STEINERT’s trademark dependability and reliability come together for Conservit

Hagerstown, Maryland-based Conservit Inc., which has been in business for more than 50 years, maintains a forward-looking attitude toward the metals recycling industry and the possibilities offered by sorting and other technological advances.

Conservit Vice President-Nonferrous Sam Metzner says early on in his tenure with the company, STEINERT submitted the winning proposal to provide a nonferrous recovery plant, a necessary purchase to update an outdated nonferrous recovery plant.

STEINERT was selected based on cost, performance and quality of equipment. “It is still running today as well as it did when it was installed,” recalls Metzner. “From day one, it has run extremely well,” he says of the STEINERT device, which Conservit continues to operate.

“We’ve been happy with STEINERT, and its equipment has done really well for us.” – Sam Metzner, Conservit

Metzner continues, “Based on performance and recovery rates we receive from STEINERT’s machines, we have continued to add more and more machines over the years.”

In 2021, Conservit added high-end sorting machines to refine mixed metals from its nonferrous plant.

Working with STEINERT to set up the expanded sorting plant has allowed Conservit greater access to the growing domestic market for high-grade mixed shredded metals, which Metzner calls “an important next step” for Conservit.

Metzner cites three reasons Conservit has been loyal to STEINERT: the ability of its equipment to avoid downtime, the durability and long life of the units and an attentive level of customer service he calls “not really common these days.”

Regarding longevity, Metzner says the lifespans of the early STEINERT machines Conservit acquired have not been surpassed. “I think that’s impressive and speaks a lot for the equipment.”

At shredder yards and downstream sorting plants, “any downtime is money lost,” Metzner says. He credits the ruggedness of STEINERT equipment for reducing such downtime.

Ross Meadema, a long-time STEINERT contact for Metzner and Conservit, credits the metals recycling company for its important role in maintaining good stewardship of its sorting devices. He says, “Their facility, the way it’s maintained and run, and the people working there are top notch.”

Meadema says STEINERT recently worked with a shredding and sorting plant operator from another part of the country to run a sample of its shredded mixed metals through the Conservit system.

“Based on performance and recovery rates we receive from STEINERT’s machines, we have continued to add more and more machines over the years.” – Sam Metzner, Conservit

STEINERT and Conservit found 4-12 percent metallics in the submitted auto shredder residue (ASR) that the customer had been “throwing away.” This was happening even though the distant customer owned nearly twice the number of sorting devices compared with the equipment Conservit operates.

Metzner says STEINERT assesses its equipment and system on a quarterly basis.

“The communication front has been helpful to us,” the recycler says. “When we have an issue, we get the answer that we need. That has been a big driver as far as continuing to do business with STEINERT and building a strong relationship.”

Thanks to its long-term relationship with STEINERT, Metzner says Conservit “went from [operating] a smaller, outdated nonferrous sorting plant to a modern and successful nonferrous plant.”

He concludes, “We have a lot of trust in STEINERT and Ross. We feel valued as a customer. We’ve been happy with Steinert, and its equipment has done really well for us.”