ARCOA Acquires Miller Electronics Recycling

ARCOA Group Inc., an Illinois-based electronics recycling firm, has increased its presence in the Milwaukee market with the acquisition of Miller Electronics Recycling, based in Oak Creek, Wis. Miller Electronics was acquired from St. Louis-based scrap metal firm Alter Trading Corp. and will change its name to ARCOA.

Miller and its predecessor company Midwest Computer Recyclers have been involved in the electronics recycling sector in the Milwaukee area since 2001.

“ARCOA currently serves customers from around the country, including southeast Wisconsin, but to be able to have a local presence in Milwaukee is very exciting for us,” says George Hinkle, president of ARCOA. “ARCOA was originally founded in Kenosha back in 1988 but relocated the corporate offices to Illinois in 2003, so we feel as if we are coming home,” he adds.

ARCOA operates several divisions, including Midwest Copier Exchange, Business Equipment Specialized Transportation, ARCOA (Asset Recycling Co. of America) and ARCOSA (Asset Remarketing Corp. of South America). All companies specialize in recycling and remarketing IT assets and electronics.

ARCOA will use the Milwaukee-area facility as a collection depot, similar to facilities the company operates in Columbia, Md., and Orlando, Fla. The company will perform processing, demanufacturing, dismantling and other end-of-life operations will at its R2 (Responsible Recycling Practices) certified Chicago facility.

The newly acquired facility is proximal to the company’s Chicago flagship plant, says Jeff Datkuliak, vice president of corporate development. After acquiring Miller Electronics from Alter Trading, he says ARCOA will still work closely with the scrap metal firm. “We will do support with Alter Trading [and] will support Alter’s needs. They have been great for us.

“It is a great fit for us to buy the assets and operate the location for collection on the south side of Milwaukee,” adds Datkuliak. “Our focus is to build a brand in Milwaukee. We felt there was a void there for a local certified company [and] felt it was a good fit.”