History
Given our history in recycling, it seems only natural to reinvent our companies.
Hershman Recycling’s roots date back to 1887 when Israel Hershman collected rags, scrap metal and other “junk” via horse and wagon on the streets of New Haven, Connecticut. Israel’s great-grandson, Ethan Hershman, joined the family business in 1981 and has helped transform the company from a processor and trader of recyclables into what it is today.
Bruce W. Fleming began his career in the recycling industry in 1974 as a student at Princeton University where he resurrected the University’s recycling program and wrote his senior thesis on the economics of producing paper from recycled newsprint. After three years at Garden State Paper Company, the world’s first 100% recycled newsprint mill, Fleming founded what came to be known as Canusa Corporation as a domestic trader of recycled fiber.
Fast forward to 2002, when the unlikely pair of Hershman and Fleming decided to merge their competing businesses to form Canusa Hershman Recycling. Together, Canusa Hershman expanded into other recyclable commodities (plastics) and new markets (Asia), while building and growing three large material recovery facilities in the mid-Atlantic. This established Canusa Hershman Recycling as one of the most well respected and largest independent recyclers in the United States.
Canusa Hershman has continued to evolve and has established itself as one of the world’s largest independent commodity trading and supply chain management companies. In addition to offering solutions for the recycling industry, CH has expanded to Plastic Resins, Containerboard & Packaging Papers, and Pulp & Alternative Fibers while expanding its international markets and capabilities. The success of CH remains rooted in having the most talented and dedicated people in the industry that provide suppliers and customers with superior market knowledge and legendary customer service in combination with creative and effective financing and supply chain solutions.
History of Canusa Hershman
- 1887
- 1910
- 1940's
- 1971
- 1973
- 1974
- 1980
- 1981
- 1984
- 1986
- 1990
- 2002
- 2003
- 2005
- 2008
- 2009
- 2011
- 2012
- 2015
- 2018
- 2020
- Jan, 2021
- Aug, 2021
- Oct, 2021
- 2022
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Hershman Company History
The family business begins when Isreal Hershman creates I Hershman Company, a pioneer recycling operation that collected rags, metals, and scrap wood for repurposing. -
Hershman Company History
I Hershman Company establishes its first material recycling facility in New Haven, CT. -
Hershman Company History
I Hershman Company opens its brokerage division and expands to a 50,000 square foot facility. -
Hershman Company History
I Hershman Company makes a groundbreaking move when it installs the first automatic baler on the East Coast. This exponentially increases efficiency of materials processing. -
Hershman Company History
I Hershman Company begins exporting recyclables to South America, becoming one of the first exporters in the industry. -
Canusa Corp History
Bruce Fleming begins his career in the recycling industry as a student at Princeton University where he resurrects University’s recycling program. -
Canusa Corp History
Fleming’s work with the Princeton recycling program leads to an opportunity to work for Garden State Paper, the first paper mill in the world to commercially produce recycled newsprint from only old newspapers. -
CANUSA CORP HISTORY
Fleming co-founds the company which would become Canusa Corporation, as a domestic trader of recovered fiber. -
Hershman Company History
Canusa Hershman’s co-founders, Ethan Hershman and Bruce Fleming, first meet. Neither could have predicted that they would become partners almost 20 years later. -
Hershman Company History
Ethan Hershman becomes President of the family business and rebrands as Hershman Recycling. -
CANUSA CORP HISTORY
Canusa and The Washington Post Company establish Capitol Fiber, a joint venture 100,000 square foot processing facility in Springfield, VA to process and market D.C.’s curbside collected newspapers. -
Canusa Hershman Merger
Canusa Hershman Recycling Company (“CHRC”) is created through the merger of “Hershman Recycling” and Canusa’s recycling division.
