***ReMA GCR President's Message***

GCR Continues to

Roll in 2025

Alton Schaubhut

GCR President

With 2025 soon to be in the rearview mirror, it's a great time to look back on the ReMA Gulf Coast Region’s many highlights over the previous year:

■ GCR will end this year with 329 member companies, including 69 new members and eight rejoined members in 2025. That membership total allows GCR to retain its position as ReMA's largest region (with the second-largest ReMA region coming in at 301 member companies).

■ The 2025 GCR summer convention—held June 17-20 in San Antonio, Texas—attracted 658 attendees, had a sold-out expo with 95 exhibitors, and a sold-out golf tournament with 144 players who helped raise $24,000 for GCR's scholarship program. During the convention, GCR also gave the annual Israel Proler Award to Charles Johnson, president and COO of M. Lipsitz & Co. Ltd (Waco, Texas), recognizing his decades of distinguished service to GCR, ISRI/ReMA, his company, his community, and the recycling industry. (In the photo below, Charles Johnson holds his Israel Proler Award plaque with, left to right, GCR First VP Chip DeJean, GCR Secretary/Treasurer Jessica Montes, and GCR President Alton Schaubhut.)

■ GCR selected 20 students as winners in its 2025 scholarship program. Each student received $2,000 to apply toward tuition at any accredited educational institution designed to meet the requirements for an academic, professional, or occupational degree for the 2025-2026 academic year. GCR awards scholarships to select students who are dependents of employees of GCR member companies.

■ GCR held three board of directors/member meetings last year on March 18 (via Zoom), June 20 (at the GCR summer convention in San Antonio, Texas), and Oct. 17 (in New Orleans; see related photos below). During the March 18 meeting, the GCR board elected Zach Shemper of Jackson Iron & Metal Co. Inc. (Jackson, Miss.) to serve as Second VP and Jessica Montes of Sims Metal (Houston) to serve as Secretary/Treasurer. Those two industry leaders join me as GCR President and Chip DeJean of Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling (Port Allen, La.) as GCR First VP in serving the region throughout the 2025-2027 term.

■ GCR members played a leading role in advocacy, legislative, and educational work for the recycling industry, as reflected in the following examples:

—GCR officers and members attended the winter, summer, and fall ReMA board meetings in Washington, D.C. (Feb. 25-27), Nashville, Tenn. (July 15-17), and Scottsdale, Ariz. (Oct. 7-9). Notably, the winter ReMA meeting also included a congressional fly-in day, which allowed GCR members to visit Capitol Hill to discuss the recycling industry's—and the Gulf Coast region's—priority issues with their elected officials.

—GCR officers and members also turned out in force at the ReMA national convention, held in San Diego in May. As part of our activities at that event, I led the discussion at the ReMA Government Relations Committee, on which I serve as chair.

GCR thanks all members for making 2025 a successful year. We invite you to join us June 16-19, 2026, in New Orleans for the GCR summer convention & exposition, which is always one of the best industry events of the year. See you there!