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Objective:Vertically integrate and shred its own scrap to protect margins
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Application:Preshredding and shredding of scrap metal
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Solution:THOR 8080 KP mobile hammermill (today’s THOR 2121 KP) with a PSZB-8360 preshredder (today’s PSZB 2115)
Amerigo Metals scales its shredding business with the THOR 8080 KP
From feeder yard to shredding 12,000+ tons per month
Founded in Atlanta in 2009 as a network of feeder yards and a brokerage, Amerigo Metals took control of its margins by shredding its own scrap with ZB Group equipment. Today the company processes more than 12,000 tons per month.
In an increasingly consolidated market like the Southeast, running feeder yards alone no longer guarantees healthy margins. The recyclers who stay in control of their profitability are the ones turning scrap metal into finished, mill-ready product with the density and cleanliness steel mills demand.
Challenge: moving beyond a feeder yard
Jeff Cammllarie founded Amerigo Metals in Atlanta in 2009 as a network of feeder yards and a scrap brokerage.
By 2014, market consolidation had changed the rules: to protect his margins, he needed to vertically integrate and shred his own material.
Result: from feeder yard to 12,000 tons per month
Running in line, the THOR 8080 and the PSZB-8360 preshredder exceed 80 tons per hour, with 40–50% higher mill productivity and roughly 20% longer hammer life.
Today Amerigo processes more than 12,000 tons per month at a low conversion cost.
Solution: THOR 8080 KP with a PSZB-8360 preshredder
In 2015 Amerigo brought in a THOR 8080 KP mobile hammermill (today’s THOR 2121 KP) with a modest initial investment.
In 2018 it expanded the line with a PSZB-8360 low-speed, high-torque preshredder (today’s PSZB 2115).
A partnership that grows with the customer
In 2022, ZB’s engineering team worked with Amerigo to redesign the preshredder’s shaft layout and improve venting of small propane tanks, a key safety concern for a yard in a densely populated area.
“Both ZB’s team in the United States and in the factory in Spain have been incredibly responsive. There have been challenges, but ZB has consistently taken ownership and ensured timely resolutions.”
— Jeff Cammllarie
For small and mid-sized yards facing a tough market, Amerigo’s experience shows that shredding at a low conversion cost is a real path to growth.
“As the market tightened in 2014, it became evident that surviving solely as a feeder yard was no longer viable for us. I needed to vertically integrate and start shredding.”
— Jeff Cammllarie, founder of Amerigo Metals
- 80+ tons per hour with the THOR 8080 and PSZB-8360 running in line.
- 40–50% higher mill productivity thanks to preshredding.
- Roughly 20% longer hammer life.
- 12,000+ tons per month after upgrading in 2023 to a 2,500 hp electric drive with a VFD.
“Our THOR 8080, paired with the PSZB-8360 preshredder, achieves over 80 tons per hour with a smaller mill and motor size than traditional setups. It allows us to maintain a lower conversion cost, which improves our competitiveness.”
— Jeff Cammllarie
- THOR 8080 KP hammermill (2121 KP) powered by a 2,100 hp diesel engine as a starting point.
- Modest initial investment, scaled up step by step alongside ZB.
- Expansion in 2018 with the PSZB-8360 (PSZB 2115) low-speed, high-torque preshredder.
- Basic upkeep: about 10 hours of hardfacing for every 4,000 tons preshredded.
- ZB’s U.S. service team and parts warehouse just 20 minutes from the yard.
Originally published in Recycling Today (January 2025).