Members of the Ideas in Motion Media team had the opportunity to take advantage of the spring like temperatures and took a tour of the Metro Recycling Facility.
Neil Samahon, the C.E.O. of Metro Recycling and Olivia Sanders, the company’s Marketing Outreach Coordinator, spearheaded the day’s educational event attended by IMM C.E.O. Chris Mahlmann and Jenny Craig-Brown. Olivia’s main goal on the team is to really be connected to the community and to help Metro shine as a citizen of the community.
“I want people in the community to feel comfortable when they visit, ” shared Samahon. “Everyone here is friendly and we’re excited to educate and help with all your recycling needs.”
The large Valparaiso facility on Lincolnway, is one of the company’s three locations, the other two are in Griffith and Blue Island. Their Lincolnway facility provides both auto recycling in addition to the other wide variety of recycling services.
Metro Recycling has been committed to taking care of the environment ever since they opened their doors 30 years ago. All oils and liquids from the cars are kept secure in an onsite reservoir to prevent from contaminating nearby water sources.
“In 2010, Metro Recycling was designated as Gold status by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's Indiana Clean Yard program and we have maintained this status ever since, scoring more points every time we seek renewal,” added Samahon. According to the Indiana state site, “Gold Level is a higher level of recognition for auto salvage recyclers that meet the criteria to be an Indiana Clean Yard, and make a greater commitment to environmental protection."
Metro Recycling also has a long term involvement with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) the trade association for the industry of which Samahon is the current President of the Indiana Chapter..
The company is strongly dedicated to giving back to the community’s residents. They have an ongoing partnership with United Way and Samahon is the Vice Chair for Opportunity Enterprises. Metro Recycling also has a strong partnership with Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction and was again a major sponsor at their annual Earth Day event on April 22nd. “We planted 400 trees on this property back in 2010 to ensure we are caring for the area,” said Samahon.
“Our success is directly related to how we interact with the community. Every year we present a $1,000 scholarship to graduating high school seniors - primarily to students who’ve been accepted to Ivy Tech or going off to trade school,” stated Samahon. “A lot of people don't realize the opportunity of going into a trade or seeking a path in the recycling business. I had the drive and willingness to learn I started as a manager and now I’m the CEO of the company. My sales manager started working in the yard at the age of 19 and the manager over at Blue Island started off around the same age and is now has a family with one child in college.”
“The scope of what can be recycled is far more than most would imagine. Metro Recycling identifies every recyclable material and then source that out to companies who can process materials and ultimately keep all those materials out of a landfill,” said Mahlmann.
Samahon agreed stating “Our biggest challenge is getting people to bring us items to purchase from them.”
“We accept washing machines, dryers, old appliances, copper, cast iron products, grills, radiators, file cabinets, any metal that attracts magnets, faucets, bathtubs, aluminum siding, window frames, fencing, water heaters, shelving, dumbbells, guardrails, golf clubs, doors, light poles(municipal dumping) grills, stainless steel, food equipment,” shared Sanders. “We accept just about everything including the kitchen sink.”
The facility also has an onsite crusher and a warehouse neatly stocked with barcoded engines, transmissions, wheels, side mirrors, automotive wheels and door panels ready for resale. Mahlmann and Brown got a chance to witness the break-down process of a scrap vehicle via a massive Transformer sized multi-dismantling machine - some would say it mimicked the childhood game Operation.
Metro Recycling not only is an amazing steward to the community, they also have many services to offer each and everyone. Community members can stop by the facility or call them at 1(800) 686-3753.