Imperial Group

What Imperial Group does

Imperial Group, founded in 1962 in Chicago, is a privately-held, third-generation family-owned vertically-integrated metals platform serving U.S. industrial customers. The company operates across six facilities in Illinois, Ohio, and Oklahoma, organized through six subsidiary divisions: Imperial Recycling, Imperial Zinc Corporation, Imperial Express, Midwest Industrial Metals, Imperial Aluminum Minerva, and TMG Services Group. The platform spans collection, processing, manufacturing, trading, logistics, wire demanufacturing, and demolition services, consolidating what the company describes as 11 legacy business units into a single full-loop metals platform.

Manufacturing capacity includes approximately 140 million pounds of specification-grade aluminum die cast alloys annually (grades 380, 383, ADC12, 413, 360, 319) and over 80 million pounds of zinc alloys annually, including Zamak, hot dip galvanizing alloys, Galvalume alloys, brightener alloys, and zinc anodes. The company operates the nation's largest single-line insulated wire granulator for specialty copper and aluminum recovery from insulated wire, armored cable, and oilfield ESP cable systems. Owned logistics infrastructure includes 35+ company-owned trucks and 250+ spot trailers positioned at customer facilities, eliminating third-party broker exposure and providing supply chain control from dock to processing floor.

The company serves tier-one automotive manufacturers, EV supply chain participants, defense contractors, die casters and foundries, steel mills, oil & gas operators, utilities, government entities, and scrap metal dealers. Pricing is LME- and COMEX-indexed with quote-based engagement, and manufacturing operations are ISO 9001 certified with full material traceability. The company raised $21 million in a 2023 funding round and emphasizes its domestic U.S.-based operating footprint as a structural advantage for critical minerals supply to defense and infrastructure customers. Revenue mechanics include transaction fees on scrap processing, one-time alloy sales from manufacturing, trading and risk management spreads, logistics service fees, and professional services for demolition projects.

Name

Imperial Group

Legal name

The Imperial Group LLC

Website

https://imperialgp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Imperial Group is a third-generation, family-owned vertically-integrated metals platform founded in 1962 in Chicago, serving U.S. industrial customers through scrap processing, aluminum and zinc alloy manufacturing, trading, logistics, and wire demanufacturing across six facilities in Illinois, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Scrap Processing & Recovery Services: Charges for processing and recycling ferrous, non-ferrous metals, lead, and e-scrap from industrial customers. Freight is included in service. Customers receive LME- and COMEX-indexed pricing with material history reports.
2. Manufacturing - Aluminum Alloys: Produces approximately 140 million pounds of specification-grade aluminum die cast alloys annually (grades 380, 383, ADC12, 413, 360, 319) for die casters and foundries. ISO-certified operations.
3. Manufacturing - Zinc Alloys: Through Imperial Zinc Corp, produces over 80 million pounds of zinc alloys annually including primary Zamak, hot dip galvanizing alloys, Galvalume alloys, brightener alloys, and zinc anodes. Maintains direct relationships with major international SHG zinc producers.
4. Trading & Risk Management: Market-making in aluminum, copper, zinc, and brass on LME- and COMEX-indexed markets. Provides hedging capabilities, market intelligence, and direct access to buyers and sellers across North America. Commodity-agnostic approach covering all metals and grades.
5. Logistics Services: 35+ company-owned trucks and 250+ spot trailers providing transportation and logistics services. No third-party brokers, full compliance management, on-time payment guaranteed.
6. Wire & Cable Demanufacturing: Specialty copper and aluminum recovery from insulated wire, armored cable, and oilfield ESP cable systems with full material traceability and reporting.
7. Demolition Services: Project management for safe and efficient removal, transportation, and disposal of on-site materials with full regulatory compliance throughout the process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Imperial Group operates a vertically-integrated metals platform combining scrap collection and processing, specification-grade aluminum and zinc alloy manufacturing, LME/COMEX-indexed metals trading, owned logistics, and specialty wire & cable demanufacturing. The company produces 140 million pounds of aluminum die cast alloys and 80+ million pounds of zinc alloys annually for industrial customers in defense, automotive, die casting, foundry, steel, oil & gas, utilities, and government sectors.

Product overview

Imperial Group operates as a vertically-integrated metals platform combining six distinct service lines—Scrap Processing & Recovery, Manufacturing, Trading & Risk Management, Logistics, Wire & Cable Demanufacturing, and Demolition—across six operating facilities spanning the Midwest and South. The platform is organized through subsidiary divisions including Imperial Recycling, Imperial Zinc Corporation, Imperial Express, Midwest Industrial Metals, Imperial Aluminum Minerva, and TMG Services Group. Manufacturing capabilities include 140 million lbs of aluminum die cast alloys annually (grades 380, 383, ADC12, 413, 360, 319) and 80+ million lbs of zinc alloys annually (Zamak, galvanizing, Galvalume, brightener, zinc anodes). The integrated structure enables full-loop metal services from collection through finished alloy delivery, with company-owned logistics infrastructure of 35+ trucks and 250+ spot trailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scrap Processing & Recovery Comprehensive green, sustainable scrap recycling for businesses of all sizes. Handles ferrous, non-ferrous, lead, and e-scrap metals with freight included, flexible scheduling, and LME/COMEX-indexed pricing with material history reports. Serves industrial customers across all segments.
• Manufacturing (Aluminum and Zinc Alloys) Large-scale aluminum and zinc production facilities converting recovered scrap into specification-grade finished alloys. Produces 140 million lbs of aluminum die cast alloys annually (grades 380, 383, ADC12, 413, 360, 319) and 80+ million lbs of zinc alloys annually (Zamak, galvanizing, Galvalume, brightener alloys, zinc anodes). ISO 9001 certified with full traceability.
• Trading & Risk Management Active market-making and seamless LME- and COMEX-indexed metals transactions. Provides hedging capabilities, market intelligence, and direct access to buyers and sellers across North America. Commodity-agnostic approach covering all metals and grades.
• Logistics Services Company-owned transportation fleet of 35+ trucks and 250+ spot trailers positioned at customer facilities. Controls the supply chain from dock to processing floor with no third-party brokers, full compliance management, and guaranteed on-time payment.
• Wire & Cable Demanufacturing Specialty copper and aluminum recovery from insulated wire, armored cable, and oilfield ESP cable systems. Features the nation's largest single-line insulated wire granulator with full material traceability and reporting.
• Demolition Services Project management for safe and efficient removal, transportation, and disposal of on-site materials with full regulatory compliance throughout the process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 million lbs of aluminum die cast alloys produced annually for die casters and foundries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Copper Development AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership providing access to copper industry standards, best practices, and network connections in the copper recycling and processing sector.
• The Copper MarkminorOthersIndustry association membership promoting responsible copper production and supply chain practices.
• International Zinc AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership providing access to zinc industry standards and market intelligence for zinc alloy production and galvanizing operations.
• Chicago Association of Industry & CommerceminorOthersRegional business association membership providing networking and advocacy connections in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Industrial Metals AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership for industrial metals sector.
• National Demolition AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership supporting demolition services operations and standards.
• Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)minorOthersMajor industry association for scrap recycling industry providing standards, advocacy, and market intelligence.
• Responsible Recycling AllianceminorOthersIndustry alliance promoting responsible recycling practices and environmental compliance.
• American Galvanizers AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership supporting galvanizing operations and serving zinc alloy customers.
• Association of Wire and Insulated Non-Ferrous Metals (AWINTM)minorOthersIndustry association membership for wire and cable demanufacturing operations, supporting specialty copper and aluminum recovery capabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nucor Corporation: Nucor is the largest U.S. steel producer and operates an extensive scrap recycling and trading business through its David J. Joseph subsidiary; it overlaps with Imperial's steel mill customers, scrap trading desk, and logistics-driven B2B model, though at vastly larger scale and across broader products.
• Wieland: Wieland is a global manufacturer of copper and copper-alloy semi-finished products with significant North American recycling and processing operations, comparable to Imperial on copper recovery and downstream industrial supply.
• Granges Americas: Granges is a global aluminum rolling and brazing products manufacturer with U.S. operations serving automotive and HVAC end markets—comparable to Imperial Aluminum on customer overlap, though Granges focuses on rolled products rather than die-cast alloys.
• Commercial Metals Company (CMC): CMC is an integrated steel manufacturer with significant scrap processing operations and mill services, comparable to Imperial on the ferrous scrap intake and metal service center customer side, though CMC operates at much larger scale and broader product breadth.
• Aurubis: Aurubis is one of the world's largest copper recyclers and smelters with integrated multi-metal operations across Europe and North America—comparable to Imperial's wire/cable demanufacturing and copper recovery capabilities, though at much larger global scale.

Direct peers

• Metalico: Metalico operates a network of scrap metal processing facilities across the U.S., focusing on ferrous and non-ferrous recovery for industrial customers—a directly comparable regional and national scrap processing peer to Imperial Recycling and Midwest Industrial Metals.
• OmniSource: OmniSource (a Steel Technologies subsidiary) is one of the largest U.S. scrap metal processors with integrated logistics and non-ferrous trading—directly comparable to Imperial Recycling and Midwest Industrial Metals on scrap intake, brokerage elimination, and industrial customer programs.
• US Zinc: US Zinc is a leading North American producer of zinc metal and zinc alloys from recycled feedstock, supplying galvanizers and die casters—directly comparable to Imperial Zinc Corporation's zinc alloy and zinc anode production for the same end markets.
• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel): Radius Recycling is a major publicly traded U.S. metals recycler with integrated ferrous and non-ferrous scrap collection, processing, and trading operations—directly comparable to Imperial's scrap processing, trading, and logistics platform across the same customer verticals.
• Real Alloy: Real Alloy is one of the largest independent secondary aluminum smelters and alloy producers in North America, producing specification-grade aluminum alloys for die casters and foundries—the same core customer base and product grades (380, 383, ADC12) that Imperial Aluminum Minerva serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-imperial-group-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Imperial Group