Under the Wire

 FERRETTI NAMED NEW NRC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

After being without an executive director for most of the year, the National Recycling Coalition, Alexandria, Va., has named industry veteran William Ferretti to fill the post. Ferretti, who has his doctorate in Resource Economics, appeared to be a popular choice among those who attended NRC’s 15th Annual Congresses & Exposition held last month in Pittsburgh. The announcement was made during the convention.

“We needed an executive director to hit the deck running,” says Mark Lichtenstein, president of NRC, “and Bill Ferretti is that person. He is an exceptional leader who brings to the NRC extensive resource management and economic development experience that will move the Coalition successfully into the twenty-first century. He is going to use the broadest range of media to make us the voice of recycling; focus more on membership; and give recyclers the proper tools they need to improve their bottom line.”

Ferretti leaves his post as director of the New York State Office of Recycling Market Development (ORMD). This office, part of New York State’s Department of Economic Development, is the nation’s oldest public organization dedicated to fostering market growth in recycling. Under Ferretti’s auspices, ORMD has received national acclaim, including the White Houses’s first Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, for its pioneering work.

Commenting on his acceptance of the executive directorship, Ferretti says that his focus is to transfer the knowledge of NRC members to the rest of the country. “My job is easy because of the strength of the members,” he says. “We have the resources and the dedicated staff; now we have to get the word out to others. Our biggest challenge is to get the Coalition focused on its core mission – to deliver a product in the form of information to recyclers and businesses.”

SCHNITZER STEEL TO BUY PROLER

Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc., Portland, Ore., has signed an agreement to acquire Proler International Corp., Houston. Under the terms of the agreement, Schnitzer will buy all of Proler’s approximately 4.7 million outstanding shares at $7.50 each, making the value of the acquisition about $35 million.

At press time, the offer was still conditional pending the valid tender of the majority of Proler’s shares. These shares must not be withdrawn prior to the expiration of the offer, which will be 20 days after the commencement of the share purchase, unless extended.

Schnitzer and Proler are two of the nation’s largest exporters of ferrous scrap. Schnitzer has several scrap collection, processing and deep-water facilities in Oregon, California and Washington, as well as the only vertically-integrated minimill in the western United States.

Proler has scrap collection, processing and deep water facilities located in California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Through other joint ventures, Proler has additional scrap facilities in Arizona, New Hampshire, California and Maine.

TITANIUM MINIMILL IN THE WORKS

Ttitanium scrap-based mini-mill patterned after steel minimills is being planned by Galt Alloys Inc., Canton, Ohio. The minimill, thought to be the first of its kind, will use special induction furnace technology borrowed from Russia and modified by Galt.

“We are looking to be the low-cost producer in the titanium industry,” says Bert Newman, vice president of product development for Galt. The company is looking at a growing list of titanium products, especially from the growing titanium golf club market. “We just had two of our people at the PGA tournament in Las Vegas and they reported that no less than 10 golf club manufacturers have announced they will be making titanium irons,” says Newman. “That is the next surge — titanium irons.” Already, titanium woods and drivers are the rage in that industry because bigger club heads can be produced.

Galt is currently finalizing financing of the minimill, reported to cost about $20 million. Newman confirms that the company has found a site for the plant, but will only say that it is somewhere in the United States.

The mill is expected to have a capacity of between 3.5 and 4.5 million pounds per year. Galt, which has several sister companies, is a privately-held user and supplier of titanium and various special alloys.