Lewis Salvage expands business by acquiring Rochester Iron & Metal

Lewis Salvage of Warsaw, has acquired Rochester Iron & Metal in Rochester. The Rochester scrapyard at 1552 E Lucas St., will now operate as Lewis Salvage Shred Services. The business transfer also includes 15 miles of railroad that runs beside the company and aides in the transportation of materials. 

Lewis Salvage CEO Cary Lewis calls the move the company’s “largest expansion I could’ve ever dreamed of.” Prior to the sale, Rochester Iron & Metal had been one of the company's largest competitors. Lewis said the transaction allows Lewis Salvage serve more residential and commercial customers across northern Indiana, advancing their growth and sustainability goals. Lewis Salvage also plans to keep the 90 employees who were previously working for Rochester Iron & Metal. 

It's estimated that the new location will allow Lewis Salvage to recycle an additional 10-12 million pounds of scrap material per month.

“Technology has changed the way we recycle. Instead of cutting and baling everything, this shredder lets us create a cleaner, more consistent steel product. And we can do it with fewer emissions and better recovery of valuable materials,” Lewis said. 

The auto shredder at the Rochester location is capable of processing anywhere from 45 to 60 cars, per hour, breaking down vehicles and other large material including old appliances and farm equipment to scrap from the RV and manufacturing industries, to produce high-quality products for domestic use. Rochester Iron & Metal installed the shredder at the current location in 2012. The former company was led by CEO Jason Grube, and had recently expanded its business by acquiring 11 Paul's Auto Yard locations in 2023. 

In addition to the shredder, the Rochester site also included a downstream sorting plant that helps recover copper, aluminum and stainless steel from auto shredder residue. Specializing in orthopedic recycling and nonferrous scrap to create high-quality steel products for domestic use while minimizing environmental impact, the company said the move was not only good for business, but also for the environment. Instead of dumping more into landfills, the facility ensures the recovery of high-value materials that would otherwise go to waste. 

With a fleet now growing from 300 to more than 700 roll-off units, Lewis Salvage can scale its operations across to service jobs ranging from residential clean-outs to ongoing scrap collections from area manufacturers. Their Rochester facility will remain open to the public while continuing industrial collection, reinforcing the company’s commitment to both local and commercial sectors.

Their website lewis-salvage.com has more information on the company. For those needing more information or customers needing to schedule a dumpster drop-off call 574-267-6718.