State University and robust experience in marketing and account management, Barb brings a wealth of creativity, insight, and expertise to the GTF team. She especially loves to research and write about food waste and sustainability. A lover of all things sunshine and water, when Barb isn't working, you can find her slalom water skiing.