Upstate Shredding Appoints VP for Albany, NY, Port Operations

John Silva

Adam Weitsman, the owner of Upstate Shredding – Ben Weitsman, Owego, N.Y., has announced that John Silva has joined the company as vice president of port operations. Silva has 20 years of experience in the scrap metal business.

“We were extremely fortunate to attract someone with John’s unique background and expertise in marine scrap metal operations,” Weitsman says. “Someone with his extraordinary level of expertise and experience in port operations positions us for additional growth as we continue to acquire strategic locations throughout the Northeast.”

He adds, “Until his noncompete contract with his former employer expires, he will be based at our Ben Weitsman of Buffalo retail scrap operation that is currently under construction. When the noncompete expires, his expertise will be invaluable in running our new 18-acre Port of Albany, N.Y., export terminal and full-service scrap business there.”

Silva started in the scrap metal business in 1993 with Naporano Iron & Metal at Port Newark, N.J., as a quality inspector and foreman of stevedoring operations. By 1995 he was the port terminal marine supervisor for all the company’s port operations and commercial decisions.

After Naporano was acquired by Metal Management, Silva was promoted to port terminal manager and was responsible for handling 3 million tons of material per year at Newark in addition to managing marine operations at the Port of Albany. When Sims Group acquired Metal Management in 2008, Silva was promoted to vice president of the company’s Northeast operations, which included management of 4 million tons of scrap metal per year through 12 regional feeder yards and export marine terminals in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Currently, Upstate Shredding operates 11 scrap metal recycling facilities in New York and Pennsylvania. The company expects to process more than 1 million tons of ferrous scrap and 200 million pounds of nonferrous scrap in 2013.