Global Recycling Inc. and its affiliates are a full-service secondary recycling and transportation business operating in Charlotte, N.C. Global exports copper-bearing scrap to Asian ports and manages metals recycling facilities in Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis and three other cities for foreign investors. Global Recycling Transportation LLC, operates a fleet of dump trailers servicing the needs of Global, its customers and the public while Gilbert Iron & Steel LLC operates a full-scale retail (peddler) operation.
Steven Gilbert serves as the president of Global Recycling Inc. and its affiliates. He actually began working in the scrap business at the age of 10 at Gilbert Iron & Steel in Beaver Falls, Pa., a family business formed by his grandfather Sam Gilbert in 1915. However, the economic decline of the foundry industry in Western Pennsylvania led to the company’s closing in the early 1980s.
After finishing college, Gilbert returned to the scrap business, working for various brokers and processors and putting together loads of electric motors for export to China. In 1996, he formed Gilbert Metal Trading, which operated from his home in Long Island, N.Y. Through this business, he bought a few loads of motors for export each month, but fast growth allowed him to form Global Recycling Inc. as an electric motor export business in February 1998.
Gilbert chose Charlotte as the company’s base because of its proximity to major highway routes and the availability of export containers. At first, he noted that he bought loads of motors and had them dumped at a rented facility, flying to Charlotte from New York to personally load them into containers. Today, the company exports an average of 6,000 tons of scrap a month, utilizing more than 3,000 containers annually.
Global Recycling Inc. and its affiliates employ about 60 people, including Steven’s two brothers: Bruce Gilbert, who serves as chief administrative officer, and Richard Gilbert, executive vice president and general counsel of Global and its affiliates. Departments include purchasing and sales, overseen by Scott Greenberg, senior vice president; and transportation, overseen by Mark Cox, director of transportation operations. Other departments include accounting, export administration, safety and scale and retail operations.
Richard Gilbert noted that at the outset of the 2008 worldwide economic recession, operations and personnel were cut back dramatically. However, as the economy and, more specifically, the secondary metals recycling sector of the economy, has recovered, Global’s operations have intensified and personnel and equipment needs have increased.
Because their operations are so wide-ranging, Steven Gilbert noted that they use a lot of different types of equipment at their facility.
“We have Bobcats for separating and loading materials, and a Case skid steer with interchangeable buckets/forks and hydraulic jaws,” he said. “We have a large 621 D Case loader, a Sierra baler with a self-feeding grapple, a Komatsu excavator and Genesis shear, and a brand new Exodus 447L material handler.”
Some of the equipment has been supplied by Linder Industrial Machinery Company of Charlotte, N.C., including an Exodus handling crane, excavator and shear.
“We have had an excellent relationship with Linder Machinery,” Bruce Gilbert said. “They’ve helped us assess our equipment needs, identify the types of equipment best suited to a recycling environment, and worked with us to get the best possible terms for financing our purchases. They’re more a partner to us than a vendor.”
Linder’s regional manager Chris Wilkes reported that Global is an excellent customer.
“Global Recycling is a very innovative and professional company,” he said. “Steve Gilbert, the owner, has always been a pleasure to do business with. He always seems to be thinking outside the box for ways he can make his companies more productive and cost effective. Linder Machinery is very appreciative of the business Global has given us over the years, and we look forward to helping their company be successful in the scrap industry.”
Bill Cross, Linder’s sales representative for Global, also offered praise for the company.
“I agree with Chris,” he said. “In these tough economic times, when we have seen so many of our customer’s business shrink or dry up completely, it is rewarding to work with a company that is willing and able to change and adapt. Their progressive and creative thinking has allowed them to take advantage of new opportunities and grow their business in this challenging economy. At a time when so many companies are cutting every possible cost, they are making wise investments in high quality, leading edge equipment for current and future business.”
According to Steven Gilbert, Global Recycling Inc. and its management team will continue to look for opportunities to grow and diversify their business model.
“Our efforts are geared toward increased retail operations, more physical locations covering a larger geographic area, a more highly developed transportation infrastructure, and the handling of new commodities in response to market developments,” he said.
Linder Industrial Machinery Company has been in business for 58 years. With 16 locations in key cities throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, Linder is a full service dealer supporting many markets and industries. In addition to being one of the largest Komatsu dealers in North America, Linder represents many other lines of equipment including Wirtgen milling machines; Vogele pavers; Hamm compaction products; Kleemann crushing products; Exodus material handlers; Genesis demolition and scrap attachments; Esco, and Hensley. For more information on Linder Industrial Machinery, please visit www.linderco.com or www.facebook.com/linderindustrialmachinery. CEG
Brenda Ruggiero
Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.
Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.
Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.
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