United Scrap Metal, Upstate Shredding among Platts award winners

Several scrap processing and consuming companies have been honored by business information company Platts as part of its Global Metals Awards program. Award winners were announced at a banquet hosted by S&P Global Platts in London May 19, 2016.

Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), Fort Wayne, Indiana, was named as Metals Company of the Year, while Marsha Serlin of United Scrap Metal, Cicero, Illinois, was honored as CEO of the Year.

Owego, New York-based Upstate Shredding - Weitsman Recycling was named the winner of the Industry Leadership Award in the Scrap & Recycling category. “Thank you to all my employees and their families for their support this year on helping Upstate Shredding get this award,” remarked Adam Weitsman, the company’s CEO.

“We congratulate Steel Dynamics Inc., under the leadership of CEO Mark Millet, for this impressive win,” said Imogen Dillon Hatcher, president of S&P Global Platts. “In these highly volatile and challenging times, each of this year’s winners and finalists deserves praise for their important contributions to the metals sector.”

In reaching its decision, the Platts Global Metals Awards’ judging panel lauded the company’s “foresight and boldness” in achieving higher returns than its peers despite decreased average selling prices. SDI also was recognized “for its swiftly integrated 2014 acquisition of minimill Severstal Columbus and a focus on innovative products and production methods.”

In the CEO of the Year category, judges said they were impressed by Marsha Serlin’s “track record of consistent growth and strong performance despite a challenging environment in the global recycling industry and markets.”

The winner of the Rising Star Award went to lead-acid battery recycling firm Aqua Metals Inc., Alameda, California. The company was established in 2013 with a goal of reducing the inefficiency, costs and toxic waste associated with the smelter-based recycling of lead-acid batteries. In 2015, Aqua Metals raised $36.2 million in an independent public offering and it is constructing its first scaled-up battery recycling facility in Nevada.

The full roster of 2016 Platts Global Metals Awards winners is:

• Metals Company of the Year, Steel Dynamics Inc.; 
• Breakthrough Innovation of the Year, NanoSteel & AK Steel Corp.; 
• CEO of the Year, Marsha Serlin of United Scrap Metal Inc.; 
• Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Abralatas; 
• Deal of the Year, Alcoa; 
• Industry Leadership Award – Aluminum, UC Rusal; 
• Industry Leadership Award – Base Metals, Hindustan Copper Ltd.; 
• Industry Leadership Award – Raw Materials & Mining, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.; 
• Industry Leadership Award – Scrap & Recycling, Upstate Shredding - Weitsman Recycling; 
• Industry Leadership Award – Steel, NLMK Group; 
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Lou Schorsch, ArcelorMittal; 
• Metals User of the Year, Maverick Enterprises Inc.; 
• Physical Metals Service Provider of the Year, MidWest Materials Inc.; 
• Financial Metals Service Provider of the Year, LME Clear; and
• Rising Star Award, Aqua Metals Inc.