Longer distances and smaller facilities mean increased reliance on uptime and service for Pacific Steel & Recycling
This 835, one of the oldest in the fleet at Pacific Recycling is in the yard at Billings Montana. Its fuel efficiency and mobility make it a valuable addition to their operation.
Great Falls, MT – With 42 locations in nine states, Pacific Steel & Recycling is as big and sprawling a company as the territory it serves. With its home in Great Falls, MT, in the heart of Big Sky Country, Pacific’s diversified operations now reach out all over the northwest from Washington through the Dakotas and as far south as Colorado.
Operating a fleet of machinery over such a vast area presents a particular challenge for Pacific’s Recycling Equipment Manager, Kelly Frantzich. “Many of our yards are located in very sparsely populated areas, a two or three hour drive from the nearest service center. Lots of our locations are operating with one machine in the yard, so productivity and reliability are paramount.”
Reliability is one of the key reasons that, since 2008, Pacific has been steadily growing its fleet of SENNEBOGEN scrap handling machines. Another reason is the accessibility and responsiveness of the area’s distributor for SENNEBOGEN, Modern Machinery.
“The team at Modern Machinery has been a big part of this [move to SENNEBOGEN],” Frantzich claims. “Anywhere we have problem, they have a technician out there. But we haven’t had many problems!”
Pacific has evolved into scrap metal recycling from its origin as a hides and fur depot 90 years ago, through its current stature as a major regional supplier of steel stock material and farm goods. Its network of metals processing yards rely extensively on Frantzich’s SENNEBOGEN fleet to feed their 23 scrap balers and the firm’s auto shredder, located in Mayfield, ID. The shredder has been kept busy with cars recovered from stockpiles all over the region. Processed material is then shipped to steel mills in the Midwest or to Washington ports for export.
Frantzich has now fielded a wide range of SENNEBOGEN models, up to an 840 R-HD feeding the shredder, but most of the green machines fall into the more compact end of the SENNEBOGEN line. “We tend to have smaller paved yards where the SENNEBOGEN 821s, 825s and our 835s work very nicely. The most typical machine for us is an 821 on tracks with a ¾ or 1‑yard 4‑tine grapple and a mushroom‑top magnet.”
Frantzich indicated that the small footprint of the 821 is ideal for conserving space in constricted yard conditions. “As well, the ability of our SENNEBOGEN tracked machines being able to lift and swing the same maximum weights through 360o further helps with operating efficiently around tight traffic lanes.” Frantzich notes that the excellent fuel efficiency of the purpose-built SENNEBOGEN machines is another boon to cost‑effective operation of his smaller yards.
“Our philosophy is to give customers a fair price and the best experience,” says Frantzich. His SENNEBOGEN machines support that philosophy by maximizing uptime and efficiency to keep material moving for customers. In smaller centers, customers may have limited choices among recyclers, but Frantzich and his staff are committed to ensuring that the service they receive is competitive with the industry’s best.
As an ESOP (employee owned) company, Pacific’s choice of production machinery is a concern for all 800 of its employees. According to Frantzich, though, the SENNEBOGEN machines have been well received. “The people in our branches say they like the ‘creature comforts’ of the SENNEBOGEN cabs, especially when they sit all day loading the balers or shredder. And they like the video rear-view cameras as a safety feature too. We all appreciate how easy it is to work with Modern Machinery – they are very flexible in meeting our needs when we’re purchasing new equipment.”