ISRI elects new executive team

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) board of directors has elected a new leadership team to direct the association over the next two years.

The new leadership team, elected by the ISRI board is composed of: John Sacco, chairman; Jerry Simms, chair-elect; Doug Kramer, vice chair; and Mark Lewon, secretary-treasurer.

Sacco has a lifetime of experience in the scrap recycling industry. After graduating from the University of Southern California, he joined his father in the scrap business. Sacco contributed to the inception of Sierra International Machinery in 1987. Two years later, he was appointed president and continues to lead the company known as a worldwide leader in scrap processing equipment. The company also operates two scrap processing facilities with divisions in demolition and environmental abatement. Sacco also has served in various ISRI’s leadership positions, including president of the Southwestern Chapter, chairman of the Members Services Committee, and chairman of the Chapter Presidents.

Simms has been in the scrap recycling industry since 1978 when he joined Atlas Metal & Iron Corp. in Denver where he has been involved in scrap purchasing and aluminum brokerage operations for 30 years. For the last several years, Simms has served as the company’s director of Environmental and Legislative Affairs as well as general manager of Atlas Metal Sales, the corporation’s nonferrous service center. He is corporate vice president, sales.

Simms has a long record of service to ISRI in various positions, including chairman of the Government Relations Committee, chairman of the Image Task Force’s Membership Criteria Subgroup, chairman of the SREA Task Force, and chairman of the Mercury Task Force.

Kramer is president of Kramer Metals, Inc., which operates three scrap metal recycling facilities in downtown Los Angeles, California. Kramer joined his family’s firm in 1986 after graduating from Whittier College with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Sociology and was appointed president of the company in 2000.

Lewon’s family has owned and operated Utah Metal Works since 1955. He began working summers for the company during his high school and college years, learning the business from the ground up. Lewon worked for two years for LMC Metals, San Jose, California, which was purchased by the Sims Group. Lewon returned to Utah Metal Works in October 1988, where he now serves as president. Lewon has been active in ISRI since 1994, being elected secretary/treasurer of the Rocky Mountain Chapter, and serving as convention chairman, nonferrous division chair, and a member of the audit and executive committees.