Erath Iron and Metal
Brad & Nicole Boyd, Owners
254-968-6401

Family businesses aren’t all that uncommon in the scrap industry. It’s not unusual to hear about a business passed down from grandpa with his horse-drawn junk wagon to dad, who invested in modern trucks, to a son who has made the business high-tech.

Erath Iron and Metal isn’t unique in the scrap industry because it’s a family business, but it bucks the male-oriented trend with husband-and-wife owners Brad and Nicolle Boyd.

While Brad and Nicolle are co-owners and they both work at the business, Nicolle noted that they each have their separate duties.

Before getting into the recycling business, Nicolle, a graduate of Tarleton State University with a Masters degree in business, had been a systems administrator and manager for an appraisal firm for 14 years.

In 1994, Brad got a taste of the recycling business when he started working for Ronnie Smith, who then owned Erath Recycling. Brad had the opportunity to learn all about the business from Smith. “It seemed to be a great business with many challenges,” Brad said. “I could see that there was an endless supply of scrap all across the country.”

When opportunity knocked, the Boyds answered. Brad said, “We bought Erath Iron and Metal in November of 2001 from Ronnie and Susan Smith. It was formerly called Erath Recycling and had been in business since 1994.”

Since the 2001 purchase, Erath Iron and Metal has doubled in size. “And it’s growing every day,” Brad said. Part of that growth can be attributed to the Boyds’ quest to find better ways to handle the material that comes in. “We constantly are looking for new ideas to better our processes,” Brad said. “The less you handle something the better.”

As far as yard equipment, Brad said, “we currently operate two grapple cranes, one 1,000-ton LaBounty shear and an 800-ton Colmar shear/baler. We also bale all of our nonferrous in an HRB baler.”

Besides buying from the general public six days a week, Erath has more than 100 roll-offs in use. These are “placed throughout Texas, as a service to our industrial customers,” Brad explained. “We buy ferrous and non-ferrous metals and have been buying OCC [old corrugated container] for the past two years.

Erath’s nonferrous is shipped “all over America” and Brad noted that they “also have been exporting it to China, Korea and India.” Ferrous scrap stays closer to home, mostly going to steel mills in the Texas region.

Erath also sells new steel, primarily pipe. “Our local community is primarily agriculture,” Brad explained. “The community sells us their scrap and can also buy their new steel all in one spot.”

Besides the business part of the business, Erath Iron and Metal also supports the area youths and charitable organizations with recycling drives and other events.

Each year, Erath participates in “Texas Recycles Day.” In 2005, Erath held a two-week aluminum can drive as part of the program. And while the local municipality doesn’t have mandatory recycling, Erath is the city’s recommended recycler for scrap appliances.

Erath Iron and Metal currently employs about 25 people. Brad said, “Nicolle and I enjoy working hard with our employees to make Erath Iron and Metal what it is today. We take great pride in our business and firmly believe our success is from our service and being competitive with the ever-changing scrap markets.”

“What we like about this business,” Brad summed up, “are the daily challenges. There is never a dull moment.”