New 25-acre paved facility will call for upsized green machines for increased throughput of processed metals

One of the 825s works the pile.

Salt Lake City, UT – With the opening of one of the largest scrap processing facilities in the western states, Metro Group will be looking to its trusted long-time partners to support its higher demand for material handling volume.

Metro Group, a fifth generation metals recycling and transportation firm, recently opened the doors to its largest facility in Salt Lake City. With six additional collection and transloading centers serving the region, Metro Group operates a large fleet of purpose-built SENNEBOGEN material handlers. But according to Metro’s Vice President of Operations, Dan Floyd, the demands of his new site will call for a step up in equipment.

“We were SENNEBOGEN’s first customer west of the Mississippi,” Floyd reports. “We knew their distributor, Rasmussen Equipment, and the first machine that they supplied for us worked very well, with increased production and easier servicing by our technicians.”

More weight, more reach

Since that first trial with SENNEBOGEN in 2004, Metro has standardized on the 825 M green machine. It is a 64,000 lb. rubber-tired machine which Rasmussen equips with 4-tine grapples and 58” lifting magnets.

(From L to R:) Don Harrison, Rasmussen Equipment, Mark Bond, Metro Group, Dan Floyd, Metro Group, Randy Gallegos, Rasmussen Equipment

The same, only bigger!

“There’s a great deal of commonality in the design of the SENNEBOGEN green machines,” Harrison explains. “They use the same parts, the same service procedures and the operator cabs are identical.”

Consistent service procedures are a valued factor for Metro Group, as the company’s machines are generally serviced by its own team of technicians. Several Metro mechanics travelled to the SENNEBOGEN training facility in Stanley, NC, for hands-on instruction in machine diagnostics and troubleshooting, and the company expects that more recent members to the team will also be signed up for the courses.

The president of Metro Group, Mark Bond, especially appreciates the support provided by Rasmussen and SENNEBOGEN to minimize equipment downtime. “A lot of OEMs don’t want to show anybody else how to service their machines,” he observed. “But Rasmussen and SENNEBOGEN have been very open about helping our technicians. It’s been a big advantage for us to be able to work on our own machines.”

Simplicity equals uptime

Dan Floyd agrees that serviceability is a key benefit of SENNEBOGEN engineering. “Anymore, it seems like equipment is getting so technical, it’s hard for a traditional diesel mechanic to fix it.”

From his vantage point, the operator has a clear view of the side of the bin.

SENNEBOGEN designs their equipment to be simpler to diagnose and avoids computers, but they are advanced when they need to be. “Our operators are very pleased with the comfort and control they have in their 825s. Our older operators often commented on features like the rising cab and stability when we got our first units.

The Metro Group equipment operators will be spending plenty of time in their green machines as the firm continues to build on its growth strategy. The new rail-serviced facility provides 77,000 sq. ft. under roof, primarily intended for warehousing processed metals and for storing dimensional goods from Metro Group’s transloading business. Along with their own smaller recycling yards, the Bond family has purchased other recycling businesses in the area to expand its network of collection sites. Mark Bond notes that, in addition to Metro’s connections with larger metal businesses in the region, his company has always had strong relationships with local drop-off customers, which the smaller sites will help to maintain.

Originating in Logan, UT, in the early 1900s, Metro Group has evolved continuously to become an industry leader in the region. Building on strong family values and a core of long-term employees like Dan Floyd, the firm is poised to enter a new stage of growth and strength for its 100 employees in Utah and Nevada.

“Rasmussen Equipment is very proud to be an integral part of their team,” says Don Harrison. “As Metro Group’s needs change, we have no doubt that our SENNEBOGEN machines will be ready to keep their plans moving forward.”