Upstate Shredding
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Scrap metal processing and recycling |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Adam Weitsman |
| Headquarters | Owego , United States |
Area served | New York, Pennsylvania |
| Products | Scrap metal processing and recycling services |
Upstate Shredding - Weitsman Recycling is a scrap metal processing and recycling enterprise based in Owego, New York, United States.
History
Adam Weitsman established Upstate Shredding in Owego, New York. After initially pursuing a career in the art gallery industry, he returned to his hometown following a family bereavement and became involved in his father’s scrap metal business. He concentrated on scrap metal processing and successfully grew the family operation, which was then in its third generation.
In 1997, Weitsman founded Upstate Shredding on a 17-acre property located within the Tioga County Industrial Park in Owego. The company’s development included plans for a heavy media plant, supported by a $1 million grant from New York’s Empire State Development fund.
Currently, Upstate Shredding manages two facilities in Owego and operates 12 sites throughout New York and Pennsylvania.
Acquisitions
The year 2005 saw Upstate Shredding acquire its affiliated firm, Ben Weitsman & Son, Inc., coinciding with the retirement of Fred Weitsman. Further expansion occurred in 2009 with the purchase of a scrapyard situated in Solvay, New York.
In 2014, the company expanded by acquiring Murtagh Scrap Handling, a recycling business based in Rome, New York. The following year, Upstate Shredding invested $5.6 million to obtain a stake in Metalico Inc., a scrap metal processor headquartered in Cranford, New Jersey.
Between 2012 and 2016, the company completed additional acquisitions including a scrapyard in New Castle, Pennsylvania, a port facility located in Albany, New York, and Empire Recycling in Watertown (which was later shut down). By late 2016, these entities were unified under the Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling name.
Controversy
In May 2021, the environmental group Sierra Club initiated legal action against Weitsman, accusing the Albany, New York scrap recycling site of failing to effectively control stormwater runoff.