BELLE FOURCHE—Recycling was a way of life for Tony Dean and his father-in-law, Randy Ruby, long before they bought Northern Hills Scrap Metal. “I ran a garbage truck for a lot of years, and I always kept stuff that I’d find—that people would throw away—so I was a scrapper beforehand. We started a recycling company up at our garbage company and just did like cardboard and papers and plastics and glass bottles and stuff like that,” explained Dean. “So we kind of already had a general idea of how recycling worked, and then heard that the scrap yard out here was for sale, and we decided to buy it, and just been going crazy ever since!”
The transition into recycling was an easy fit as the duo already owned Refuse Solutions Inc. and have collected the garbage around the area for the past 17 years. The two businesses seem to go hand in hand, although all new adventures come with a learning curve. “There was a lot more to running an entire scrap yard than we anticipated. But just like any new business you run into bumps along the way and just figure out how to overcome them and become more efficient and just keep going,” said Dean.
Northern Hills Scrap Metal takes in any metals that are recyclable. “We do all kinds of scrap metal, including, cars, old equipment, aluminum cans, copper, you know, basically everything—all the recyclable metal,” said Dean.
The local recycling center is the first step on in a multitiered process to make used items new again. “So most of the tin—the cars and stuff—we have a big baler out here and we make big bales, and they go to another facility that has a shredder and they shred everything—it separates all the garbage out. It separates all the aluminum and copper and the brass into different groups and then they send it to mills to get melted back down and made into new new steel or new copper pipes or whatever,” explained Dean. “I’m just the first stage in many stages before it shows back up as a new pop can, or a new car or whatever.”
As the owner of a business, Dean has had to adapt and become versatile because he is responsible for all aspects of the company. While his wife works with the garbage company and runs the office, he still has to step in and drive garbage trucks if needed. He is involved where he needs to be. Dean said, “Some days it’s really nice being an owner and some days it’s really tough. If there’s something that has to be done by the next morning before you open, you have to work until 9:00-10:00 at night to get it done!”
Searching for a new opportunity to grow an old family business landed the Dean and Ruby families right here in Belle Fourche almost 20 years ago. Mr. Ruby owned a garbage company with his dad and brother in Minot, ND. He decided he was ready to branch out on his own. Dean explained, “He asked us if we would move down to South Dakota with him and buy a company and grow it and help him run it, and we did, and it has been great!”
The move to Belle Fourche has been a good fit for them. “We love it, it’s quiet and we don’t like the city—I grew up just north of Minneapolis and I don’t even like going back and driving through the cities to go visit family—it’s just too crazy,” shared Dean.
After 17 years and two businesses together, Dean is very content working with his wife and father-in-law. “I have been told my whole life, never go into business with your family because it just makes a strain on things—but we manage it really well,” shared Dean. “I wouldn’t have it any other way—looking back, it’s been great!”
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