When Glen Cinelli’s father began a scrap metal business back in 1950, he never anticipated it would be a business that his sons Glen and Gary would continue to run and grow more than 63 years later. In 1990, Glen and Gary began running the day-to-day operations of the business. Glen Cinelli, president of Cinelli Scrap Metal credits the company’s long-term success to several factors, including location, dedication and good business decisions.
Location
“We chose to purchase a location just outside of New York City. This strategic decision allows us to capitalize on the scrap metal that materializes as a result of large-scale construction and demolition projects in New York, as well as those taking place in the suburbs of New Jersey. We can quickly and easily get into and out of the city to service our customers without the high expense of having a city-based location. Whether we truck the metal away from a site or the customer trucks the metal to us, our facility is convenient, and with today’s high cost of fuel and trucking that makes a big difference to our customers,” states Cinelli.
Located in Jersey City, Cinelli Scrap Metal is ideally positioned to capitalize on the high volume of work completed in the surrounding areas. Its remote location on Broadway is neatly tucked away in an industrial area, giving it the ability to operate without worrying about causing noise or other disturbances to nearby residences.
“Today, many scrap businesses struggle to find a balance between profitable operations and appeasing local residents. We really don’t have those issues due to location,” said Cinelli.
Dedication
Dedication to the family business by Joseph Cinelli and now Glen and his brother has fueled the company’s growth, even during challenging economic times.
“Over the course of the past few years, when construction nationwide has declined, we’ve continued to grow,” said Cinelli. “We are always looking at ways to more efficiently process the metal brought to our yard. Our focus on continual improvement and innovative methods has paid off.”
Dedication for Cinelli comes not just from focusing on the scrap metal industry, but also from their dedication to those who have helped their business succeed. Two such companies are Harter Equipment and Kobelco. Kobelco excavators have long been a part of Cinelli Scrap Metal’s success.
According to Cinelli, the first excavator purchased by the company was a Kobelco and they’ve never looked back.
“We’ve bought many excavators over the years and they’ve all been Kobelco. I strongly believe in the philosophy of why change a good thing? Kobelco excavators have been extremely reliable workhorses. We work all our machines six days a week, 12 hours a day. Outside of planned maintenance we’ve had no challenges with our Kobelco fleet. This reliability allows us to continually process metal, driving revenue.”
Today, Cinelli Scrap Metal currently owns five Kobelco excavators, all purchased through Harter Equipment: a 250, a 270, a 290, a 330 and a 295, each equipped with either a grapple, shear, magnet or bucket.
“Versatility is key based upon the type of metal we are moving,” said Cinelli. “Kobelco excavators accept nearly any attachment quickly and easily allowing us to maximize processing on a daily basis. Harter has always provided us with many equipment options when it comes to Kobelco be it rental or purchase. Over the years we’ve purchased about a dozen Kobelco excavators and they’ve never let us down. Outside of general maintenance which we handle on our own, we haven’t had any issues to speak of. The relationship with Harter is as seamless as the equipment we have purchased from them.”
Good Business Decisions
While Cinelli Scrap Metal has always been located in Jersey City, it at first rented a yard for the sorting and processing of metal. A critical decision was made in the late 90’s to purchase its current building and lot on Broadway, a move that allowed it to control its overhead and invest in the facility knowing where it would be operating from for many years to come.
“There came a time when our growth was outpacing the size of our work area. At that point we decided ownership was the more advantageous route to go. That single decision positioned us well and continues to give us a competitive advantage over other scrap metal yards in the area,” said Cinelli.
Harter Equipment has been a business partner Cinelli Scrap Metal has relied on. Its territory manager Dick Clark frequently stops in to see how the Kobelco excavators it sold Cinelli are functioning, while also helping the company plan for future equipment needs. “Glen usually has a strong idea of what he wants,” said Clark. “It’s always a Kobelco excavator, it’s the size class and how it will be used that varies, whether or not it’s a low hour used unit or a new machine is also part of the decision making process. We listen carefully then make recommendations based on what we have in stock or can provide that will best meet the company’s needs. We know they work their equipment hard and that they keep their equipment for a long time. This makes Kobelco an excellent choice due to their heavy-duty construction and long-term reliability.”
Cinelli Scrap Metal continues its growth today. Having started with just a few employees, the company now has a staff of nearly 20 with a dozen trucks in operation throughout the New York and New Jersey areas. It processes a variety of metals and completes everything from weighing to sorting to wire stripping right on site at its Jersey City, N.J., based location.
Harter Equipment has more than 47 years of experience in the construction equipment business serving the state of New Jersey. Harter Equipment offers Kobelco excavators for sale or rent, as well as full service maintenance and parts.
For more information on Harter Equipment, call 732/446-7600 or visit www.harterequipment.com/.
For more information on Kobelco, call 281/888-8430 or visit www.Kobelco-USA.com.
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