Restructure and new MD steer global recycling firm into exciting period of growth

Tony Hayer, Managing Director at S. Norton Group 2023

Leaders in innovative recycling and global exporter, S. Norton Group has revealed its vision for growth following a restructure of the Group and the appointment of new managing director, Tony Hayer.

Founded in 1962, the company has long established metals recycling operations across the UK in Liverpool, Manchester, London and Southampton.
 
Compared with using raw materials to manufacture metals and plastics, recycling saves energy and helps protect the environment. S. Norton Group supports a circular economy nationally and internationally by collecting, processing and distributing approx. 1.5m tonnes of recycled metals each year. The company recycles 95% of all materials it processes, with a target of sending zero waste to landfill; an objective it constantly strives towards. This is all part of the company’s vision to work together towards a world where nothing goes to waste.
 
Among the many actions implemented to take the successful business into the future is a restructuring to fully integrate the work of subsidiary, Axion Polymers, which was acquired in 2018. This has enabled the company to provide integrated end to end solutions for its customers for both metals and plastics.
 
Heading up this new era at S. Norton Group, Tony Hayer brings a wealth of experience, drawing on 20 years’ of working on large scale projects and business management. Together with the board, a restructured management team and the recent appointment of a new non-executive director, he has implemented new structures and systems to enable the company to focus on growth, increase its market share and support the delivery of sustainability goals for metal and plastic production.
 
Setting out his vision, Tony Hayer, Managing Director, S. Norton Group, said:
 
“Now in its 60th anniversary year, S. Norton Group is a hugely respected company in the industry. We are positioning the company for the future, building on its position as leaders in metals recycling innovation. We are committed to delivering a circular economy for waste metals, ensuring valuable raw materials are responsibly recycled and diverted from landfill. That commitment is at the heart of our vision for the company, as we continue to improve our processes and push toward measurable outcomes that demonstrate sustainability, ethical business practices and social responsibility from grass roots up.
 
“Having been at the company since 2019, we have delved deep into the values that have made this family business an outstanding employer for the past six decades. Our company values demonstrate our way of working and provide a framework for all our activities. We are actively encouraging all of our employees to work to these values and behaviours. We pledge to take S. Norton Group to the next level, while still keeping our people and our culture – which is the driving force of the business – at the forefront of our operations.”
 
Graham Donohue, Finance Director, S Norton Group, added:
 
“Tony understands the S. Norton Group, the sector and the importance of growing the company from within while managing workflow and investment. I look forward to working with him as we drive the company into a really exciting period of growth.”
 
At the heart of this innovation agenda, the company has undertaken a number of projects to implement or improve recycling processes with the likes of Warwick Manufacturing Group, where it was part of a consortium to establish a new automotive battery pack manufacturing research centre, and Jaguar Land Rover, to carry out an R&D project to refine the process of turning aluminium derived from end-of-life vehicles, into new raw materials for use in the automotive sector.
 
A family-run business, S. Norton employs people across the UK, almost half of which are employed in the Liverpool City Region, and it promotes working with local suppliers in the communities it operates. As a responsible recycler it has achieved and upheld ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001 for its quality, environmental and health and safety management systems.