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From general contractor to recycling extraordinaire
Spring 2014
Joe Rich doesn't recall having visited a scrapyard and knew little about the recycling business other than tidbits he'd picked up on industrial jobsites as a general contractor in the construction industry. But that changed in 1996 when Rich was brought in to assist with the demolition and disposal of weigh scales and assorted building materials from a closed and dilapidated meat-packing plant located just outside the Orangeburg, South Carolina, city limits.
That same 60-acre parcel of land is today headquarters of Sunshine Recycling, the business Rich founded — somewhat by happenstance — as a result of his involvement with the packing plant site restoration project. Under his leadership, Sunshine Recycling has grown to become one of the largest and most successful recycling facilities in the United States. The company offers a full spectrum of integrated metals recovery and recycling services — everything from refrigerators to radiators — with assistance from state-of-the-art technology and equipment for reclaiming and/or reprocessing nearly every discarded appliance, construction material and motorized vehicle imaginable.
"I was brought in at the inception to help do some of the demolition work," Rich says. "The plant had been demolished and all the building materials, including metals, were being recycled. The local scrapyard here had recently closed down and this was a great site for a recycling facility. I didn't know anything about recycling metals, but sort of out of necessity, got involved early on and within the first 30 days of operation, found myself running the place."
Never one to back away from a challenge, and with an insatiable appetite for knowledge, Rich has always been eager to learn. And while the environmental recycling component was a natural for him, processing scrap iron was a whole new ballgame. So he set out on a mission to learn metal recycling by visiting mills that purchase non-ferrous metals, spending a day or two at each, working alongside those experienced in evaluating different grades of metal and how to separate and process them.
After immersing himself in research and completing visits to several scrap metal recycling facilities, Rich returned to Orangeburg and secured Sunshine Recycling's first oil-water separator. Now, nearly two decades later, and having long since achieved certification as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and an industrial storm water drain-off facility, the number of oil-water separators on the Sunshine Recycling premises has grown to 12. The recycling facility today ranks among the top of such facilities nationwide.
"Few people are aware that recycling scrap metal is a far more cost-effective solution than producing new metal," Rich says. "In fact, recycling metal is one of the largest of all industries in the world today. When we recycle scrap metal, we're essentially reusing the same materials. The process saves natural resources and is obviously good for the environment."
If not for the equipment ...
Although many consider recycling a more recent practice — initiated in large part by the environmental movement of the 1970s — people have been reusing and reprocessing all types of items for centuries. The present-day growth of recycling, however, is more closely tied to the industrial sector. As raw material costs began climbing with the growth and demands of the industrial age, manufacturers started to realize that recycled metals were actually cheaper than producing new - and just as strong. The unsung heroes, working productively, efficiently and yes, more quietly behind the scenes are the many different types of specialized equipment that, according to Rich, have made recycling the competitive industry it is today.
"Manufacturing has a big impact on how much feedstock is available," Rich says, "and with the proliferation of recycling facilities around the world, it's very difficult to be competitive. So the equipment that we use in our recycling operation not only has to be fuel-efficient, but there are also environmental implications. I want to run equipment that doesn't smoke, doesn't pollute and is environmentally friendly."
In 2012, Rich purchased a new Doosan 213-horsepower DX300LC-3 (iT4) crawler excavator from longtime equipment partner H&E Equipment, in nearby Columbia, South Carolina.
The new iT4-compliant DX300LC-3 crawler excavator has one of the newest diesel engine packages available for helping achieve non-highway emission standards — in addition to several machine performance and cabin improvements.
"I consider Doosan to be top-shelf engineering ... bringing quality equipment and parts and service together in the same package. That combination allows us to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively in our day-to-day operations. Our Doosan DX300LC-3 excavator burns less fuel with fewer emissions. And at the same time, we're assured of receiving quality service from a supportive and responsive dealer for equipment that, when there is an issue, has the resources to repair it correctly and quickly."
The Doosan DX300LC-3 joins a DX225LC crawler excavator and DL250 wheel loader in an expanding list of Doosan equipment purchased by Rich during his partnership with H&E Equipment. According to Rich, Doosan plays an important role in keeping his operation running smoothly and efficiently, and is helping Sunshine Recycling stay a step or two ahead of competitor recycling operations.
"The DX300LC excavator is actually a smaller machine than the other brand of excavator we were using, but because of superior hydraulic engineering and the overall design of Doosan equipment, we get better fuel efficiency from a lighter machine that actually does more work than what we were getting from the other brand's model," Rich says. "So we replaced the other brand and use about 20 percent less fuel."
Ergonomic cabin = operator comfort = enhanced productivity
Rich also understands the critical importance of comfort. The spacious cabin offers excellent all-around visibility, simple controls and high-performance air conditioning and heating. The reclining height- and weight-adjustable standard suspension seat has a headrest and adjustable armrests. An easy-to-read LCD display panel is situated within easy view for monitoring critical machine data and receiving machine warnings. Grab handles and offset steps with slip-resistant surfaces provide easy access to and exit from the cabin.
"The cabin size is bigger with seats that are built better than any machine we've had before," Rich says. "Doosan also put a lot of thought into redesigning the throttle control and air-conditioning system. The cabin is phenomenally quiet, and the cab design makes operator visibility so much better than other models.
"Hands down, there is no doubt cabin ergonomics makes all the difference in the world for productivity. I know this from experience because I'm not just an owner — I'm also an operator with more than 20,000 hours in the seat. You're talking to a guy who knows what it's like to sit in the cab of an excavator for 16 or more hours a day."
All this and versatility, too!
Another feature that drew Rich and Doosan together was the functionality and versatility of the equipment design. Given the many varied tasks required to operate the different facets of Sunshine Recycling efficiently, Rich needs equipment with the ability to multi-task.
"We use Doosan equipment for everything from digging up footers and foundations, knocking over buildings, cutting and processing scrap, stacking and preparing material, to unloading and loading material," Rich says. "There's no doubt, the operational capabilities of our Doosan excavators are only limited by the operator.
"Doosan has also managed to address the maintenance side of things as well," Rich says. "The intuitive design of the onboard system for servicing and maintenance shaves time off maintenance chores. The engine compartment is designed for easy access to most common service points, including the location of the oil drain plugs to position of air filter compartments. Doosan has taken into account every aspect of who's going to touch the machine ... operators, service personnel, even owners - the ones paying for it - and have done a great job making us all very happy."
