Newell Recycling to Open Savannah Shredder

Newell Recycling is opening an auto shredding facility in the Savannah, Ga., area by the end of this year. The company has been granted final approval and received all necessary permits to open its Garden City plant, slated for a December 2008 opening. When operational it will be the third auto shredder for Newell Recycling. The company also has shredders in East Point, Ga., and Doraville, Ga.

Newell Recycling of Savannah, LLC, the name of the new facility, will initially employ at the site, with plans for about 100 employees once the facility is fully operational by early next year.

The company has a total of 11 facilities throughout the Georgia.

The shredder being installed at the new location is a 6000-horsepower Newell MegaShredder. When fully operational the shredder is expected to handle between 200-250 tons an hour, and is scheduled to run 10 hour shifts.

The company held a groundbreaking ceremony at the 40-acre site on May 14th, and has made an initial investment of $17 million, and has not asked for any tax abatements to build the facility.

While the installation and operation of auto shredders throughout many parts of the country have resulted in complaints, litigation, and a barrage of negative press from the local community, Newell has worked very closely with the neighborhoods where they locate their operations to ensure that residents are given a better understanding of what was taking place.

"There was a whole process before we received the blessing," said Jim Jankowski, a representative from Newell. "Similar to our other facilities we like to participate with community organizations; we have community days, he added. The company also is involved with local chapters of the Keep America Beautiful to clean up the surrounding area.

"When we come to a facility we explain how we are going to do it," Jancowsky noted.

One challenge many of shredders now face is that with the explosion in the number of new shredders being located, is finding enough material to feed the machines. For Newell’s Jim Jankowski, he notes that while the shredder will need plenty of sources to feed the shredder, the sales staff is constantly working on accounts to access more of the material. In addition to automobiles, the company also will be feeding other types of lightweight gauge, up to 3/8 inch think.

Finally, while shredders seem to be popping up in the South, he does note that the population of the region has been growing, and with it a growing supply of material that eventually will need to be shredded.