Pictured above, from left: Ron Reich and ISRI Chari Mark Lewon
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, has presented industry veteran Ron Reich with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Reich’s career began more than 55 years ago at the brass and bronze recycler H. Kramer & Co. He has since become a leading expert in metals identification. Many of his methods are still in use today throughout the industry, ISRI says.
“Ron Reich is a recycling innovator and educator who has made numerous positive and long-lasting contributions to the industry,” says Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. “He is very well-respected throughout the industry for his honor and integrity. His depth of knowledge related to metals identification, and his corresponding willingness to share it with others, has proven to be invaluable to the field of recycling. ISRI is proud to recognize Ron Reich with its Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Reich began working at H. Kramer & Co. of Chicago while on summer break from college. After graduating from Bowling Green University and serving in the United States Marine Corps, he was employed by H. Kramer as warehouse manager. He was responsible for receiving, processing and grading material for the furnaces producing brass ingot. After 10 years, he was transferred to the company's El Segundo, California, location as a buyer, later serving on the company’s board of directors.
In 1985, Reich began working as a nonferrous manager at Portland, Oregon-based Schnitzer Steel before moving on to Timco, expanding his metals expertise into aluminum. After 20 years at Timco, Reich moved to Atlas Pacific, Bloomington, California, where he returned to working with brass. Throughout his career, he has lived by his motto, “A good deal is a good deal for everyone.”
In addition to the many seminars Reich has taught on metals identification, he created a Metals Identification Chart that proved invaluable to the recycling industry. He also was very active in ISRI as a member of the West Coast Chapter for more than 45 years, serving as an officer and board member during that time. From 1972-1974, Reich served as the Commander of the Jewish War Veterans scrap industry association.
The award was presented during ISRI’s annual convention and exposition in Las Vegas in mid-April. Sam Proler, industry leader and head of Proler Steel, was posthumously presented with ISRI’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the convention as well.