Meet the guy that so many Recycle 1 employees can thank for their start in the recycling industry: Barry Froman, Owner, and President. While Barry’s days are spent like many of ours – stuck in a cycle of emails, meetings and solving problems – he also guides the company’s vision and strategic direction as it continues to evolve. As Recycle 1 approaches its 20-year milestone, read on to learn about the company’s past, how Barry got started, and where Recycle 1 is headed.

How did you get started in the recycling business?
Well, I was born in Brooklyn, New York. But at a young age – just 18 months – my family and I moved to Ohio. Eventually, I made my way out to Arizona as an adult. Originally, my desire was to be an Air Force pilot. But what attracted me to this business was the entrepreneurial aspect of it – literally, every transaction is different. Every client faces unique challenges and that makes every day interesting.

Tell us about the beginning – how did it all get started
I started the company in 1995 as a division of Western Pacific Pulp & Paper, as a partnership. In 1997, I bought out the initial partnership and became the sole owner. This was the start of Arizona Pacific Pulp & Paper. In 1996, I started managing the Arizona Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired Document Destruction Company. In 2001, I purchased this company also with sole ownership achieved in 2006. In 2010 the name was changed to Arizona Document Destruction.

In 2004, we purchased the Complete Compactor Company. This is a sales and service company for recycling and waste equipment. In 2011, we started a new division, Arizona Pacific Plastics. This was started due to the amount of pre-consumer plastic being generated. So now, in 2018 we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary as a company, something we are all very proud of.

What inspired you to go out on your own as a business owner?
I started the company due to the fact that I had worked for other recycling companies for almost 20 years. Due to my entrepreneurial spirit, I just thought it was time to strike out on my own. As I started with a partnership with Western Pacific Pulp & Paper, we just grew extremely fast. They chose not to grow with the company at that time and I purchased the company from them.

What are some of the major milestones, when you consider Recycle 1’s growth over the years?
When I started Arizona Pacific Pulp & Paper, there was only one employee, me. My office was located upstairs of the Arizona Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired Recycling Center. When I was asked to manage their facility, they had 7 employees which I inherited. The plant/office was located at 30th St & Washington.

When the lease expired we moved into a 2-acre facility at 28th St & Washington. After growing rapidly, we decided to open a second location on the west side of town. This was located across from the Arizona Fairgrounds at 20th Ave and Grand Ave. In 2010, we purchased two new facilities, 3209 S. 36th St. and 3040 S. 45th St. The 45th Street facility was turned into our state-of-the-art Destruction facility. The 36th St. facility, was strictly for the recycling of paper.

How do all the businesses fold into the name “Recycle 1”?
We wanted an umbrella company to show our customer/clients that all of our divisions were under one roof. We kept the Gand Ave facility and housed the Plastic division there. In 2014, the Grand Ave facility was sold to our neighbor who was expanding his metal recycling business. Since that time, we have acquired more land and space at our 36th St plant that now houses both Arizona Pacific Plastics and Arizona Pacific Pulp & Paper.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to spend time with my wife and grandchild, who is five. We enjoy traveling to national parks and other destinations. In addition, I enjoy bicycling and supporting my favorite sports teams.

How will Recycle 1 be celebrating its 20th Anniversary?
We are planning a 20th Anniversary Celebration in the spring of 2019. It will be an open house so we can combine a customer appreciation, employee appreciation, and a business milestone.