Born Scrappy
Born Scrappy
Stu Kagan
Shaping the Future of Recycling with COO Tyler Adams
48 minutes Posted Apr 16, 2025 at 4:00 pm.
by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right built for scrappies, by scrappies.Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.COME SAY HI ON LINKEDINhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/
Welcome to Born Scrappy
Tyler's Journey into the Industry
Leadership and Management Insights
The Importance of Data-Driven Decisions
Challenges and Opportunities in Metal Recycling
Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions
Empowering Your Team for Success
Industry Shifts and Future Predictions
The Role of AI in Metal Recycling
Starting a Metal Recycling Business
Addressing Industry-Wide Challenges
Quick Fire Round: Getting to Know Tyler
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Show notes
Send us a textIn this week’s episode I chat to Tyler Adams, COO of SA Recycling. Tyler was born scrappy and has emerged into one of the most forward-thinking leaders in our industry today. He started boots on the ground, degree in hand, and was given permission to fail. The way he thinks about leadership, culture, finance, and operations is steeped in intergenerational wisdom, deep personal experience, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.In this episode, we talk about:👉 Building in diversity and optionality👉 Understanding your margins👉 Where data meets gut feel👉 Believing in your team👉 Uncovering talent👉 And much more!Listen to the full episode. Wherever you stream your podcasts.Born Scrappy. Brought to you by Buddy.The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.https://www.tradebuddy.io/https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?26 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 9 rugby coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.COME SAY HI ON LINKEDINhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/