CMS Recycling
CMS Recycling is a family-owned, Escondido-based metal and CRV recycler serving San Diego County via a walk-in public yard, an on-site industrial pickup service (fleet licensed to 80,000 lbs, military and port access), and QISP-delivered environmental compliance consulting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersEscondido, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What CMS Recycling does
CMS Recycling, legally California Metal Services, Inc., is a privately held, family-owned metal and recyclable-materials processor headquartered at 1428 W Mission Rd, Escondido, California, serving San Diego County. The company runs two primary service lines: a Public Recycling Center that pays cash on a walk-in basis for scrap metal, California Redemption Value (CRV) materials (aluminum cans, PET #1 plastic, glass), and e-waste; and an Industrial Service line that delivers bins, barrels, and roll-off boxes (sizes ranging from 2X4 to 4X7 and 4/6/8 ft) to commercial and demolition sites with a guaranteed 24-48 hour pickup SLA. Fleet assets are licensed up to 80,000 lbs, drivers are OSHA 10-hour and forklift certified, and the company holds Rapid Gate access to military bases and TWIC access to the Port of Long Beach, allowing it to service defense and port-adjacent generators.
The product surface spans ferrous and non-ferrous metals — aluminum (including wheels and 6061/6063 grades), stainless steel (316, 304, 17-4), steel (clip, punch, tin, bor), copper, titanium (CP, 6-4), brass, and hi-temp alloys — plus the three CRV material categories. An Environmental Compliance Services module, delivered by QISP-certified staff, provides Industrial General Permit reporting, SWPPP preparation, BMP consulting, and notice-of-violation response to small and mid-sized industrial facilities, creating an adjacent professional-services revenue stream tied to the same account base.
Revenue is generated principally through margin on the purchase and resale of recyclable materials to domestic and international buyers, augmented by industrial service fees for container rental and pickup, and by environmental compliance professional-services fees. Consumer pricing is publicly posted per-pound (e.g., $2.25/lb for CRV aluminum, $1.50/lb for PET #1, $0.67/lb for HDPE #2, $0.011/lb for glass), with state-mandated daily limits of 100 lb on most CRV streams and 1,000 lb on glass. The go-to-market combines direct walk-in retail at the Escondido yard, enterprise field sales for industrial accounts, and light community and digital marketing (Facebook, Twitter, Constant Contact newsletter, fundraiser partnerships, monthly $100 cash raffle, loyalty card, and a kids zone). Leadership is family-centric, with Bobby Chavez as CEO/President, Casey Chavez as Operations Manager, Eli Miller as VP of Marketing & Sales, and Denise Kemper as Director of HR/Office Manager.
CMS Recycling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CMS Recycling
- Legal name
- California Metal Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://cmsmetals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CMS Recycling is a family-owned, Escondido-based metal and CRV recycler serving San Diego County via a walk-in public yard, an on-site industrial pickup service (fleet licensed to 80,000 lbs, military and port access), and QISP-delivered environmental compliance consulting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CMS Recycling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Escondido
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CMS Recycling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Material Purchase and Resale: CMS purchases recyclable materials (metals, CRV containers, e-waste) from suppliers and resells to domestic and international markets. Revenue is generated through the margin between purchase price paid to suppliers and sale price to end buyers.
- Industrial Service Fees: Provides industrial yard services including bin and roll-off box rentals with scheduled pickup. Fee structure likely based on container size and pickup frequency.
- Environmental Compliance Consulting: Environmental compliance services for industrial facilities including BMP consulting, SWPPP preparation, and regulatory reporting (Industrial General Permit requirements performed by QISP).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CRV Aluminum: $2.25/lb, 100 lbs/day limit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CRV PETE #1: $1.50/lb, 100 lbs/day limit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CRV HDPE #2: $0.67/lb, 100 lbs/day limit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CRV Glass: $0.011/lb, 1000 lbs/day limit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
CMS Recycling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CMS Recycling purchases scrap metal, California Redemption Value (CRV) containers, and e-waste from both individual consumers at a walk-in public yard and from industrial/commercial customers via on-site bin and roll-off box pickup, then resells those materials into domestic and international commodity markets. The company also offers industrial environmental compliance consulting (BMP, SWPPP, Industrial General Permit filings) for small to mid-sized industrial facilities in the San Diego County area.
Product overview
CMS Recycling operates as a metal and materials recycling facility with two primary service lines: Industrial Service (on-site bin/barrel/roll-off box service for businesses with 24-48 hour pickup) and Public Recycling Center (walk-in service paying cash for materials). The company processes ferrous and non-ferrous metals including aluminum, stainless steel, steel, copper, titanium, brass, and hi-temp alloys, plus California Redemption Value (CRV) materials (aluminum cans, PET #1 plastic, glass). Environmental compliance consulting services are offered as an add-on module for industrial clients. Customer loyalty programs include monthly cash raffles, loyalty cards, kids coloring contests, and fundraiser partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Industrial Service
- Public Recycling Center
- Environmental Compliance Services
- Aluminum Recycling
- Stainless Steel Recycling
- Steel Recycling
- Copper Recycling
- Titanium Recycling
- Brass Recycling
- Hi-Temp Alloys Recycling
- CRV Aluminum Cans Redemption
- CRV Plastic (PET #1) Redemption
- CRV Glass Redemption
Companies that use CMS Recycling
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CMS Recycling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CMS Recycling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CMS Recycling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SA Recycling: Direct competitor headquartered in Orange County, CA, operating a large network of scrap metal recycling yards across Southern California. Highly comparable because it serves the same regional public-yard and industrial-hauling markets CMS targets, with overlap in CRV, ferrous, and non-ferrous intake.
- Metalico: Mid-sized scrap metal recycler operating yards in multiple U.S. regions. Comparable to CMS as a non-ferrous-focused collector and processor with both retail-yard and industrial customer segments, though at greater geographic scale.
- Scrap Metal Services LLC: Scrap metal recycler with industrial and retail yard operations across multiple U.S. regions. Comparable to CMS in the dual industrial-hauling and public-yard model, with emphasis on industrial demolition and mill services.
Broad incumbents
- Schnitzer Steel Industries / Radius Recycling: One of the largest publicly traded scrap metal recyclers on the West Coast (now Radius Recycling). Operates regional yards with ferrous and non-ferrous processing, plus export and mill services — a broader incumbent that competes with CMS on industrial volumes and export pricing.
- OmniSource: Diversified scrap metal processor and broker with yards across the U.S. Comparable because it operates the same ferrous/non-ferrous collection and processing model at scale, with mill services and export channels that dwarf single-site operators.
- David J. Joseph Company: Major U.S. scrap metal broker and processor (a subsidiary of Nucor). Comparable to CMS as a buyer/reseller of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap to end markets, with significantly greater scale and mill-direct relationships.
- Sims Metal Management: Global scrap metal recycler with West Coast operations. Comparable because it operates the same retail-yard-plus-industrial-collection model for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, with export infrastructure that affects regional pricing CMS receives.
- EMR Group: Global metal recycler with North American operations. Comparable to CMS in the buy/resell scrap model and growing emphasis on non-ferrous and specialty alloys, though at vastly greater scale and with international mill contracts.
- Recology: West Coast-based waste and recycling hauler with material recovery facilities. Comparable to CMS as a California-based recycling operator serving public and commercial customers, though focused more on curbside collection than industrial scrap.
Regional players
- Pacific Steel Recycling: Regional scrap metal recycler serving the Western U.S. Comparable to CMS in operating public recycling yards paying cash for scrap metal and serving industrial accounts, with overlapping commercial and consumer customer base on the West Coast.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CMS Recycling social profiles
Digital presenceCMS Recycling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CMS Recycling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
CMS Recycling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CMS Recycling M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CMS Recycling
What does CMS Recycling do?
CMS Recycling purchases scrap metal, California Redemption Value (CRV) containers, and e-waste from both individual consumers at a walk-in public yard and from industrial/commercial customers via on-site bin and roll-off box pickup, then resells those materials into domestic and international commodity markets. The company also offers industrial environmental compliance consulting (BMP, SWPPP, Industrial General Permit filings) for small to mid-sized industrial facilities in the San Diego County area.
Is CMS Recycling a public or private company?
CMS Recycling is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was CMS Recycling founded?
CMS Recycling was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CMS Recycling based?
CMS Recycling is headquartered in Escondido, United States, in the North America region.
How does CMS Recycling make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Material Purchase and Resale is the primary driver. The others are industrial Service Fees and environmental Compliance Consulting.
Who are CMS Recycling's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SA Recycling, Metalico and Scrap Metal Services LLC. Broad incumbents are Schnitzer Steel Industries / Radius Recycling, OmniSource, David J. Joseph Company, Sims Metal Management, EMR Group and Recology. Pacific Steel Recycling is listed as a regional player.
Does CMS Recycling have an API?
No public API is recorded for CMS Recycling.