ROARING TWENTIES: Get to know winner Custom Recycling LLC

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Check out a Q&A with Roaring Twenties winner Custom Recycling LLC.

The company, which has 27 employees, was founded in York in 2010 and is led by CEO Tim Weaver.

What is the main driver of this year's revenue growth?

The main driver is an increase in volume. Our current customers have been increasing their production and we have picked up new accounts to help grow our revenue.

How has your personal approach to leadership changed as your company has grown?

As the company has grown I have taken a more hands off and delegating approach. I have always been a delegator but now as the company becomes busier and the number [of] employees increase we have broken it down more by departments and now have weekly operations meetings for those departments to communicate and work together. Communication is key and all departments must be on the same page.

What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you reacting to them?

I see an increased need for recycled metals since more emphasis is being put on going green. That means manufacturers will be using more recycled materials in their production process to help do their part of keeping waste out of landfills and other places. Also the evolution to electric vehicles is going to increase the demand for copper, lithium and aluminum. In fact some people in the metal industry think we will have a shortage in copper at some point. So what we need to do is find, educate and work with as many manufacturers that we can to help them sort their scrap issues out and show them how to turn it in to a revenue stream for them, while doing the right thing and keeping that metal waste out of landfills.

If you were giving advice to business owners or managers, what would be the three most important tips you would include?

1.) Remember your employees are your biggest resource. A lot of things are ran by computers or machines but most of those computer and machines still need to be ran by someone. Its important to take care of your employees and make sure they know they are important to the team.

2.) Back to number 1 about your employees, make sure you hire the right people and put them in the right position to succeed. Build that great team to rely on and run your business.

3.) Be flexible and creative. Sometimes new ideas are needed to land a new account or maintain a current one.

How do you build your team?

I look for people that [are] smart, creative, hardworking, dedicated to succeeding. Of course you think everyone tries to do that. But the key is when you find them to make sure your are providing support for them to grow and achieve that success. Sometimes you hire someone and they are great asset but need to be moved to a different position where they truly end up blossoming in.

What are the top attributes you seek when hiring employees? Are you planning to increase head count in the coming year?

One of the biggest attributes you need to find today is attitude and responsibility. Today’s technology and increased wages on historically lower paying jobs you really need to make sure the candidate knows what the position entails and what is expected. Skilled labor has been harder to find but if you have the right attitude, drive and responsibility we can train you on most things. We will be looking at hiring plans in the upcoming months as the year rounds out and we begin working on next year's budget.

If you could go back in time and do one thing over, what would it be?

I would go back further in time and start the company sooner.