MEA

Metalico Inc

A full-service scrap metal recycler based in Cranford, New Jersey, Metalico buys and processes old steel, iron, aluminum, copper, and lead, then sells the recycled metal to mills and manufacturers across the Northeastern US. It also recovers platinum, palladium, and rhodium from spent catalytic converters—precious metals that get refined and reused in new emissions-control devices. Founded in 1997 by Carlos Agüero, who came from the waste industry, the company grew by snapping up smaller recyclers. Its name is a simple mash-up of "metal" and "rico" (Spanish for rich), fitting for a business that finds treasure in scrap.