BINGHAMTON — A $5 million renovation and upgrade project at Ben Weitsman of Binghamton will create several new jobs as it boosts production at the scrap-recycling facility.
“This multi-million dollar upgrade will bring the Binghamton yard in line with the high level of quality, service, and environmental protection that our customers and neighbors expect from Ben Weitsman,” owner Adam Weitsman said in a news release announcing the project. “This is an investment in our customers to accommodate increased customer traffic and give them the best experience possible when they come to our yard.” Weitsman was not available for additional comment.
Work will include the demolition of old buildings, construction of new ones, landscaping, and paving. Ben Weitsman will utilize temporary structures during the project so that the facility at 10 Brandywine St. remains open during construction.
(Sponsored)
Avoiding the Most Common Overtime Classification Mistakes
Are you sure your organization is prepared for an audit of your payroll practices? In this FREE one hour webinar to be held at noon on November 14, 2023, you
Avoiding the Most Common Overtime Classification Mistakes
Are you sure your organization is prepared for an audit of your payroll practices? In this FREE one hour webinar to be held at noon on November 14, 2023, you
New equipment will include new cranes, loaders, digital scales, and other capital investments to improve efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.
The company will not ask for any incentives, tax breaks, or government assistance, and will fund the project with its own cash, says Stephen Donnelly, director of marketing and public relations for the company.
Ben Weitsman will likely hire three or four new people once the project is finished, Donnelly says.
While he did not release specific figures, Donnelly says the project will increase production capacity at the Binghamton facility. “We will be able to process faster,” he says. The project will also eliminate the need for unsightly piles of scrap at the facility as the company will be able to process it faster, he adds.
Parent company Upstate Shredding–Ben Weitsman (www.upstateshredding.com) processes about 850,000 tons of ferrous and 150 million pounds of non-ferrous scrap a year and employs just under 300 people. The number of employees at each facility, which includes 11 locations in New York and Pennsylvania, varies as workers move around to meet demand, Donnelly says.
The company projects gross revenue of $600 million for 2012.
“The scrap yard in Binghamton has been around for nearly a century, and it is time to modernize the operation,” Weitsman said of the facility.
Parent company Upstate Shredding-Ben Weitsman, headquartered in Owego, was recently ranked among the top 20 largest scrap recyclers in the United States by trade publication Recycling Today.
Upstate Shredding ranked 18th on the list, which is based on the amount of ferrous scrap physically handled by a company’s facilities, and this is the first time the company has made the top 20 listing.
The firm’s competitors in the Southern Tier include Greenblott Metals Co., Inc. in Binghamton and Empire Recycling in Johnson City.
