History

Before URT, CRT Processing

CRT Processing, LLC was formed by Don Seiler and Jim Cornwell in 2003 to process electronic waste (e-waste) including cathode ray tube (CRT) glass-to-glass recycling. It was one of only a handful in the nation, and the only Midwestern firm, to do so at the time. As an engineer, Seiler designed advanced processing equipment capable of breaking down electronic component parts for safe and responsible recycling. This allowed CRT Processing to process e-waste in-house for its customers, making the company an exceptionally trustworthy partner for big businesses. With a long and respected career in universal waste management, Cornwell worked with Seiler to develop a vision for the future that included the development of multiple lines of universal recycling services and products.

Rapid Expansion

The partnership of these visionary owners set the stage for rapid expansion. In 2007, the company was noticed and then acquired by the Hendricks Holding Co. (HHC) of Beloit, WI. HHC was founded by the late Ken Hendricks and is now owned and operated by his wife, Diane Hendricks. Almost immediately after the HHC partnership, CRT Processing acquired Uniwaste Systems in Portsmouth, NH and acquired Environmental Light Recyclers, a fluorescent lamp processing facility in Fort Worth, TX. In 2009, CRT continued to grow, opening a West Coast e-waste processing facility in Clackamas, OR; acquiring Resource Technology, a fluorescent lamp recycling equipment sales and service company; and introducing WasteSecure, a pre-paid pack-and-ship box program for fluorescent lamp and battery recycling.

CRT Processing becomes URT

By late 2009, it was clear that CRT Processing, LLC had expanded far beyond the “CRT processing” that first brought it acclaim. With its full-service universal waste recycling service and product lines, it was time for a new name to match the company’s expanded mission. In January 2010, CRT Processing, LLC became Universal Recycling Technologies, LLC (URT).

A Change in Leadership

In the mid-2010’s, URT began researching post-shred solutions for plastics and after years of testing and developing prototype systems URT launched their first Plastics Separation System (Sink Float) in 2021. During that time, URT also celebrated over one billion pounds of materials recycled in 2019. Then in 2021, Jim Cornwell retired and Ken Thomas (URT’s former Vice President of Finance) became the new president of URT.

In 2022, URT tripled the size of its Texas Facility located in Fort Worth, TX and added a Copper Processing System (Copper Chopper) at both its Wisconsin and Texas Facilities continuing URT’s goal of creating a cleaner and high quality output for our vendors.