US scrap firms form joint venture

USA – Three scrap metal companies in Arizona, USA, are ‘bringing their diverse skills and experience in joining together to build a world-class scrap metal recycling business’. So said Liberty Iron & Metal Holdings an Scholz AG, Southwest Metal Industries, LLC and We Buy Scrap, LLC in announcing a joint venture consolidating their Phoenix-based operations into a new company named Liberty Southwest Holdings, LLC.

The entities signing up to the new venture will continue to operate at their existing locations, thus providing five facilities in the Phoenix area to service the expanding customer base.

Liberty Southwest Holdings, LLC will combine a modern steel shredding facility with retail scrap locations, wire chopping and non-ferrous processing and trading. ‘There is great balance achieved by integrating these companies,’ comments Co-President Henry Fleet. ‘We have worked closely together for several years and this is a natural progression for our businesses.’

Liberty Iron entered into a joint venture with Scholz AG in 2007 to expand operations in the North American market. With the Arizona deal, Liberty and Scholz have completed three joint ventures in North America, with other locations in Ohio and Chihuahua, Mexico.

Scholz is one of the largest privately-held global scrap metal companies with more than 30 partnerships throughout Europe, Northern Africa, Asia, Australia and North America.

Scholz’s CEO Oliver Scholz explains: ‘Partnering with We Buy Scrap and Southwest Metals will strengthen our position in the Southwestern United States.’ We Buy Scrap has three retail-based scrap locations in the Phoenix area while Southwest Metal Industries is a leader in wire chopping and in the processing and trading of non-ferrous metals.