Page 27 from: August 2015
27August 2015
routes across the immense expanse of Canada.
‘We collect and sell up to Yukon and Alberta,’
confirms Mark. ‘Also, there is direct access to
Seattle, Los Angeles and further south all the
way to Mexico.’
Being a major scrap exporter (95% of the com-
pany’s scrap goes abroad), Pacific Metals
depends heavily on well-organised, smooth-
ly-functioning ports. Although Canadian
exporters did not have to deal with the West
Coast port slowdown experienced by recyclers
and traders in the USA for a large part of 2014
and the early months of 2015, they certainly felt
some of the impact, according to Mark Lotzkar.
‘Because of less port capacity on the US West
Coast, US recyclers and shippers decided to
divert to Canada,’ he explains. ‘As a result, there
were queues at the Vancouver terminals.’
Also, more trains with scrap from the US West
Coast chose the port of Prince Rupert, another
major gateway to Asia some 1200 kilometres
north of Vancouver.
Strong Asian flair
Certainly, the geography, economy and ‘envi-
ronmentally friendly’ culture of Vancouver have
boosted the company’s growth, according to
Mark. ‘Bear in mind that this is the North Amer-
ican city closest to the Pacific Rim, making it the
gateway to Asian trade and a multi-cultural city
with a strong Asian flair,’ he points out.
Clearly, Vancouver’s convenient location for
ocean container vessel movements to the Far
East has been vital to Pacific Metals’ success in
the international market. The company exports
most of its ferrous and non-ferrous scrap to
buyers in China, South Korea and, increasingly,
India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Perhaps
unsurprisingly for a go-ahead firm, the compa-
ny’s traders are able to speak English, Spanish,
Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, French and
German. Jacqueline Lotzkar explains: ‘This mul-
tilingual capability facilitates global business.
Generations of experience with shipping pro-
tocols and legislative transportation differences
between countries give us the ability to elimi-
nate extra costs and timely hassles’.
Brewery connection
Jacqueline and Mark take me on a short tour
around the scrap yard: it is familiar scene com-
prising stocks of ferrous, aluminium and cop-
per. However, there’s one unusual feature: a
strong smell of beer. Is there a brewery nearby?
Mark starts laughing: ‘Not really. But we do
business with the beer producers.’
Pacific Metals has contracts with distributors of
major beverage brands to dispose of alcoholic
products removed from store shelves because
their use-by date has expired. On a weekly basis,
an average of 8000-16 000 gallons (around
36 000-72 000 litres) of liquid are processed. Full
aluminium cans and plastic bottles end up in the
baler, with their contents draining into the com-
pany’s waste water treatment facility. Full beer
bottles are emptied and returned to the breweries.
‘Green’ commitment
Pacific Metals and its subsidiary Regional Recy-
cling claim to cherish ‘a strong commitment to
the environment’ which extends well beyond
metals recycling and British Columbia’s depos-
it programme. Leon Lotzkar – Mark and Rod’s
grandfather – was ‘passionate’ about environ-
mental preservation and education. Today, his
legacy lives on at Lotzkar Park in Greenwood,
British Columbia, in the form of a scholarship
for postgraduates. Furthermore, the Lotzkars
are strongly committed to the preservation of
Vancouver’s wildlife.
www.pacificmetals.ca
New business boosted
by 2010 Winter Olympics
Mark Lotzkar’s brother Rod together with his
sons Sam and Brook run another part of the
Lotzkar family business: Regional Recycling.
Launched in 1992 as a ‘one-stop-recycling-
shop’, itoperates a network of nine depots
throughout British Columbia – mainly in the
greater Vancouver area – for the collection of
household and commercial recyclables such as
cans, bottles and e-scrap.
In addition, Regional Recycling handles plastic
and paper from hotels as well as bars and res-
taurants. In 2010, the company received a major
boost when providing recycling services during
the Vancouver Olympic Games. Regional Recy-
cling has a location at the Whistler Blackcomb
ski resort, collecting recyclables from several
hotels and food outlets.
Safety first.
From left to right: Jacqueline, Brad and Mark Lotzkar, and also Kevin
Hodgins who is the company’s manager of customer relations.
Full aluminium beer cans end up in the baler.
The company’s main location in the southern part of Vancouver.
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