As a large and constantly-developing business,
LPIM relies heavily on a portfolio of scrap process-
ing equipment. The company runs three main
shredding operations, each of which makes several
different grades of shredded scrap. ‘We shred car
bodies mixed with sheet iron, No 1 grade, prompt
industrial scrap and galvanised,’ notes Mr Clay. ‘All
the material then goes to an eddy current plant. We
deliver all the non-ferrous residue from all the
plants to our eddy current facility in Grandville
where our paper plant is.’
Installed in 1970, the company’s original American
Pulverizer shredder is still in working order, and the
same applies to a Becker shear that arrived from
Germany some 10 years later. ‘When it comes to
machinery and equipment, Padnos tends to buy on
quality rather than on price,’
comments Mr Clay. ‘We just cannot afford down-
time, especially when the market is booming like it
is today.’
The company has recently begun construction of a
new maintenance facility which will service the entire
greater Grand Rapids area, thereby underlining the
importance attached by LPIM to on-going mainte-
nance. Indeed, almost a third of company employees
is involved in maintenance of one sort or another.
The range of balers and shears operated by LPIM
includes a recently-installed ‘Eta-Cut’ at one of its
Grand Rapids facilities (see special section).
The key role of technology
According to Shelley Padnos, a host of issues –
from currency fluctuations to ever-changing legis-
lation – have made life increasingly difficult for
recycling firms around the world. She adds: ‘The
biggest challenge that we have is to remain compet-
itive and still be successful. As with everyone else in
the manufacturing world today, our margins con-
tinue to shrink. This means that the only way we
can survive is to keep finding ways to work smarter
and faster, with less. This puts a real emphasis on
both our Continuous Improvement Program and on
technology.’
At present, the focus is falling on operating
equipment and management of all company infor-
mation. ‘We are in the process of going “wireless”
throughout our yards, which opens up all types of
opportunities for us in terms of communication and
information management,’ observes Ms Padnos.
Such initiatives are helping to keep the company
at the forefront of the industry. Ms Padnos
observes: ‘This past year has been historic for us in
terms of new production records set by many of our
processing machines.’
P R O F I L E
Louis Padnos Iron & Metal Company operates
fourteen ferrous and non-ferrous metals yards
in Michigan.
