Southern Recycling to invest $6 million in new Kentucky plant

Bowling Green, Kentucky-based Southern Recycling LLC and its parent company Houchens Industries are preparing to invest $6 million to construct a new, 45-acre facility in Bowling Green.

A late October 2017 news release from the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce says the new site will be designed to “improve operations and efficiency of material flow and allow for much needed growth” for Southern Recycling.

On its website, Southern Recycling describes itself as a recycler of nonferrous and ferrous metals, including “shreddables,” and also of old corrugated containers (OCC), scrap paper and several types of plastic.

In addition to site development, the $6 million being invested in the new location will go toward “installing state-of-the-art scrap processing equipment and facilities, which will improve operations and efficiency of material flow,” according to the press release.

Although the majority of the funding will be supplied by Southern Recycling and Houchens Industries, in late October the board of the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority approved $100,000 in tax incentives for the project.

Southern Recycling, which started in 1985 as a paper recycling firm, now has curbside operations serving more than 50,000 residents each month. On the scrap metal side, the company processes and ships about 10,000 tons per month of material.

The company, which currently has four locations, employs 117 people and has agreed to hire at least four more at the new location.

“As a subsidiary of Houchens Industries, we are proud to be able to continue the growth we have experienced in Warren and surrounding counties,” says Southern Recycling President John Fellonneau.

Southern Recycling plans to break ground at the 45-acre site in early 2018.