Western Metals Recycling Plans New Facility in Albuquerque

Western Metals Recycling LLC (WMR), headquartered in Sandy, Utah, has announced plans to open a new scrap metal recycling plant in Albuquerque, NM, adjacent to its sister company’s used auto parts retail store, U-Pull-&-Pay (UPAP). The WMR facility will use a portion of the UPAP property, which comprises more than 50-acres in unincorporated Bernalillo County.

WMR and UPAP are wholly owned by The David J. Joseph Company (DJJ), a Cincinnati-based subsidiary of Nucor Corp.

WMR has a two-part plan for the Albuquerque location. The first phase includes a scrap metal recycling plant, scheduled to be opened by early this summer, pending all appropriate permits, licenses, and required improvements. At the facility, WMR will purchase ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal items which may include appliances, sheet metal, automobiles, aluminum cans and other aluminum, copper and brass products. Customers will be paid on site for their scrap metal.

All metals purchased will be sorted and then transferred off-site for processing. This phase will require a staff of 5-10 full time employees, pending market conditions.

The second phase of the project will include the installation of a 4,000 hp automobile shredder. The expansion plan is consistent with The David J. Joseph Company strategy of strengthening its existing footprint in the scrap processing industry, and takes advantage of vertical integration within the company and the ancillary benefits of being located adjacent to the UPAP store. 

Upon completion of WMR’s second phase, the harvested autos from UPAP’s location will be recycled in Albuquerque. The recovered metals will then be shipped to designated end-users for refinement. The second phase will increase the number of employees at this WMR facility to 30-50.

WMR, formed in 1996, operates six facilities. They are located in Utah, Colorado and Nevada.