Editor's Letter

ften, when a publishing company makes a mistake in its reporting or editing, the subsequent correction can be found tucked into a box toward the bottom of a page. This is not meant to point the finger only at others—Recycling Today has followed that same procedure.

In the case of a recent mistake committed by the author of this column, I’d like to take the opposite approach. As part of the text in the April feature on our list of North America’s 20 Largest Ferrous Scrap Processors, I wrote, when summarizing changes from the previous list, "No. 19 on that list, Mervis Industries Inc., was subsequently acquired by OmniSource Corp."

Two often-quoted phrases come to mind: "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," and, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

Certain assets of Mervis Industries were acquired by OmniSource Corp. in early 2007, but a far thing from the entire company, which still operates from nearly 20 locations. Alexander Pope, an 18^th century essayist, perhaps did not have such mishaps in mind when he wrote, "A little learning is a dangerous thing." (The word "knowledge" has often replaced the word "learning" when this phrase is quoted.) Certainly, in this case, relying on faulty memory in lieu of further research was a dangerous thing.

Much as Mark Twain cabled to U.S. publishers that were printing obituaries of him while he was traveling in Europe, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Mervis Industries was not acquired in its entirety and is still very much alive.

Mike Smith, the company’s vice president and chief financial officer, sent a polite note to let us know about the error and invited me to learn a little more about Mervis Industries and its very much ongoing operations.

Subsequently, it has been my pleasure to learn about the company.

As well as engaging in the redemptive task of turning a lemon into lemonade, learning about Mervis Industries has been enjoyable because of the company’s approach.

Scrap recycling companies can choose any number of ways to grow, including spreading out geographically or vying for greater market share through acquisition.

Mervis Industries has done some of this, but it also has demonstrated a commitment to working with its generating customers to recycle plastic.

CEO Adam Mervis says there has been a lot to learn regarding the differences between metal and plastic scrap. Although the education has been challenging, the company now has an element of diversification that lets it distinguish itself in the market. Such diversification, like the company itself, should not be overlooked. Hopefully, this editor has learned his lesson.