Metal Commodities

Metal Commodities Inc, was established in 1971 from one man's desire to ensure the survival of his family during a deep recession. It was through hard-work, dedication and his vast experience that owner and founder Kenneth Christiansen took a simple idea and turned it into a family-run staple of the Rhode Island recycling industry. 

Rhode Island, like most of the country in 1971, was faced with a deep recession. To help supplement his income in a down market, Kenneth decided to start processing copper and steel in his barn after his home-building and contracting business was severely affected. For years, Ken had been recycling materials that most others had thrown away; long before 'recycling' was as common a concept as it is today. Recycling afforded him the ability to purchase much needed equipment, such as a box truck and forklift.

In 1991, Ken's hard work allowed him to purchase a commercial building and the necessary equipment to transition his recycling operation out of the barn and into a suitable building. Tragically, after only three weeks of operation, a fire started in an adjacent business and completely destroyed the building. At a time when most people would have given up and moved on, Ken demonstrated his true grit and perseverance, conducting operations outside for months before finally moving back into a new building that he himself had designed. 

Once again establishing himself and his business from the ground up, Kenneth grew Metal Commodities to include metal processing and shipping both in the United States and markets overseas.

Metal commodities has established itself as the ONLY independently-owned and operated recycling facility in the town of North Kingstown, and continues to be family-owned and operated to this day.