Atlas Iron & Metal Co.

What Atlas Iron & Metal Co. does

Atlas Iron & Metal Co. is a family-owned scrap metal recycling business founded in 1949 and headquartered at a single yard at 10019 S Alameda Street in the Alameda Corridor of Los Angeles. The company purchases, sorts, processes, and resells ferrous (steel, iron) and non-ferrous (aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel) scrap sourced from individual scrappers, homeowners, contractors, automotive businesses, machine shops, manufacturers, and other scrap yards. Its underlying operations rely on standard industry equipment including shears, balers, trucks, and weighing scales, with no proprietary technology disclosed.

The business generates revenue through two main streams: (1) a transaction/take-rate margin on scrap metal purchases from sellers and resale to downstream buyers (mills, exporters, and other processors), and (2) professional services revenue from demolition, baling and shearing, trucking, and roll-off container and end-dump rentals for construction and demolition projects. Pricing is variable by metal type, form, and condition, set against prevailing market rates at the time of transaction; quotes are issued after inspection. The go-to-market motion is predominantly direct-to-consumer, with walk-in drop-off at the yard supplemented by off-site pickup, phone/quote requests, and inbound leads generated via local SEO and an email newsletter.

Atlas operates as a single-location regional recycler serving Los Angeles and the broader Southern California market, with no disclosed subsidiaries, partnerships, funding rounds, or M&A activity. The company has maintained continuous operations for over 75 years under family ownership, including designation as an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasizes long-term customer relationships as a core differentiator alongside its freeway-accessible location.

Name

Atlas Iron & Metal Co.

Legal name

Atlas Iron & Metal Co.

Website

https://atlasironandmetal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlas Iron & Metal Co. is a family-owned Los Angeles scrap metal recycler founded in 1949 that buys, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous metals from individuals, contractors, and industrial customers at its single Alameda Corridor yard, with ancillary demolition, trucking, and container services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scrap Metal Recycling

NAICS

Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum (331314)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Scrap Metal Collection, Logistics & Aggregation (Yards, Roll-off, Container Programs) (IMAKAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metals Recovery & Sorting Facilities (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (EUAIADAG), Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB), Scrap Metal & White Goods Aggregation Yards (EUAIABAH), Aluminum Scrap Collection, Sorting & Processing (IMAKACAJ), Industrial & Manufacturing Scrap Recycling (Factory Scrap, Turnings, Offcuts) (IMAKAMAE), Metal Scrap Trading & Brokerage (Ferrous & Non-Ferrous) (IMAKAJAI)

Keywords

• Scrap metal recycling
• Metal recycling services
• Demolition services
• Scrap yard operations
• Ferrous non-ferrous metals

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Scrap Metal Purchase and Resale: Atlas Iron & Metal Co. purchases scrap metal from individuals, contractors, and businesses, then processes and resells the materials to manufacturers and other buyers. Revenue is generated through the margin between purchase price paid to sellers and resale price to downstream buyers.
2. Demolition and Container Services: The company provides demolition services, baling and shearing solutions, trucking, and container/bin rentals (roll-off containers, end dumps, flatbed trailers) for construction and demolition projects. These services generate additional revenue from contractors and businesses undertaking large projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Atlas Iron & Metal Co. purchases scrap metal from individuals, contractors, and businesses, then sorts, grades, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous metals (steel, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel) to downstream manufacturers and buyers. The company also provides off-site demolition, baling/shearing, trucking, and roll-off container services to construction, demolition, and industrial clients in the Los Angeles area.

Product overview

Atlas Iron & Metal Co. is a family-owned scrap metal recycling company providing a comprehensive suite of waste management and metal recycling services. The company operates as a single-location scrap yard facility offering core services including scrap metal recycling (handling ferrous and non-ferrous metals), professional demolition services, and trucking/transportation solutions. Supporting services include baling and shearing solutions, bins and container rentals, and vehicle/wrecking yard services. The company specializes in processing aluminum, copper, steel, and stainless steel materials, serving both commercial clients (contractors, manufacturers, machine shops) and individual consumers in the Los Angeles area since 1949.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scrap Metal Recycling Services Comprehensive collection, grading, sorting, processing, and recycling of ferrous metals (steel, iron) and non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel) sourced from individuals, contractors, manufacturers, and auto-related businesses.
• Demolition Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Scrap metal industry generates $90.6 billion annually in the US, providing significant economic opportunity for recyclers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel Industries): Radius Recycling is a US publicly-traded ferrous and non-ferrous scrap recycler with deep West Coast yard operations and integrated EAF steel mill. Atlas competes against its LA-area yards for tonnage and downstream customer relationships, but Radius operates at vastly larger scale with mill ownership and national logistics.
• EMR (European Metal Recycling): EMR is a global scrap metal recycler with US operations including West Coast yards. It is comparable in business model (collection, processing, resale of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap) but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic scope than Atlas.
• Commercial Metals Company (CMC): CMC is a vertically integrated steel manufacturer with scrap yards in California and across the US. Atlas competes with CMC's recycling division for industrial scrap supply, while CMC also serves as a downstream buyer of ferrous scrap — making it both a competitor and customer.
• Sims Metal Management: Sims is a global publicly-traded metal recycler with US West Coast operations. It competes in the same end markets (ferrous, non-ferrous, e-scrap) and shares a similar yard-and-container business model, but at much larger scale with national/inational footprint.
• Trademark Metals Recycling (subsidiary of Nucor): Trademark Metals is the scrap yard division of Nucor, the largest US steel producer, operating a network of yards including West Coast facilities. It is a downstream customer competitor, sourcing ferrous scrap for Nucor mills while competing for industrial/contractor tonnage in the same LA-area market.

Direct peers

• Ferrous Processing & Trading (FPT): FPT is a Detroit-based scrap metal recycler serving industrial accounts with ferrous and non-ferrous processing, container services, and demolition. It is comparable in product/service mix and mid-market industrial customer focus, though it primarily serves the Midwest rather than the West Coast.
• SA Recycling: SA Recycling is one of the largest non-ferrous and ferrous scrap recyclers in the western US, headquartered in Orange, CA with extensive yard coverage across Southern California. It is the most direct local competitor to Atlas, operating a multi-yard network serving the same customers (contractors, manufacturers, individuals) and overlapping product/service mix (container, demolition, auto wrecking).
• Metalico: Metalico is a multi-yard US scrap metal recycler that historically focused on the eastern US with operations in both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. It is a comparable mid-scale yard operator, though smaller than the public national players and more aligned to Atlas in scale and business model.

Regional players

• Pacific Recycling Group: Pacific Recycling Group operates scrap yards in Hawaii and the Pacific region, focused on ferrous and non-ferrous collection and processing. It is comparable in business model (yard-based scrap collection and processing for contractors and individuals) but operates in a different geography from Atlas.

Others

• Schnitzer Steel / Radius Auto Parts (Pick-n-Pull): Pick-n-Pull is a self-service auto dismantler / wrecking yard operated by Radius Recycling, comparable to Atlas's vehicle/wrecking yard services. They serve a similar automotive end-of-life vehicle recycling customer base, though Pick-n-Pull is consumer retail-focused while Atlas's wrecking services are more B2B.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Atlas_IronMetal
• Facebookfacebook.com/AtlasIronMetal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Atlas Iron & Metal Co.