Apex Recycling

What Apex Recycling does

Apex Recycling Services is a family-owned scrap metal recycler founded in 1997 by Chris Ahring and headquartered in Fairmont City, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. The company purchases and processes ferrous scrap (steel, iron, structural steel, sheet metal, cast iron, plate steel), non-ferrous scrap (copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, insulated wire), automotive materials (catalytic converters, engines, transmissions, starters, alternators, end-of-life vehicles), and electronic scrap (motherboards, computers, servers, networking equipment, cell phones). Operations are anchored by a 40+ acre facility with over 170,000 sq ft of warehouse space, 12 loading/unloading docks, six or more torching locations, and specialized equipment including excavators, bailers, shears, a Niton X-Ray Alloy Analyzer, radiation detection wands, and state-certified weighing systems.

The company's core business model is commodity-spread-based: it buys scrap at competitive, market-based prices and sells processed material downstream. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on material purchases, container and roll-off services in 15-40 cubic yard sizes for industrial and commercial accounts, on-site material testing, vehicle de-pollution, and certified destruction documentation. Pricing is quote-based and varies by material type, with same-day cash payments and quick settlements offered to drive seller throughput. The customer base spans auto dealerships and repair shops, HVAC/electrical/plumbing trade contractors, industrial manufacturers, fleet operators, and residential sellers across more than 50 cities in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Distribution is primarily regional and physical: customers drop off materials at the Fairmont City facility, or the company dispatches pickup routes and roll-off containers to commercial and industrial accounts. The go-to-market combines sales-led relationship building with a self-serve digital layer. In July 2024, Apex launched the Apex App, an invite-only mobile application providing real-time pricing for over 8,000 catalytic converters plus ferrous, non-ferrous, and e-scrap commodities with thousands of reference images, serving as the company's primary digital customer-facing product. The company maintains OSHA compliance with exemplary quarterly audit status through its partnership with QualSafe Solutions of St. Louis, and holds full EPA regulatory compliance with documented transaction records.

Name

Apex Recycling

Legal name

Apex Recycling Services

Website

https://apexrecyclingservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Apex Recycling Services is a family-owned Midwest scrap metal recycler founded in 1997, purchasing ferrous, non-ferrous, automotive, and electronic scrap from contractors, dealers, fleets, and consumers across 50+ cities in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky from a 40+ acre Fairmont City, Illinois facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Steel/Iron) (EUAIAJAA), End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Dismantling & Auto Shredding (ASR) (IMAKAMAD), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH), Industrial Scrap Management & On-site Services (Plant Scrap, Roll-off, Managed Programs) (EUAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Scrap metal recycling
• Ferrous metal purchasing
• Non-ferrous metal purchasing
• Automotive recycling services
• Electronic scrap recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairmont City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scrap Metal Purchasing: Purchase of ferrous scrap (steel, iron, structural steel, sheet metal, cast iron, HMS, plate steel), non-ferrous scrap (copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, insulated wire), automotive materials (catalytic converters, automotive cores, transmissions, starters, alternators), and e-scrap (electronics, computers, servers). Revenue generated through buying materials at competitive prices and processing/selling to downstream recyclers.
2. Automotive Recycling: Vehicle decommissioning, de-pollution services, and destruction verification for fleet operators and dealerships. Processing end-of-life vehicles for metal recovery.
3. Container/Roll-off Services: Drop-off and pickup of roll-off containers (15, 20, 30, and 40 cubic-yard sizes) for ongoing scrap generators including industrial and manufacturing facilities.
4. On-site Testing Services: On-site material testing and analysis using X-ray alloy analyzer technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Apex Recycling purchases, processes, and recycles ferrous scrap (iron, steel, sheet metal, rebar), non-ferrous scrap (copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, insulated wire), automotive materials (catalytic converters, engines, transmissions, alternators, starters), and electronic scrap (motherboards, hard drives, computers, servers). The company operates from a 40+ acre facility in Fairmont City, Illinois, offering facility drop-off, scheduled roll-off container pickup for commercial accounts, on-site material testing, and certified destruction documentation for end-of-life vehicles.

Product overview

Apex Recycling offers a unified automotive and industrial scrap metal recycling platform centered on their Apex App, which provides real-time pricing for catalytic converters and scrap metal commodities. The company operates as a single-service provider purchasing all types of ferrous metals (prepared/unprepared iron, sheet iron, motor blocks, rebar), non-ferrous metals (copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, insulated wire), automotive parts (catalytic converters, engines, transmissions, alternators, starters), and e-scrap (motherboards, hard drives, computers, servers, networking equipment). Services include container/roll-off services for industrial accounts, on-site metal testing with X-ray alloy analysis, and Certificate of Destruction for compliance documentation. The Apex App serves as the primary customer-facing digital product for pricing access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Apex App: Exclusive invite-only catalytic converter and scrap metal commodity pricing app featuring 8K+ catalytic converter prices, ferrous and non-ferrous metal pricing, and e-scrap pricing. Launched July 2024.

Products and services

• Apex Pricing App Exclusive invite-only mobile application providing real-time catalytic converter and scrap metal commodity pricing, including 8K+ catalytic converter prices with thousands of quality images, plus ferrous, non-ferrous, and e-scrap pricing. Designed for auto recyclers and scrap sellers to access up-to-the-minute competitive market pricing.
• Ferrous Scrap Metal Purchasing Purchase of ferrous metals including prepared iron, unprepared iron, sheet iron, heavy breakable cast, drums/rotors, case iron, motor blocks, and rebar. Serves industrial manufacturers, demolition contractors, and trade professionals generating ferrous scrap.
• Non-Ferrous Metal Purchasing

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ acre facility with 170,000+ sq ft processing and warehouse space
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• QualSafe SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerQualSafe Solutions of St. Louis, Missouri is a third-party safety and environmental company specializing in general OSHA compliance, customized safety compliance training, and safety plans. They perform quarterly audits of Apex's facility to ensure safety standards and regulatory compliance. QualSafe provides various state-certified training courses for Apex employees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alter Trading Corporation: Family-owned regional scrap metal recycler headquartered in St. Louis with extensive Midwest operations purchasing ferrous, non-ferrous, and catalytic converter materials from industrial and retail generators. Directly comparable to Apex on geography, customer mix, and core service offering.
• Cohen Recycling: Midwest-based scrap metal recycler operating yard facilities with ferrous and non-ferrous processing capabilities. Directly comparable regional competitor serving similar trade and industrial customer segments.
• Padnos: Family-owned Midwest scrap metal recycler with multiple yards across Michigan and surrounding states, purchasing ferrous, non-ferrous, and e-scrap materials from industrial and consumer customers. Comparable in operating model, scale, and family-owned governance.
• Sadoff Iron & Metal: Wisconsin-based regional scrap metal recycler operating yard facilities with ferrous and non-ferrous processing, e-scrap handling, and brokerage/trading services. Comparable Midwest footprint and diversified service portfolio to Apex.
• Huron Valley Steel Corporation: Michigan-based regional scrap metal processor operating shredder and downstream processing capacity for ferrous scrap from industrial and consumer sources. Comparable regional scale and focus on Midwest supply.

Broad incumbents

• Radius Recycling: Large publicly traded North American metal recycler with dozens of yards, shredders, and integrated ferrous/non-ferrous operations. Comparable core activity but at materially larger scale, broader geography, and public-market capital access.
• EMR Group: One of the world's largest metal recyclers with operations across the US, Europe, and Asia, processing ferrous, non-ferrous, and specialist waste streams. Comparable activity set but with international footprint and significantly greater capital base.
• Commercial Metals Company (CMC): Vertically integrated metals recycler and steel manufacturer with extensive scrap procurement operations feeding downstream mills. Comparable on the scrap intake side but with broader downstream integration and publicly traded scale.
• Nucor Corporation: Largest North American steel producer and major scrap consumer operating scrap procurement and processing operations nationally. Comparable only at the upstream ferrous scrap intake layer, but with vastly greater scale and downstream manufacturing exposure.
• Schnitzer Steel Industries: Historical predecessor entity to Radius Recycling; referenced here as the legacy brand under which the broader incumbent Midwest/West Coast scrap platform operated. Comparable category but materially larger and now consolidated into Radius.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Apex-Recycling-Services-100057544835569
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-recycling-services-llc/about

Compliance3 records

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 Apex Recycling