Alter Trading Corporation is one of the country’s largest recyclers of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. They serve a broad range of clients and all types of salvage operations. With more than 120 years of experience, they’ve developed a reputation for integrity and innovation.
Alter Trading continually develops new services and capabilities to meet the changing needs of its clients and the marketplace. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Alter Trading operates approximately 80 locations, including several state-of-the-art processing facilities, throughout mid-America.
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
How to handle a growing volume of e-scrap
Few companies can match the metal recycling expertise and track record of Alter Trading.
But the firm also recognized its limitations. For example, customers increasingly need to dispose of electronic scrap, from automotive circuit boards to personal computers. The company realized that the right partner could assist with the identification and valuation of
these items. This, in turn, would help ensure that Alter Trading customers receive a prompt and fair offer for the e-scrap they want to sell.
THE SOLUTION
Forming a mutually beneficial relationship
Since 2007, Alter Trading has contracted with Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations to help manage its inflow of e-scrap. Dynamic’s services to Alter Trading include:
- Assisting with the identification and valuation of e-scrap, enabling Alter Trading to make swift, informed purchase offers to its customers
- Buying e-scrap from Alter Trading at competitive prices
- Picking up e-scrap at Alter Trading’s yards and transporting it to a Dynamic facility
- Securely, safely, and sustainably processing the materials for recovery
It should be noted that the Alter Trading-Dynamic relationship is a two-way street. In the normal course of business, Dynamic takes in substantial amounts of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, some of which is purchased by Alter Trading for processing in its facilities.
“We each have our different areas of expertise,” explains Tim Evers, Dynamic Sales Executive. “When faced with a complex situation, we put our heads together and come up with a solution that’s mutually beneficial.”
THE RELATIONSHIP
Deep knowledge and doing business ‘the right way’
Among the many advantages of its relationship with Dynamic, one stands above the rest for Alter Trading: a deep knowledge of e-scrap and its value. The company’s representatives know they can contact Dynamic about an item and get a quick response about what it is and how much they should pay for it. This has helped reinforce Alter Trading’s reputation as a convenient one-stop shop for its customers.
Tapping into Dynamic’s materials recovery expertise also means that Alter Trading can focus on its core business: metal recycling. As e-scrap grows in volume and becomes more complex, this benefit takes on even greater importance. For example, Dynamic is an important resource
for Alter Trading in its end-of-life vehicle processing, especially with the handling of increasingly diverse and sophisticated hybrid batteries.
For Alter Trading, other benefits of working with Dynamic include:
- A fair price paid to Alter Trading for e-scrap, coupled with consistently on-time payments
- Compliance with Alter’s ISO 9000/14000 environmental programs
- The flexibility and capabilities to process any volume of e-scrap, whether it’s generated by a Fortune 500 corporation or a small, independently owned local business
- Processing of e-scrap in strict compliance with all regulations, limiting Alter Trading’s liability and ensuring good environmental stewardship
- The use of Dynamic trucks for transporting e-scrap, freeing up Alter Trading’s vehicles and drivers for servicing its customers
- An open door policy — Dynamic welcomes Alter Trading to its facilities for audits or simply to observe Dynamic’s people and processes at work. “One thing we’ve heard from Alter Trading is that Dynamic does business the right way — consistent with how they’ve always conducted
their business,” says Evers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
‘Dynamic has stood the test of time’
Working with Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations has been a “real success story,” according to Alter Trading. “We have a lot of options on how to handle our e-scrap, but our relationship with Dynamic has stood the test of time. We always feel like they’re going to treat us fairly — that they’re going to operate with honesty, integrity, and openness. At the end of the day, this relationship accounts for a tremendous amount of value added to our business. We genuinely appreciate everything Dynamic does for us.”
ABOUT DYNAMIC LIFECYCLE INNOVATIONS
Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations is a full-service electronics and materials lifecycle management corporation specializing in materials recovery, IT asset disposition, data security, electronics recycling, legislative compliance, product refurbishment, remarketing and resale, mobility management, and logistics. Dynamic creates customized service packages designed to safeguard sensitive data and protect the environment from e-waste and other pollutants. The company has its headquarters in Onalaska, Wisconsin, with an additional facility in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.thinkdynamic.com.
