07/01/2026
As Tech Week 2026 shines a spotlight on innovation and the industries shaping our future, we want to recognize the role MetalX and the Rifkin family have played in transforming modern recycling. Their work embodies exactly what Tech Week celebrates — technology-driven sustainability, circular manufacturing, and forward thinking industrial progress.
For more than eight decades, the Rifkin family has helped build and modernize the American scrap industry. What began in 1943 with Superior Iron & Metal in Fort Wayne grew into OmniSource, one of the nation’s largest and most influential recycling companies. Today, that legacy continues through MetalX and its leadership.
We’re proud to highlight three key innovators whose vision continues to move the industry forward:
• Leonard Rifkin – Expanded OmniSource into a national leader and helped modernize scrap processing and supply chain systems.
• Danny Rifkin – Longtime industry expert, former OmniSource CEO, founding member of Steel Dynamics, and founder of MetalX. His work advanced nonferrous recycling and strengthened strategic partnerships across the manufacturing sector.
• Neal Rifkin – Now leading MetalX as President, driving the company’s push toward a fully circular aluminum supply chain.
MetalX and the Rifkin family operate across every part of the recycling cycle — from collecting and processing scrap, to melting and manufacturing new feedstock, to supplying mills, and finally returning production scrap back into the loop. This full circle system reduces waste, supports domestic manufacturing, and keeps valuable materials in use instead of in landfills.
Recycling isn’t just good for the environment — it’s a major economic engine. The industry creates jobs, strengthens supply chains, lowers carbon emissions, and helps manufacturers stay competitive. MetalX facilities across Indiana, and Texas support hundreds of workers and contribute to long term regional growth.
Over the years, the scrap industry has become a true example of how technology can transform even the most traditional fields. Modern recycling now relies on high tech systems like auto shredders capable of breaking down entire vehicles in seconds, X ray and sensor based sorting machines that identify metal types with incredible precision, and advanced automation that improves safety and efficiency across every step of the process. What used to be manual, labor intensive work has evolved into a technology driven operation powered by robotics, data analytics, and continuous innovation — and the Rifkin family has been at the forefront of adopting and advancing these tools. Their commitment to modernizing scrap processing is a perfect reflection of the spirit of Tech Week.