Prestige Awards Winner 2021! Most Innovative Recycling Service of the Year

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Exclusive Interview with Award Winner

Here at Scrap Local we are proud to announce that the founder and face of the business, Martin Handley, has been awarded for the Most Innovative Recycling Service in Manchester and the Northwest of England for 2020/2021! Created and awarded by the Prestige Awards, this award is given to businesses whose products and services, marketing and branding, quality of service, and employee satisfaction deem them the best in their market over the past 12 months.

This is a very exciting time and we wanted to speak with Martin himself to learn more about him and his business!

What did you do before Scrap Local?

“I started out as a scrap collector and eventually got a job as a scrap labourer at Wallace Reader and Sons Ltd. I wanted to start earning and this job was convenient for me as I used to swim competitively and could travel quickly from the pool to the scrapyard. I enjoyed working there and after 5 years I was promoted to manager and became the first non-family member to receive profit related shares in the company. As manager I learnt skills in development and web design, and I soon realised the importance of optimised websites when creating successful businesses. With this knowledge I was keen to run my own company and in January 2017 I embarked on this journey.”

What got you interested in the scrap industry?

“I sort of fell into it. I never planned to go into this industry, but I’m glad I did! The more I worked at Wallace Reader and Sons Ltd, the more I learnt about and enjoyed what I was doing. It was only logical for me to combine my interest in the scrap industry and my knowledge of digital technologies when founding Scrap Local Ltd.”
When and why did you decide to start your own business?

“After leaving my previous job, I started building websites and providing search engine optimisation for multiple businesses with the hope of starting my own digital marketing agency. I knew the potential for customers using smartphones to find local businesses and I wanted to tap into it!

That being said, working for multiple business genres and niches became time consuming so I decided to narrow things down to helping businesses in something I was passionate about: the scrap industry! I acquired my first customer as proof of concept which then became scraplocal.co.uk and duplicated the process for multiple agencies to distribute leads.”

In your opinion, what are the most important things to running a successful, local business?

“You need the right team and support, a sound set of morals, and the drive and passion to make a difference. One of the reasons behind Scrap Local was to create a one stop shop for everything scrap to make sure that customers could get what they needed hassle free. I wanted to make the process of doing simple tasks actually simple for people, and I feel that that has helped us run a successful, local business.”

What products and services do you provide which sets Scrap Local apart from others in the industry?

“Scrap Local started out as a lead generation company and became a niche directory to expand the market to scrap metal dealers and vehicle recyclers. As a result of developing our system to manage enquiries we have a software as a service product, and we are working towards becoming a platform to assist multiple industries with lead generation and management in the future.”

What steps do you take as a business to make sure your staff and customers are happy?

“The key to keeping people happy is transparency! I’m a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and I always ensure to keep my staff and customers in-the-know about things. Honesty and clear communication go a long way when it comes to running a successful business with people you value. Additionally, I make sure that my staff have the right tools and equipment to do their jobs properly and with little stress. I’ve heard from some that the worst part of any business is the staff and people, and I’m happy to say that for me that’s far from the truth! I’m very lucky to have the team I’ve got as they understand and share my vision for the company and without them I think I’d lose the drive to keep it going.”
How did you hear about the award and how did you celebrate winning?

“I was nominated by a family member and I heard the results over the phone. Sadly, I haven’t had the chance to celebrate properly yet due to Covid, but I did do a happy little dance inside for the occasion.”

Where do you plan to take Scrap Local?

“In the future, I want to help other industries in the form of local brands streamline their lead management and distribution process. The one thing Covid has taught me is the importance of keeping local businesses connected now more than ever. With tech giants like Amazon dominating the retail industry, it’s crucial to lend local businesses a helping hand to overcome any technological barriers. If I can help even a handful of local businesses out with this, then I’ll be very happy.”

Congratulations, Martin!

We at Scrap Local look forward to realising your vision for Scrap Local and continuing to provide our agents and customers with our innovative and ambitious service.

Are you a scrapyard looking to improve the presence of your business online?

Feel free to get in touch with us!

01706 577 574