Canusa Hershman

What Canusa Hershman does

Canusa Hershman is a privately held commodity trading and supply chain management company headquartered in Branford, Connecticut, founded in 1887 by Israel Hershman and now co-chaired by his great-grandson Ethan Hershman alongside Bruce Fleming. The company operates four divisions — Recyclable Commodities, Plastic Resins, Containerboard & Packaging Papers, and Pulp & Alternative Fibers — and is one of North America's largest independent recyclers, trading more than 1 million tons of recyclables and 200 million pounds of plastic resins annually. It runs four processing facilities in Baltimore (MD), St. Albans (VT), Wellford (SC), and Phoenix (AZ), and maintains direct export channels to mills and manufacturers across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

The company's core operations involve sourcing recyclable materials from generators and material recovery facilities, processing and baling them at its own plants, and selling them — both domestically and via its own global logistics network — to paper mills, packaging converters, and plastic processors in more than 30 countries. It holds FSC Chain-of-Custody, FSC Recycled, SFI, and LEED certifications, which serve as qualification prerequisites for many large institutional buyers. Revenue is generated on commodity spreads between buy-side and sell-side pricing, augmented by value-added services such as direct export logistics, container loading, and custom baling.

The business model is a hybrid of physical processor and international trader: the recycling facilities provide margin on吨 of material handled, while the trading desks (built over four decades of shipping-line relationships) capture margin on cross-border commodity flows. Recent strategic activity has been acquisitive and expansionary — adding the Evergreen Fibres container business (October 2021), the Recycle 1 and Arizona Pacific Pulp & Paper assets (November 2022), the Mehali, Inc. India export platform (2020), and greenfield/reopened capacity in Wellford, SC and Baltimore — signaling a multi-year program of consolidation under a unified Canusa Hershman brand consolidated in January 2021.

Name

Canusa Hershman

Legal name

Canusa Hershman Recycling Company

Website

https://canusahershman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Canusa Hershman is a 135-year-old, privately held commodity trader and recycler that sources, processes, and globally distributes more than 1 million tons of recyclables and 200 million pounds of plastic resins annually to mills, converters, and manufacturers across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recyclable Commodity Trading & Supply Chain Management

NAICS

Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)

SIC

Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable & Certified Materials (Organic, Recycled, Traceable) (CRAAAMAK)

Keywords

• Recyclable commodity trading
• Plastic resin trading
• Containerboard marketing
• Alternative fiber sourcing
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Branford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commodity Trading - Recyclable Commodities: Trading and supply chain management of recovered fiber, plastics, and metals. Canusa Hershman Recycling supplies and ships more than one million tons per year of various grades of recovered fiber, plastics and metals with direct export to Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
2. Plastic Resins Trading: Through Canusa Hershman and its wholly owned subsidiary BA/CH Polymers, the company trades recycled and virgin resins, selling more than 200 million pounds annually. Offers flexible financing options and superior logistics to generators and consumers of commodity and engineering-grade resins.
3. Containerboard and Packaging Papers: Through wholly owned subsidiary Evergreen Fibres and affiliates Paper Alliance and Alliance Paperboard, the company markets linerboard, medium, kraft paper, and specialty papers for the packaging industry in the United States and Canada.
4. Pulp and Alternative Fibers: Raw material sourcing and marketing solutions combined with supply chain expertise to deliver sustainable fiber solutions globally. Specializes in developing, building, and managing supply and marketing strategies for low carbon footprint alternatives to traditional pulp.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Canusa Hershman is an independent commodity trading and supply chain management company that buys, sells, and ships recovered fiber, plastics, metals, recycled and virgin plastic resins, containerboard and packaging papers, and pulp and alternative fibers. The company operates four Material Recovery Facilities in the U.S. and supplies more than one million tons of recyclables and over 200 million pounds of plastic resins annually to mills, manufacturers, and other industrial buyers globally. It supports these flows with world-class logistics, flexible trade financing, and direct export access to Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Product overview

Canusa Hershman is a commodity trading and supply chain management company operating through multiple divisions and subsidiaries. The core offering comprises Canusa Hershman Recycling (Recycle 1) handling recovered fiber, plastics, and metals; BACH Polymers for recycled and virgin plastic resins; Pulp & Alternative Fibers for sustainable fiber solutions; and Evergreen Fibres for containerboard and packaging papers. Supporting services include supply chain management with logistics and financing solutions. Affiliates include Newport CH International (Asian market exports), Canusa Paper & Packaging, and Recycle 1 facilities across the US. The company traces its roots back 135 years to 1887.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Recycle 1: Material recovery facilities and recycling solutions operating in St. Albans VT, Baltimore MD, Wellford SC, and Phoenix AZ.
• BACH Polymers (also BA/CH Polymers)
• Evergreen Fibres
• Pulp & Alternative Fibers

Products and services

• Canusa Hershman Recycling (Recovered Fiber, Plastics, and Metals Trading) Trading division that supplies and ships more than one million tons per year of various grades of recovered fiber, plastics, and metals, providing direct export sales to Asia, Europe, and Latin America and decades-long supply to North America's largest mills and manufacturers.
• Recycle 1 Material Recovery Facilities Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) providing localized recycling solutions with single-stream processing capabilities across four U.S. locations: Baltimore MD, St. Albans VT, Wellford SC, and Phoenix AZ.
• BACH Polymers (BA/CH Polymers) Plastic Resins Trading Trading division for recycled and virgin plastic resins, selling more than 200 million pounds annually of commodity and engineering-grade resins to generators and consumers, with flexible financing options and superior logistics services.
• Evergreen Fibres Containerboard and Packaging Papers Marketing Marketing of linerboard, medium, kraft paper, and specialty papers for the packaging industry in the United States and Canada. One of the largest independent marketers of containerboard and packaging papers in the region.
• Pulp and Alternative Fibers Sourcing and Marketing Raw material sourcing and marketing solutions combined with supply chain expertise to deliver sustainable fiber solutions globally, specializing in low carbon footprint alternatives to traditional pulp including bagasse, bamboo, and wheat straw.
• Global Supply Chain Management Services End-to-end supply chain management including freight forwarding coordination, port logistics, documentation management, and storage services through strategic relationships with major shipping lines, forwarding companies, haulers, and warehouses to enable cost-effective delivery worldwide.
• Trade Financing and Risk Mitigation Solutions Flexible financing options including extended payment terms for customers, prompt payments for suppliers, letters of credit, and access to trade credit insurance and risk mitigation tools to support commodity trading flows.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than one million tons per year of recyclable commodities shipped
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Recycle 1 / Arizona Pacific Pulp & PapercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Canusa Hershman acquired Phoenix-based Recycle 1 and Arizona Pacific Pulp & Paper, adding a fourth recycling facility to its portfolio. This expanded the company's presence in the Southwest United States.
• Evergreen FibrescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021CH diversified into containerboard and packaging papers with the acquisition of Evergreen Fibres, and its subsidiaries Evergreen Fibres Canada, Paper Alliance, and Alliance Paperboard. This represents a major expansion into the packaging papers market.
• Mehali, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CHRC acquired the assets of Mehali, Inc., a leading trader of recovered fiber to India. This acquisition served as a catalyst to CHRC's direct export capabilities to India and other export markets.
• Newport CH InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003CHRC co-founded Newport CH International in 2003 to focus on sales of fiber and plastic recyclables into the growing Asian market. This partnership enables direct market access to Asia for recyclable commodities.
• The Washington Post CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990In 1990, Canusa and The Washington Post Company established Capitol Fiber, a joint venture 100,000 square foot processing facility in Springfield, VA to process and market D.C.'s curbside collected newspapers.
• Major Shipping Lines, Forwarding Companies, Haulers, and WarehousescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic relationships with major shipping lines, forwarding companies, haulers, and warehouses enable creative, reliable, and cost-effective supply chain solutions anywhere in the world. This network is a key component of the company's logistics capabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management: Largest North American waste management and environmental services company operating MRFs and recycling facilities across the US. Overlaps with CH Recycling/Recycle 1 MRF operations, though much broader service portfolio including landfill and collection.
• Republic Services: Second-largest US waste management company with extensive MRF and recycling operations producing recycled commodities for sale. Competes with CH in recovered fiber marketing and recyclable commodity supply to mills.
• Sonoco Products: Global packaging company producing paper-based and rigid plastic containers with sustainable packaging lines. Comparable to CH in paper/packaging markets, particularly for sustainable and recycled-content packaging solutions.
• Sims Metal Management: Global metal recycling and trading company with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Broader geographic reach than CH but directly comparable in commodity trading of recycled ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
• Smurfit Kappa: Global leader in paper-based packaging with significant containerboard operations. Comparable to CH/Evergreen Fibres in marketing linerboard and kraft paper to packaging customers in North America and globally.
• Mondi Group: European-based global packaging and paper company producing containerboard, kraft paper, and specialty papers. Overlaps with CH/Evergreen Fibres in containerboard and specialty paper marketing.

Direct peers

• Cascades Inc. Canadian-based manufacturer of packaging products and tissue paper with significant recycled fiber recovery operations. Comparable in recovering and marketing recycled fiber into packaging and tissue end markets.
• Schnitzer Steel Industries: Metal recycling and finished steel products company with significant recycled metals trading operations and export channels to Asia. Directly comparable in trading recyclable metals and serving global mill customers.
• SA Recycling: One of the largest non-ferrous and ferrous metal recyclers in the US, operating a similar commodity-trading business model sourcing scrap from generators and selling to mills and mills globally. Highly comparable in transaction-fee trading of recyclable commodities.
• International Forest Products: Global trader of paper, pulp, and forest products with extensive international supply chain. Directly comparable to CH's Evergreen Fibres division in trading linerboard, kraft paper, and pulp products globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canusa-hershman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Canusa Hershman