Upstate Shredding-Weitsman Recycling adds two executives

Owego, New York-based Upstate Shredding-Weitsman Recycling announced May 17 that it has hired two senior-level executives to lead operations and finance for the company. Company CEO Adam Weitsman announced the hiring of Jack Canty as chief operating officer and Timothy Rake as chief financial officer. Both executives bring years of experience in their respective fields and will help position Upstate Shredding-Weitsman Recycling for additional growth and expansion in the latter half of 2018 and into 2019, the company says.

As COO, Canty will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations at all 17 locations. In this role, he will serve as a member of the corporate management team contributing to the development and implementation of organizational strategies, policies and practices to strengthen organizational excellence and ensure that industry standards are exceeded. He will also be directly involved in all aspects of the operation of all facilities providing oversight and leadership, ensuring that the highest levels of ethical conduct and professional standards are maintained by all company personnel. He will also work hand-in-hand with the chief security officer and all local and state law enforcement agencies to prevent the sale of stolen scrap metal and assist in the apprehension of those selling stolen goods.

Canty brings over 25 years of global experience in both finance and operations to the position. He has experience with business turnarounds, the purchase and sale of major businesses, post-acquisition integrations, business systems implementations and business process redesign projects. Canty previously held positions as director/consultant at JC Jones and Associates, Pittsford, New York; CFO at Agway Energy Products, Syracuse, New York; division controller at ITT Industries, White Plains, New York; and VP of operations at Advanced Motors and Drives, East Syracuse, New York. Canty is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) and a New York State CPA. He earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Alfred University. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association and serves on the boards of Strategic Communications LLC, Syracuse, New York, and the Leo A. Pinckney Scholarship Fund.

In his newly appointed position, Rake will be accountable for the administrative, financial and risk management operations of the company, including the development of a financial and operational strategy, metrics tied to that strategy and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve company assets and report accurate financial results. The hire comes on the heels of a new heavy media plant being commissioned as well as additional technology systems being built and installed at the company’s primary processing facility in Owego. Rake will also be responsible for controllership duties, which include presenting and reporting accurate and timely historical financial information of the company as well as overseeing the capital structure of the company, determining the best mix of debt, equity and internal financing.

Prior to joining the company, Rake served as tax manager for 12 years at Syracuse, New York-based Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa and was at London-based Pricewaterhouse Coopers prior to that. He is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in accounting and finance from the University of Buffalo.