Recycled Media names new CEO

Boise, Idaho-based Recycled Media, a marketing and communication firm focused on the recycling sector, has named Jennifer Betts as its new CEO.

Betts brings almost two decades of experience working in the ferrous, nonferrous and ferro-alloy metals sectors, with roles involving scrap yards, steel mills, trading companies and the trade press.

“The Recycled Media team is passionate about the recycled materials community,” Betts says. “This is a major factor for me in joining forces at Recycled Media to help fellow recycling companies transition into this next generation of growth.”

“Our industry is changing; what has worked in the past is not always working today. For example, we used to only advertise in the Yellow Pages. Then we moved to billboards, radio ads and television commercials. Digital marketing inclusive of updated website design, socials and podcasts is the next wave of marketing.”

Prior to joining Recycled Media, Betts was a senior vice president at Arizona-based Flack Global Metals, where she helped launch the Flack Metal Bank financial service. Before that, Betts was a vice president with Argus Media, where she was involved in news reporting, pricing and developing online tools for the ferrous and nonferrous sectors.

“The metals recycling industry has flown under the radar for too long," she says. "For an industry supporting manufacturing and a more sustainable future, we are not showcasing what we do for the environment and economy nearly enough.”

Prior to her time at Argus, Betts served as director of ferrous marketing for Illinois-based Becker Iron & Metal and as raw materials manager for Ohio-based AK Steel. She got her start in the metals business as a brokerage representative for the Cincinnati-based David J. Joseph Co., a subsidiary of Nucor Corp., where she traded nonferrous and ferrous scrap metal in North American and global markets. Betts has an MBA from Xavier University.

“Jennifer is a true advocate for the recycling industry, but more importantly brings real world experience from multiple angles of the industry into the media and marketing side,” says Brett Ekart, the founder of Recycled Media.

“She brings years of insights, leadership and an exceptional networking ability to Recycled Media as we continue to build out this specialized marketing company focused solely on bringing awareness and recognition to the best players in and around the recycled materials industry."

Ekart, who also is owner and CEO of Idaho-based United Metals Recycling, founded Recycled Media in 2019 to offer “up-to-date media techniques and strategies to spotlight opportunities and underscore the significance of metal recycling.”

Recycled Media and Ekart engage in podcast production, social media outreach and brand recognition efforts. “Ekart has utilized the power of social media and brand development to grow his own businesses and is now ready to share that knowledge with the world through Recycled Media,” the company says.

Both Ekart and Betts were part of a live podcast recording that took place in conjunction with the 2023 Scrap Expo, Sept. 12-13 in Louisville, Kentucky.