ST. LOUIS, MO.—Shapiro Metals, a St. Louis-based nationwide provider of scrap metal recycling services and full-scale sustainability programs to manufacturers across the country, announced that Bob Alvarez has been elevated to company President and COO. This leadership transition is taking place as Bruce Shapiro, the company’s third-generation owner, celebrates fifty years in the recycling industry.
Shapiro Metals traces its history back over 100 years to humble beginnings. In 1904, Bruce Shapiro’s grandfather Max emigrated to the United States and started a business of his own with first a pushcart, and then a horse and wagon. Shapiro Metals was born.
“We have gone through many ups and downs in my fifty years in the business and Shapiro Metals has always survived,” Bruce Shapiro said. “Our core values have and will continue to sustain us.”
In 2015, Alvarez joined Shapiro Metals as VP of Operations. “Bob interviewed me for the job,” Shapiro remembered. “As I’ve come to find out, he is always five steps ahead of me.”
Alvarez came to Shapiro Metals with a diverse background, having held management roles in Operations and HR, in addition to his deep experience in strategic and organizational leadership.
Ever since joining the organization, Alvarez has been working to operationalize Shapiro Metals’ vision of creating a better tomorrow. Innovative programs, technology, and dedicated service are how the company delivers partnerships that benefit what Alvarez calls the “quadruple bottom line”—people, profits, purpose, and the planet.
Alvarez has also played a key role in harnessing the organizational culture at Shapiro Metals, codifying it, and leading the team to leverage it as a competitive advantage. Integrity, dedication, and wholeheartedness permeate every action within the company—both internally and externally.
In conjunction with his fiftieth anniversary in recycling, Bruce Shapiro announced the new leadership transition that will take the company into its next phase of growth. In 2020, Bob Alvarez will be the first person outside the Shapiro family to hold the title of President at Shapiro Metals.
“It is a title that Bob has earned and so richly deserves,” said Shapiro. “His vision for our future has far exceeded my dreams and will put us far ahead of anyone in our industry. I am confident that Bob will be the best and most capable President of Shapiro Metals. Together we will create a very bright future.”
About Shapiro Metals: Shapiro Metals is an industrial metal recycling company based in St. Louis, MO. The company was founded in 1904 and has since grown to ten strategically located facilities across the United States. Shapiro Metals is committed to creating partnerships with manufacturers that lead to brighter futures for their business and our world.
