Secondary Metal Recovery & Refining
Companies recovering and refining metals from scrap.
Market snapshot
These figures describe Metal Processing & Refining (7.4.7), the segment that Secondary Metal Recovery & Refining sits within — not Secondary Metal Recovery & Refining on its own.
- Market size
- ~$93B
- Growth
- ~5.6%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
- Companies
- ~1,800
U.S. Census Bureau 2022 CBP/Economic Census, NAICS 331313/331314 (aluminum) + 331410/331420/331490 (copper & nonferrous refining) + 331511–331529 (foundries).
Business model & economics
Revenue model
Refined metal, casting, and foundry-product sales
Key economics
- Recurring revenue
- Moderate
- EBITDA margin
- Cyclical; energy- and commodity-price-exposed
- Capex intensity
- High
recurring industrial demand
Characteristics
- Aluminum, copper, nonferrous refining, and foundries.
- Recycling (secondary metals) increasingly important.
- Light-weighting and electrification support demand.
Geographic concentration
Metal processing and refining concentrate in Kentucky, Louisiana, Indiana, and Tennessee — states with established smelting and aluminum operations near power and river transport.
U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 County Business Patterns (employment by state), NAICS 331313/331314. Concentration shown by location quotient.
M&A deal context
Who’s acquiring
- Aluminum & nonferrous majors
- Recycling & secondary-metal producers
- PE-backed foundry consolidators
What’s driving deals
- Recycling and secondary-metal growth.
- Light-weighting and electrification demand.
- Foundry consolidation and energy-cost management.
Find Secondary Metal Recovery & Refining acquisition targets
Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Secondary Metal Recovery & Refining (7.4.7.4) and build a targeted deal pipeline.
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