Federal Metal is new owner of former Colonial plant

The Federal Metal Co., a Bedford, Ohio-based red metals ingot maker, has acquired the assets of the former Colonial Metals ingot production facility in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Federal becomes the third owner of the plant since it was idled in 2018 by its longtime family business owners, the Serls family.

In a notice to customers and suppliers, Federal Metal states it has “acquired the assets of SA Alloys in Columbia, Pennsylvania, from parent company SA Recycling.” That sizable scrap processing firm acquired the former Colonial plant earlier this decade from California Metal-X, another ingot-making company that purchased the Columbia facility in early 2019.

In the letter announcing the newest acquisition, Federal Metal President and CEO Peter J. Nagusky writes, “Combined, we are now more than 160 employees strong with 11 furnaces and extensive processing and testing capability. Our intent is to manufacture the full range of copper-based cast alloys in our new and existing facilities with the best employees in the industry.”

Nagusky continues, “As we integrate these two companies, I am energized and awed by the stamina and commitment of our team. With this acquisition, The Federal Metal Co. has more brass and bronze ingot-making capacity than any company in North America. We are where we are because of our laser focus on quality, service and pricing, and that will not change. But more so, we are where we are because of the phenomenal people who work hard every day to make sure we continue to outperform every expectation.”

Surveying the changing domestic copper and metals production market, Nagusky writes, “Nonferrous metals are at the early stages of a new super cycle. Over the next 10 to 20 years, they will play a crucial role in the revolutionary transformation from an industrial economy based on fossil-fuel-derived energy to an environmentally sustainable economy based on electrification and clean energy. We intend to be at the center of this transformation, responsibly supplying critical recycled metals of the highest quality that are needed by the leading producers.”

He adds, “We are committed to serving the growing number of customers that look to The Federal Metal Company as an important part of their supply chain, and the wide array of remarkable scrap processors that depend on us for responsible recycling of their material. This acquisition will support our strategic growth in new and important ways, complementing our leading position as a manufacturer of cast copper-based alloys to the foundry industry.”

Hinting that Federal Metal could have more news to come, Nagusky concludes in his letter, “We look forward to sharing more exciting news in the months and years to come and will work hard to continue serving your needs, earning your trust and providing even greater value to you as our company evolves.”