Maryland Core

What Maryland Core does

Maryland Core, Inc. is a privately held automotive scrap recycling business founded in 2004 by Ray Aizen and headquartered at 6519 Quad Avenue, Baltimore, MD. The company operates from a 60,000+ sq ft facility and serves a customer base of more than 3,000 businesses and individuals across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Its core operation is the purchase and in-house processing of catalytic converters using a proprietary cutting machine, with direct sales to refineries — a channel relationship the company positions as unique among Maryland buyers — complemented by the purchase and resale of a broad range of automotive scrap including aluminum/brass/copper radiators, rims, cast aluminum, batteries, transmissions, rotors, engines, AC compressors, starters, alternators, lead wheel weights, brake calipers, ECMs, and headlights.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through transactional, take-rate based purchases of scrap and converters at market-driven prices, with negotiated pricing on large single-item loads. The go-to-market model combines direct walk-in sales at the Baltimore facility (Mon-Fri 8:30-4:45, Sat 8:30-12:00) with scheduled pickup services (one-time, bi-weekly, monthly), small container and roll-off truck container programs for ongoing scrap generators, and a premium listing on the iScrap App marketplace. Distribution to end-buyers leverages a direct refinery relationship as a differentiating downstream channel, with materials shipped domestically from New York to Los Angeles and internationally to China and India.

Operational control rests with President/CEO Larry Karpman and Office Manager Tammy Thompson following the retirement of founder Ray Aizen and "The Real Boss" Stewie. There is no indication of external institutional ownership, parent company, or subsidiary structure; the business is run as a single Maryland entity with no disclosed headcount, funding history, or revenue figures in available sources.

Name

Maryland Core

Legal name

Maryland Core, Inc.

Website

https://marylandcore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maryland Core is a privately held Baltimore-based automotive scrap recycler and the only Maryland catalytic converter buyer selling directly to refineries, processing converters in-house and purchasing a broad range of used auto parts from 3,000+ customers across the Mid-Atlantic and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scrap Metal Recycling

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

Catalytic Converter Recycling & Precious Metals Recovery (PGM) (EUAIAJAG)

Keywords

• Catalytic converter recycling
• Automotive scrap processing
• Scrap metal recycling
• Used auto parts buying
• Refinery direct sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Catalytic Converter Sales: Purchase catalytic converters from licensed sellers and process them in-house using their cutting machine, then sell directly to the refinery. This is the primary revenue stream and key differentiator as they are the only catalytic converter buyer in Maryland that sells directly to the refinery.
2. Auto Parts and Materials Sales: Purchase and resell a wide variety of automotive scrap materials including aluminum radiators, brass radiators, copper aluminum radiators, rims, cast aluminum, auto/truck batteries, transmissions, torque converters, rotors, steel, aluminum engines, AC compressors, starters, alternators, lead wheel weights, brake calipers, ECMs, and late model headlights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maryland Core purchases catalytic converters, used auto parts, and automotive scrap materials from licensed sellers and individual walk-ins at its Baltimore facility. The company processes catalytic converters in-house using a proprietary cutting machine and sells directly to refineries, a unique position in Maryland. Supporting services include one-time pickup, scheduled bi-weekly/monthly pickup, small container programs, and roll-off truck containers for commercial scrap generators.

Product overview

Maryland Core is a single-location automotive recycling and scrap metal processing facility operating as a platform-plus-services model. The core offering is catalytic converter recycling, supported by an in-house cutting machine and direct-to-refinery sales channel. This is complemented by a comprehensive used auto parts purchasing operation and various pickup/container services for scrap material. The company sells catalytic converter pricing lists by vehicle make (Toyota, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes, GM, Chrysler) as downloadable PDFs. Services include one-time pickup, scheduled bi-weekly/monthly pickup, and container programs (small bin and roll-off truck). The 60,000+ sq ft Baltimore facility handles materials ranging from catalytic converters and engines to radiators, batteries, and hardware, serving customers from individual sellers to commercial enterprises across the Mid-Atlantic region and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalytic Converter Recycling Core recycling service purchasing catalytic converters from licensed automotive dismantlers, recyclers, and individuals, processing them in-house, and selling directly to refineries. Targeted at Maryland-licensed sellers per Maryland Law.
• Used Auto Parts Purchasing Purchase of various used automotive components including transmissions, torque converters, rotors, steel, aluminum engines, AC compressors, starters, alternators, brake calipers, ECMs, and late model headlights.
• Automotive Scrap Material Processing Processing of aluminum radiators (aluminum, brass, copper aluminum), cast aluminum, aluminum heads, irony aluminum, auto/truck batteries, lead wheel weights, and rims.
• One-Time Pickup Service Single pickup service for customers with scrap metal to recycle, providing convenient on-site pickup without walk-in requirement.
• Scheduled Pickup Service (Bi-Weekly/Monthly) Recurring pickup service on a bi-weekly or monthly schedule for consistent scrap generators with ongoing scrap material volumes.
• Small Container Program 48"x40"x42" container for on-site storage of scrap materials with scheduled pickup and signed agreement program.
• Roll-Off Truck Container Large roll-off truck container service for customers with significant scrap volume needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ sq ft processing facility enabling high-volume operations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• iScrap AppcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaryland Core maintains a premium marketplace listing on iScrap App for pricing visibility. The platform connects scrap material sellers with Maryland Core's services and displays current catalytic converter pricing, serving as a key customer acquisition channel in the scrap recycling ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SA Recycling: Large, multi-state nonferrous and ferrous scrap metal recycler with yards across the U.S. Overlaps with Maryland Core's automotive scrap intake and broadens catalytic converter buying as part of a much larger portfolio.
• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel Industries): Major publicly traded scrap metal recycler and processor with deep nonferrous capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating downstream of yards like Maryland Core, with overlapping automotive scrap intake.
• David J. Joseph Co. (DJJ): One of the largest North American scrap metal recyclers, a subsidiary of Nucor. Represents the broad-incumbent buyer of catalytic converters and automotive scrap from regional yards.

Direct peers

• Core Catalysts: Specialized catalytic converter processor and PGM recovery company; competes for converter material from yards and dismantlers and ships into the same refinery/PGT value chain.
• PGM Recovery Inc. Specialized catalytic converter and precious metal catalyst processor that buys converters and processes them for PGM recovery. Closely comparable buyer-plus-processor model in the same end-of-life catalyst value chain.
• GreenGlove Recovery: National catalytic converter buyer supplying refineries and PGM processors, with a similar buyer-to-refinery channel and focus on licensed dismantler/supplier relationships.
• Standard Cat: One of the largest dedicated catalytic converter buyers and processors in the U.S., purchasing converters from dismantlers and yards and selling recovered PGM-bearing material to refineries. Direct functional overlap with Maryland Core's core converter-buying and refinery-channel model.
• USA Core: Catalytic converter buyer that consolidates material from yards and sells into the precious-metals recovery supply chain. Comparable to Maryland Core's licensed-seller intake and refinery-channel model.

Regional players

• Cohen Recycling: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast nonferrous scrap recycler with yards and processing capacity in states adjacent to Maryland. Comparable regional peer competing for the same automotive scrap supply.
• Okon Metals: Regional nonferrous scrap processor with yards in the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable as a regional competitor purchasing catalytic converters and automotive scrap from licensed sellers in states neighboring Maryland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/marylandcore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Maryland Core