In Memoriam: E. Lee Ronnel

E. Lee Ronnel, the founder of Metal Recycling Corp., Little Rock, Arkansas, died of natural causes earlier this year.   

Ronnel was born June 16, 1936, in Shanghai. His parents were professional musicians who fled Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution. 

In 1979, Ronnel founded Metal Recycling Corp. in Little Rock. He guided the company successfully for more than four decades with the help of his sons, Mike, who joined the family business in 1989, and Steve, who joined in 1999.  

During Ronnel's tenure as president, Metal Recycling Corp. grew to 90 employees at three metal recycling centers in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Searcy, Arkansas, and two metal commodity trading companies in Little Rock.  

Ronnel gave back to the recycling industry by serving on the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, which honored him with its Israel Proler Lifetime Achievement Award. He also served as chairman of the Arkansas Chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Management and was a member of its national board of directors.  

According to his obituary, Ronnel is survived by his wife, Dale Grundfest Ronnel; daughter, Karen Ronnel Pear; sons, Mike Ronnel and Steve Ronnel; son-in-law, David Pear; daughters-in-law, Stacey Ronnel and Jennifer Ronnel; and five grandchildren: Jason, Marilyn and David Ronnel and Allie and Missy Pear.