Watch Us Grow

Jerry Joiner was admittedly burned out from the car dealership business following the automobile market crash of 2008. The Taylor native decided to “recycle” his life and began a journey that took him to Kentucky and back to Downriver, all with the help and support of family and friends who appreciated his hard work and believed in his vision.

Joiner is the owner of Stuff Recycling-Michigan, a high-tech, full scrap metal recycling facility that offers a large variety of services to cater to the Downriver area scrap recyclers’ needs. They can accommodate everything from the smallest amounts of household scrap, to demo projects large and small, to full industrial scrap services.

It’s the company's second location and first in Michigan, and just recently opened after two years of preparing the site on Pennsylvania Road in Taylor.

Although business is ongoing at the site, they are breaking ground this summer on a state-of-the art warehouse facility and offices that will take Stuff Recycling-Michigan to the next level.

Joiner’s trip began with a trip to Kentucky in 2008, when he cashed out his 401K and headed south to pursue a new venture with the help of his uncle John Hamilton, another Wyandotte native.

“He was just starting out in the scrap business himself and together we started out with basically nothing in a small warehouse in Lexington, Kentucky, as Bluegrass Metal Recyclers, LLC,” Joiner said.

But not long after they opened the doors, the city of Lexington decided to eminent domain their property for further economic development and they moved to Winchester, Kentucky.

“The owner of the property had a business called Stuff Military Surplus, and since we both were military veterans we decided to keep the sign out front and DBA the name Stuff Recycling,” Joiner said. “We liked the logo (a shield and two missiles, which stands to this day) and renamed the business Stuff Recycling.”

In 2016, Uncle John retired and sold his share to Jerry.

“We have been growing by leaps and bounds and have become a big player in the Kentucky region, competing with other scrap companies with much bigger pockets,” said Joiner, a service-disabled veteran who has used his time in the Army to instill the values he learned into how Stuff Recycling does business. “Our core values include putting the customer first and treating all partners in the business with respect. We believe in creating the best customer experience – from the person who is cleaning out their garage on the weekend to the president of a Fortune 500 company.”

In 2022, Joiner expanded to his home state of Michigan. Stuff Recycling-Michigan, at 20538 Pennsylvania Road in Taylor, opened in December 2024. Services include roll-off container delivery, high-side trailer, dry van shipping, on-site crushing and mobile bailing, torching, and flatbed trucking.

“With our level of service, we know that we will become a major player in the Metro Detroit scrap metal space,” Joiner said. “We are not stopping there, however. With the environmental importance of what we do, we have bigger dreams of creating a sustainable future for generations to come. Keep an eye on us and watch us grow.”

For more information, call (734) 785-4100 or log onto stuffrecycling.com/home-mi.