Born Scrappy

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In today's episode, Born Scrappy host Stu Kagan and his wife and business partner Lisa join John Sacco for a candid convo about their latest recycled metals venture, Buddy.

Buddy is a relationship-led recycled materials marketplace built for scrappies, by scrappies. And it launched recently at ISRI 2024, where this episode was recorded.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Starting over in a new country
• Building a metal recycling co
• Making hard decisions
• Dealing with setbacks
• The Buddy launch
• And so much more!

If you liked this episode, you can hear more from John Sacco on Pile of Scrap wherever you get your podcasts.

YouTube - @SierraInternationalMachinery

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4zlieQqEd8AUlMe0NpteZo?si=a24ac961e9514a78

Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1473656821

To find out more about John Sacco:

https://sierraintl.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-sacco-8a8a1b10

To find out more about Buddy:

www.tradebuddy.io

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

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In today's episode, I'm joined by Jim Skipsey.

Jim is the Senior Vice President of Cormet Trading and was previously with CMC and the Commercial Director at Alpert and Alpert.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• How to find out who the legitimate players are
• The biggest bull market we’ve ever seen
• Why scrap will always find its way
• The kiss of death in this game
• Why having patience is key
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

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Join me for a fireside chat with SA Recycling’s George Adams & Sierra Recycling’s John Sacco live from ISRI 2024!

In this episode we chat about:

• Cleaning up our act 
• Why you lose $ when you stockpile 
• Our biggest challenge as an industry
• When to collaborate with competitors
• Why there will be scrap shortages in the future

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

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In today's episode, I'm joined by Jay Robinovitz.

Jay is the CEO of Alter Trading and was definitely born scrappy! He has been in the scrap business all his life and is retiring at the end of this month. His experience in the industry is second to none and he is an incredible storyteller.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Losing $5m as the ship leaves the dock
• Focusing on the little things
• Not wasting a recession
• The best equipment
• Turning inventory
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

Send us Fan Mail

In today's special sustainability masterclass, I interview Robin Wiener.

Robin is the president of ISRI and has been in the industry for 34 years, so she’s seen it all. Together with ISRI and other industry players, Robin is a driving force shaping the sustainability narrative and practices for the recycled materials industry. There's no one more equipped to have this conversation with than Robin.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Documenting sustainability
• Carbon emissions tracking
• What we can do today
• ISRI 2024 Expo
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, I am joined by Bob Stein. Bob was previously the Senior Vice President of Non-Ferrous at Alter Trading.

He was also the President of the Non-Ferrous Division at the BIR and he is a great storyteller!

In todays episode we talk about:

• How to feel better about a big loss
• Buying against the market
• Choosing who to sell to
• Taking back your time
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, I chat to Jason Glei and Brianna Gianti to get the inside scoop on ISRI 2024!

Jason is is the VP of Marketing at ISRI and Brianna is their VP of Memberships.

If you want to make the most of ISRI this year, you're not going to want to miss this!

In todays episode we talk about:

• The craziest sights at an ISRI event
• What's new at this year's expo
• What talks not to miss
• Private parties
• What to pack
• And much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, I chat to Amy Bird. Amy is the CEO at Countrywide metals and has been in the scrap game for all her life.

She’s also the founder of “Women in scrap”. This woman was Born Scrappy!!

In todays episode we talk about:

• Why customer experience is everything.
• Driving everybody mad with data.
• The Importance Of relationships.
• Getting back up again.
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I'm joined by Jawed Ahmed. Jawed is the Chairman of Al Qaryan International.

The Al Qaryan group have their physical sites in Saudi Arabia and their trading office is based in Dubai.  They are a huge player on the global scene.

In the episode, we chat about:

• Deciding on the plan and being prepared for the challenges
• How to make our industry more attractive to new recruits
• Why KYC is not just a box-ticking exercise
• Looking for the opportunities
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I'm joined by Harry Seale. Harry is the CEO at Atlas Commodities and he's a board member of both the BIR and BMRA.

Atlas Commodities was recently awarded the seventh fastest growing private company in the UK. And they’re doing well over a million tons per year.

In the episode, we chat about:

• Supercharging growth with capital partners
• Challenging the status quo
• How to win a big fish
• Paying to learn
• And so much more!

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

25 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...

I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.

I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/