If you are from the Northwest Indiana area than you have heard of Metro Recycling. I had the pleasure of having this week’s Valpo Life in the Spotlight be an individual who plays a huge part in that great company. His name is Neil Samahon and he is the CEO of Metro Recycling and Metro Auto Recyclers.
Starting at the beginning, Samahon was born in London, England. His father was a printer and moved his family to Canada during the World’s Fair in 1967. From there he was offered work in Chicago, and that was the family’s next destination.
“My parents would describe me as independent and a nice kid. I never really got into any trouble,” Samahon said.
His life has been a mixture of cultures and diversity. His mother was German and his father was from Sri Lanka. Food, music, people and ideas of all types helped to shape him into the person that his is today.
He went to grade school and high school in the suburbs of Chicago and then attended different colleges after that. Throughout that time, Samahon held various jobs, mostly in management and sales.
“I always had decent jobs and good opportunities so that helped,” Samahon said. “I had the opportunity to work for various people who took an interest in me and mentored me.”
It was by chance that Samahon came upon a job opening at Metro Recycling. He knew through the grape vine that the company was looking for some help on one of its yards in Munster, IN. That yard has since moved to Griffith, IN. Samahon staked his claim there, and three years after that, the position to run Metro Recycling became available and it was offered to him.
“At the time the owners had a disposal company and Metro Recycling was a smaller second business that they ran,” Samahon said. “But when I got the position, I just saw it as an opportunity and I ran with it. I made it my own.”
And since that time Metro Recycling has grown significantly. There are three locations now in Griffith, Blue Island (IL), and Valparaiso. And as of four years ago, Samahon now oversees Metro Recycling and Metro Auto Recyclers.
As the company continues to grow, Samahon finds that he is less involved in the day-to-day functions of the multiple locations. He is still involved in the selling of material. He spends lots of time with the managers that work for him, training and mentoring them to make sure that they get the direction that they need and pass that on to their employees.
He now has the opportunity to be more involved in other areas that affect the company from the outside. He is in the process of joining the rotary club, and Samahon is on the Leadership Council of the National Federation of Independent Businesses - Indiana (NFIB), he’s on the board of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) Indiana Chapter, and he recently became a board member for Opportunity Enterprises. Last year Metro Recycling began a scholarship program for high school students that attend school in the three locations of Metro Recycling. So working at Metro Recycling has allowed Samahon to be involved in things that help his community and his company.
“I absolutely love what I do,” Samahon said.
For Opportunity Enterprises, Metro Recycling is greatly connected. All of the paper that is accepted at the Valparaiso Location is donated to the Secure Shred program at OE, and some of the clients from OE have found work at Metro Recycling.
“We recognized that we had positions within our company that we could offer to individuals from Job Source and it has worked out well. It’s rewarding to be able offer opportunities to individuals that are truly looking for ways to be productive,” Samahon said.
One of Samahon’s daughters is a client at OE. He and his family moved to Valparaiso a few years ago and Samahon took a tour through OE. He immediately felt that this was a place that she would do well. His wife volunteers at OE and she comes home with great stories about her day at the market. Samahon wanted a way to be involved, as well, and when he got the chance to be on the board for OE, he jumped at the chance.
“[Valparaiso] is a neat community,” Samahon said. “And it is just that: a community. We came from Orland Park and it’s really easy to get lost there. I love the downtown here. It has a lot of charm…there are very unique and local restaurants, and the surrounding area is great.”
In his free time, Samahon loves photography, golf, and spending time with his family. He ended our interview with these sage words for anyone looking to make themselves more successful in their lives.
“Live as much of a balanced life as you can,” Samahon said. “The point in my life when I am the happiest is probably now. I golf with my wife and we can spend a lot of time together, I’m involved here at OE, there are a lot of industry groups that I’m involved in, I have the opportunity to travel and other things. So make sure to live a balanced life. It is very rewarding.”