Attar Metals Inc. has found a way to make a difference by donating to Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga’s (HFHHM) build program as their recycling partner at the Mississauga ReStore location.
Headquartered minutes away from the Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Attar Metals specializes in the purchasing, grading, handling and processing of all ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals from production manufacturers, dealers and service industries.
Competitive, innovative and environmentally focused, Attar Metals is a family-owned business that was started in 1989 by two brothers, Alan & Larry Attar. Brother Andy joined in 1998. Since then, the business has grown from its first location at 1856 Romani Court in Mississauga to the five facilities they presently own. Today, the family boasts of three generations on the payroll, including their Mother, Elizabeth, who prepares a “home-cooked” lunch daily for family and guests.
Their longevity in the business of metal trading is largely due to two of the principles the company was built on: competitive pricing and quality control.
The brothers are constantly monitoring all major metal trading markets and as Alan, Vice-President and Manager of the ferrous operations explains, “A lot of people talk about scrap metal and all they envision is ‘Sanford & Son’. But it’s a little more high tech these days and staying on top of the market is important. My brothers and I start our day every morning in our company gym, working out together where we have market screens on in the background. The market results are also sent to our phones every 15 minutes so I can quote the most current prices for copper and aluminum. Because of the nature of competition and the freedom of access to information over the internet, we have to stay on top of things all the time.”
How did Attar Metals become a recycling partner with Habitat? It was Alan’s wife Laurie who was instrumental in making the connection. As a Habitat Volunteer, Laurie was touring the Mississauga ReStore one day and saw the need for scrap metal recycling. Her observation started a partnership that this year alone has seen over $15,000 paid to HFHHM for scrap metal that would otherwise have been discarded.
When asked to comment on their partnership with Habitat, Alan stated, “I’m happy we are partnered with such a noble organization as Habitat. I’ve been to the ReStore several times to help the volunteer sorters understand what we are looking for so Habitat will get the highest dollar. We supplied wire strippers for them to use on insulated wire to help them strip out the clean copper and magnets to be used to test for steel attachments on aluminum. So at the end of the day, I’m increasing our volumes and maximizing the value of the scrap metal we purchase from Habitat by spending just a little more time educating and trying to provide good service for them.”
Thanks to Attar Metals Inc. for their commitment to Habitat, proving you don’t need to ‘lift a hammer’ to make a difference.
For more information on how you can become an HFHHM partner at one of our three ReStore locations in Burlington,
Milton or Mississauga, please contact Charles Digiovanni at 289-208-5608 or cdigiovanni@habitathm.ca.
