Sims Group Acquires United Recycling Industries

The board of directors for the Sims Group, the largest scrap recycling company in the world, has approved the acquisition of two electronics recycling operations in North America. When the acquisitions are complete Sims notes that it will be the largest global recycler of electronic equipment. The company estimates that it will be capable of handling around 25 million computers, monitors, television sets, refrigerators, toner cartridges and other e-scrap a year.

Sims’ Recycling Solutions Division will acquire United Recycling Industries, a Chicago-based electronics recycler. The company provides a full range of services, including collection, refurbishment and re-sale of equipment chip recovery, mechanical processing of monitors, recycling of e-waste and secondary smelting and refining of high grade electronics. Completion of the acquisition is expected within the next two weeks.

The second acquisition is expected to be completed within the next month. Sims has chosen not to announce that company’s name as of yet.

When both deals are complete Sims Recycling will be handling four million units per year. The cost of the two acquisitions will be around $60 million, and are expected to serve as a platform for Sims to grow its business in the North American market.

"The focus of these North American businesses is currently more directed toward B2B electronics recycling, but we expect to progressively capitalize on future legislation across the United States and expand our business into B2C end-of-life recycling, more akin to our European business," said Jeremy Sutcliffe, Sims Group’s CEO.

In an unrelated announcement Sims Hugo Neu has named Robert Kelman president and COO, Metal Recycling. Kelman previously was senior VP & GM of the North East operations for Sims Hugo Neu.