Fresh Perspective

Nathan Freeman

Director of business development at S3 Recycling Solutions

For Nathan Freeman, electronics recycling was not always in the cards. He studied business administration at the University of Tennessee and originally intended to go to law school to be a sports agent. His first introduction to the recycling industry came in the summer of 2018, when he landed an internship with Springfield, Tennessee-based S3 Recycling Solutions. Freeman’s father was the company’s chairman at the time.

As an intern, Freeman worked in S3’s warehouse, sorting resale items and remarketed equipment for shipping. This hands-on experience eventually would serve as a point of reference for his career at S3. Freeman joined the team as a sales executive after graduation and recently was promoted to director of business development.

“Being able to know what we do in the warehouse has helped me a lot in the pitches to potential clients,” Freeman says. “I know exactly what we’re doing with the equipment when it gets into the warehouse. It gives our clients a little bit more ease.”

Today, he is responsible for reaching out to clients, including private companies and schools, to help find solutions for unwanted electronics, and soon he will manage a team of sales executives as S3 expands its sales department.

Freeman says working in sales is not without its challenges, but learning to persevere through rejection has been critical to his success.

He is involved in multiple community outreach organizations, such as Roteract of Nashville, a service club for young professionals, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce YP Council, of which he serves as an inaugural member. Freeman also completed the three-month Greater Nashville Technology Council’s Emerging Leaders in Tech (ELITE) program, where he says he learned how to be a more empathetic and encouraging leader.

“[The industry] is very competitive, but you can’t let that dissuade you,” Freeman says to other young professionals in the electronics recycling sector. “You’ve got to keep on going and, eventually, things will start working in your favor.”

In the following interview, Freeman discusses the challenges salespeople face in the recycling industry and the importance of data security and networking.

"You’ve got to keep on going and, eventually, things will start working in your favor.”

Recycling Today (RT): What's a challenge you’ve overcome in your career?

Nathan Freeman (NF): In sales, you’re going to get a “no.” You can’t take it to heart, you just have to keep on persevering. You’ve got to be persistent. You’re not always going to get everybody’s business even though that’s what you want; it’s just not realistic. … Keep on moving forward and don’t let anything dissuade you.

RT: What is the importance of data security in electronics recycling?

NF: It’s very important because clients have a lot of data on the hardware they give us. They don’t want that getting into the wrong hands, causing cyber-attacks or breaches, so that’s something we have to make sure doesn’t happen. We lock [the hard drives] up in our truck when we pick them up from clients, and we bring them back, put them in a cage and have them locked up to make sure nobody gets in. We have a security team here 24/7.

RT: What is the importance of networking in the recycling industry?

NF: The more people you network with, the more they’re willing to help you. ... There’s definitely been some clients that I’ve gotten through introductions to close friends. … Friends and mentors have helped me get introductions into companies and really helped me expand our client base.