Potomac Metals: From a single recycling facility to a thriving recycling business.
Like many ReMA member companies, Potomac Metals began with a single recycling facility and a dream.
The son of an MIT-educated metallurgist, founder Mark Zwilsky learned the recycled metals trade in Maryland, eventually
striking out on his own in 1997 to purchase his own facility in Sterling, VA. Potomac Metals grew quickly over the ensuing years, expanding its footprint across the Mid-Atlantic region to another seven locations and offering a wide range of recycling
services. Mark was joined in the business by his sons, Eric and Jeremy, and daughter, Sarah, who started at Potomac in 2018 and became president in January 2025.
Their work is especially important given Potomac’s location. Their
headquarters sits on 12 acres in Loudoun County, home to
the world’s largest concentration of data centers. Where there’s data,
there’s wire in need of upgrading and replacing, so wire recycling is at the core of Potomac’s operations. Sarah says, “We run two large wire chopping lines here at our Dulles headquarters. I always tell everyone, 80% of the world's
data runs through Loudoun County. So, as a recycler, that means nonstop wire turnover, nonstop battery turnover.”