Giving Up a Front Row Seat

After three decades in visible positions in the same industry, it is reasonable to expect that a man would make some enemies.

But if Jim Fowler, publisher of Scrap magazine and long-time Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) staff member, has enemies, they are well hidden.

In interviews with current colleagues, former colleagues, customers and even competitors, a disparaging word was hard to come by when seeking comments about Jim Fowler. The words that did keep reappearing were ones like “integrity,” “trustworthy,” “friend,” and “fun.”

There was no disagreement: when Fowler steps down as Scrap publisher at the end of 1999, he will be missed by his co-workers and by ISRI members who have come to look forward to seeing him at ISRI-sponsored events.

BUILDING A SENSE OF PRIDE

Although Jim Fowler has never owned or operated a scrap processing facility, it would be inaccurate to say he simply observed the industry during his tenure with the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel (ISIS), ISRI and Scrap magazine.

He was involved in several projects and programs that many scrap recyclers regard as important steps in the growth and progress of the scrap recycling industry. Barry Hunter, senior vice president with Keywell LLC, Elizabeth, N.J., worked alongside Fowler for several years as public relations committee chairman with first ISIS, and then ISRI.

Hunter lists the “Our Heritage” video tape series as an important project “that made everybody feel good.” He called the series “a way to present the industry through the voices of the people who literally founded the association.”

Hunter feels strongly that during Fowler’s years as public relations director for ISIS and ISRI, “recognition started to come to the industry through a lot of Jim’s efforts.” He adds that they identified early on that “we had to make our members feel good—that was one of our tasks. We tried to make our members feel proud that they are in the industry. I think Jim did a whole lot to further that cause.”

Current ISRI president Shelly E. Padnos of Louis Padnos Iron & Metal Co., Holland, Mich., also credits Fowler’s efforts at Scrap magazine as having served the industry well. “There are just so many different things he has done to broaden our perspective greatly in terms of the issues he has covered,” she remarks.

Fowler is credited with reviving a publication, formerly known as Scrap Age, that had begun to decline with the death of its original publisher. “Having paged through older publications, you can see that he took it from being almost a small network magazine to being a magazine for the entire industry.”

“He started with a magazine that was kind of limping along,” says current Scrap editor Kent Kiser, who notes that Fowler subsequently built the publication into a magazine that generates more than $1 million in revenues annually for ISRI.

Fowler passed on to the associa-tion’s magazine a quality that he himself is often credited with: integrity. “Uniformly, when I talk to people—whether it’s his customers or even competitors—that’s the word that they mention,” says Padnos.

“He’s a man of great integrity, no doubt about that,” adds Kiser. “He is well respected within the industry not only by our advertisers but by all ISRI members. They know him as a man of integrity and as a man of his word.”

Adds Hunter, “when you call Jim and say that you need a favor, you know that it is as good as done.”

“He’s the ultimate professional,” remarks Kiser. “He sets a great example for the rest of us to follow. He has an interest in other people, and people can sense that when they talk to him. I can’t tell you how many people, when they talk to me, wax on about what a great man he is. These are definite testimonials. You can’t buy those—they are heartfelt expressions from people who like him a great deal as an individual.”

A DOSE OF GOOD HUMOR

Jim Fowler’s tenure at ISRI (and one of its predecessors, ISIS) can not be described in terms of an individual “clawing” his way to the top.

Fowler’s colleagues go beyond professional respect when commenting about his three decades in the business, and unanimously refer to his qualities as a gentleman and a friend.

“In the relationship I established with Jim, the one word I would use is friend,” says Hunter. “Our relationship has stayed that way through ISIS, ISRI and BIR (Bureau of International Recycling) activities.”

“You always know he’ll be a great friend,” says Kiser. “There are so many terrific snapshots of Jim interacting with people at conventions,” he adds, noting that Fowler has always been someone attendees seek out at ISRI Annual Conventions, Roundtables and other events.

Hunter says he has many good memories of socializing with Fowler (many times along with Jim’s wife Carolyn, who travels with him frequently) at BIR conventions.

“He really is a lot of fun,” adds Kiser. “The man has a great sense of humor that makes working with him a joy. He keeps us laughing, which helps our creativity and morale. It makes working here a lot more enjoyable.”

Padnos also notes that as professional as Fowler was during industry conventions and meetings, he was also that much fun to socialize with after meetings. “He was always fun to go out with in a group of people after meetings—I won’t say any more,” she chuckles.

Some of Hunter’s favorite memories date back to the days of ISIS, when he and Fowler—through a format they called “Weird Productions”—would roast the outgoing ISIS chairman. “It seems like the business was a lot lighter and more fun than it is today,” says Hunter. “But Jim, Morton Plant of Keywell and myself put as much fun into those programs as we could,” he says of the popular events.

TIME WELL SPENT

After three decades of accomplishments and making solid friendships, Jim Fowler is ready to concentrate a little less on the scrap recycling industry and a little more on his wife, daughters, and grandchildren.

 “Of course we are sorry to see him go,” says Padnos, “but at the same time, I think we all really know he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. We would hope that he is just going to enjoy that and enjoy himself during his retirement.”

“We’re going to sorely miss him,” remarks Kiser. “He is one of the remaining original pillars of this association. It’s kind of ironic that he is stepping down now, around the millennium.”

“I’m glad he’s in a position to retire and enjoy it,” says Hunter. “He’s just a super guy. He’s a family man who was also dedicated to his work. You can just list all the adjectives that apply to one hell of a nice guy.”  RT

Brian Taylor is the editor of Recycling Today and had the pleasure of getting to know Jim Fowler over the course of the past two years.