River Metals Recycling acquires Garden Street Iron & Metal's Ohio operations

Nucor Corp., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based company that operates a network of electric arc furnace steel mills, has acquired Cincinnati-based Garden Street Iron & Metal’s assets on behalf of its recycling subsidiary, River Metals Recycling (RMR), headquartered in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. The assets include one feeder and one shredder yard, bringing RMR's total number of recycling facilities to 19.

Nucor says the purchase is consistent with its raw materials strategy and demonstrates its commitment to expanding the regional recycling platforms supporting the company's steel mills.

Garden Street was founded in 1958 by the Weber family, with Earl Weber Jr. having served as president of the company’s Ohio operations until the sale. Weber tells Recycling Today he has retired and left the business. However, he says, his grandson, Tyler Weber, plans to stay on to manage operations at the Cincinnati yard, which is set on 22 acres with three nearby rail spurs in Spring Grove, Ohio. The company’s Cincinnati complex, which includes its auto shredder, serves retail and commercial customers. Garden Street also operates a feeder yard in Harrison, Ohio, which is roughly 20 miles from its Cincinnati yard via I-74.

The 43 employees of Garden Street have been offered positions with RMR, according to Nucor.

"We are excited to welcome the Garden Street teammates to the RMR/Nucor family," says Bob Eviston, vice president and general manager of RMR. "This key strategic acquisition will allow us to increase our supply of sustainable raw materials for our growing steelmaking capacity in the region."

The purchase is designed to broaden RMR's footprint in the industry. Nucor says the company will institute its best-in-class equipment, operational protocols and safety standards at the facilities, which will be rebranded under the RMR name.

In December 2021, another Nucor scrap recycling affiliate, Trademark Metals, purchased Garden Street's recycling facilities in Fort Myers, Florida, which were owned and operated by Rob Weber, Earl Weber Jr.'s brother. 

RMR says it is the largest scrap recycler in Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area. It operates locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cincinnati-based, The David J. Joseph Co. (DJJ), a Nucor subsidiary and one of the largest scrap brokers/processors in the United States, providing scrap brokerage, recycling and transportation services.