New ITAD Company in Houston
On February 28th, eCircular, an ITAD firm based in Houston, Texas, opened its doors under the guidance of experienced professionals within the industry. The organization’s goal is to cater to an overlooked segment of the ITAD market while also supporting fellow processors.
The leadership team at eCircular consists of Michael Schuler who serves as the executive vice president, Stephen Patrick as vice president, and Angel Martinez representing the director of commodities and procurement. Each member brings extensive knowledge gained from their tenures across a lengthy list of ITAD operations.
During a recent interview, Schuler noted the operational capacity of the firm’s 38,000-square-foot center as having a monthly processing goal of approximately 50,000 units. eCircular’s vision is to keep material moving with a quick turnover rate of 30 days to minimize the need for storage space. Additionally, the company currently employs nine technicians, with plans to expand the team in the coming months and potentially scale to 50 employees soon.
According to Schuler, it is common for technicians to process up to 80 laptops daily and the primary focus at the facility will be on organizing and consolidating devices for future use. However, the on-site services will not include shredding or other forms of commodity recovery.
Schuler also shared with E-Scrap News that its “real objective is to get top dollar on material that is working but might be below the cutline for most people.”
Tailored to “Fit a Certain Segment of the ITAD Market”
Having spent years in the e-scrap industry with experience at organizations such as Veterans Alliance Resourcing, and HiTech Assets, Schuler emphasized that the company is strategically positioned to service a specific niche within the ITAD market. Oftentimes, larger corporations steer clear of smaller projects or those beyond their scope, especially if the task fails to bring significant returns to the company.
In Schuler’s perspective, the threshold for a job to be economically feasible for major corporations is “actually getting higher and higher because of their operational costs.” Unfortunately, certain tasks no longer offer sufficient value for these companies to invest their resources. Schuler specifically pointed out Generation 7, 8, and 9 servers, Chromebooks, as well as desktops and laptops below the 4th generation i-Series as examples of this issue.
But, Schuler is confident that eCircular’s team will effectively handle these projects through its streamlined operations and deep expertise within the industry.
In addition to his vast background in developing secondary markets, Schuler is optimistic about eCircular’s ability to collaborate with ITAD operators who may lack expertise in certain areas. He highlighted that while some ITAD providers specialize in managing data centers and networking gear, they may lack the necessary skills in handling PC equipment.
“That’s where we could come in and be a partner to them, and do it very economically,” he stated.
Houston, Texas was selected by the company due to its strategic positioning close to a shipping hub. He reiterated by stating, “We’re in a good position to be able to get top dollar for the recycled material and cut our costs because we’re at a port city.”
