MAP OF U.S. AUTO SHREDDING PLANT LOCATIONS >>

The outright boom in auto shredding plant investment that occurred between the Recycling Today auto shredder lists of 2006 and 2008 may have been tempered in the ensuing two years, but it has by no means been snuffed.

The number of shredders jumped from 220 in 2006 to more than 250 in 2008 and has increased again—with nearly 290 shredding plants identified in 2010.

Research into the changes that have occurred in the past two years reveals that a higher percentage of plants on this year’s list are currently idle compared with 2008. Conversa-tions with shredder operators also reveal that a majority of plants are running fewer days and hours than they were at the market peak from 2005 to early 2008.

But the growth in overall plant locations reveals another trend: Many scrap recyclers continue to regard owning a shredder as an important aspect of controlling their own des-tiny as a buyer and processor of scrap materials.

As Jason Shipman of Scrap’N, Farmington, Mo., says, “We are just a minnow in an ocean of whales and some sharks, just little bitty guys.” (See cover profile beginning on page 38.)

Yet the company calculated that it could make a return on its shredder plant investment with what Shipman says was “an easily obtainable goal” of 1,800 tons per month. Subsequently, “our monthly average now is about 3,300 tons,” he says.

A LEANER DIETGrowth in the number of overall shredding plants would not seem to be a good fit with the market of the past two years.

Many shredding plant owners and managers have made adjustments to continue operating at reduced hours, but the overall drop in feedstock has likely contributed to the idling of other plants.

Larger companies with considerable capacity in multiple states have been among those idling some of their plants. PSC Metals reports that it is consolidating some of its shredding capacity in Tennessee, while Sims Metal Management has stopped shredding at two of its locations in New York.

Commodity prices that have stayed lofty despite the overall economic downturn have contributed to the ability of plants to stay viable while running few hours.

The addition of new shredding plants, especially in geo-graphic regions where many new competitors have entered the market, is likely to force some operators to decide whether to re-invest or to cede the shredding market to others.

SPOTTING THE MUSHROOMSThe western U.S. is among the regions where newer shredder locations are being plotted on the map, as processors strive to provide shorter driving distances to potential customers.

Arizona’s four existing shredding plants will be joined by a fifth to be operated By Southwest Metals in Casa Grande.

In neighboring New Mexico, Albuquerque Metals Recy-cling operates the only shredding plant that was on the map in that state in 2008. But two projects are scheduled or underway that will triple the number of shredders in New Mexico.

Signs of overcapacity are seemingly appearing in Tennes-see, where 16 shredding plants have been identified and listed, with two of these scheduled to be idled by the end of 2010.

Economic conditions and commodity prices remain criti-cal factors determining whether dollars continue to be invest-ed into shredding plants and their downstream systems.

Internet Editor Dan Sandoval, Managing Editor DeAnne Toto and Associate Editor Kristin Smith contributed research efforts to the 2010 auto shredder list.

Dispersal PatternScrap recyclers remain committed to shredding despite lower scrap volumes in the past two years.

b y b r i a n t a y l o r

DENvERSims Metal ManagementENGLEwOODAll Recycling Inc.Western Metals RecyclingGREELEyAndersen’s Sales & SalvagePUEbLOAmerican Iron & Metal

CONNECTICUT

NORTH HAvENSims Metal ManagementSOUTH NORwALkLaJoie’s Auto Wrecking Co.STAMFORDRubino Brothers Inc.

FLORIDA

bALDwINGerdau AmeristeelCLEARwATERSouthern Recycling (idle)FORT MyERSGarden Street Iron & MetalJACkSONvILLECMC RecyclingMIAMIFerrous Processing and TradingOCALAOcala RecyclingTrademark Metals RecyclingOPA LOCkATrademark Metals Recycling ORLANDOTrademark Metals RecyclingPENSACOLAScrap Inc. (A subsidiary of GSI)Southern RecyclingROCkLEDGETrademark Metals RecyclingST. PETERSbURGResource RecyclingTAMPAOneSteel RecyclingTrademark Metals Recycling

GEORGIA

ATHENSOmniSource Corp. DORAvILLENewell Recycling LLCEAST POINTNewell Recycling LLC LAwRENCEvILLEBlaze Recycling and MetalsPEMbROkEGann’s Car CrushingSAvANNAHGeorgia Recycling LLCNewell Recycling LLC

HAwAII

kAPOLEISchnitzer Steel Hawaii Corp.

IDAHO

MAyFIELDPacific Steel & Recycling

ILLINOIS

ALTONAzcon Corp.CHICAGOGeneral Iron Industries Inc. (2)Sims Metal Management (5; 2 are idle)EAST ST. LOUISSt. Louis Auto ShreddingPEORIAAllied Iron & Steel / A. Miller & Co.Joseph Behr & Sons Inc.ROCkFORDJoseph Behr & Sons Inc.SOUTH bELOITJoseph Behr & Sons Inc.STERLINGCimco Recycling

INDIANA

CONNERSvILLEIntegrity Metals Inc. (2; idle)EAST CHICAGOCMA RecyclingEvANSvILLEJ. Trockman & Sons Inc.FORT wAyNEOmniSource Corp.GARySummit Inc. INDIANAPOLISCapitol City MetalsOmniSource Corp. kOkOMOOmniSource (idle)SOUTH bENDGertrude Street Metal Recycling (planned for 2011)

IOwA

COUNCIL bLUFFSAlter Trading Corp.DAvENPORTAlter Trading Corp. Nichols AluminumDES MOINESAlter Trading Corp.MASON CITyJoseph Behr & Sons Inc.MONONAClayton County RecyclingSIOUx CITySioux City Compressed Steel Co. SPENCERShine Bros.wATERLOOAlter Trading Corp.wILTONGerdau Ameristeel Corp. (Idle)

kANSAS HUTCHINSONMidwest Iron & Metal Co.kANSAS CITyAdvantage Metals Recycling wICHITAGlickman Iron & Metal

kENTUCky

ASHLANDMansbach Metal Co.FT. MITCHELLRiver Metals Recycling LLC (idle)GLASGOwMid-States SteelHENDERSONRiver Metals Recycling LLCLOUISvILLEIndustrial Services of AmericaRiver Metals Recycling LLCNEwPORTRiver Metals Recycling LLC

LOUISIANNA

bATON ROUGESouthern Recycling LAPLACEMississippi River Recycling (Div. of Bayou Steel)MONROEAuto Shred of LouisianaNEw ORLEANSSouthern RecyclingPORT ALLENSouthern Recycling

MAINE

AUbURNSchnitzer Steel Industries Inc. TOPSHAMGrimmel Industries

MARyLAND

bALTIMOREBaltimore Scrap Corp.Recovermat (Joseph Smith & Sons Inc.)United Iron & MetalCAPITOL HEIGHTSJoseph Smith & Sons Inc.HAGERSTOwNConservit Inc.

MASSACHUSETTS

GREENFIELDWTE Recycling Inc. EvERETTSchnitzer Steel Industries Inc.

MICHIGAN

DETROITFerrous Processing & Trading Co. (3; 1 under

COATESvILLECoatesville Scrap Iron & MetalERIELiberty Iron & Metal Co.HARRISbURGConsolidated Scrap ResourcesMORRISvILLESims Metal ManagementPHILADELPHIASPC Corp.PITTSbURGHNeville MetalsTube City Inc.PLAINFIELD TOwNSHIPRPM RecyclingSCHUyLkILL HAvENU.S.S. Achey Inc.TEMPLERoyal Green LLC / AMG Resources (2)wILkES-bARREDMS Shredding Inc.wILLIAMSPORTPenn RecyclingyORkJ & K Salvage

RHODE ISLAND JOHNSTONSchnitzer Steel Industries

SOUTH CAROLINA

DARLINGTONDarlington Shredding Co.DILLONLockamy Scrap Metal Inc.HEMINGwAyDon’s Car CrushingHOLLy HILLDon’s Car CrushingLExINGTONCMC RecyclingSPARTANbURGOmniSource Corp.

TENNESSEE

CHATTANOOGAPSC Metals Inc.DICkSONShapiro Recycling SystemsHALLSHutcherson Metals HARRIMANPSC Metals (scheduled to be idled at year end)JACkSONGerdau AmeristeelHutcherson MetalsJOHNSON CITyOmniSource Corp.kNOxvILLEPSC Metals (2; 1 scheduled to be idled at end of 2010)MEMPHISSims Metal ManagementMONROECooper Recycling LLCMORRISTOwNMorristown Shredder Inc.

MONTvALEShredded Products Corp. (An OmniSource company)ROCky MOUNTOmniSource Corp.PETERSbURGSims Metal Management (Operated) Gerdau Amer-isteel (Owned)RICHMONDSims Metal Management (idle)

wASHINGTON SEATTLESeattle Iron and Metals Corp. TACOMASchnitzer Steel Industries Inc. vANCOUvERPacific Coast Shredding

wEST vIRGINIA

NITRORJ Recycling (idle)PRINCETONRecycle West VirginiawHEELINGAutomatic Recycling

wISCONSIN

EAU CLAIREAlter Metal RecyclingFOND DU LACSadoff Iron & Metal Co.GREEN bAyAlter Trading GroupMADISONAlter Trading Group MILwAUkEEMiller Compressing Co. (2)United Milwaukee Scrap NEwTONB&B Metal Processing Co.wAUkESHAWaukesha Iron & Metal (planned for 2011)

AUTO SHREDDER LIST AND MAP SPONSORED By:

www.usshredder.com

2010 AUTO SHREDDER MAP AND LIST

SHREDDER PLOT POINTSAn interactive map of the auto shredder list is available at www.RecylingToday.com/auto-shredder-map-2010.aspx.

ALbERTA

CALGARyNavajo MetalsEDMONTONGeneral Scrap Iron & MetalSHERwOOD PARkGenAlta Recycling Inc.

bRITISH COLUMbIA

RICHMONDRichmond Steel Recycling (Nucor joint venture)vICTORIASteel Pacific Recycling

MANITObA

SELkIRkGerdau Ameristeel Corp.wINNIPEGGeneral Scrap

ONTARIO

bRAMPTONTriple M MetalHAMILTONPOSCOR Mill ServicesScrapmenTriple M MetalTHUNDER bAyLakehead Scrap MetalswHITbyGerdau Ameristeel Corp.

QUEbEC

LA PRAIRIEFers et Metaux RecyclesLAvALMetal RecycleMONTREALAmerican Iron & Metal Co.ArcelorMittalSAINTE-CATHERINEAssociated Steel Industries

SASkATCHEwAN

REGINAWheat City Metals

SHREDDINGIN CANADAThe Recycling Today Media Group also has been attempting to deter-mine the location of auto shredding plants operating within Canada.

If you are aware of shredding plants operating in Canada in ad-dition to those listed below, please contact Recycling Today Managing Editor DeAnne Toto at dtoto@gie.net or at 330-523-5340, so we can update our Canadian list.

ALAbAMA

ALbERTSvILLEProgress Rail ServicesbIRMINGHAMACIPCOProTrade Steel Co. Ltd. (idle)Sims Metal ManagementDECATURTennessee Valley RecyclingMObILEAlter Scrap ProcessingDavid’s Auto ShreddingPHENIx CITyBlaze Recycling and Metals

ALASkA

ANCHORAGEAlaska Metal Recycling

ARIZONA

CASA GRANDESouthwest Metal Industries (planned for 2011)GLENDALESouthwest Metal IndustriesPHOENIxLiberty Iron & Metal – SouthwestSims Metal ManagementTUCSONSims Metal Management

ARkANSAS

FORT SMITHYaffe Iron and MetalNORTH LITTLE ROCkTenenbaum Recycling GroupROGERSTenenbaum Recycling GroupTExARkANATri-State Iron & Metal Co.

CALIFORNIA

ANAHEIMSA Recycling bAkERSFIELDSA Recycling CHULA vISTAEcology Auto Inc.COLTONEcology Auto Inc.OAkLANDSchnitzer Steel Industries Inc. RANCHO CUCAMONGAPacific Coast Recycling LLC (Div. of SA Recycling; idle)REDwOOD CITySims Metal ManagementTERMINAL ISLANDSA Recycling

COLORADO COLORADO SPRINGSAmerican Iron & Metal

NEvADA LAS vEGASSA Recycling

NEw HAMPSHIRE CLAREMONTSchnitzer Steel Industries CONCORDSchnitzer Steel Industries MADbURySchnitzer Steel Industries

NEw JERSEy

CAMDENCamden Iron & Metal Inc.CLIFTONParkway Iron and MetalJERSEy CITySims Metal ManagementMILLvILLECumberland Recycling Corp.NEwARkSims Metal ManagementTRENTONMercer Group InternationalTrenton Iron and Metal Corp.

NEw MExICO ALbUQUERQUEAlbuquerque Metals RecyclingWestern Metals Recycling (planned for 2011)bELENPueblo Metals Recycling (under construction)

NEw yORk bRONxSims Metal Management (idle)bROOkLyNBrooklyn Resource Recovery Inc.Gershow RecyclingbUFFALOGerdau AmeriSteelGREEN ISLANDR. Kelly Freedman & Son Inc. (plans call for move to Coeymans, N.Y., in 2011)LINDENHURSTGershow RecyclingMEDFORDGershow RecyclingNORTH CHILIMetalico Inc. OwEGOUpstate Shredding LLC / Ben Weitsman LLC QUEENSSims Metal Management (idle)RENSSELAERRensselaer Iron & Steel Inc.ROCHESTERGenesee Scrap

the name Strong Steel Products)FLINTSpooner MetalsGAyLORDA & L Iron & MetalGRAND RAPIDSLouis Padnos Iron & MetalHOLLANDLouis Padnos Iron & MetalkALAMAZOOKalamazoo Metal Recyclers JACkSONOmniSource Corp.kINGSFORDEast Kingsford Iron & MetalSchneider’s Iron & MetalLANSINGLouis Padnos Iron & MetalPONTIACFerrous Processing & Trading Co.SAGINAwRifkin Scrap Iron & MetalkINGSFORDEast Kingsford Iron & MetalTAyLORFritz Enterprises Inc.

MINNESOTA

ANOkAAlter Trading Corp.bRAINERDCrow Wing RecyclingDULUTHBay Side Recycling Corp.MINNEAPOLISNorthern MetalsST. PAULGerdau Ameristeel

MISSISSIPPI

FLOwOODGeneral Recycling GREENvILLESims Metal ManagementSARDISMartin Bros. Scrap

MISSOURI

FARMINGTONScrap’N RecyclingFESTUSShapiro Brothers Inc.kANSAS CITyAdvantage Metals RecyclingMidwest Scrap ManagementSPRINGFIELDSpringfield Iron & Metal LLCST. JOSEPHMidwest Scrap Management (idle)ST. LOUISGrossman Iron & SteelPSC Metals

NEbRASkA COLUMbUSColumbus Metal Industries

SyRACUSERoth Steel Corp.

NORTH CAROLINA

CHARLOTTESouthern Metals Co. Inc.GREENSbOROD.H. Griffin Wrecking Co.kERNERSvILLEOmniSource Corp.MONROEMetal Recycling ServicesSMITHFIELDOmniSource Corp.STATESvILLEL. Gordon Iron & Metal Co.wILMINGTONOmniSource Corp. (idle)

OHIO

AkRONCity Scrap & Salvage Co.CANTONPSC MetalsSlesnick Iron & MetalCLEvELANDFerrous Processing & Trading Co.COLUMbUSColumbus Auto ShreddingPSC MetalsDAyTONFranklin Iron & Metal Corp.GIRARDInterstate Shredding LLCMANSFIELDMilliron IndustriesTOLEDOOmniSource Corp. Toledo Shredding LLCMARIETTAAmerican Car Crushing Inc.wEST CARROLLTONMetal Shredders Inc.wOOSTERPSC MetalsyOUNGSTOwNYoungstown Iron & Metal

OkLAHOMA

ARkOMAYaffe Iron and MetalDURANTDurant Metal ShreddingOkLAHOMA CITyCFF Recycling USAStandard Iron & Metal Co. TULSAYaffe Metals

OREGON

PORTLANDSchnitzer Steel Industries vANCOUvERMetro Metals NW Inc.

PENNSyLvANIA

bEAvER FALLSPSC Metals Inc.

NASHvILLEPSC MetalsSims Metal ManagementPULASkITennessee Valley Recycling

TExAS

AbILENEPine Street RecyclingbEAUMONTCMC RecyclingbROwNSvILLEAdvanced RecyclingESCO MarineRio Grande Shredding Co.Shred-XWilkinson Jim Iron & MetalCORPUS CHRISTICMC Recycling (idle)DALLASCMC Recycling EAGLE PASSNewell Recycling Co.EDINbURGEcorec Rio Grande ValleyEL PASOCMC RecyclingNewell Recycling of El PasoHOUSTONDerichesbourg Recycling USARose Metal ProcessingTexas Port Recycling (Div. of David J. Joseph Co.)kENNEDALEHawk SteelLAREDOWilkinson Gary Iron & MetalLUbbOCkJarvis Metal RecyclingMIDLOTHIANGerdau AmeristeelSAN ANTONIOBaja Recycling / AMEX MetalsMonterrey Iron & MetalNewell Recycling of San AntonioSEGUINCMC Steel STEPHENSONErath Iron & MetalwACOM. Lipsitz & Co. Inc.

UTAH

PLyMOUTHWestern Metals RecyclingSALT LAkE CITySims Metal ManagementWestern Metals RecyclingSANDyWestern Metals Recycling (idle)

vIRGINIA

CHESAPEAkESims Metal ManagementLORTONDavis Industries Inc.LyNCHbURGCycle Systems

MAP OF U.S. AUTO SHREDDING PLANT LOCATIONS >>

The outright boom in auto shredding plant investment that occurred between the Recycling Today auto shredder lists of 2006 and 2008 may have been tempered in the ensuing two years, but it has by no means been snuffed.

The number of shredders jumped from 220 in 2006 to more than 250 in 2008 and has increased again—with nearly 290 shredding plants identified in 2010.

Research into the changes that have occurred in the past two years reveals that a higher percentage of plants on this year’s list are currently idle compared with 2008. Conversa-tions with shredder operators also reveal that a majority of plants are running fewer days and hours than they were at the market peak from 2005 to early 2008.

But the growth in overall plant locations reveals another trend: Many scrap recyclers continue to regard owning a shredder as an important aspect of controlling their own des-tiny as a buyer and processor of scrap materials.

As Jason Shipman of Scrap’N, Farmington, Mo., says, “We are just a minnow in an ocean of whales and some sharks, just little bitty guys.” (See cover profile beginning on page 38.)

Yet the company calculated that it could make a return on its shredder plant investment with what Shipman says was “an easily obtainable goal” of 1,800 tons per month. Subsequently, “our monthly average now is about 3,300 tons,” he says.

A LEANER DIETGrowth in the number of overall shredding plants would not seem to be a good fit with the market of the past two years.

Many shredding plant owners and managers have made adjustments to continue operating at reduced hours, but the overall drop in feedstock has likely contributed to the idling of other plants.

Larger companies with considerable capacity in multiple states have been among those idling some of their plants. PSC Metals reports that it is consolidating some of its shredding capacity in Tennessee, while Sims Metal Management has stopped shredding at two of its locations in New York.

Commodity prices that have stayed lofty despite the overall economic downturn have contributed to the ability of plants to stay viable while running few hours.

The addition of new shredding plants, especially in geo-graphic regions where many new competitors have entered the market, is likely to force some operators to decide whether to re-invest or to cede the shredding market to others.

SPOTTING THE MUSHROOMSThe western U.S. is among the regions where newer shredder locations are being plotted on the map, as processors strive to provide shorter driving distances to potential customers.

Arizona’s four existing shredding plants will be joined by a fifth to be operated By Southwest Metals in Casa Grande.

In neighboring New Mexico, Albuquerque Metals Recy-cling operates the only shredding plant that was on the map in that state in 2008. But two projects are scheduled or underway that will triple the number of shredders in New Mexico.

Signs of overcapacity are seemingly appearing in Tennes-see, where 16 shredding plants have been identified and listed, with two of these scheduled to be idled by the end of 2010.

Economic conditions and commodity prices remain criti-cal factors determining whether dollars continue to be invest-ed into shredding plants and their downstream systems.

Internet Editor Dan Sandoval, Managing Editor DeAnne Toto and Associate Editor Kristin Smith contributed research efforts to the 2010 auto shredder list.

Dispersal PatternScrap recyclers remain committed to shredding despite lower scrap volumes in the past two years.

by brian taylor