ISRI Convention: 3,680 Gather in New Orleans

Organizers of this year’s Annual Convention of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) knew they faced a tough task to match last year’s total of more than 4,200 attendees.

Although that goal was not obtained, nearly 3,700 scrap recyclers and their suppliers gathered in New Orleans April 18-21 for the exhibition and conference, according to Convention Chair Kendig Kneen of Al-jon Inc., Ottumwa, Iowa.

Speaking to those gathered for the April 21 General Session Lunch (which featured comments from a general—U.S. Army General Tommy Franks), Kneen thanked the gathered attendees for their participation in the convention’s 50 workshops and sessions.

ISRI Chair-Elect George Adams of Adams Steel, Anaheim, Calif., offered remarks on the 2007 one-word convention theme, “Momentum.”

After noting that both markets and ISRI membership were up, Adams remarked, “Momentum is only advantageous if we guide it.” He noted that while market momentum has helped create two well-attended events in a row, five years ago the ISRI gathering was much smaller and markets were much less kind. “We must acknowledge that we don’t have control . . . over the free supply-and-demand marketplace.”

Adams also urged scrap recyclers to become more involved with and visible to their elected representatives. “Our government leaders need to better understand our business at the local level,” he commented. “Let them see the capital investments that you have made.”

At the same General Session, a Design for Recycling Award was presented to the U.S. EPA for its Design for the Environment program for what ISRI Chair Frank Cozzi called its “goals that clearly mimic ISRI’s Design for Recycling goals.”

ISRI also announced the location and dates for next year’s Annual Convention, which will be held April 6-10 at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas.