Recycling Metal and Reviving Smaller Businesses
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By Anita L. Sherman
ocation. Location. The thriving family business has been in the same place for 100 years and Marshall residents in particular are quite familiar with the group of buildings nestled next to the railroad tracks near Route 691. The “Belvoir” part of Belvoir Recycling has remained unchanged since 1921 when Elmer Miller purchased it to house his blacksmith and wheelwright shop. By the 1930s, he went into the auto parts business. During World War II, having many old cars and unusable household appliances piling up proved to be a great source for high-demand scrap metal. With directives from the War Department and out of sheer necessity, Miller morphed his business into metal recycling. Joined by his brother James Miller, they forged a legacy in the community for establishing a successful business while having a lot of fun, anecdotal stories. Donald Hazel sits in a small office flipping through a huge binder containing past newspaper articles, meticulous accounting records and photographs from the Miller days. He and his two sons, Austin and Luke, currently own Belvoir Recycling. Some 20 years ago, Donald Hazel was looking for something different to do. When he learned that the longtime Miller property was for sale, he found his calling. In addition to recycling scrap metal, Hazel rents storage units to contractors. “I thought I’d try running a scrap yard,” said Austin Hazel, a graduate of Hampden Sydney, who manages the company with his father and brother Luke. The younger Hazel wasn’t sure what direction to take af-
ter graduation but has Belvoir Recycling found a hard-working 4292 Belvoir Road and creative career at Marshall, Virginia 20115 the recycling company (540) 253-5006 since 2011. www.scrapva.com “We’ve got a lot of end-of-life vehicles,” said Don Hazel, who described the processes involved in sorting, breaking up and hauling the various metals that come through their gates. Looking at large mounds of scrap metal, he said, “Two to three hundred tons a month is a good month.” Local farmers benefit from Belvoir Recycling’s weigh station. “We let them come in for free and weigh their loads,” said Don Hazel, adding that several military families have taken advantage as well. Circled by woods, the 27-acre facility is in its own world. Driving from Warrenton, there’s an ambiance of pristine farmland, rolling hills and grazing horses. And Belvoir’s business did not slow down in pandemic-ravaged 2020. While recycling scrap metal is the main focus, there’s also plenty of entrepreneurial reinvention going on. “We found that a lot of smaller contractors were being pushed out of more costly space in data center locations,” Don Hazel said. His answer was to offer them rental space. A small community of businesses is now housed within the property, including a tree service company, HVAC services, a trucking firm, among others. “Many go hand-in-hand with what we are doing,” said Hazel, “it’s a win-win.” Their recycling business may be ‘end-of-life’ when it comes to discarded metals, but their property serves as new life, a place where many businesses can
Austin Hazel is most proud of their magnetic crane making the tough job of lifting heavy metals that much easier. prosper, thrive and grow. “They’re all hard working and they come from a variety of backgrounds,” Don Hazel said. “That doesn’t make any difference…they’re all businessmen and all working to be successful.” Turning metal into money is just part of the plan. Their forward-thinking, inclusive and expanding vision of the future may very well ensure another 100 years.
Country ZEST & Style | Summer 2021
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