In a Relationship

Jim Keefe

Often in today’s world we hear that relationships don’t matter anymore. While technology and industry consolidation have certainly made the world smaller and less personal, my experience is that relationships still matter in the global recycling industry.

One of my mentors in the scrap business told me years ago, “Jimmy, you need to realise there will always be problems in business. Nobody wants them, but they happen, even as hard as you try to avoid them. What matters is how you resolve the problems.”

As is often the case, the older I get the more I realise how right he was, and how important relationships are to resolving those issues. However, relationships also matter every day, and I enjoy the fact that the industry we’re in is still a place where a handshake means you have a deal.

Now, I’m not naïve. I know that the world has changed and that, particularly during the recent economic calamity, that many handshake deals were broken. Today contracts are critically important. Nonetheless, personal relationships still mean a great deal.

As you’ll read starting on page 42, we just launched Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference – Middle East. The event was possible because of industry relationships, including with our media partner in Dubai.

Those of us who have been around the industry for a while tend to look forward to the industry events we attend. My wife will sometimes give me a ribbing, saying “These are like class reunions for you, meeting up with all of your old friends.” I have to confess, it’s true. I enjoy the relationships.

With the publication of this issue of Global Edition some will note a change. Our editorial consultant and the mastermind behind collecting our global commodity reports, Larry Sax, is not doing that for us any longer. We’ve reshaped this section to provide a series of commodity-focused reports that examine the factors impacting these materials globally.

We’re still seeking input from the many contributors who have been reporting over the past four years, but we’re presenting it in a different format. The support, insight, guidance and encouragement of Larry Sax over the past four years has been invaluable to us. Larry is someone with whom I and so many others have had one of those long-time industry relationships. He has been a mentor to me over the years, sharing his decades of insight with me and coaching me along the way.

Larry’s contributions to Recycling Today Global Edition have been tremendous over the years. He remains active in the business as a consultant and trader. Most importantly for me, however, he also remains a friend and mentor.

Relationships really do matter!