21St Century Programming

What 21St Century Programming does

21st Century Programming (21CP) is a privately held, founder-owned vertical software company founded in 1999 by David Kane and headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. The company develops and supports the Recycling Operations Manager (ROM) platform, an ERP-grade system purpose-built for the scrap metal recycling and waste industries, covering scale ticketing, inventory management, yard operations, settlements, accounting, and multi-facility enterprise reporting. ROM is built on Microsoft SQL Server and includes over 500 reports, with proprietary re-costing inventory methodology, barcode-driven lot tracking, chain-of-custody workflows, Comex/LME hedging support, and a customer web portal. In 2023 the company released ROM Infinite, a cloud-hybrid next-generation platform integrating ROM BI (Microsoft Power BI), ROM Infinite Dispatch (GPS, geo-fencing, OCR-based bin tracking), and mobile applications, extending the product from a back-office system into a connected operations platform.

The company monetizes through a mix of recurring software licensing (on-premises and cloud deployments), subscription support and help-desk contracts, professional services (multi-stage training via ROM University and onsite implementation), custom programming and modifications, and managed networking and infrastructure services. Pricing is quote-based, structured around facility size, modules, users, and deployment type, with no publicly disclosed tiers. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales plus inside sales (phone demos at 562-981-1030 and website forms), targeting scrap metal recyclers, multi-facility recycling enterprises, scrap yards, and metal brokerage operations across North America, with 400+ installed locations over a 25-year operating history.

Customer concentration is moderate: the company serves multiple named enterprise accounts (J.L. Proler, Olgin Efune, Tungco, American Recycling, Metro Alloys, Bestway Recycling) and mid-market players (Quantum Metals), all within a single vertical, supported by an 11-50 person organization. The business is founder-controlled with no institutional capital, no M&A history, and no disclosed revenue figures, implying an organic, capital-efficient operating model reliant on long customer tenures, recurring support revenue, and incremental platform expansion (ROM Infinite, ROM BI, ROM Infinite Dispatch) to drive growth.

Name

21St Century Programming

Legal name

21st Century Programming

Website

https://21stcenturyprogramming.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

21st Century Programming is a privately held, founder-owned software company that builds the ROM platform, a vertical ERP purpose-built for scrap metal recyclers and waste operators across North America, covering scale ticketing, inventory, settlements, multi-facility reporting, and dispatch on a cloud-hybrid Microsoft SQL/Power BI stack.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycling Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAIAJAH

Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Scrap Metal & End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling

SECONDARYEUAIAJAI

Industrial Scrap Management & On-site Services (Plant Scrap, Roll-off, Managed Programs)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Scrap Metal & End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling

Keywords

• Recycling management software
• Scrap metal software
• Recycling operations software
• Scrap yard inventory tracking
• Recycling ERP software

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing: ROM software licenses for recycling operations management, including on-premises and cloud-based deployments. Pricing appears to be quote-based rather than publicly disclosed.
2. Training Services: Multi-stage training including ROM University (online courses), remote training sessions, and onsite training during implementation. Part of the installation and onboarding process.
3. Support and Help Desk: Ongoing technical support including phone support, remote troubleshooting, and emergency weekend support for critical issues.
4. Custom Programming and Modifications: Custom development services to modify and enhance ROM software to meet specific customer requirements.
5. Networking and Infrastructure Services: Hardware configuration, network setup, migration services, and ongoing infrastructure maintenance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

21st Century Programming develops and sells the ROM (Recycling Operations Manager) software platform, purpose-built for scrap metal recyclers and recycling facilities. ROM integrates weighing, ticketing, lot tracking, market-based pricing, dispatch, inventory, and business intelligence into a single operations-management system sold on a subscription basis to recycling operators.

Product overview

21st Century Programming offers ROM (Recycling Operations Manager) as its core unified platform, a comprehensive recycling management software designed specifically for the recycling industry. The product portfolio follows a platform-plus-modules architecture: ROM serves as the foundational ERP-like system handling core operations including scale ticketing, inventory management, customer management, yard management, and accounting. Add-on modules extend the platform including ROM BI (Business Intelligence with Microsoft Power BI integration for analytics), ROM Infinite Dispatch (GPS tracking and dispatch management), ROM Scanner App (mobile device scanning), and Customer Web Portal (self-service customer interface). The company also provides ROM University as an online training platform with over 100 courses. The ROM Infinite platform represents their next-generation offering integrating Business Intelligence, AI, and Mobile Apps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ROM (Recycling Operations Manager): Flagship software system designed specifically for recycling and waste management operations, covering customer management, yard management, accounting, and ownership modules.
• ROM BI
• ROM Infinite
• ROM University
• ROM Shipment Scanner

Products and services

• ROM (Recycling Operations Manager) Integrated software platform for scrap metal and recycling facilities that manages weighing, ticketing, lot tracking, market-based pricing, inventory, dispatch, and reporting in a single system. Used by recycling operators to run day-to-day yard and back-office operations.
• ROM BI Business intelligence and reporting tool layered on top of ROM data, providing dashboards, analytics, and Power BI integration for recycling operators who need deeper insight into operations, pricing, and profitability.
• ROM Infinite Enterprise edition of the ROM platform designed for multi-facility and larger-scale recycling operations, providing centralized management across sites with advanced operational capabilities.
• ROM University Training and education program for ROM customers and administrators, delivered as a paid service to accelerate onboarding, certify users, and improve operational adoption of the software.
• ROM Scanner App Mobile application that extends ROM barcode and lot tracking capabilities to handheld devices used in the yard, enabling on-the-go scanning, shipment verification, and updates to the central system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full implementation completed within 60 days including on-site training, online training (ROM University), network coordination, and required hardware
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Microsoft Power BIcoreTechnology or IntegrationROM BI seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Power BI for data analytics and visualization. This integration enables recycling facility owners to access customizable dashboards, real-time insights, cash flow analysis, and profit analysis. Data is housed in Power BI's warehouse with encryption for security.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Epicor: ERP vendor with distribution and manufacturing modules frequently deployed in metals and recycling enterprises; competes indirectly as a generic alternative to ROM for multi-facility recyclers.
• SAP Business One / S/4HANA: Enterprise ERP often deployed at large multi-national recyclers; competes with ROM in enterprise accounts where breadth of finance/procurement outweighs depth of recycling-specific workflows.
• Oracle NetSuite: Cloud ERP targeting mid-market and enterprise recyclers evaluating non-vertical platforms; overlaps with ROM on financials, inventory, and multi-subsidiary reporting.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365: Generic ERP/CRM platform that already underpins 21CP's SQL Server/Power BI stack and competes as the alternative path for recyclers seeking a 'good enough' non-vertical solution.
• Infor: ERP suite (including Infor Distribution) used by industrial and metals businesses; overlaps with ROM as a broader-platform alternative when recyclers evaluate ERP replacements.

Direct peers

• ReMatter: Cloud-native recycling operations platform serving material recovery facilities and scrap recyclers with weigh-ticketing, settlements, and reporting—competing for the same next-gen replacement of legacy recycling software.
• Scrap Dragon: Vertical ERP-style software purpose-built for scrap metal recyclers, yards, and processors—directly overlapping with ROM's core customer base and feature set (scale ticketing, settlements, inventory, reporting).

Others

• QuickBooks / Intuit Enterprise Suite: Baseline accounting and light inventory used by small scrap yards and brokers; the de facto 'do nothing / use accounting only' alternative to a purpose-built recycling ERP like ROM.
• Fishbowl Inventory: Inventory and manufacturing software that integrates with QuickBooks and is sometimes used by smaller recyclers for inventory and barcode workflows—a lighter-weight alternative for prospects who cannot afford ROM.

Emerging players

• iScrapApp: Scrap metal marketplace and pricing platform with growing software tools for yards; partial overlap with ROM's pricing, ticket, and inventory workflows but primarily marketplace-driven.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/21st-century-programming

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 21St Century Programming