Behr Iron & Metal

Behr Iron & Metal operates solely in the metal recycling industry. We buy, process and sell scrap metals sourced from industry, obsolete materials, plant tear-downs, construction and other sources. Scrap ferrous and non-ferrous metal is delivered to our premises by truck and rail or picked up by our own trucking company. The scrap we receive is prepared to consumer specification utilizing a broad range of processing equipment. Our scrap is shipped in the most cost effective way by truck, rail or barge, based on the needs of the consumer.

Behr Iron & Metal’s facilities are located in the Midwest, spanning three states—Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. We manage eleven full service scrap operations and two free standing drive through collection facilities. We operate three shredders, five guillotine shears and a myriad of other processing equipment such as cranes, balers and specialized equipment. We source a substantial amount of raw material by partnering with Fortune 500 companies, small manufacturers and scrap yard producers of all sizes. We have environmental, engineering and construction workers on staff to ensure proper ecological handling of your scrap and to enhance the services we can offer your company.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Metal, the scrap industry’s raw material, has had a profound effect on civilization. Research reveals that an exact date of man’s first interest in metals, in the dawn of prehistory, will never be more than hypothetical. It can be asserted more confidently, however, that the use of copper occurred during the fifth millennium B.C., at least six thousand years ago. The earliest alloy bronzes date back to the fourth millennium B.C., in what is now Iran and Iraq. 

The production of iron by humans probably began sometime after 2000 B.C., in southwest or south central Asia, perhaps in the Caucasus region. This began the Iron Age, when iron replaced bronze in implements and weapons. For over 3,000 years, iron formed the material basis for human civilization, in Europe, Africa and Asia, until it was replaced by steel around 1870 A.D. (This coincided with the development of the open hearth process which trumped the Bessemer process).  If there is ambivalence in pinpointing the beginnings of metals, the beginning of the recycling industry is a total mystery. But we will hazard a guess that where there was metal, mined, melted, hammered and transformed into useful objects, there was also recycling. The process of transforming scrap back to usable products required common sense. Today, those in our industry sit in the middle. With our left hand, we develop sources from whom we buy scrap, our raw material. With our right hand, we market our material by building relationships of trust with the consumer. In the middle, we prepare the raw material to consumer specifications, ship on time, sell to supply consumers on a consistent basis and deliver at competitive pricing. Scrap is analogous to mining. We must pay a price that brings unprepared material to our yards and warehouses. Our raw material comes from industrial production, the wrecking or deconstruction business, railroads and obsolete metals from homes, farms and industry.  To be objective, scrap is a critical commodity. By recycling this material, we are saving landfills and stretching the life of mineral reserves.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

Behr Iron & Metal’s processing facilities accept turnings, punchings, screw stock, stampings and other scrap from area industries. Despite draining or spinning operations, significant quantities of cutting and cooling oils may cling to such scrap when it is received at the processing facility. Some of our competitor’s scrap processing facilities already have been cited as environmentally hazardous due to these oils. Unfortunately, companies supplying scrap to those facilities have been forced to participate in costly EPA-mandated clean up operations even though their scrap was not contaminated by oil! .Behr Iron & Metal’s Rockford facility uses a two stage system to recover cooling and cutting oils clinging to arriving scrap. (Click here to view a diagram.) Over 2 acres of reinforced concrete collection pads are used to receive and store incoming scrap, ensuring that no oil contaminates the ground. Oil and rainwater runoff flows at a controlled rate from the collection pads to the first treatment stage where oil is separated by gravity. 

The remaining mixture of emulsified oil and water flows to a second treatment stage. Using chemical treatment and mechanical equipment, a compressed sludge cake and an effluent are produced. The sludge cake is disposed of as a special waste. The effluent, directed to the Rock River Water Reclamation District, has residual oil content well below limits mandated by the District. This system is representative of Behr’s commitment to protect its customers and the environment.Our scrap storage pads, storm water management, emission control, mercury switch removal, and radiation monitoring in and out of our facilities are examples of ongoing environmental best practices. This requires a never-ending pursuit of environmental excellence by our employees, led by our on-staff compliance officer. We encourage you to visit our facilities and see first hand how Behr Iron & Metal works to eliminate the potential for environmental liability associated with shipping and handling scrap materials.