Alter Trading Corp. acquires Behr Iron & Metal

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Scrap metal recycling company Alter Trading Corp., headquartered in St. Louis, has announced that it has acquired substantially all of the operating assets of Behr Iron & Metal, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois.

The purchase expands Alter’s presence in the central United States, which includes 52 yards and brokerage offices in Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin, and furthers the company’s pattern of growth through acquisition and technology investment.

The Behr operations Alter has acquired include nine metal processing facilities in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, including three shredding operations and a specialty metals operation. Prior to the purchase, according to Recycling Today's research, Alter had 12 auto shredders, which included one idled shredder in Kearney, Nebraska.

"Behr, like Alter, has been an industry leader in the scrap metal recycling industry for more than 100 years,” Rob Goldstein, chairman and CEO of Alter, says. “We share similar customer-focused cultures and long-tenured workforces that have made us each successful in the past and assure the success of this combination. We welcome the Behr employees to our team.”

Jay Robinovitz, president and COO of Alter, says the purchase is a significant strategic addition to Alter. “Their geographic footprint, processing capabilities and customer base all dovetail well with Alter’s existing operations,” he adds. We look forward to their continued success as part of Alter.”

With the purchase of Behr, Alter has 1,325 employees and operates 61 metal recycling facilities and five trading offices in eight states, along with its representative sales office in Hong Kong, China.

Alter’s recent acquisitions include Wausau Scrap and Recycling Corp. (WSRC), Wausau, Wisconsin, in early 2015, and All Metals Recycling of Ottumwa, Iowa, in 2013.

Alter Trading was founded in 1898. The a privately owned, fourth-generation company is ISO 9001 and 14001 certified.