A steering group, comprising equal members of both organisations, met this week to begin the task of overseeing the setting up of the new association. Its first action was to sign the heads of agreement between the two existing associations.
The committee members elected Caimin Rowntree as president (pictured below right), and George Bond (left) as deputy president for their first term of office which runs until December 2002.
Mr Rowntree said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the UK metals recycling industry to unite and go forward with strength. There is a great deal of common interest within our two organisations and combining them makes it possible to optimise our resources. I am looking forward to building relationships with our new combined membership as we seek to achieve our common goals.”
Mr Bond added that “the decision to form a single powerful association for the metals recycling industry is a positive one which will be of immense benefit to the membership of both associations”.
The secretariat of the new organisation will be headed by the current Director General of the BMF, David Hulse.
The merger brings to an end a long-running saga involving an on-off merger of the two organisations which has run for many years. The Department of Trade and Industry has supported a merger. Other factors influencing the move are the costs of running the association faced by the BSMA, loss of members on both sides and the efficiencies gained by having just one association. It is expected that the influence of the larger metal recyclers will be reduced in the new structure, something which has been a stumbling block in the past as smaller companies feared undue pressure from the industry giants.
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