ISRI’s Next President

Consumer--and, Yes, Processor--David Serls  

Accepting the baton from Richard Abrams, David Serls, ISRI’s current second-in-command, is about to become the association’s second full-term president. This head of a consuming plant and a processing operation has a packed agenda to address over his next two years in office.

In today's legislation-and-regulation-ridden scrap industry environment, the man who married into the scrap business and changed his career plans may wish he'd pursued a degree from the law school at which he was accepted. But 33 years after graduating with a bachelor’s of science in business administration from Muhlenberg College and joining Colonial Metals Co., in Columbia, Pennsylvania, Serls says he has no regrets about getting ahead by marrying the boss's daughter (Marilyn).

Serls subsequently bought the business and became president and chief executive officer. In 1981 he purchased L. Lavetan and Sons, Inc., in York, Pennsylvania. Colonial operations are dedicated to copper-base alloy scrap consumption and brass and bronze ingot making, while operations at L. Lavetan are devoted to ferrous and nonferrous processing. The wearer of both hats, Serls, now first vice president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and becoming president March 13, is well-suited to represent both the processors and the consumers who are members of the association. While he serves as ISRI president, Serls will also be working on the Recycling Advisory Council, to which he was recently appointed. The council, which is comprised of 13 voting members, was created to provide the nation with recommendations on recycling issues. The Recycling Advisory Council was formed by the National Recycling Coalition under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Serls, who served as vice president of one of ReMA's predecessor organizations, the National Association of Recycling Industries, says that top on his ReMA presidential agenda will be focusing on the environment-related problems facing members.

"The problems that I'm most concerned with are the unknowns," he says, "the kinds of things where the rules have changed. We have to worry about handling and processing certain materials now, while in the past, when handling these materials we were in compliance."

Serls mentions shredder operators as a particularly hard-hit group he wants to focus on during his term as president. "The association needs to help solve their problems to keep the shredding of automobiles and appliances in the recycling chain."

An additional agenda item he mentions is storm water runoff. This issue, he says, is just one of many he wants ReMA to continue to address at the federal level.

In addition to retaining attention toward federal issues, Serls wants the association to increase its attention to those at the state and local levels. One important state and local issue he mentions is the image of the scrap industry. A key to improving that image is involvement in community affairs. Serls is quite active in his community with the York Council of Jewish Charities, Temple Beth Israel of York, the Jewish Community Center of York, and the United Jewish Appeal. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of York Memorial Hospital.

But improving the public's perception of scrap professionals and their businesses will take more than individual efforts such as these. Serls believes ReMA chapters will have to become more involved with the activities of their state and local governments. He will try to encourage more members to get involved in their chapters. He will also encourage ReMA staff members to become more actively involved with the association.

"I want staff to be more involved with our committees," Serls explains. "I want staff to make proposals, rather than just absorb and execute them ... to take a more active role in committee processes. ...I think we can strike a valuable balance between being a member-driven and a staff-driven organization."

Inheriting and Implementing ReMA's Mission

Serls inherits ReMA's mission of strengthening services to existing members; providing assistance and insight to members diversifying into nontraditional areas of recycling, as demand for the services develops; and expanding the membership base.

Included in the plans to implement this mission is the addition of ReMA field offices, which Serls hopes to have in place by the end of his presidency. The field offices will be a major contact point for members and chapters, as these offices will be involved in hands-on membership services and regional legislative and regulatory issues.

Staff running the field offices will also act as membership recruiters. "Membership recruitment is very important," says Serls. "We need professional recruitment to sell our product, to sell our services to others. We voted at the October Board meeting to expand our services beyond the metallic and paper fields as requested by the membership to areas such as plastic and glass. As that develops, I think it's important that our membership grows in those areas."

Serls says he'd like to recruit consumers in every area of recycling. "I think the ReMA membership reams now the importance of consumers being part of the organization, of what they can offer. We'll focus on why we've lost some of them over the last couple of years and we'll try to bring them back in."

Benefits of ReMA membership to consumers, mentions Serls, include opportunities to discuss technical aspects of materials they're purchasing from processors. "You have to have an open dialogue between consumers and their suppliers," he says. "ISRI is a perfect playing field for that." While Serls would like to draw in consumers of all scrap materials, he says he will begin his efforts with consumers of scrap paper and precious metals.

Serls says he is dedicated to representing consumers to legislators and regulators, many of whom, he believes, don't realize that consumers are part of the recycling chain. "You’d be surprised at how few people I've talked to know where scrap goes," he says. "They might know that aluminum cans go back to aluminum can manufacturers, but they're not sure where all the shredded cars go or what happens with copper scrap and other types of aluminum scrap besides cans. They want all of this to be recycled, but they don't really understand the entire recycling process."

Educating legislators about the consuming end of the recycling chain and requesting market assistance when necessary to ensure that materials will be recycled are tactics Serls plans to take during his presidency. "With the paper industry, " he says, "we found that if the supply of material far outstrips the demand due to such things as legislated mandatory recycling, something must be done."

David Serls's presidency will have one overall objective. Says Serls: "It's to better serve the individual needs of our different types of members and, by doing so, to strengthen the organization."

Consumer--and, Yes, Processor--David Serls  

Accepting the baton from Richard Abrams, David Serls, ISRI’s current second-in-command, is about to become the association’s second full-term president. This head of a consuming plant and a processing operation has a packed agenda to address over his next two years in office.

In today's legislation-and-regulation-ridden scrap industry environment, the man who married into the scrap business and changed his career plans may wish he'd pursued a degree from the law school at which he was accepted. But 33 years after graduating with a bachelor’s of science in business administration from Muhlenberg College and joining Colonial Metals Co., in Columbia, Pennsylvania, Serls says he has no regrets about getting ahead by marrying the boss's daughter (Marilyn).

Serls subsequently bought the business and became president and chief executive officer. In 1981 he purchased L. Lavetan and Sons, Inc., in York, Pennsylvania. Colonial operations are dedicated to copper-base alloy scrap consumption and brass and bronze ingot making, while operations at L. Lavetan are devoted to ferrous and nonferrous processing. The wearer of both hats, Serls, now first vice president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and becoming president March 13, is well-suited to represent both the processors and the consumers who are members of the association. While he serves as ISRI president, Serls will also be working on the Recycling Advisory Council, to which he was recently appointed. The council, which is comprised of 13 voting members, was created to provide the nation with recommendations on recycling issues. The Recycling Advisory Council was formed by the National Recycling Coalition under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Serls, who served as vice president of one of ReMA's predecessor organizations, the National Association of Recycling Industries, says that top on his ReMA presidential agenda will be focusing on the environment-related problems facing members.

"The problems that I'm most concerned with are the unknowns," he says, "the kinds of things where the rules have changed. We have to worry about handling and processing certain materials now, while in the past, when handling these materials we were in compliance."

Serls mentions shredder operators as a particularly hard-hit group he wants to focus on during his term as president. "The association needs to help solve their problems to keep the shredding of automobiles and appliances in the recycling chain."

An additional agenda item he mentions is storm water runoff. This issue, he says, is just one of many he wants ReMA to continue to address at the federal level.

In addition to retaining attention toward federal issues, Serls wants the association to increase its attention to those at the state and local levels. One important state and local issue he mentions is the image of the scrap industry. A key to improving that image is involvement in community affairs. Serls is quite active in his community with the York Council of Jewish Charities, Temple Beth Israel of York, the Jewish Community Center of York, and the United Jewish Appeal. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of York Memorial Hospital.

But improving the public's perception of scrap professionals and their businesses will take more than individual efforts such as these. Serls believes ReMA chapters will have to become more involved with the activities of their state and local governments. He will try to encourage more members to get involved in their chapters. He will also encourage ReMA staff members to become more actively involved with the association.

"I want staff to be more involved with our committees," Serls explains. "I want staff to make proposals, rather than just absorb and execute them ... to take a more active role in committee processes. ...I think we can strike a valuable balance between being a member-driven and a staff-driven organization."

Inheriting and Implementing ReMA's Mission

Serls inherits ReMA's mission of strengthening services to existing members; providing assistance and insight to members diversifying into nontraditional areas of recycling, as demand for the services develops; and expanding the membership base.

Included in the plans to implement this mission is the addition of ReMA field offices, which Serls hopes to have in place by the end of his presidency. The field offices will be a major contact point for members and chapters, as these offices will be involved in hands-on membership services and regional legislative and regulatory issues.

Staff running the field offices will also act as membership recruiters. "Membership recruitment is very important," says Serls. "We need professional recruitment to sell our product, to sell our services to others. We voted at the October Board meeting to expand our services beyond the metallic and paper fields as requested by the membership to areas such as plastic and glass. As that develops, I think it's important that our membership grows in those areas."

Serls says he'd like to recruit consumers in every area of recycling. "I think the ReMA membership reams now the importance of consumers being part of the organization, of what they can offer. We'll focus on why we've lost some of them over the last couple of years and we'll try to bring them back in."

Benefits of ReMA membership to consumers, mentions Serls, include opportunities to discuss technical aspects of materials they're purchasing from processors. "You have to have an open dialogue between consumers and their suppliers," he says. "ISRI is a perfect playing field for that." While Serls would like to draw in consumers of all scrap materials, he says he will begin his efforts with consumers of scrap paper and precious metals.

Serls says he is dedicated to representing consumers to legislators and regulators, many of whom, he believes, don't realize that consumers are part of the recycling chain. "You’d be surprised at how few people I've talked to know where scrap goes," he says. "They might know that aluminum cans go back to aluminum can manufacturers, but they're not sure where all the shredded cars go or what happens with copper scrap and other types of aluminum scrap besides cans. They want all of this to be recycled, but they don't really understand the entire recycling process."

Educating legislators about the consuming end of the recycling chain and requesting market assistance when necessary to ensure that materials will be recycled are tactics Serls plans to take during his presidency. "With the paper industry, " he says, "we found that if the supply of material far outstrips the demand due to such things as legislated mandatory recycling, something must be done."

David Serls's presidency will have one overall objective. Says Serls: "It's to better serve the individual needs of our different types of members and, by doing so, to strengthen the organization."