ISRI honors two scrap veterans

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), Washington, D.C., has recognized two individuals who took over their family businesses and “ushered in an era of innovation and success for the entire recycling industry,” according to the association.

During ISRI’s 2015 annual convention, held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in April, Scott Newell, founder of The Shredder Company, Canutillo, Texas, and Toby Shine of Shine Brothers Corp., Spencer, Iowa, were each presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

“This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners helped shape the industry as we know it today and how it operates. Furthermore, they each made significant contributions to ISRI and their communities through leadership roles and experiences,” said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI.

Newell, along with his son Alton Scott Newell III, formed The Shredder Company, which operates a manufacturing plant and steel foundry near El Paso, Texas. He has served on the national board of directors of ISRI, and as vice chairman of the ISRI Shredder Committee and vice chairman of its Ferrous Division. He also has served on the Shredder Committee of the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling.

In recognizing Newell, Wiener said, “Scott’s work led to the continued evolution of the (auto) shredder, a powerful, transformative machine that changed how materials are processed and sorted. During his storied career, Scott has always had a willingness to share his knowledge of the shredder with others.”

Toby Shine is the third generation to have a leadership role with Shine Brothers Corp. By the early 1980s, Shine bought the company and the Shines made a strategic decision to adopt wire chopping to maintain its competitiveness. Soon it would become one of the five largest wire chopping operations in North America.

Toby Shine was deeply involved with ISRI, including serving two terms as president of ISRI’s Northwest Chapter; serving on ISRI’s board of directors; and serving on the association’s Wire Choppers Committee and its Government Relations Committee, among other positions. He also served as chair of the National Association Supply Cooperative (NASCO-OP).

“Toby took a small, family-run business like many in our industry, and created a global company,” said Wiener. “But he never lost sight of his roots, always giving back to his community and ISRI. We could not be more proud to present this award to two of our industry’s leaders.”