Shred-Tech has expanded capabilities and global presence with the acquisition of CM Shredders by parent The Heico companies. With the change in ownership comes a change in business direction
CM Shredders have long held a strong reputation as being amongst the best in the business. Designed to clean steel and leave wire free rubber behind, the CM Liberator has long been a stalwart in the tyre recycling industry. However, the Sarasota-based operation had always faced a bit of a supply lag in supporting clients in Europe. Parts could be ordered from CM Shredders, and whilst they might be dispatched quickly, there was always going to be a time lag between making the order and receiving the delivery. That could mean potential downtime if a critical part was not readily available.
Shred Tech already had a base in the UK supplying parts and build services for secure document disposal vehicles. The relocation of that operation to a 13,000 square foot unit has created the opportunity for CM Shredders to carry parts in the UK to better service the UK and European markets.
Cedric Raffi is the General Manager of Shred Tech in the EMEA region including Europe, Middle East and Africa, he explained; “We are looking at growing our market in Europe, and through this depot in the UK and a sister company in the Netherlands, we will be able to give a much-improved service to the market.
“We know that CM has the right equipment, it is the best in the market, and we want to be in a position to better serve our clients in Europe. From Bedford, we are in an ideal position to reach most of the UK with a fast replacement parts service.”
The Bedford site currently has eight staff, but as the CM side of the business grows Cedric hopes to recruit a salesman and further engineers.
Cedric says; “when people invest in a CM shredder, they are investing in a longer term business. We can support clients to help maintain running costs at a lower level by providing parts and service that is backed by CM. Our patented knives system has multiple lives and can be resharpened rather than replacing them. Ultimately, the whole life costs are a better prospect with CM than with some lower cost machinery.”
Future developments in Bedford will be the creation of a facility to completely refurbish machinery to give it further life. The ability to give second life to the equipment further enhances the whole life costs and will give clients, perhaps, a further 10 years’ use of their machinery.
Until now, CM has largely operated from its US base in Florida. It is some years since there was any sales representation in Europe. Cedric says; “CM is back on the scene and we will be proactive in the coming months and years. For example, we will be at IFAT next time around. We need to be there in front of our potential customers to show them what benefits and service we can offer.”
On the state of the market, Cedric was aware of the challenges the UK sector faced. Similar challenges also face the market in Germany, and across Europe there is a reliance on exports to bolster recovery and “disposal” rates. However, the growing drive for recycling at source gives hope that along with better waste management across Europe and future restrictions on exports to some markets, there will be a boost to the domestic recycling sector. In the meantime, CM is preparing the ground by developing the support infrastructure needed to service the existing and future markets.
It is worth noting that Shred Tech and CM Shredders are part of the Heico Group, a multinational operation with involvement in a wide range of sectors from logistics infrastructure, through construction to metal processing.
