M.A.R.S. celebrates 50 years of recycling and demolition activity

Dwight “Butch” Caton Sr., the founder and sole owner of Louisiana-based Modern American Recycling Services Inc. (M.A.R.S.)., says he is proud to be celebrating both 50 years in business and his five appearances on Inc. magazine’s list of fastest-growing privately held companies.

M.A.R.S. was founded in 1971 with a mission to provide quality demolition and recycling services to  customers seeking oil rig decommissioning and dismantling, and large-scale recycling “of all types of vessels,” all while protecting the environment, according to the company.

The company says it has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies five times since 2009, “all while maintaining a safe working environment for our people.”

M.A.R.S. says it has recycled nearly 10 million tons of offshore oil and gas structures and salvaged more than 10,000 barges, plus “hundreds of ships of various sizes.” The company has grown from five people based in Ohio and Alabama to 350 associates in the Gulf Coast region, where it has had its headquarters in Gibson, Louisiana, for the past 30 years.

In addition to its Gibson headquarters, M.A.R.S has facilities in Mobile, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Houma and Waggaman, Louisiana; Pascagoula, Mississippi; and its first overseas facility in Frederikshavn, Denmark.

M.A.R.S. says its European business unit employs 85 people with the potential to grow to more than 300, thanks to an international sales team based in the Netherlands.

“While the company’s services and operations have expanded, our underlying principles have remained constant,” states the company, which also notes that it has been featured in Recycling Today for its “innovation and advancement in oil platform recycling.”

Looking back at its 50 years in business and its motto, “Recyclers Who Care About Your Future,” the company says its management team and people “are committed to quality, safety, and preserving the natural environment.” Butch Caton adds that he and his wife Kristi Caton would like to thank all the company associates and clients “for trusting them with their recycling needs over the past 50 years.”