Timeline

• 

  1900

  Leon Lotzkar arrived in Vancouver from Bulgaria. Pacific Northwest Junk was established as a horse-and-buggy salvage company trading rags, metal and hides.

• 

  1912

  Leon Lotzkar made a strategic pivot, realizing the importance of the scrap metal industry he changed the company name and Pacific Metals Ltd. was incorporated. At this time, Leon Lotzkar leased land downtown Vancouver from the Canadian National Railway and the company switched from being a salvage company to a non-ferrous and ferrous scrap metal company.

• 

  1941

  During World War 2, the need for scrap metal was heightened to support the war effort. Leon Lotzkar saw this need and travelled across Canada by rail in order to lobby government and promote the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries.

• 

  1960

  Pacific Metals Ltd. changed hands from the first generation to the second generation when Leon’s son, Joe Lotzkar, took the reins.

• 

  1966

  Joe Lotzkar saw the need for the larger location and moved Pacific Metals to its’ current South Vancouver location.

• 

  1968

  Joe’s son, Mark, joined Pacific Metals full time.

• 

  1970

  Joe had a passion for travel and during a trip to Taiwan he developed a relationship with a local Taiwanese scrap dealer. It was at this time that Pacific Metals’ International Trading department was created and a barter trade relationship with Taiwan began.

• 

  1987

  Pacific Metals joined the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) what was once ISIS and NARI.

• 

  1998

  The second torch passing from the second-to-the-third generation took place. At this time, Mark became President and General Manager at Pacific Metals

• 

  2000

  Pacific Metals celebrates its 100th year since Leon Lotzkar started Pacific Northwest Junk, making it the oldest recycling company in Western Canada.

• 

  2013

  Pacific Metals acquired a second 3 acre logistics location in Delta, BC.