Associated Steel Industries Ltd., a division of Milan, Italy-based RIVA Group, is located on the south shore of Montreal, in the port industrial zone of the City of Sainte-Catherine, Quebec. The Canadian metals recycler joined ISRI in January.
ASI-Riva’s site covers an area of 23.7 acres. Its proximity to major highways (A30), the St. Lawrence Seaway and a rail line (CP) is a key asset for the operation of the company.
“Specializing in the production of shredded scrap and non-ferrous products (Zorba and copper), control by our leading processing technologies offers to our customers consistent quality, size and purity in its product,” Administrator/Plant Manager Guillaume Wilbois says.
ASI-Riva shredded material is sold worldwide and meets strict manufacturing standards, which are periodically monitored by accredited verification bodies. 
Founded in June 1972, the company began production in June 1975 with a Hammermills 74 104 crusher with a 3,000-horsepower engine and a capacity of 40 metric tons per hour, and fully electric overhead cranes to unload and load the trucks and feed the crusher.
In 1983, the company bought a Pollock system for automated sorting of nonferrous materials and separation of automotive residues from metals and made its first sale of Zorba to the U.S. by train.
Following several more equipment and process upgrades, the company by 202 could boast:
- ISO 50001 and RIOS™ certification.
- Start of concreting of production areas.
- Installation of a Danieli ZDS 250-800 pre-shredder and an inverter to reduce peak consumption on the 3,000-horsepower engine.
- Purchase of a Caterpillar M325DLMH wheeled excavator.
- Installation of motion detectors in the buildings to reduce energy consumption.
“Foundations, buildings, bridges, stadiums, and many other structures are built every day with our products.” Wilbois says.
To achieve its goals, ASI-Riva has implemented a management system based on ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, the Healthy Enterprise certification of the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) and the ICI certification of Recyc-Québec.
Since it protects our natural resources by reducing the extraction of raw materials, the recycling of scrap metal is directly in line with the principles of sustainable development.
ASI is sensitive to environmental issues. The plant has also adopted an environmental policy in which it is committed to ensuring that its activities are conducted with respect for current and future generations, minimizing its ecological footprint. The company conducts on a regular basis:
- Radiometric checks.
- Controls on air emissions.
- Groundwater controls.
- Controls on the discharge of sanitary and rainwater.
- Controls on sound emissions.
Besides rehabilitation of their private rainwater and sanitary network and the construction of a shed to counter the dispersion of dust, all employees are trained on environmental awareness.
In the coming months, other projects involving significant investments are planned, such as: the installation of a pre-grinder that will reduce the risk of explosion at the mill by 95% (this will ensure the safety of workers and lower the noise level) and the installation of a device on an engine that will significantly reduce the overall energy consumption of the plant.
“ASI is also a story of loyalty and belonging. Of the 25 employees at the plant, two have more than 40 years of service, and four have been with us for more than 25 years. That makes us immensely proud,” Wilbois says.
Photo courtesy of ASI-Riva.
