As EMR adapts to the changing requirements of its customers, its team of expert recyclers are working hard to ensure the business meets their needs.
“I initially joined EMR and its Industrial Services division in a new business role. My remit was to build relationships with local factories and manufacturers within the Yorkshire and East Midlands region.”
Says Wayne, EMR’s Sector Head for the Stockholder and Profiling Division.
While Wayne’s early experiences at EMR provided a deep understanding of the breadth of the company’s customer base, one part of the industry became ever more prominent in his work.
“During my first 2 years at EMR I found that I had an affinity for steel stockholders and this is where my focus began to shift. Over the last couple of years this focus has now widened out across the UK.”
Stockholders are a key part of the UK steel industry and an essential partner for EMR. From steel beams supplied into construction projects, to sheet steel used in the automotive sector, stockholders process, cut and mill steel to various specifications for different applications every day.
Thousands of tonnes of waste steel are generated each year, which are sold to EMR to handle, process, recycle and put back into the steel supply chain. Collaboration with this sector allows EMR to ensure that our service offering aligns with the needs of each business.
While steel stockholders form an integrated and crucial part of the supply chain, it is not a sector that EMR had specifically focused on before.
“We had never really looked at stockholders in isolation or differentiated from our Industrial supply base. We want to better understand where we can identify other opportunities to collaborate and to add further value.”
And as EMR looks to help more industries create a circular economy and utilise recycled materials, steel stockholders provide an essential source of scrap material.
“Our customers within this sector provide an important stream of scrap materials, which we can process, recycle and return to the steel supply chain. The relationships that we build with our stockholder partners allow us all to benefit.”
EMR’s focus on the stockholding industry is part of a wider process of building and maintaining partnerships across many specialised sectors.
“We are now emulating this approach across other key industry sectors; automotive, waste, construction, utilities and manufacturing and are building teams around the UK.”
Wayne is now concentrating his time on this process. “I’m excited to build a team of passionate people who are full of energy and willing to learn,” he says.
As EMR implements its ‘Decade of Action’ strategy, and takes steps towards net-zero, Wayne says he is seeing EMR’s customers embark on the same journey.
“Operating a sustainable business is a key focus for our customers – particularly for stockholders. Historically, discussions surrounding waste agreements have been commercially driven. However, with the government looking to reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 and reaching net-zero by 2050 we are now engaging differently.
“EMR’s investments in decarbonisation and its 2040 net-zero target are already creating new opportunities for the business.
“We are seeing more and more business partners; both existing and new, begin to engage with EMR on the basis of our sustainability strategy. What we are doing and how this will help our customers to create a circular supply chain is a frequent topic of discussion.”
Wayne may have been with EMR just a few years, but he says he has seen first-hand just how fast the metal recycling industry is being transformed:
“In the four and a half years that I have been with EMR, I have already seen how the industry has dramatically changed. The pandemic has brought further changes still, forcing businesses to take a step back and revaluate the way they do things. For me, it is about being able to react quickly and adapt to an ever-changing industry. The team that I am developing will provide EMR with the best opportunity to continue to grow and develop relationships with our customers. I feel we’re putting the right strategy in place for EMR’s long term success.”
Read about our sustainability commitments and our plan to be net-zero by 2040.
