What Empire Recycling Corporation does

Empire Recycling Corporation is a family-owned, full-service scrap metal recycling company founded in 1916 and headquartered in Utica, New York. The company purchases ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the general public, contractors, businesses, and municipalities across four New York State yards (Utica, Albany, Waterloo, Syracuse), processes the material on certified scales using Innovex handheld metal analyzers and shredding/baling/shearing equipment, and resells mill-ready product to domestic mills. Adjacent revenue streams include roll-off container service in four sizes (20-50 cubic yards), flatbed and dump trailer transportation, mobile on-site shear service, and a community fundraising scrap-metal-drive program.

The business operates through the "Empire Family of Companies," eleven wholly-owned divisions that extend vertically and laterally around the core recycling loop. Downstream and adjacent units include Empire Steel Innovations (ESi) for structural and sheet metal fabrication, ConfiData for confidential document and hard-drive destruction, SMR Fibre for non-confidential paper recycling, ERL Intermodal and ERC Transportation for freight and roll-off logistics, and Truck63 for captive fleet maintenance. The Utica headquarters sits on a 15-acre, 120,000-square-foot complex.

Revenue mechanics are transaction-fee and commodity-spread based: Empire pays cash to suppliers at prevailing market rates and captures margin on the spread to mills and end buyers, supplemented by per-job container, transport, and on-site service fees. Pricing is market-sensitive and not publicly tiered. The customer base is fragmented across residential walk-ins, SMB trades, demolition contractors, and municipal accounts, with no disclosed named-logo enterprise customers or recurring contracts. The company is led by fourth-generation Kowalsky family members, with Steven Kowalsky as CEO/President and Edward Kowalsky as Executive Vice President.

Name

Empire Recycling Corporation

Legal name

Empire Recycling Corporation

Website

https://empirerecycling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Empire Recycling Corporation is a family-owned, full-service scrap metal recycler founded in 1916 in Utica, New York, operating four yards across New York State and an 11-division family of companies spanning recycling, steel fabrication, document destruction, and transportation for residential, commercial, and municipal customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scrap Metal Recycling

NAICS

Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Waste Collection (56211)

akta.pro primary industry

Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH), Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB), Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Steel/Iron) (EUAIAJAA), Scrap Metal Collection, Logistics & Aggregation (Yards, Roll-off, Container Programs) (IMAKAMAK)

Keywords

• Scrap metal recycling
• Ferrous metals processing
• Non-ferrous metals recycling
• Roll-off container services
• Metal recycling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Utica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scrap Metal Purchase and Resale: Empire Recycling purchases ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the general public, contractors, and businesses, paying cash for materials which are then processed and sold to mills for remelting
2. Container and Roll-off Services: Container service (20-50 cubic yard roll-offs) delivered to job sites for scrap removal, with material brought back for certified weighing, sorting, grading, and processing
3. Flatbed and Dump Trailer Services: Transportation services for large pieces of metal including on-site shear service for specialty projects

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Empire Recycling Corporation purchases, processes, and resells ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals from the general public, contractors, businesses, and municipalities at four New York State facilities, paying instant cash based on commodity-market pricing. The company supports these transactions with certified scales, on-site Innovex metal analyzers for accurate grading, and shredding/baling/logging equipment that prepares mill-ready product, while offering container/roll-off service, flatbed and dump trailer transport, and mobile on-site shear for commercial and demolition customers.

Product overview

Empire Recycling Corporation is a family-owned scrap metal recycling company operating since 1916, with a multi-division portfolio centered on its core metal recycling services. The main product is full-service scrap metal recycling for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, supported by container services, fleet transportation, and metal analysis capabilities. The company also operates a family of related divisions including ConfiData (document destruction), SMR Fibre (paper recycling), ERL Intermodal (freight transportation), ERC Transportation, Truck63 (fleet maintenance), and Empire Steel Innovations (steel fabrication). These divisions provide complementary services across the recycling and metals value chain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Recycling Services Full-service scrap metal recycling for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, serving businesses, contractors, municipalities, and the general public. Includes container service, flatbed service, dump trailers, and on-site metal analysis using Innovex equipment.
• Ferrous Metals Recycling Accepts and processes ferrous metals containing iron, including light iron, drums, HVAC equipment, sheet metal, appliances, car parts, cast iron, and demolition scrap.
• Non-Ferrous Metals Recycling Accepts and processes non-magnetic metals including aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, lead, zinc, catalytic converters, radiators, electric motors, and insulated wire.
• Container & Roll-off Services Provides roll-off dumpster service in four sizes (50, 40, 30, 20 cubic yards) for job site scrap metal removal, along with walking floor trailers, delivered to commercial customer sites.
• Flatbed and Dump Trailer Services Transportation services for large pieces of metal using tractor trailers and dump trailers, including live load capability and on-site shear service for specialty projects.
• Metal Analysis Services Free analysis of scrap materials using the on-site Innovex metal identification unit to scan and identify various metals, helping customers determine the most advantageous removal solution.
• Fleet Transportation Services Fleet of tractor trailers and roll-off trucks spanning locations throughout New York State for transportation of heavy machinery and on-site container delivery to customer sites.
• Scrap Metal Fundraising Drives Scrap metal drive fundraising program for non-profit groups including churches, schools, youth groups, fire departments, and sports teams. Empire provides dumpster delivery and processes the donated scrap, with proceeds supporting the organization.
• Confidential Document Destruction (ConfiData)

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycling scrap metals prevents waste from ending up in landfills and reduces use of chemicals needed for ore mining
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.

• Sculpture SpacenotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Longstanding partnership for close to 20 years where Empire Recycling invites Sculpture Space artists to their yard on Earth Day to select metal materials that are transformed into art pieces. Pieces are auctioned at Sculpture Space's CHAIRity Auction to raise funds for the artist-in-residence program. A short film 'Earth Day' was created showcasing this collaboration.
• Levitt FoundationnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerUtica was one of 18 cities awarded a competitive grant from the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation for the Levitt AMP Utica Music Series. Empire Recycling, along with ConfiData and ERL Intermodal, sponsors this free outdoor concert series.
• CareNet Pregnancy Center of Central New YorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor for CareNet Pregnancy Center of CNY's 30th Anniversary Gala. CEO Steven Kowalsky served on the planning committee.
• Utica Rescue MissionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProud supporter of the Rescue Mission of Utica during COVID-19 crisis, supporting their efforts to help the most vulnerable with food, shelter, and services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SA Recycling: Full-service scrap metal recycler with yards across the western and southern US, serving both public drop-off and commercial/industrial accounts. Highly comparable operating model to Empire, including ferrous/non-ferrous processing and container services.
• PSC Metals: Regional full-service scrap metal recycler headquartered in Ohio with multiple yards across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Closely comparable to Empire in operating model, customer mix (public, contractors, industrial), and ferrous/non-ferrous processing capabilities.
• Liberty Iron & Metal: Full-service ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycler with yards across Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Closely comparable to Empire's Upstate NY footprint, customer mix, and mill-ready processing model.
• Cohen Metals Group: Mid-Atlantic and Midwest scrap metal recycler operating yards, container programs, and processing services. Comparable to Empire's family-owned multi-yard model with similar contractor and municipal customer base.
• Scrap Metal Services: Scrap metal recycler and processor with yards across the US, providing container services, on-site processing, and mill-ready product preparation. Comparable to Empire's commercial container/roll-off and mobile shear offerings.
• Ferrous Processing & Trading (Cleveland-Cliffs subsidiary): Full-service scrap metal recycler and processor serving Midwest and Eastern US markets. Highly comparable to Empire across collection, processing, and mill-ready product preparation, with the added dimension of being integrated into a primary steelmaker.

Broad incumbents

• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel Industries): One of the largest US full-service metals recyclers operating scrap yards, shredders, and mill direct relationships across multiple regions. Comparable to Empire in core ferrous/non-ferrous processing, but at far greater national scale and with public-market discipline.
• EMR Group (European Metal Recycling): Global scrap metal recycler operating across the US, UK, and Europe with yards, shredders, and downstream processing. Comparable in core recycling operations, though at significantly greater international scale than Empire.
• David J. Joseph Company (Nucor subsidiary): One of the largest scrap metal recyclers in North America, operating yards and shredders nationwide as part of Nucor. Direct comparability to Empire in core recycling services, but at Nucor-anchored scale with broader trading and export capabilities.
• OmniSource (Steel Dynamics subsidiary): Large scrap metal processor and broker serving steel mills and foundries, vertically integrated with Steel Dynamics' steel production. Comparable to Empire in metals recycling services but with significantly broader geographic and mill-direct footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/empirerecycling
• Xx.com/EmpireRecycle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-recycling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

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 Empire Recycling Corporation