John Lawrie Group
John Lawrie Metals is a privately held Scottish scrap metal recycler and industrial decommissioning specialist, processing approximately 200,000 tonnes annually across three North Scotland yards, serving energy-sector majors, trade customers, and domestic householders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersAberdeen, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What John Lawrie Group does
John Lawrie Metals Ltd., trading as John Lawrie Group, is a privately held Scottish scrap metal recycler and industrial decommissioning specialist founded in 1930. The company operates three scrap metal yards — in Aberdeen, Shetland, and Evanton near Inverness — and processes approximately 200,000 tonnes of scrap metal annually, making it one of the largest scrap recyclers in Scotland. Its core offering spans three service lines: Industrial & Decom (large-scale site clearance and decommissioning for North Sea energy-sector and heavy industrial clients, supported by a marketed 'single step Duty of Care assurance' compliance process), Domestic & Trade (walk-in scrap collection with on-site weighing and immediate bank payment for householders and trade customers), and Scrap Metal Skip Collections (delivered skip containers with collection and payment on pickup).
Revenue mechanics are transactional across all three streams: the company purchases scrap from suppliers, processes and downsizes material on-site, and resells recovered metals to downstream buyers, while decommissioning work is delivered under professional services contracts with energy-sector operators. The primary customer segment is Energy Sector Majors, supplemented by domestic householders and trade/professional sellers. Pricing is weight- and material-type based with no publicly disclosed rate cards, and payment to scrap sellers is made directly into bank accounts upon delivery or collection.
The business is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds, and operates exclusively in Scotland. The company pursues brand and pipeline development through industry exhibitions (SPE Offshore Europe 2025), sustainability sponsorships (Tall Ships Race 2025), fleet modernization (low-emission vehicles added in April 2025), and active hiring signals heading into 2026. There is no evidence of AI, software, or digital platform components in the offering — the moat is built on physical infrastructure, regional density, 90+ years of operational track record, and regulatory compliance positioning.
John Lawrie Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- John Lawrie Group
- Legal name
- John Lawrie Metals Ltd.
- Website
- https://johnlawrie.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- John Lawrie Metals is a privately held Scottish scrap metal recycler and industrial decommissioning specialist, processing approximately 200,000 tonnes annually across three North Scotland yards, serving energy-sector majors, trade customers, and domestic householders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
John Lawrie Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Metal Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing (3314)
- SIC
- Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Metals Recovery from C&D (Ferrous/Non-ferrous) (EUAIAHAF), Metal Scrap Trading & Brokerage (Ferrous & Non-Ferrous) (IMAKAJAI), Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB)
Keywords
Where John Lawrie Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aberdeen
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
John Lawrie Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Scrap Metal Purchase and Processing: John Lawrie Metals purchases scrap metal from customers, weighing materials on-site and paying directly into customer bank accounts. The company processes approximately 200,000 tonnes annually, generating revenue from the processing and resale of recovered metals.
- Industrial Decommissioning Services: Professional site clearance and decommissioning services for industrial clients, including downsizing of materials as part of major projects. Revenue generated through service contracts with Energy Sector majors and other industrial operators.
- Skip Hire and Collection Services: Providing skip containers for scrap metal collection from customers. Customers load skips, schedule collection, and receive payment for the scrap collected.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Weight-based payment for scrap metal deliveries |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
John Lawrie Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
John Lawrie Metals purchases and recycles scrap metal from industrial, trade, and domestic customers, processing approximately 200,000 tonnes annually across scrap yards in Aberdeen, Shetland, and Evanton. The company also provides industrial decommissioning and site clearance services to Energy Sector Majors, with a proprietary single-step Duty of Care assurance process.
Product overview
John Lawrie Metals offers a unified scrap metal recycling service built around three core offerings: Industrial & Decom services for energy sector majors and industrial site clearances, Domestic & Trade services for householders and trade customers, and Scrap Metal Skip Collections. The company operates as one of the largest scrap metal recyclers in Scotland, processing approximately 200,000 tonnes annually across scrap metal yards in Aberdeen, Shetland, and Evanton near Inverness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Industrial & Decom Industrial decommissioning and site clearance services for the energy sector and heavy industry, including material downsizing and Duty of Care assurance documentation, serving large-scale industrial operators in the North of Scotland.
- Domestic & Trade Scrap metal collection service for domestic householders and trade customers, offering on-site weighing, unloading assistance, and immediate bank payment for delivered materials.
- Scrap Metal Skip Collections Skip hire service for metal recycling needs, featuring delivery, loading by customers, collection, and direct bank payment upon completion, used by domestic, trade, and small commercial customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Handles approximately 200,000 tonnes of scrap metal annually
Companies that use John Lawrie Group
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
John Lawrie Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
John Lawrie Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Tall Ships RaceminorJohn Lawrie Metals served as the Sustainability Sponsor for the Tall Ships Race, a significant maritime event. This sponsorship aligns with the company's sustainability mission and provides community visibility and brand awareness in the Scottish market.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
John Lawrie Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sackers: Sackers is a UK scrap metal recycler headquartered in Southampton with yards across southern England, serving industrial, demolition, and domestic customers with skip hire and walk-in services. It is closely comparable to John Lawrie in service mix (industrial + domestic + skip), transaction-based pricing, and direct customer model.
- Ward Recycling: Ward Recycling is a UK metal recycler operating multiple yards, processing ferrous and non-ferrous scrap and serving industrial and domestic customers. It is comparable to John Lawrie in yard-based processing, skip hire offerings, and the same customer mix.
- Hill Metal Recycling: Hill Metal Recycling is a Scotland-based scrap metal recycler serving industrial and domestic customers across central Scotland. It overlaps directly with John Lawrie's domestic, skip, and trade service offering in the Scottish market.
- EMR Group (European Metal Recycling): EMR is the UK's largest scrap metal recycler, operating yards, shredders, and downstream processing nationwide. It is the most direct large-scale competitor to John Lawrie in industrial and commercial scrap collection, processing, and resale, and serves the same energy, construction, and domestic customer segments.
- Murray Metals Group: Murray Metals is a UK-based non-ferrous metal merchant and processor, sourcing and trading non-ferrous scrap. It is comparable to John Lawrie on the non-ferrous buying, processing, and merchanting side, though it operates primarily downstream in metal trading.
Others
- Celsa Steel UK: Celsa Steel UK operates an electric arc furnace steel mill in Cardiff that consumes ferrous scrap feedstock. It is comparable to John Lawrie as a downstream buyer of processed scrap, representing the type of off-taker John Lawrie's processed material ultimately flows into.
- LIBERTY Steel UK: LIBERTY Steel operates UK steelmaking assets reliant on ferrous scrap inputs. It is comparable to John Lawrie as a UK-based downstream consumer of recycled metal, representing a potential off-take channel for processed ferrous scrap.
Broad incumbents
- Sims Metal Management: Sims is one of the world's largest metal recyclers with UK and European operations, buying, processing, and trading ferrous and non-ferrous scrap globally. It overlaps directly with John Lawrie in core scrap processing and resale, but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
- Schnitzer Steel Industries: Schnitzer is a US-headquartered global ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycler and steel producer. While geographically distant, it is a global benchmark for John Lawrie's scrap collection, processing, and downstream resale business model.
- Veolia Environmental Services UK: Veolia is a large diversified environmental services provider operating scrap metal collection, processing, and industrial services across the UK. It competes with John Lawrie on industrial decommissioning and metal recovery but as part of a much broader waste and water portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
John Lawrie Group social profiles
Digital presenceJohn Lawrie Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
John Lawrie Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
John Lawrie Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
John Lawrie Group 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 John Lawrie Group
What does John Lawrie Group do?
John Lawrie Metals purchases and recycles scrap metal from industrial, trade, and domestic customers, processing approximately 200,000 tonnes annually across scrap yards in Aberdeen, Shetland, and Evanton. The company also provides industrial decommissioning and site clearance services to Energy Sector Majors, with a proprietary single-step Duty of Care assurance process.
Is John Lawrie Group a public or private company?
John Lawrie Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was John Lawrie Group founded?
John Lawrie Group was founded in 1930. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is John Lawrie Group based?
John Lawrie Group is headquartered in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does John Lawrie Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Scrap Metal Purchase and Processing is the primary driver. The others are industrial Decommissioning Services and skip Hire and Collection Services.
Who are John Lawrie Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sackers, Ward Recycling, Hill Metal Recycling, EMR Group (European Metal Recycling) and Murray Metals Group. Others are Celsa Steel UK and LIBERTY Steel UK. Broad incumbents are Sims Metal Management, Schnitzer Steel Industries and Veolia Environmental Services UK.
Does John Lawrie Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for John Lawrie Group.
What industry is John Lawrie Group in?
John Lawrie Group's product category is Metal Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAF, Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous), with a secondary code of EUAIAHAF, Metals Recovery from C&D (Ferrous/Non-ferrous). Its NAICS code is 42393 and its SIC code is 3341.