INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES


Inside, outside


on a wall painted


and even


BOBCAT SKID-STEER LOADERS ARE EVERYWHERE AT A RHODE ISLAND RECYCLING CENTER, PROVIDING RELIABLE SERVICE FOR A FAMILY-RUN OPERATION CELEBRATING 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS


A giant mural painted on the side of one of its buildings celebrates the 100th year of Berger Recycling in Pawtucket, R.I. The artwork, 100-feet long and 15-feet high, highlights local landmarks along with the people, processes and equipment that have made the family-owned business so successful.


skid-steer loader, a fi xture on-site for almost half the time the company has been in business.


Among the items pictured in the mural is a Bobcat®


“Bobcat equipment has been important to us, so it’s only fi tting that we include one of the loaders in the artwork that illustrates our history,” says Adam Sinel, vice president of operations. “We don’t think any other machines would stand up to the abuse we put our loaders through. This is a very tough work environment, and for decades our Bobcat loaders have been exceptionally reliable.”


As a result of the long record of dependable performance, the company currently owns six Bobcat skid-steer loaders to move materials around


20 WorkSaver | FALL 2012


the 3-acre recycling center — a new M-Series S750, two S300s, two S130s and a 753, along with attachments such as an angle broom, pallet forks, industrial buckets with grapples and snow/light material buckets.


FOUR GENERATIONS OLD Today the fi rm is owned by Sam and Charles Sinel, grandsons of the founder, Hyman Berger. Their father, Abe, ran the business until his unexpected death in 1958. At that point, their mother Edith took over and spent about a decade in charge until her sons joined the business. Adam, son of Charles, is the fourth-generation family member to work at the company.


When asked about Berger Recycling’s history with Bobcat equipment, Sam readily produced a bill of sale dated November 19, 1965, when Edith purchased an M444 Bobcat loader for $3,120.


“Since that day, we have never used another brand,” Adam says. “Other manufacturers have tried to sell us


machines over the years, but just by looking at their loaders, we knew they wouldn’t hold up as good as Bobcat equipment. Just one example — the Bobcat tailgate is as rugged as they come; the others looked like they would rip off or puncture in a second. It’s just not worth it to have anything other than Bobcat loaders working in these conditions.”


And when it comes to work, the machines are kept plenty busy around the recycling facility.


Material, including scrap metal, waste paper, plastic, electronics, wire, textiles and batteries, are brought in six days a week, often dumped on the ground, sorted by the loaders, and then carried to the conveyor system that delivers it to the balers. The fi nal products are bales ranging from 1,000 pounds to 3,000 pounds.


“We use the S130s to handle the lighter material such as paper,” Adam says. “Those smaller machines are fantastic. At times we use them to go into a truck box and grab containers of waste paper and loose cardboard. One of our loading


The newest Bobcat loader — an M-Series S750 — easily handles scrap metal with a Bobcat industrial grapple and bucket.


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