A Family Business
While Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling has been around for just over two decades, the Weitsman family has been part of the metal industry for 80 years. Adam’s grandfather, Ben, founded Ben Weitsman & Son, Inc in 1938. Originally, the company was an auto parts business with a small scrapyard that has been passed from father to son over the decades.
Adam came up with the idea for Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling in 1996, and six months later purchased 17 acres to build his own plant in Owego, New York. Since its opening, Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling has become an industry leader, establishing new standards in the field and winning international awards for its success.
Adam renamed the company Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling, after acquiring his family’s business in 2005. He continued acquiring other metal scrapping companies to make Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling into one of the largest scrap metal processors in the country. Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling now operates in 15 locations throughout New York and Pennsylvania, adding new jobs to several regions.
Adam is currently expanding his Port of Albany plant by adding a scrap metal shredder to the site that will allow the location to process up to 800 tons of scrap metal each day. He has also begun a $5 million renovation at his Syracuse yard, and opened a heavy media plant in Owego. A micro fines plant, which removes precious metal from shredder auto fluff and allows it to be reused, will also be fully operational later this year.
Deemed a leader in the scrap metal and recycling field, Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling won the Industry Leadership Award in Scrap and Recycling from S&P Global Platts at their Global Metals Awards in 2014 and 2016. It was also named Scrap Company of the Year (large company category) by American Metal Market in 2015 and 2016.
Dedication to the Environment
Adam is devoted to making Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling environmentally friendly. The company is in constant contact with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the US Environmental Protection Agency to improve their environmental safety measures.
The Owego plant is home to one of the most advanced non-ferrous separation systems in the world, and the majority of processing operations are performed indoors to reduce environmental impact. Additionally, the shredder at the Owego facility uses dissipating foam rather than water to separate the materials from shredded cars. The foam separates the materials from scrapped cars while also suppressing dust and reducing the risk of fires in the plant.
A Passion For Art
While known for his scrap metal business, Adam also has a passion for art and is an avid collector. After graduating from Owego Free Academy in 1986, Adam moved to New York City to pursue his passion. In his youth, Adam began collecting early American stoneware and over time amassed a collection worth millions of dollars. In 1998 he began donating pieces from his collection to the New York State Museum in Albany, eventually donating the entire collection worth $10 million to the Museum. During his time in New York City, Adam took art and business classes at Long Island University and New York University. He also worked at the Hirschl and Adler Gallery in Manhattan and opened a folk-art gallery on Bleeker Street. He recently enrolled at Harvard University for continuing education classes in business.
A Community Man
Having never forgotten his roots, Adam does his best to support his local community by donating to charities in the area and helping others when he can, philanthropically giving millions of dollars over the years. One of his top projects was restoring The Krebs restaurant, a local establishment that has been in business for over a century. Now up and running, Adam donates all the restaurant’s net profits to local women and children charities in Central New York. Adam currently resides on Skaneateles Lake with his wife, Kim and their three children.
Adam is also a proud supporter of the Boys & Girls Club, an organization that remains close to his heart after his grandfather started the Tioga County Boys & Girls Club. Most recently, Adam gave $175,000 to local chapters of the organization after promising to make the donation if the Syracuse basketball team pulled off a historic Duke upset. Adam, a close friend of Syracuse’s Coach Boeheim, is one of the team’s biggest fans and never misses a game.
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