Abc Recycling

What Abc Recycling does

ABC Recycling Ltd. is a fourth-generation, family-owned metal recycling company headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, founded in 1912 and operating 11 locations across British Columbia, Alberta, and Washington State under the legal name ABC Recycling Ltd. (with subsidiary Skagit River Steel & Recycling in Burlington, WA, acquired 2024). The company purchases, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous metals including steel, iron, copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel, lead, zinc, nickel, and specialty alloys, generating revenue through commodity-spread margins on transaction-based sales. Core processing capabilities include shearing, shredding, and material recovery, complemented by on-site mobile demolition services using mobile shears, grapples, magnets, and storage bins that enable processing at remote industrial sites.

The customer base spans multiple verticals: industrial clients in oil and gas, mining (Gibraltar Mines, Newcrest Red Chris), forestry and pulp & paper, construction, and railroad/marine (Canadian Pacific Railway) are served through dedicated field-sales account managers with project-based decommissioning and demolition contracts; mid-market manufacturers (Marcon Metal, Valley Comfort Systems, Kaltech Manufacturing); and a long tail of household and individual consumers served through self-serve drop-off at all yards with cash or cheque payment by weight. Mobile demolition capabilities and multi-modal logistics (trucks, rail spurs on six yards, barge ramps on two yards, ocean containers, and bulk vessels via the Port of Bellingham) allow ABC to serve remote resource-extraction operations not addressable by smaller regional recyclers. Strategic Indigenous community partnerships including MOU with Williams Lake First Nation and membership in CCIB and the PAIR Program create preferred access to mining and infrastructure projects on Indigenous territories.

The business model is dominated by commodity-margin transaction fees on material processing (ferrous and non-ferrous), supplemented by project-based professional services revenue from industrial decommissioning and demolition contracts, with end-of-life vehicle recycling functioning as a complementary household-facing stream. Distribution is exclusively direct: physical yard locations, dedicated commercial sales staff, and mobile on-site processing teams. The company does not disclose financials publicly; it operates without external institutional investors under continuous Yochlowitz family ownership and has not pursued IPO or external capital markets.

Name

Abc Recycling

Legal name

ABC Recycling Ltd.

Website

https://abcrecycling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ABC Recycling is a fourth-generation, family-owned Canadian metal recycler operating 11 yards across BC, Alberta, and Washington. It purchases, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous metals, performs industrial decommissioning projects, and serves both enterprise industrial clients and household drop-off customers under commodity-spread and project-based revenue models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnaby

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ferrous Metal Processing and Sales: ABC Recycling purchases, processes, and resells ferrous metals including steel, iron, and tin. Materials are processed at their facilities and shipped globally to steel mills and other customers. Revenue is generated through the margin between purchase price paid to suppliers and sale price to end users.
2. Non-Ferrous Metal Processing and Sales: Processing and resale of non-ferrous metals including copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, lead, zinc, nickel, and specialty alloys. Revenue generated through commodity price margins.
3. Industrial Decommissioning and Demolition Services: Full-service decommissioning and demolition projects for industrial facilities, plants, and large-scale infrastructure. Services include demolition consulting, planning, equipment removal, financial analysis, structural demolition, and custom solutions. Revenue earned through project-based contracts.
4. End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling: Processing of end-of-life vehicles including scrap cars, trucks, and 4x4s. Payment is made to vehicle owners based on weight at current price per ton. Revenue generated through material processing and resale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ABC Recycling purchases, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous metals from industrial, commercial, and household customers across Western Canada and the US Pacific Northwest. They provide industrial decommissioning and demolition services with on-site mobile processing capabilities, and operate household drop-off services for end-of-life vehicles and scrap metals at 11 yard locations across British Columbia, Alberta, and Washington.

Product overview

ABC Recycling is a family-owned metal recycling company offering a unified service platform focused on ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling. The core product portfolio consists of Industrial Metal Recycling services for large-scale complex projects, Decommissioning & Demolitions with mobile on-site processing capabilities, Household Drop Off services for individual consumers, and Scrap Vehicle Recycling for end-of-life vehicles. These services are supported by a network of 11 locations across British Columbia, Alberta, and Washington, with logistics capabilities including truck, rail, barge, and ocean container transportation. The company also maintains a portfolio showcase of completed projects demonstrating expertise in sectors such as mining, rail, and marine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Metal Recycling Large-scale, complex industrial metal recycling solutions including on-site bin rentals, oversized item collection, and on-site demolition services for sectors such as oil & gas, mining, construction, forestry, and automotive.
• Decommissioning & Demolitions Environmentally responsible decommissioning and demolition services including demolition and recovery consulting, financial analysis, equipment removal, and structural demolition with mobile processing capabilities.
• Household Drop Off Metal Recycling Convenient metal recycling services for individuals and households accepting aluminum, copper, brass, steel, stainless steel, lead, batteries, vehicles, and electrical components with cash or cheque payment options.
• Scrap Vehicle Recycling End-of-life vehicle recycling service accepting cars, trucks, 4x4s, catalytic converters, radiators, and rims with no appointment needed and payment by weight based on current commodity prices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 170,000 homes could be powered for a year with GHG savings from recycled metal
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2022MOU signed in June 2022 including revenue sharing, employment opportunities, and developing new relationships. In February 2023, secured contract with Gibraltar Mine Ltd. which operates within Williams Lake First Nation territory. This is ABC's largest account in the North providing steady supply for the year. Decommissioning of two PH2300 Shovels included in scope.
• Newcrest Red Chris MineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Terrace team servicing Newcrest Red Chris Mine in Dease Lake, BC on ongoing basis during Spring and Summer seasons. Removed 2,582 net tons of end-of-life equipment and metals in 2022. Mine is in remote area within Tahltan Nation where metal recycling services are limited.
• Rio Tinto (Kemano T2 Project)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2021$600 million project for removal of 6,300 tons of metals material including 7km of rail, dismantled tunnel boring machine, pipes, and sea cans. Collaboration with Haisla Nation and Cheslatta Carrier Nation. Successfully completed remote location project in extreme weather conditions.
• Hay River Metis Government Council (HRMGC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2021Committed to work together jointly and cooperatively to identify approaches and opportunities for marketing, promotion and securing contracts for services from GNWT Departments, municipalities and private-sector clients in the NWT.
• BC First Nations Waste Management ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2017Partnership with Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada program. ABC Burnaby hosted 10 trainees from multiple Nations for training on proper refrigerant disposal procedures. Core funding from INAC with additional support from ABC Recycling.
• Tundra Take-Back InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Project bringing automotive and appliance recycling to remote Canadian regions. ABC provided training in Makkovik (Nunatsiavut region) and Nunavik region of Quebec. Depolluted 30 ELVs and decommissioned 16 fridges/freezers. Donated refrigerant extraction system to Kitkatla BC training initiative.
• Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABC Recycling is a proud member of CCIB, an organization that fosters economic partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses. Supports initiatives promoting sustainable economic prosperity for Indigenous communities while strengthening corporate culture.
• Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations (PAIR) ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessfully completed Phase 2 of PAIR in 2025 and currently working through Phase 3, strengthening Indigenous partnerships and reconciliation efforts.
• Gibraltar Mines LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLargest account in the North providing steady supply throughout the year. Services include scrap steel recycling, steel grinding media sorting, wood waste removal, rubber waste relocation to designated on-site locations. Decommissioning of PH2300 Shovels included. Mine operates 24/7 within Williams Lake First Nation territory.
• Ocean WiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvery Earth Day, each yard participates in local Ocean Wise environmental clean-up programs.
• Okanagan Forest Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner at Kelowna location supporting forest conservation and environmental initiatives.
• Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSteel service for scrapping old railcars on site since 2019. Clay Grozdanich, Senior Manager Mechanical Car, describes reliable and responsive service meeting their needs consistently.
• Marcon MetalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver decade-long partnership providing Marcon containers for scrap metal and timely pickups. Angela Obeng, Executive Assistant, notes collaboration has grown significantly as their business expanded.
• 1-800 Got JunkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustomized recycling solutions helping maintain daily operational capacity. Jeff Gontovnick, Managing Partner, notes friendly staff and clean efficient yards making recycling drop-off quick and painless.
• Port of BellinghammajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRelationship established to open worldwide bulk markets and fuel sustainable growth. First deep-sea ferrous cargo (23,000 metric tonne mixed-composition) shipped via Blue Everton vessel in October 2022.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Metalico: US-based scrap metal recycler operating yards in the Northeast and Midwest, processing ferrous and non-ferrous metals with similar end-market exposure to industrial and household customers. Closely comparable regional recycler business model.
• Sims Metal Management: Global metal recycling company with operations in North America, Australia, and the UK, processing ferrous and non-ferrous metals for sale to steel mills and foundries. Comparable business model with multi-modal logistics and global export reach, though much larger.
• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel Industries): One of North America's largest metal recyclers operating scrap yards, processing ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and exporting to global steel mills. Directly comparable to ABC's collection, processing, and export model, with a materially larger geographic footprint.
• BMR Group / General Scrap Partnership: US-based scrap metal recycler with yards across multiple states, providing ferrous and non-ferrous recycling services. Directly comparable yard-based model with household and industrial customer segments overlapping with ABC's.

Broad incumbents

• OmniSource Corporation: Large North American scrap metal processor and broker, subsidiary of Steel Technologies. Operates dozens of yards across the US Midwest and Southeast with similar ferrous/non-ferrous processing and end-of-life vehicle activities.
• David J. Joseph Company (DJJ): One of the largest ferrous and non-ferrous scrap processors in North America, wholly owned by Nucor Corporation. Comparable metals recycling operations but embedded within a major steel producer with substantially larger scale and captive offtake.
• European Metal Recycling (EMR): One of the world's largest metal recyclers with operations across Europe and North America. Comparable in core scrap collection, processing, and merchant activities, but operates at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach than ABC.

Regional players

• Pacific Steel & Recycling: Family-owned metal recycler with yards across the US Pacific Northwest and Western US, processing ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Comparable in operating model, regional footprint, and customer mix, though US-based rather than Canadian.
• Cascade Steel & Recycling: US Pacific Northwest scrap metal recycler and steel manufacturer based in McMinnville, Oregon. Comparable in regional yard operations and customer base, but with the addition of a steel mill providing vertical integration ABC does not have.
• Cascades Recovery: Canadian-based recycling division of Cascades Inc., focused on fiber and recyclable materials recovery. Operates Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) across Canada with comparable recovery operations but with more emphasis on paper/fiber and less on metals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABCRecyclingCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ABCRecyclingCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abc-recycling

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Abc Recycling