About Us
Berry Iron and Metal Company is the region’s leading independent locally-owned scrap metal recycler, serving West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.
We are an equal-opportunity employer and value a safe and healthy workplace, fostering the development and advancement of all employees. We value working with local, state, and federal law enforcement to ensure the safe and secure operation of our facilities, and continue to lead the effort to identify, report, and prevent materials theft. We recognize our role as critical partners in finding sustainable economic and environmental solutions. We also operate as good corporate citizens, working hard to support the social welfare and economic development of the communities in which we live and work. Berry Iron and Metal Company is proud to offer a wide array of services to meet your recycling needs.
Berry Iron and Metal was founded in 1943 as F.W. Berry and Sons Produce by Chilhowie businessman Fount W. Berry. In addition to buying and selling produce, the Berrys bought scrap metal, old cars, herbs, furs, and even live animals from local farmers and traders. These goods were then sold into different markets all over the east coast, as the business’s close proximity to the railroad offered convenient
shipping access in the days before tractor and trailers were commonplace. Most scrap metals were sent to Roanoke, Virginia where they would be processed and distributed, while herbs like ginseng were mainly sold in Boone, North Carolina and used in the production of herbal medicines. Animal hides and furs were sold to Arthur Slaughter in Bristol, Virginia, who then sold them in New York City markets to the
clothing industry.
After Fount W. Berry’s death in 1968, the business became known as Berry Iron and Metal and was owned by his daughter and two sons, and in 1973 the Berrys branched out with a building supply store across the street. (Berry Home Centers has since moved to Main Street and the original buildings across from the scrap yard are now used primarily for storage.)
A third generation family business owned and operated by one of F.W. Berry’s grandsons, today Berry Iron and Metal is a thriving recycling business, employing more than 50 people and shipping scrap metal both domestically and globally. As the global scrap industry continues to expand and change, Berry Iron and Metal has grown with it, and while expanding operations to include an automobile shredder facility in Princeton, West Virginia, the business remains firmly rooted in Chilhowie’s history and community.