When and how did you enter the recycling industry? My family has been in the scrap industry for over 100 years. My grandfather, Ben Proler, founded Proler Steel, and my father, Jackie Proler, was a founder of Proler International and served as its vice president and treasurer. My father used to bring my brothers—Jody and David—and me to the scrapyard when I was 6. They’d go inside the office and mess around, and I’d work with the pickers in the yard.
In that era, though, women weren’t encouraged to go into business. So, as a youngster, I didn’t work in the family business on weekends or summers. I pursued other interests—such as tennis and riding—and went to school, ultimately earning a master’s in counseling psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to be happy working as a psychologist. Around that time, my father started an automotive pick-a-part yard in Houston, and he said, “Why don’t you come home and work for me in this yard?” He wanted me to start a core division in the business—and that’s what I did.
The business came naturally to me. It was a combination of scrap and finding parts that could be remanufactured. I loved it. When my father closed the pick-a-part yard, I partnered with the Walker family, which was our largest supplier at the time. We started Southern Core Supply/SCR Recycling in 1989.
What was it about the industry that prompted you to build a career in it? I was good at it, for one. It was a language I could speak immediately. I absolutely understand when people say they found their calling. And I like that the scrap and core industries are relationship businesses. Having a master’s in counseling psychology taught me how to establish solid relationships. Also, I’m an entrepreneur and a competitor at heart, and this industry encourages both. I think competition breeds innovation—and you can’t get any more innovative than my family inventing the auto shredder. Talk about a bar that I’ll never be able to go over. Under, yes; over, no.
What have been your most rewarding professional achievements? At our company’s end-of-year party, we toast the new year, and I ask our team members to raise their hands if they’ve been with the company 10 years, 20 years, 25 years. I’m always amazed—and proud—when I see how many people have been with our company so long. I feel deep down that a company is an extended family and that my company is a reflection of me. And I believe our employees’ longevity says something good about our company. Also, over the years, we’ve managed to help some pretty big companies, whether it be supplying them with materials or providing products—such as special blends—that they can use to be more efficient in their melting.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people. I like to weave. I started about two years ago, and I’ve made things like table runners and a tallis for my nephew’s wedding. Next, I’m going to weave a baby blanket and some golf towels. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a sculptor in his retired life; my mother was a painter in her retired life. I couldn’t do either of those, but I found that I could weave. The weaving medium is very forgiving.
What do you like to do in your free time? Aside from weaving, I like to play golf and travel. I’ve played golf and tennis all my life, and I really enjoy traveling. This summer I’m headed to Africa for a safari, and in the fall my partner and I are going to Morocco.
When and why did your company decide to join ISRI and the Gulf Coast Region? My uncles used to attend ISIS [Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel, an ISRI predecessor] meetings, and they met their business partner, Hugo Neu, at one of those meetings. So I was always aware that being an ISIS member was an integral part of my family’s network. Also, my uncles were very involved in the ISIS Gulf Coast Chapter, so our family has a long history of appreciating the benefits of an association. In the early days of this industry, the independent, family-owned businesses realized they needed an association to tie them together. I understand the extreme importance of having that network, especially during the pandemic.
Which leadership positions have you held in the ISRI Gulf Coast Region? Mel Wright [of Wright’s Scrap Metals] asked me to join the GCR board about eight years ago. I started on the Scholarship Committee, and I was elected secretary/treasurer of GCR in 2017. I progressed through the second vice president position in 2019-2021, and I currently serve as GCR’s first vice president.
What motivated you to become a GCR leader? And what benefits have you received from your GCR involvement? I think GCR provides vital support to independent companies and to our industry as a whole. Also, it’s always better to show strength through numbers, and GCR does that through advocating, educating, or networking. I think GCR has really delivered value for its members, and we’re going to continue to exceed member expectations.
What are the major challenges facing your company and the overall recycling industry today? First, we need to explain that there are trade-offs in conducting this business, especially when we’re talking about environmental justice. The public might not be aware of those trade-offs, but they certainly would be aware if we stopped doing our jobs. If California shut down all the shredders in the state, for example, you’d have to ship scrap to Nevada to shred it. Do you think that makes sense? How much energy are we going to burn moving those tons to Nevada?
I also feel strongly about the proposed idea that our industry needs to shed its “scrap” name and rebrand itself. I get the fact that there’s a new generation coming up, and they want “greener” things, but scrap is our history, and we’re not going to move forward by denying that. You can’t get to the future without going through the past. We just need to do a better job explaining who we are and what we do. We need to change public opinion by showing what we contribute to society.
And last, I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy—for myself and our industry in general. I’m proud of my family’s contributions to this industry, and I’m proud I’ve sustained not just the Proler name in this business but our family’s drive to do more. We live in a world now in which family members don’t want to get into our business. They want to go corporate. We need to realize how important family businesses are and the legacy that they have and will have. Are we going to let this industry become a siloed group of steel mill-owned scrapyards and independent, family-owned scrapyards? What are we going to be? Those are questions we should all explore, and our trade association can work with us on finding the answers.
