In your 39-year career in the recycling industry, what have been a few of your proudest professional achievements? For starters, operating Texas Recycling for more than 30 years. Craig and I are co-owners. My daughter Hillary joined the company in 2011 and has made important contributions to its growth. My dad would be very proud of her. Our company also has a solid roster of experienced industry veterans who help drive it every day, and I’m proud to work alongside them.
Other professional highlights for me include:
■ serving as president of the Paper Stock Industries Chapter from 2012-2014. (My father also was president of PSI from 1994-1996.);
■ being a board member for ISRI national, the Gulf Coast Region, the PSI Chapter, and the Global Recycling Standards Organization (which oversees the Recycling Industry Operating Standard, or RIOS);
■ running as a candidate for the ISRI national secretary/treasurer position and getting to know many great industry leaders along the way; and
■ serving as a past president of Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas. In that post, I was able to help facilitate a relationship between that organization and the Jubilee Park Community Center, a tenured neighbor near our facility. This partnership now provides free mental health services in east and south Dallas.
Most recently, I’m proud that Texas Recycling received a Distinguished Community Award from the Dallas Police Department for our involvement and partnership with the surrounding neighborhoods and organizations.
What are a couple of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the scrap industry during your career? When I entered this business in 1984, there were few men and women under 40 in the industry and at NARI. Similar to the general business world, the industry has evolved, and more young men and women are at recycling companies large and small. There is more diversity among all levels in the workforce. There is increased emphasis on safety. There is more awareness, transparency, and sophistication about how our industry works. There are also more misconceptions about what our industry can do, can’t do, does do, and doesn’t do. This pushes the need for continued education with the public and private sectors. As new generations become adults, our industry must continue to evolve to repurpose discarded materials and do so efficiently and profitably.
What memories/experiences stand out from your attendance at previous Gulf Coast Region conventions over the years? I have always enjoyed gathering annually with industry peers at Gulf Coast conventions. I may only see those individuals once a year at the convention, but we have built relationships over the years and are eager to reconnect to ask questions, hear opinions, and share experiences. Also, as a previous scholarship chair for the Gulf Coast Region, I had the privilege of announcing the scholarship recipients and witnessing the gratitude from the students and their parents.
After 39 years in the recycling business, what keeps you interested in the industry and your job? What keeps me interested in the industry? Being directly involved in repurposing materials into other products and protecting our environment in whatever large or small way. Also, I enjoy being able to give back to the industry through ISRI and being an active member in the association.
What keeps me interested in my job? I love working each day with family members and the associates at our company. Our teams at Texas Recycling and Action Shred are made up of individuals who have been at the company for many years. It is rewarding to work with them as they and their families grow. I also continue to enjoy learning life experiences on the job. Our industry deals with commodities that have peaks and valleys, which mirror life’s changes. When you are riding a crest, you cannot get too excited because you will ultimately head downward. When you’re in a valley, you can’t get too low because you will ultimately start to climb up. That’s the balance in life.
***The Proler Award is named in memory of Israel Proler of
Proler International Corp. (Houston), who served as Gulf Coast Chapter President of the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel (an ISRI predecessor)
from 1955-1956. Among his professional achievements, “Izzie” Proler
helped develop the forerunner of today’s modern automobile shredder
along with his brothers Sam, Jackie, and Herman “Hymie” Proler.***
