DULIN METALS - Key Persons
Bret heads our Des Plaines, Illinois operation, and is responsible for the domestic sales of red metals for Venture Metals +. He ensures our finished goods adhere to the highest standards, meeting the strict technical and quality specifications expected by our consumers.
He has more than a decade of experience in the scrap metal industry and began his career at the plant level in an operations support role. He worked his way up to plant manager, then general manager, and is now our VP of Commercial Operations.
Bret's focus has been on providing solutions for precision manufactured parts, and industrial stampers, extracting the most value from processed scrap metal for our end consumers.
Bret studied geology at the University of Kansas, and now resides in Chicago with his wife and son.
In his spare time, Bret's an avid painter and enjoys spending time on Lake Michigan where he ran rescue operations prior to working in the metals industry.
VM + recognizes and celebrates success better than any other company I have ever worked for. I feel so fortunate to work for a company where everyone is treated so well.
With more than 20 years of experience in global scrap metal trading, Chris leads our global and domestic sales department.
His expertise in export logistics, international banking transactions, and commodity trading has been a key component in the global growth of Venture Metals +.
Chris attended the University of Texas at Arlington and University of Phoenix, where he earned a BS in management.
He has been with VM + since the very beginning - 2010 - and lives in the Dallas area.
I'm passionate about this company, its direction, and the people I work with. Their dedication creates such an engaging and fulfilling work environment.
Eric is a 30-year industry veteran who literally grew up in the scrap metal recycling business alongside his entrepreneurial brother and other mentors. He's been involved in all aspects of the industry - from operating big machinery to overall operations - always ensuring that facilities are run in an efficient, safe, and organized manner.
During his time with Venture Metals + Eric has developed long-term relationships across the country to negotiate the best results for business growth. He's overseen a wide range of initiatives and processes, from disaster demolition, equipment repairs, and facilities operations. He remains committed to the values of quality, safety, and service, encouraging high material quality shipments, consistent material flows, transparent shipping schedules and optimal margins.
Eric resides in Dallas with his wife Kelly and two sons. He's an active member of the Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas President's Club and a dedicated member of the Booster Club to support the football and basketball programs and the athletic passions of his sons. If there's any spare time between sports seasons, Eric can be found volunteer coaching for youth sports programs or taking a trip for some good deep-sea fishing.
At VM +, we're a family, not a bunch of employees. We're friends at work and outside of work. Our leadership team strives to treat everyone as equals and stay true to our word. I will be forever grateful for the experience I've had here.
With deep roots in the industry and over 30 years of wide-ranging scrap facility experience, Joel drives Venture Metals +'s business growth and profitability with a focus on data-driven analysis and cost-aware practical solutions.
His high-performance teams consistently look for more effective ways to operate at a high level of efficiency so we can pass on maximum cost-savings to our customers.
He keeps us focused on our mission and objectives through continuous process improvement, and maintains an efficient, hands-on operating culture.
Before joining VM + Joel was President of EMR - Southern Recycling for 8 years and President of Southern Scrap Material Co., LLC for five years. He also owned and operated his own consulting company, Dupre Diversified, for 7 years.
Joel attended Louisiana State University and graduated with a BS in quantitative business analysis.
We process hundreds of millions of pounds of recyclable materials every year, keeping them out of landfills. To make that happen, our teams must be efficient, highly trained, and fully dedicated to safe practices. I'm proud of their professionalism and accomplishments. We're well positioned to look toward the future and continue to raise the bar for the years to come.
Kelly is responsible for the growth and management of our industrial account portfolio. She helps create and build global partnerships between Venture Metals + and the industrial sector.
With over 15 years of business development experience, she's worked extensively with Fortune 100 companies across a wide range of industries, including technology, market research, and media.
Kelly graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in Communications and Marketing. She's currently pursuing a master's degree in Creative Business Leadership at the Savannah College of Art and Design's De Sole School of Business Innovation.
In her spare time, Kelly's very involved in her community and supporting local veterans. She also is an advocate for the Alzheimer's Association. She enjoys traveling and, at last count, has visited 48 U.S. states and more than 10 countries. Her hobbies include photography, health and fitness, country music, and college football. She resides in the Dallas Fort-Worth area.
Job Titles:
- Director of Venture Metals Asia
Rocky leads our teams in both Seoul and Gunsan, Korea where he oversees the sale of our non-ferrous metal products to end consumers.
He got his start in the industry in 2012, as a buyer for aluminum scrap at POSCO-Mtech. Rocky attended Hanyang University where he earned a BS in management. He lives in a suburban area of Seoul with his family.
VMA is working hard to establish a more efficient hub in Asia - to service suppliers and supply final consumers in the region.
Lyndsay and her in-house logistics team are the sole points of contact for all trucking and transportation related services, for all of Venture Metals +. They also handle all cross-border documentation and coordination, roll off inventory control, and fleet maintenance.
Lyndsay has worked in the scrap metal industry for more than 10 years and got her start working for a 4th-generation scrap company in Buffalo, New York.
Lyndsay graduated from Niagara Community College with a degree in hospitality management, lives in Fort Worth with her husband, daughter, and two dogs, and enjoys travel, exploration, and the outdoors.
Matt is responsible for the management and development of the Venture Metals + commercial team where he buys and sells a variety of scrap commodities both domestically and internationally.
Matt is a third-generation scrap entrepreneur. He has long-standing relationships with industrial and dealer suppliers as well as with electric arc furnace mills, integrated steel mills, and stainless-steel foundry consumers.
Matt graduated from the University of Denver with a BA in Communications.
Matt lives in Houston, Texas with his wife, Pam, and their two kids. He enjoys running and watching sports.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Executive Vice President
Mike brings more than 30 years of financial and business experience from the public accounting, manufacturing, and service industries.
He is responsible for the treasury, accounting, information technology, and financial planning and analysis services of the company.
Prior to joining Venture Metals +, Mike spent six years as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Strategic Materials, a global leader in glass recycling. He has focused much of his career in privately held companies, driving transformational improvements to improve business transparency and execution reliability for stakeholders.
Mike resides in the Houston area and enjoys spending time with his family, sports of all sorts, and cars.
He earned his BBA in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
I'm excited about VM + and our momentum in scaling our global business. We're committed to our employees, customers, and investors and continue to responsibly build this world class operation. This is a great time to be part of the VM + family.
Preston currently serves as Venture Metals +'s VP of Commercial Operations. He's responsible for the strategic planning, analytics, and organization of the department.
Preston's 17 years of experience in the recycling industry includes treasury, finance, and mergers and acquisitions; as well as being the management representative for the company's ISO certification.
Preston's recycling career began in his college days. As a freshman at the University of Kansas, he received the annual Rock Chalk award for most community service hours for a recycling project he created to serve the entire campus. His project developed a process to set collection containers at campus facilities and provided weekly pickup and delivery to the local recycling center.
Preston went on to graduate with a BGS in psychology from the University of Kansas and obtained his MBA from the University of Dallas.
Preston lives in Dallas, Texas with his family and is a competitive tennis player.
With more than 27 years of HR experience, Rob, and his team are responsible for all human resources functions across Venture Metals +, including strategic and tactical work.
Rob prides himself in being an expert in change management and diversity and inclusion.
Rob graduated from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, with a BS in Human Resources Management; MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas, with an MBA; and Warren National University in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a PhD in Business Administration.
Rob is originally from Kansas City, Missouri but has lived in the Dallas area since 2015. He's an avid sports fan and loves his Kansas City Chiefs.
Sean puts his six years of industry experience to work leading the Venture Metals + corporate sales team, where they manage our large-scale manufacturing and industrial supply partnerships.
Sean joined VM + out of college as a trainee and was quickly promoted to dispatch manager. He is now a senior member of our commercial team. Sean earned a BA in marketing from Baylor University and lives in Dallas with his wife, Kailey, and dog, Murphy.
When not in the office, Sean enjoys spending much-deserved time with family, traveling, and relaxing at the lake.
VM + is a great place to work. I'm proud of the fact that our leadership team demonstrates that doing the right thing is what will make us successful and our employees happy.