In this week’s episode, I chat to Andy Golding, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at Kripke Enterprises and incoming ReMA Chair.

This one’s a proper masterclass on attracting young talent, and more importantly, what to do once you’ve got them.

Andy shares how the industry needs to rethink some of its oldest habits if we want to stay relevant. From moving away from the “everyone must start in the yard” mindset, to hiring for specialization and actually trusting people to do what they’re good at.

We also get into how Kripke has built a brand that people genuinely want to be part of — not just customers, but employees too. Because if you want better people in your business, you need to give them something worth joining.

There’s a lot in here for anyone trying to build a stronger team, keep good people, and future-proof their operation.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Moving beyond old-school hiring
👉 Marketing as a talent magnet
👉 What attracts young talent
👉 Coaching over managing
👉 Letting people fail safely
👉 Building real culture
👉 And much more!

If you’re trying to build a team, attract better people, or figure out what the next generation actually wants… This is a must-listen.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only all-in-one platform for buying, selling, and managing scrap metal.

Built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this episode, I host a live panel discussion diving deep into one of the biggest forces shaping the scrap industry right now: Tariffs, trade policy, and global market dynamics.

Joined by industry experts, the panel unpacks what’s actually happening beneath the headlines, covering recent tariff changes, shifting trade flows, and the real-world impact on recyclers, traders, and operators.

From 10% global tariffs to 50% steel and aluminum duties, and everything in between, this conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what really matters for scrappies on the ground.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 What happens when rules change overnight
👉 Why compliance is getting heavier
👉 Freight, conflict, and rising costs
👉 How traders are managing risk
👉 Who tariffs are really helping
👉 What’s coming next
👉 And much more!

If you’re buying, selling, or moving metal across borders, this is a must-listen to understand the current climate and what might be coming next.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this episode, I sit down with Amy Hinton, North American Scrap Editor at Fastmarkets. We break down one of the most misunderstood parts of our industry. How prices actually work.

If you’ve ever questioned where scrap prices come from, how they’re formed, or whether the market is being “played”… this is the episode for you.

Amy pulls back the curtain on how price reporting agencies operate. From sourcing real transaction data to filtering out noise, bias, and market positioning. We dig into the mechanics behind pricing, but more importantly, what you as a scrappy should actually be paying attention to.

We also get into what really moves the market. From geopolitics and currency to supply and demand fundamentals and the often-overlooked role of psychology and sentiment.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Market psychology vs fundamentals
👉 Transactions vs bids vs offers
👉 TBD deals and index pricing
👉 What actually moves prices
👉 How pricing agencies work
👉 The hierarchy of data
👉 And much more!

This is a masterclass in understanding the forces behind the numbers, so you can make better decisions on the ground.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this week’s episode I chat to Ryan Fogelman, Fire Protection Consultant at Fire Rover, about one of the biggest risks facing scrap yards today. Fires.

Ryan has spent the last decade helping recyclers protect their facilities from devastating fires caused by lithium-ion batteries and other hidden hazards in the recycling stream. What was once an occasional problem has rapidly become a global issue affecting yards of every size.

We break down why fires are becoming more common, what operators can realistically do to reduce the risk, and how early detection and preparedness can make the difference between a small incident and a catastrophic loss.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Layered fire protection
👉 Why fires are increasing
👉 Contamination in the feed
👉 Early detection and response
👉 Hidden batteries in electronics
👉 Pile management and yard setup
👉 And much more!

If you care about protecting your people, your yard, and your business, this episode will give you practical ways to think about prevention, detection, and response.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this week’s episode I chat with John Sacco, former President of Sierra International and former Chairman of ReMA. John has been one of the most influential voices in the recycling industry for decades, helping shape both the culture of Sierra and the broader narrative of our industry.

After recently transitioning out of the business he helped build, John reflects on what comes next and why he’s still deeply committed to pushing the recycling industry forward. From brand building to industry storytelling, this conversation is a masterclass on how recyclers can reshape the way the world sees what we do.

John shares the story behind building one of the most recognizable brands in the industry and explains why changing the narrative around recycling is more important than ever.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Tell your story with your phone
👉 Changing recycling’s narrative
👉 Social media winners & losers
👉 Community initiatives matter
👉 Consistency over perfection
👉 Your yard is content
👉 And more!

If you care about how your company is perceived by customers, your community, and the next generation, this conversation might change how you think about brand in our industry.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this episode of Born Scrappy, I sit down with Bob Alvarez, President at Shapiro Metals, for a true masterclass on the art of buying scrap into a yard.

Bob didn’t grow up in scrap, but over the past decade he’s helped shape Shapiro into one of the most sophisticated industrial recyclers in the U.S. With over 120 years of legacy behind the company, Bob shares how they’ve evolved beyond commodity buying to become a high-value service partner to manufacturers.

We unpack how to win tons without just winning on price… how to identify the right customers… and why curiosity, experimentation, and culture matter more than spreadsheets alone.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Curiosity as a sales tactic
👉 Service over commodity
👉 Protecting your margin
👉 Plan. Do. Check. Act.
👉 “Add value” thinking
👉 Honoring your word
👉 And more!

If you buy scrap direct from industry or want to start, this episode is packed with insight you can apply immediately.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this episode of Born Scrappy I sit down with Evan J. Schwartz, Chief Innovation Officer at AMCS Group, to demystify technology and understand its practical application in the scrap metal industry.

Evan has spent 35+ years across resource-intensive industries and now sits at the forefront of innovation at AMCS, operating across 80 countries. His job? Spot what’s coming next and help companies adopt it without blowing themselves up in the process.

With all the buzz around tech right now, this episode is a masterclass in cutting through the hype.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Turning data into cash
👉 Agentic automation
👉 Data over gut feel
👉 Cloud resilience
👉 Practical AI use
👉 Why ERPs fail
👉 And more!

If you’re a scrappy trying to future-proof your business, then don’t miss this one. Because over the next 10 years, the companies that use data to make better decisions will win.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Aspiring cowboy.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this episode of Born Scrappy, I sit down with Craig Weber, Vice President of Global Recycled Scrap at Metal Exchange, for a masterclass on how scrap prices are really set.

Craig has spent 30 years at Metal Exchange. He’s lived and worked in Zurich, Shanghai, and Singapore, building a global view of spreads, hedging, risk, and market structure that very few in our industry truly understand.

We break down what “spot,” “forward,” and “hedge” mean in practice. We talk about how LME and COMEX influence pricing, why volatility has changed forward contracting, and what happens when suppliers don’t understand the risk behind a hedge.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Diversifying your buyers
👉 Understanding spreads
👉 Managing contract risk
👉 Practical hedging
👉 LME vs COMEX
👉 Market volatility
👉 And more!

Whether you buy or sell, this episode will sharpen how you think about pricing and risk.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this episode of Born Scrappy, I sit down with Steve Zusman, Vice President and Co-Owner of Metro Metals, for a masterclass on navigating market consolidation in the scrap industry.

Steve brings decades of experience to the table - from growing up in a family-run yard to overseeing multiple business divisions including scrap, real estate, and garbage transfer across the Pacific Northwest.

We talk about the real forces behind consolidation, what it’s like competing with the corporates, and how private operators can still win with strategy, discipline, and heart.



In this episode, we talk about:

👉 What’s actually driving consolidation

👉 Rising insurance & compliance costs

👉 Capital pressure on smaller operators

👉 Why disciplined growth matters

👉 Preparing properly for M&A

👉 And more!

Whether you’re a one-yard hustler or a regional player, this episode will help you rethink how to survive and thrive in today’s market.



Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.



https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/



WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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.

I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I built THE killer scrap app, Buddy - built for scrappies, by scrappies.

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Kids rugby coach. YPO member. Founder. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.

COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy

In this week’s masterclass episode, I sit down with Neil Byce, Owner of CW Companies, Vice Chair of ReMA, and future Chair of the association.

Neil built one of the fastest-growing scrap companies in the U.S., with 15 yards and counting. But he’s done it the hard way, by learning what breaks when you scale fast.

This episode is a deep dive into the shift from being a hands-on owner running a good yard, to building a high-performance business that can scale, sustain, and succeed without you in the room.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Recognizing the signs you’ve outgrown your systems

👉 Scaling people before you scale problems

👉 Leadership lessons during rapid growth

👉 Why letting go is key to leveling up

👉 Moving from hustle to process

👉 And more!


If you’re a scrappy leader trying to grow your yard the right way, Neil’s insights are absolute gold.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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 11 football 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this season opener, I sit down with Steve Deacon, Chief Commercial Officer at EMR Group, for a masterclass on margin… where it’s made, where it’s lost, and how to take control of it across your operation.

Steve shares stories from his 20+ years in the industry, including starting out in a North Philly scrap yard, building and selling his own business, and ultimately taking on leadership roles across the US and now UK. We explore the art and science of margin: why it’s about much more than pricing, where it leaks away quietly, and how well-run yards build culture and systems to protect it.

If you’re looking to sharpen your commercial thinking and spot the margin killers in your business, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 The #1 place margin disappears in your yard

👉 Why “grade creep” can quietly kill your profits

👉 How to stop data overload from paralyzing your team

👉 Managing position like a trader (even if you’re a single yard)

👉 Why culture eats equipment for breakfast

👉 And more!

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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 11 football 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Nathan Workman from Pure Aluminum. We explore the future of aluminum and the lessons he’s learned from over a decade in the industry.

Nathan started his career at Kaiser Aluminum, where he worked in casting, logistics, and metals trading before making the leap to Franklin Metals and Pure Aluminum. Today, he’s helping launch Pure Aluminum’s new secondary facility, rolling out an ERP system, and using data and AI to make smarter, faster trading and operational decisions.

We dive into his journey from atmospheric science graduate, aka weather buff, to aluminum trading pro.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Lessons learned from trading and negotiations

👉 Using AI and data to drive smarter operations

👉 Culture, empowerment, and leadership

👉 Building partnerships that last

👉 And more!

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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 10 football 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chat with Michael Sciaba, General Manager of Allied Recycling Center. He’s one of the most hands-on, grounded operators in the game!

Michael’s journey started young, working in his family’s construction business before pivoting to metal recycling in his teens. By 21, he was running the day-to-day operations. Today, he leads a thriving, self-funded business known for transparency, trust, and long-term thinking.

Since taking the helm in 2010, he’s driven company growth, implemented strategic facility upgrades, and built a culture where operators and customers win together. And, yes… the man can cook! Just ask anyone who saw him dominate on John Sacco’s Table Scraps.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Turning competition into an opportunity to improve your operation

👉 Using transparency to lock in customer loyalty

👉 Using data to buy smarter and sell sharper

👉 The role of culture in keeping great people

👉 And much more!

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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 10 football 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chat to Becky Proler, President of SCR Recycling and a powerhouse in the metal recycling world.

Becky’s family is credited with inventing the "Prolerizer," the first automobile shredder, a revolutionary innovation in metal recycling. And she’s still innovating today.

We cover her decades-long journey from hand-sorting metal as a kid, to building a thriving shredding and processing operation in Houston, to pushing the boundaries of what AI can do for alloy separation.

Becky shares what it’s like being a woman in a male-dominated industry, what she’s learned about leadership and trust, and why you should never stop buying, no matter what the markets say.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Building a business that values loyalty and grit
👉 Why technology alone won’t save the industry
👉 Why “never stop buying” is rule #1 in scrap
👉 Adding value in a world of shifting alloys
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode, wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chat to Jim Keefe, Executive Vice President of GIE Media and the driving force behind Scrap Expo - one of the most operator-friendly events in the metal recycling industry.

Jim shares his 30+ year journey in the business, how he stumbled into the scrap world, and how Scrap Expo was born out of a clear need. Hands-on demos and direct connection for scrappies of all sizes.

From running a publishing house to building one of the most action-packed events in the space, Jim’s story is a testament to building with intent and solving real problems.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Why Scrap Expo attracts ops teams and CEOs alike
👉 How live demos are turning lookers into buyers
👉 Reaching recyclers outside the big associations
👉 Why 2025 is Scrap Expo’s biggest year yet
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode, wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?
26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today’s episode I chat to Ryan Weinstein, Vice President of M&M Recycling.

He’s a second-generation scrappy who literally grew up in the yard, and now oversees four locations including a shredding facility.

Ryan blends old-school hustle with modern tools, from running dispatch to rolling out new software. He’s got deep knowledge from the yard floor to the global market, and has a clear vision for the future of the industry.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 New tools in an old-school game
👉 Building a business that cares
👉 Doing what you say you’ll do
👉 Why service beats pricing
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode, wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chat with Bill Sulak, President of Ferrous Processing and Trading.

Bill’s journey into scrap wasn’t planned, but once he walked through the gates as a scale operator in a three-piece suit, he was hooked. Two decades later, he's leading one of the most respected operations in the industry.

Bill shares his views on leading from the ground up, why the best training happens in the yard, and how to build and maintain meaningful trading relationships. We dig into the importance of customer diversification, what 2008 taught him, and why adding real value is the key to long-term success.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Building talent from the ground up
👉 Avoiding risk with buyer spread
👉 Leading during market swings
👉 Tracking operating costs
👉 Planning for key exits
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode, wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy.

Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Sarah Swilsky, President at Potomac Metals, and Sam Padnos, Trader at PADNOS.

Two different paths. Two different companies. One honest conversation.

Sarah and Sam reflect on growing up in the industry, stepping into leadership, and what it means to shape a business that reflects your values. If you're building something that lasts, this one's for you.

We talk about:

👉 Strategy beyond spreadsheets
👉 Family dynamics in scrap
👉 Leading with intention
👉 Culture as a choice
👉 Letting go to grow
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?  

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chat with Vishal Jatia, Owner of Greenland Inc., and Aldo Jordan, President of The Metals Agency.

These two industry veterans have traded through the wildest of market swings—and they’re here to talk about the strategies that help scrappies not just survive but thrive in volatile conditions.

We dive into:

👉 Navigating global logistics disruptions
👉 Adapting to shifting Chinese tariffs
👉 Strategic pivots when exports collapse
👉 Why relationships and real-time info matter
👉 The risk of putting material on water
👉 Domestic vs export playbooks
👉 And much more!

Whether you’re moving 10 containers a month or just starting to think globally, this episode is a crash course in how to keep your edge in uncertain times.

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

 https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode I chat to Andrew Lincoln, VP/GM at Lincoln Recycling and Recycled Materials Associtaion (ReMA) Director-At-Large. He’s a third-gen recycler and together with his brother Jeremy, they have continued to grow the core business while expanding into brokerage and remote interior demolition services across the US.

Andrew is also a reality-TV sensation, featuring in both seasons of John Sacco’s acclaimed Table Scraps. While some would argue that the International Team was robbed in season 2, Andrew’s Team OG did take home the trophy.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Having a fail fast philosophy

👉 ⁠Capturing relationship data

👉 ⁠⁠Why small gestures matter

👉 ⁠Weight estimation pitfalls

👉 ⁠And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode I chat to Eds Harding, 3rd generation and Vice President of Operations at Harding Metals. Eds went straight from college into the family business and has never looked back. Not only is he the ReMA New England Chapter President, but he was recently named ReMA’s Young Executive of the Year - congrats Eds!

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 When no deal is your best deal

👉 Sweating your software

👉 Customer diversity

👉 Unsung hero’s

👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode I chat to Jessica Alexanderson, known to many in the industry as “Scuba Jess”. Jess started out in shipping with Evergreen, where she was responsible for helping scrappies ship their recycled metal around the world. In her free time, Jess cleans up the ocean on her diving expeditions.

Jess has always been passionate about the environment and when the opportunity presented itself, she transitioned into educating the net generation of recyclers. She partnered with Brad Rudover of Detroit Scrap and educator Shaziya Manji Jaffer to publish their first kids book, The Girl Who Recycled A Million Cans.

They have since published a second book, A Recycling Adventure To The Scrapyard, and are about to publish their third kids book on recycling, Recycled Lava.

Just this week Jess launched an NGO, The Recycling Society, to help students learn how recycling works, raise funds for their schools, and take real action to create lasting impact in their schools and communities.

Jess’ mission is one that every single scrappy can get behind, and if you don’t know about all the great work she is already doing, I hope that after listening to this episode that you buy in hook, line and sinker!

If you ever see Jess at an industry event, you absolutely have to meet her in person. She is a ray of sunshine and brings exactly the energy and enthusiasm we need to inspire the next generation!

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Teaching the next generation

👉 The 2 million cans contest

👉 ⁠heavy metal elementary

👉 ⁠The recycling society

👉 ⁠Recycled Lava

👉 ⁠And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode I chat to Tyler Adams, COO of SA Recycling. Tyler was born scrappy and has emerged into one of the most forward-thinking leaders in our industry today. He started boots on the ground, degree in hand, and was given permission to fail. The way he thinks about leadership, culture, finance, and operations is steeped in intergenerational wisdom, deep personal experience, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Building in diversity and optionality

👉 Understanding your margins

👉 Where data meets gut feel

👉 Believing in your team

👉 Uncovering talent

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week’s episode, I chatted to Brian Shine (CEO at Manitoba Corporation), Sam Desai (VP at RM Metals) and international trade attorney Camelia Mazard (Partner at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard).

This episode was recorded at the recent ReMA Joint New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic, & New York Chapter Atlantic City Meeting. It was my first time attending their chapter event, and it definitely won’t be the last time! I’ve added it to my list of must-attend annual events and if you’re doing business or looking to break in to the region, then so should you.

The panelists shared their experiences, challenges, and the strategic adaptations needed to navigate the unpredictable trade landscape we currently find ourselves in.

In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Importance of incoterms

👉 Free trade vs fair trade

👉 The case for lobbying

👉 Taking the loss

👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

27 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Atilla Widnell, Founder & Managing Director of Navigate Commodities.

Navigate Commodities monitors commodity supply chains in real time through the use of satellites. They monitor production at steel mills and analyse metal flow in specific regions.

We discuss the latest developments in the steel industry, particularly focusing on China's recent National People's Congress and its implications on global steel markets. This episode is a deep dive into understanding the major forces shaping the global steel industry and what to expect in the coming months.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Chinese capacity cuts

👉 Structural reforms

👉 Global steel market complexity

👉 The situation in turkey

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Dr. Salam Sharif, the Chairman of Sharif Metals Group, one of the largest scrap metal exporters in the Middle East. Dr. Sharif is the former Chairman of BIR, the Founding President of the BIR, and the Director of Advocacy for the Dubai Recycling Business Group at the Dubai Chambers.

He's a civil and metallurgical engineer, with an executive MBA and a doctorate degree in Engineering and Economy. There are few people in this industry as experienced, educated and accomplished as Dr Al Sharif.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Getting your hands dirty

👉 Competing strategically

👉 Acting early in a crisis

👉 Creative partnerships

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Brian Shine, CEO of Manitoba Corporation, Chairman of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) and a former Chairman of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).

With all the turbulence around tariffs, this is a point in time conversation where we explore how the latest US and retaliatory tariffs are impacting metal recyclers and consumers across the US, Canada and Mexico, and how they may be impacted in the long term if this is the new status quo.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 The long terms impacts

👉 Supply chain resilience

👉 Consumer capacity

👉 Trade associations

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Andy Cohen, Vice President of Raw Material Purchasing and Sales at Metal Conversions. More importantly for this episode, Andy is Event Chair for REMA's The Show 2025 taking place this May in San Diego.

Andy has been in the scrap metal industry for nearly two decades and has attended countless ReMA events and held various different roles as part of ReMA. He’s introducing whole lot of new things to this year’s event and is looking to break all the records!

Whether you’re a regular at the annual event, or you’re thinking about going for the first time - this episode is for you!

In today's episode, we talk about: 

👉 What to expect at The Show 
👉 VIP tickets and after parties 
👉 The Safety First Plaza
👉 Keynote speakers
👉 And much more! 

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Amy Hinton, North American Scrap Editor for Fastmarkets.

She has her finger on the pulse when it comes to price reporting and has become a familiar face in the industry.

Amy has a background in both financial services and journalism, and holds a Masters degree from University of Bath.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 The impact of new tariffs

👉 The winners and losers

👉 Domestic mill capacity

👉 New trading lanes

👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?

26 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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode I chat to Zohra Shroff, Director of Operations at Sealink International.

Zohra has been in the freight game for 20 years and let's just say she knows a thing or two!

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  Strategies to reduce shipping costs  
👉 Freight forwarders vs going direct 
👉 Common shipping mistakes
👉 Freight outlook for 2025
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Jonathan Ross, Vice President at John Ross & Sons, a large metal recycler in Eastern Canada. The company has 14 yards, including a large auto shredding operation, and a very impressive cable granulation plant. 

Jonathan is a fourth generation metal recycler, and by the sounds of it, there'll be a lot more generations running this company in the future.  

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 When markets crash
👉 Capital purchases
👉 Going direct
👉 Buying right
👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Adam Schaffer, AVP of International Trade and Global Affairs at the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).

He has over 15 years of experience in trade policy, government relations, and international affairs, with a focus on the metal and recycling industries, including as Director of Trade and Economic Policy at the American Iron and Steel Institute.

He has a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University and a BA in International Studies.

Who better to walk us through the potential impacts of the new US administration's policies on the recycling industry?!

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 International environmental treaties
👉 Supply chain resilience
👉 Export restrictions
👉 Retaliatory tariffs
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this episode, I chat to Kristen Hildreth, AVP of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships at ReMA.

Drawing on her extensive policy expertise from the National Conference of State Legislatures, Kristen provides a front-row perspective on the expected impact of the newly elected Trump administration on the metal recycling industry. 

This is a two-part series, with the focus of this week's episode on how these changes could affect the US domestic market. 

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Possible funding rescissions
👉 Anticipated policy changes
👉 Likely regulatory rollbacks
👉 New trade regulations
👉 And so much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I chat with Dave Klein, Senior Vice President of Nonferrous Marketing and Trading at Alter Trading, one of the largest privately owned metal recyclers in the US with over 75 locations across the country.

He has spent the better part of three decades in the metal recycling industry, and has years of hard-won wisdom from his experience.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Buying against today's price
👉 Learning from your failures
👉 Honoring your contracts
👉 Taking it slowly
👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's maintenance masterclass, I chat with Justin Trentadue.

Justin is Vice President of Operations at Coastal Waste and Recycling in Florida, but more related to this special episode, he's also the founder of Uptime PM, an innovative tech solution for vehicle and plant maintenance management.

Justin is a problem solver and is currently solving a problem he has experienced first hand as a scrappy.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Flaws in the current maintenance reporting process
👉 Having a middle person handling the noise
👉 When red flags fall on deaf ears
👉 The value of data
👉 And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.
https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I chat with Abhijay Goenka. He is the Vice President of Steelbro International, the Co-Chair of ReMA's Young Executives Council and is on the Young Traders Committee at the BIR.

Abhijay has an MBA from Wharton and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting from NYU Stern. He is the perfect example of the very impressive next generation coming into the industry!

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  Why brokers are investment bankers
👉  Understanding both sides of a trade
👉  Collaborating with competitors
👉  Thinking long term
👉  And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I chat with Andy Golding. He is the friendliest face at every conference you'll attend, and he also knows a thing or two about metal recycling!

He was the VP of Sales and Marketing at Kripke Enterprises for 16 years, and is now their Chief Strategy Officer. He's also the incoming chairman of ReMA.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  What forges relationships
👉  Humour in marketing
👉  Texting is for friends
👉  Assessing the vibe
👉  And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.
Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In this week's episode, I chat with Marc Schupan, the CEO of Schupan & Sons. The business was started in 1968 and it has remained a family business all this time and now employs over 600  people.

Marc has spent 50 years in the metal recycling industry and has been recognised in the industry and beyond for his extraordinary achievements. He was shortlisted as a national finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in 2022 and he won the prestigious Harbour Aluminum Gene Greenberg Award for the world’s top aluminum executive in 2023.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  Timeless lessons passed down
👉  The need to insure and hedge
👉  Making a difference
👉  Leading with ethics
👉  And much more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

Born Scrappy x Mike’s Mic.

Live from Scrap Expo 2024.

With special guest Seth Alter.

In this special episode, which was recorded live at Scrap Expo, we bring you the first ever collaboration between Born Scrappy and Mike's Mic.

Michael Goldstein and I got to talk about all things metal recycling. We also had the pleasure of being joined on the stage for some of the show by our good friend, Seth Alter.

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  What makes for a well-run yard
👉  Creating a safety-first culture
👉  Internal communication
👉  Retaining talent
👉  And more

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I'm joined by Nidhi Turakhia. Nidhi is the CEO and Partner at Allied Alloys and the Vice President at Titan Metals Corporation.

She has an MBA, a double bachelor's degree in Economics and Spanish, a real estate certificate,  and a yoga teaching certificate. There's not much Nidhi can't do!  

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉  Why blending is like baking a cake
👉  Data-driven decision making
👉  Relationships
👉  Being agile
👉  And more

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I'm joined by Joel Fogel, Executive Vice President at Cohen Recycling.

Cohen has been around for more than 100 years and is a fourth generation metal recycling business. Although Joel wasn't there from when it started in 1924, he's been there for almost a third of its time and was definitely born scrappy!

In today's episode, we talk about:

👉 Operations vs commercial
👉 Internal collaboration
👉 Being afraid of tech
👉 The art of pivoting
👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.
Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.
https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Sandy Brooks.

Sandy is Vice President of Finance at SA Recycling, the largest privately owned metal recycler in the US.

Sandy has been an integral part of SA's growth, from 17 to over 140 recycling facilities.

Sandy started her career at Ernst Young, was CFO of four companies, had her own accounting and tax practice, and wrote a tax guide.

She's currently chair of ReMA's Audit Committee, sits on the ReMA National Board, and is President of its West Coast chapter.

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 Cleaning up your asset list
👉 Factoring tax into a sale
👉 The right time to sell
👉 Staging for a sale
👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Cliff Nance.

Owner and CEO of Tungco Inc. Companies. Not only is Tungco Inc a global leader in the tungsten recycling industry. They have a world-class culture and are customer-obsessed.

It's no secret that Cliff likes to work hard and play hard. He even has his own gastropub, The Crowded House 🍻 And he plays the guitar and drums too!

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 Creating a team culture
👉 Building competitors
👉 Mastering your craft
👉 Just saying yes
👉 Cybersecurity
👉 And more!

Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Beatriz Landa.

As the VP of Metal Procurement and Recycling for Novelis North America, she holds one of the most influential roles in recycled aluminium.

Not only is she a big player in our industry, she also has an MBA and played professional soccer. She's an all round overachiever!

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 Planned growth & opportunities
👉 New sources of revenue
👉 Partnering for success
👉 Scrap Champions
👉 Landfill mining
👉 And more

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by David Dodds.

David is the owner operator and CEO at Sackers. Sackers is a UK based metal recycler operating a shredder as well as a copper granulation plant.

He was born scrappy and has decades of experience under his belt.

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 Making money on the buy
👉 Avoiding the blame game
👉 When pricing matters
👉 Modelling for capex
👉 And much more

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/


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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

Hi! I'm Stu Kagan, welcome to Born Scrappy.

My goal is to spark more industry collaboration through sharing the experiences and learnings of industry greats through my podcast.

So if you are a scrap metal exporter and you're ready to up your game by standing on the shoulders of giants - this one's for you!

SEASON 2 | EPISODE 19
FEATURING GUEST ALDO JORDAN

In today's episode, I’m joined by Aldo Jordan.

Aldo is President at The Metals Agency and has spent 20 years in the industry, from commercial purchasing and commercial sales to operations and international logistics.

For 12 years, he worked for metal recycling giant Schnitzer Steel in various executive management positions, most recently as Director of Non-Ferrous Sales.

Not only is Aldo highly experienced in global B2B metal recycling commodity trading, he also holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago.

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 Understanding your material quality
👉 Having a personal board of advisors
👉 Giving your buyer a heads up
👉 Making money on the buy
👉 Credit insurance
👉 And much more

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Tim Ridderbos.

Tim is the GM of Circular by Shapiro, and was previously the Director of National Accounts for there. So he definitely knows how to look after our recycling customers!

He's learned how to make a customer a client for life by adding huge value through sustainability reporting, and he gives us some great tips we can implement immediately.

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 Where to begin with sustainability
👉 Why it won’t happen on zoom
👉 Looking beyond commodities
👉 Educating your customers
👉 Navigating the wild west
👉 And so much more!

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Garrett Tracey.

Garrett is the former Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer at Sims Brothers Recycling, and has recently gone on his own and started Recycling Revenue Partners.

Garrett is a super knowledgeable guy and there is heaps to be learned from his years of experience.

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 The truth about tech vs relationships

👉 Making your money on the buy

👉 Why your buyers should visit

👉 Turning your inventory

👉 Being consistent

👉 And much more

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.

The only marketplace built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Pablo Colucci.

Pablo is the Founder and Managing Director of US-based brokerage firm Compass Metal Trading.

Pablo started out young, scrappy and hungry. He said "yes" to all the opportunities that came his way. And he transitioned from ops to trading, from employment to ownership.

His story inspired me, and I think you might find that too.

In today’s episode we talk about:

👉 The truth about tech vs relationships
👉 Making your money on the buy
👉 Why your buyers should visit
👉 Turning your inventory
👉 Being consistent
👉 And much more

Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace built for scrappies, by scrappies.

https://www.tradebuddy.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/

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/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Vishal Jatia.

Vishal is the owner of Greenland, a third generation family-owned trading company.

Vishal is one of the most recognisable figures at every conference and seems to be buying from every metal recycler in the world. You'll never hear a bad thing about him, And for good reason. He's a great guy and a pleasure to do business with.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Changing industry perceptions
• Navigating regulatory change
• The power of a handshake
• Knowing your consumers
• The 3 Cs of partnership
• 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/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Sean Daoud.

Sean started out as a scale operator and has worked his way up through the ranks to become the Vice President, Treasurer, Director and Shareholder at PNW Metal Recycling.

Last year he was awarded the ISRI (ReMA) Young Executive of the Year and he was recently elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of ReMA - congrats Sean!

He has over 15 years of industry experience, an MBA in Finance, and is an all-round great guy.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Combining data and gut feel
• Being boots on the ground
• Managing key person risk
• Leading by example
• Financing growth
• 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/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Atilla Widnell.

Attila is the Founder and Managing Director at Navigate Commodities.

Navigate Commodities monitors commodity supply chains in real time through the use of satellites. This means they know what size stockpiles are in any yard at any time.

They can monitor production at steel mills, analyse metal flow in specific regions, and so much more.

In the show, we talk about why this info is helpful, how to stay ahead of the curve, how to use this info to make better decisions. Is this even legal? And so much more.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Using data to drive decision-making
• Embracing technological change
• Why satelite data is so powerful
• Staying ahead of the curve
• If this data is legal
• 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/

In today's episode, I’m joined by Osama Nadeem.

Osama is the Director of Ferrous at Better Deals, a large broker in Pakistan. Better Deals are a very well respected agent, and I personally have dealt with Osama for almost 15 years.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• Doing what it takes to ship on time
• Optimising your trading strategy
• Why greed is dangerous
• Why we offer firm
• 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/

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/

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/

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?

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

In this episode, I chat to George Adams. George is the CEO of SA Recycling and has been the driving force behind its incredible growth over the past 40 years, growing it from $10m to around $4b in annual revenue.

SA Recycling is currently the largest scrap metal recycling business in the US, processing over 5 million tons of recycled metal every year with about 3,100 employees across 140 locations in 16 states.

In this episode we chat about:

• A day in the life of George Adams
• Buying the right equipment
• Incentives & Bonuses
• Inventory control
• 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.

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/

MAKE BETTER TRADES WITH LESS EFFORT

Visit www.tradebuddy.io to find out how...

Hi! I'm Stu Kagan, welcome to Born Scrappy.

My goal is to spark more industry collaboration through sharing the experiences and learnings of industry greats through my podcast.

So if you are a scrap metal exporter and you're ready to up your game by standing on the shoulders of giants - this one's for you!

SEASON 1 / EPISODE 22

FEATURING “GUEST” STU KAGAN

In this episode, you'll find me on the other side of the microphone.  The person doing the interviewing and asking the questions will be my amazing wife and business partner, Lisa. So you'll get to meet her for the first time.

In the episode, we chat about: 

·         What to look out for when dealing with a new buyer

·         Being firm but fair when trading

·         When in doubt, get on a plane

·         Having a bold vision

·         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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Michael Goldstein. Michael is the VP of Operations at Alter Trading and is destined to one day run this huge family metal recycling business. 

Mike has also become my best online mate that I've never met. So I expect this will be quite fun! 

In the episode, we chat about: 

·         Why keeping your word is so important. 

·         Buying and selling in the same market 

·         The book you need to buy right now 

·         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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Dawhal Shah. Dawhal runs Metco Ventures and is the previous President of the Non-Ferrous Board of the BIR. 

In the episode, we chat about: 

·        How to get better prices with less volume than your competitors

·        Losing a large deposit…and getting it back

·        How a crisis helped form the MRAI

·        Expected growth in India 

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Sebastien Perron. Sebastian is the Vice President of Recycling Procurement at Wieland and has been involved in trading at Sims, Alpert and Alpert, and American Iron and Metals.

In the episode, we chat about: 

·        Why following your gut can create the best opportunities

·        Working at the biggest companies in the industry

·        The difficulties of post-acquisition integration

·        How persistence can get you what you want

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Anshul Gupta. Anshul owns and runs PGI, a leading ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling and waste management company in the UAE.

PGI is both a processor and a global trader of recycled metal, with operations across the Middle East, Far East, South East, Europe, UK and Africa. 

In this episode we chat about:

·        Training your traders

·        Collaborating with competitors

·        Making sure there’s always an exit clause

·        Making the decision to expand during tough times

·        Working with your buyers to get preferential pricing

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

KEYWORDS:

scrap metal, metal recycling, born scrappy, stu kagan, anshul gupta, PGI, PGI Group, scrap metal trading, BIR, ISRI 

In this episode, I'm joined by Zhenbin Han. Zhen is purchasing manager at renowned Chinese copper processor Jintian. 

Zhen got his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in China and his MBA in Germany, where he's lived for over 10 years now.  

In this episode we chat about:

·        Whether buyers prefer formula or spot pricing

·        Adapting to new rules and regulations

·        Dealing with buyers in a new market

·        Why quality consistency 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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Siddarth Parolia. Sid has 20 years’ experience in the industry. He has helped shape and grow the intergenerational Nihon Ispat, a prolific Indian non-ferrous brokerage.

In this episode we chat about:

·        Being picky with your counterparties

·        Keeping your eyes and ears open

·        Optimising your trading strategy

·        The limitations of tech

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Natalia Zholud. Natalia is in charge of global trading at the TRM Group, a non-ferrous trading company which has had some incredible growth over the past few years. Natalia also represents Eastern Europe on the Non-Ferrous Board of the BIR.  

In this episode we chat about:

·        What to do when your buyer stops receiving material from the country you're buying from 

·        Why you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help

·        Metal marketplaces in the future

·        Independent mediation

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Elinor Feuer. Elinor is the Founder of Chilanga, a non-ferrous and dirty precious metals trading company. 

Elinor sits on the non ferrous board at BIR and currently heads up the Swedish Association for Scrap Metal. 

In this episode we chat about:

•How to reduce risk so you can sleep at night
•What it's like to have started in 2008
•What it takes to go on your own
•Why you need to have grit
•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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this masterclass, I'm joined by John Sacco. John was the first real content creator in our industry and is a massive advocate for recycled materials.

John grew up in the recycling world and is currently the owner of Sierra International. Over the past few years, while hosting the podcast A Pile of Scrap, as well as creating the docuseries Repurposed, John has become the face of our industry.

In this episode we chat about:

·        How he became the most prolific advocate and lobbyist for recycled materials

·        Three things we can start doing today to help our industry

·        The things we should stop doing immediately

·        Why it's important to post on social media

·        What it means to be an advocate

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Chris Greenfield. Chris is the Vice President at American ingot maker, The Federal Metal Company. While Chris wasn’t born scrappy, you wouldn’t think that’s the case.

In this episode we chat about:

• Why your competitors aren't your enemy
• How to find out if a buyer is trustworthy
• The characteristics of a top supplier
• When a "no" isn't really a "no"
• Staying stoic 
• 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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I'm joined by Rick Dobkin. Rick is the chief commercial officer at Shapiro Metals and has been in the metal recycling industry for about 35 years now.

In this episode we chat about:

·        How he got out of a bind when they couldn't sell their stock

·        The need to always develop new partners

·        Why listening is a key skill when trading 

·        Getting through the tough times 

·        Not becoming complacent

·        Being purpose-driven

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this Masterclass, we focus on marketing for metal recyclers with Jen Betts. Jen has taken the industry by storm over the last few years, and you can see her on stage at most events you go to. 

You may also know Jen as host of the metal recycling podcast, Betts on the Future. Her experience in metals and her passion for marketing are a great combination for our industry, and I always have a great time chatting to her.

In this episode we chat about:

·        Why social media marketing is like eating your vegetables

·        Marketing to attract your next great hire

·        Top 3 marketing tips for metal recyclers

·        Marketing on the global stage

·        How to take on the big guys

·        Educating the masses

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I chat to Autumn Barnes. Autumn has been trading metal for almost 25 years now and spent 20 of them at Sims.

As the Director of North American Containerized Ferrous Trading, she currently holds the role of Vice President of Trade at the United Metal Solutions Group. 

In this episode we chat about:

• Mentorship 
• Surprise shipments
• Picking up the phone
• Honouring your agreements
• Collaborating with competitors
• 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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I chat to Matt Kripke. Matt has been the owner and operator of the metal recycling company Kripke Enterprises for almost 30 years now.

Not only does Kripke Enterprises run their own metal recycling facilities, they also have a coil sales division in Tennessee, as well as a trading office based out of Florida.

In this episode we chat about:

•Why a lose-lose can be a win in the long run
•Bringing solutions instead of problems
•Conferences and collaboration
•The case for using a broker
•The power of a heads up
•Firing your customers
•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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/

In this episode, I chat to Michael Pawlowski.

Michael is Founder and Chairman of the Oryx Stainless Group.

Oryx has been trading for over 25 years and they are currently one of the largest buyers of stainless in the world.

In this episode we chat about:

·        How to sell when the markets are down

·        How to become a better trader 

·        Being careful who you choose

·        Why trading is like marriage

·        Knowing your counterparty

·        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.

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). 

Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 8 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/