To say Dexter-based ReCellular is growing would be an understatement. The General Motors of recycling cell phones went from 170 employees last year to more than 500 people today. And there are plans to create another 50 to 60 jobs this year.
"We've been on a quite a growth projection and May is set to be our best one ever," says Mike Newman, vice president of marketing at ReCellular.
The company started out as a cell phone rental company in the early 1990s, but switched to recycling when the phones became a disposable commodity.
ReCellular now recycles millions of cell phones each year and has more than 50 percent of the market share, according to Newman.
Tens upon tens of millions of cell phones are retired each year and countless more are sitting abandoned in desk drawers and glove boxes. ReCellular refurbishes and resells the ones that aren't too far gone or obsolete. The rest are ground up and recycled.
The company has gotten much better at this is recent years. It's revenue targets are on pace for more than 50 percent growth and looking to go higher as the company refines its business plan and partnerships.
"It allows us to grow more at a rate we can support," Newman says.
Given the rate the company has been growing, ReCellular must have quite the endurance.
Source: Mike Newman, vice president of marketing at ReCellular
Writer: Jon Zemke
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