When Bruno Tosi first opened his scrap yard in the mid 1940’s on Fulton Street, he may not have realized he was establishing a legacy. Now the business is owned and operated by Randy Tosi, grandson of Bruno, and over the past four and a half decades, he has witnessed firsthand a number of significant changes in the industry. Bruno’s is part of a nationwide industry, recycling massive quantities of aluminum cans annually. They take in everything from aluminum cans and plastic bottles to lawn mowers, washing machines and automobiles, paying customers varying rates for different metals. We’re a processing center,” Randy said. “We process all grades of metal to international standards and ship accordingly to various buyers across the country, and even around the globe. 60% of Bruno’s products are exported, predominately to the Pacific Rim; 20% is shipped to the East Coast, and the remaining 20% is shipped throughout the West Coast. Metal recycling is a complex industry and Randy watches the commodity markets, taking cues from Wall Street in calculating the value of metals.
“I think people would be surprised to learn this is much more that a scrap yard”, said Randy. “The image of my grandfather’s business is not the image of today’s business. We’ve changed a lot over the years, and for the better.” Randy refers to both the operation as well as the industry. As for Bruno’s, what began as a metal and iron salvage operation, has grown to a major resource for recycling in the Central Valley. Randy is very serious about creating an Earth-friendly environment. Bruno’s is grateful and recognizes all their customers who contribute to the millions of pounds of materials each month Says Randy, “This is a customer driven industry, and our customers are pretty special”.
