A leading nonferrous metal recycling company has announced plans to open a new facility in Northwest Ohio.

MetalX LLC will invest more than $250 million to construct an advanced aluminum recycling campus in Defiance, which is expected to create 180 new jobs.

The project will include two components:

  • An aluminum rolling slab manufacturing plant that will convert scrap into large aluminum slabs. The slabs will be consumed by rolling mills to make new aluminum sheet for the automotive, beverage and building products industries.
  • A state of the art aluminum scrap shredding and advanced sortation facility built to support both the slab plant and third-party aluminum consumers, which will be an extension of MetalX’s existing business.

The two new facilities will be built on a 190-acre campus. Current development plans include one million total square feet of new buildings, with ample room for capacity expansion.

"We are excited to expand into Ohio and are looking forward to a continued partnership with the economic development groups as we complete final design and engineering, begin to hire our first employees, and break ground on the new facility in the near future."

– Danny Rifkin, CEO, MetalX

The independent metals recycling company, founded in 2012, processes more than 350 million pounds of nonferrous scrap every year. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., MetalX currently employs 260 people throughout its three operating locations and corporate office. 

Rifkin said they chose Defiance because that site met all key criteria for the project, including transportation, rail access, proximity to sources of scrap supply and customers, and a strong workforce development environment.

"We are ecstatic MetalX chose Defiance County. We know this new investment is going to have a transformative impact on our local families and Northwest Ohio for generations to come."

– Erika Willitzer, Executive Director, Defiance County Economic Development

Rifkin and the MetalX team were complimentary of the economic development partners who helped push the project forward, including JobsOhio, the Regional Growth Partnership and Defiance County Economic Development.

“MetalX had many options when choosing where to build its newest facility, and it chose Ohio. The investment will come on a readily developable site with critical access to rail that will bring 180 new jobs to Defiance County.”

– J.P. Nauseef, President & CEO, JobsOhio

The plant is expected to become fully operational in the first half of 2027.

MetalX is an independent metals recycling business founded in 2012 by Danny and Neal Rifkin, third and fourth-generation members of the Rifkin family, whose history in the industry is well-known. MetalX is engaged in nonferrous scrap processing, consulting & management services, and the application of new technologies for aluminum and copper recycling. The company is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For more information, contact Michelle Shakoor at mshakoor@metalx.net or by phone at 260.232.3031.

The Regional Growth Partnership is the lead economic development organization serving 17 counties in Northwest Ohio. As a private nonprofit development corporation, the RGP is dedicated to fostering regional, national and international business investment opportunities across the region. The RGP serves as Northwest Ohio’s network partner for JobsOhio. Visit www.rgp.org for more information.

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.