Personnel notes

NWRA honors Rehrig Pacific vice president

Mike Schwalbach, vice president of the environmental business group at Rehrig Pacific Co., based in Los Angeles, has been honored as the National Waste & Recycling Association’s 2014 Member of the Year.

Rehrig Pacific provides logistics solutions and products for the waste and recycling industries.

NWRA presented the award to Schwalbach at the 47th annual WasteExpo, which was June 2-4, 2015, in Las Vegas.

NWRA President and CEO Sharon H. Kneiss says, “The waste and recycling industry strives to collect, recycle and innovate with the exemplary leadership, dedication and service Mike Schwalbach has demonstrated, and his recognition is well-deserved.”

“I am honored by this award,” says Schwalbach, who began his career at Rehrig in 1990 as plant engineer before becoming a sales representative and western region sales manager.

“Rehrig Pacific has provided a tremendous platform and culture of autonomy where ‘quality people make quality decisions,’ and being part of the Rehrig family as well as this industry for 25 years is gratifying,” he continues. “I am fortunate and proud to work with friends on my team and in the industry.”

Alter Trading announces leadership changes

St. Louis-based Alter Trading Corp. has announced that Robert Stein, senior vice president of the company’s nonferrous division, will retire Dec. 31, 2015.

“Bob has been the leader in moving our company forward as we expanded with a special focus in the nonferrous segment,” says Alter Chairman and CEO Robert Goldstein. “Bob has been instrumental in our expansion to international markets since he joined the company in 2002.”

Stein’s industry service includes seven years as the president of the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Non-Ferrous Division.

“In addition to Bob’s role at BIR, he also served as the chairman of the ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc.) Copper and Brass Committee and as a member of the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) nonferrous advisory committee,” says Jay Robinovitz, Alter president and chief operating officer.

Robinovitz adds, “Bob has been a tremendous asset to Alter Trading and a proponent of the nonferrous industry throughout the world.”

David Klein, vice president of nonferrous marketing, will lead the nonferrous division beginning January 2016.

“David has been with Alter for 10 years and has become a nonferrous leader in his own right,” Stein says. “David is experienced in every aspect of our business, and he, along with a seasoned group of professionals in the U.S. and Hong Kong, are well-equipped to continue our commitment to quality, customer service and financial success.”

Vecoplan appoints sales manager

Effective Aug. 1, 2015, Ray Barry joined Vecoplan LLC, Archdale, North Carolina, as sales manager for its mobile, document destruction and paper recycling division.

Formerly deputy executive director for the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), Phoenix, Barry also has served as dean of Shred School and has worked in executive sales and operations positions with private-sector shredding services providers. He has more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the secure destruction industry.

In addition to sales management, his responsibilities include working with customers and Vecoplan R&D engineers to develop solutions for challenges faced by processors in the field.

“Ray adds a lot of depth to Vecoplan’s document destruction and paper recycling team,” says Bob Gilmore, chief sales officer at Vecoplan LLC. “As our commitment to this market continues to grow, Ray’s practical experience and knowledge base fits perfectly with our plans to expand within the industry.”

Barry earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina.

Vecoplan provides design, engineering, manufacture, installation, commissioning, training, parts and service for complete processing systems used in document destruction, materials recovery, recycling, waste-to-energy and biomass facilities.

EMR chairman to step down

U.K.-based multinational recycling company EMR Group (profiled in this issue beginning on page 38) has announced that Colin Iles has decided to step down as executive director and chairman of the company. The decision is part of a succession process, initiated by Iles and the late Phillip Sheppard, to transfer executive management and governance to a new generation of managers, EMR says.

Iles will remain a board director, allowing him to maintain his involvement with EMR. His career with the company spans 28 years and includes roles as finance director, group CEO, USA CEO and chairman.

EMR Group CEO Chris Sheppard says, “Although Colin will maintain his involvement with EMR as a nonexecutive director, I think it is only right to highlight the achievements of one of the metal recycling industry’s giants. Colin has been a huge driving force in developing EMR into the successful global business it is. On behalf of the Sheppard family and the company, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for his exceptional contribution.”

EMR has started a process to recruit a new chairman.

“The succession of a successful, entrepreneurial company like EMR is a very difficult thing for any business to achieve,” Iles says. “We have built excellent strength and depth in our executive management team, and, having worked with Chris Sheppard now for eight years, I have a high regard for him and his ability to take this business to the next level.”