One man's junk is another man's fortune

JOHN SELKIRK/Dominion Post

TIN MAN: Clark Proctor says Metal Man exports half of its recycled metal to Asia and Europe.

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Recycler Metal Man is making hay out of old car parts.

The Auckland-based company, which compresses and re-sells scrap metal, has 64 staff throughout New Zealand and an annual turnover of about $40 million.

Metal Man picked up several prizes at the recent Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards, winning the business of the year supreme award, and awards for excellence in manufacturing and exporting.

General manager Clark Proctor said the company's scrap metal came from a range of suppliers including boat builders, sheet-metal workers and automotive repair garages.

Metal Man exports about 50 per cent of its recycled metal, mainly to countries throughout Asia but also to Europe. The "top-grade furnace-ready" metal is used to make a variety of products, such as pots and pans, engine components and aluminium plates for boats.

Mr Proctor said the boom in scrap metal prices this year - they have risen by about 140 per cent - was "unbelievable", but not the windfall some might think. "I'm actually happy when prices are low. Because it doesn't promote thieving [of scrap metal], and removes those people from the fringes of the industry who are bad practitioners and rear their heads when prices are high."

Metal Man operates out of Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch.

- © Fairfax NZ News