>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Tammy and Steve E. Butcher, owners of Butcher Recycling, are the newest tenants on Hemlock Street in Elgin's Industrial Park (Photo/Trish Yerges).

- Trish Yerges

- For The Observer

ELGIN – Since the City of Elgin purchased the industrial park from the Union County Economic Development Corp. on April 24, 2001, finding tenants to occupy its four remaining lots has been a slow process — until recently.

"Things have been moving ever since Don Starr moved in," said city administrator Joe Garlitz.

He is referring to Starr Trak LLC and the new momentum of tenants into the park since August 2006.

The newest tenant in the industrial park is Butcher Recycling LLC owned by Steve E. and Tammy Butcher of Cove. They were approved as a tenant at a special meeting of the Elgin City Council on Oct 30 where they introduced their business to the council members.

"Used tires are becoming an environmental problem. You find them laying everywhere, even in our rivers," said Tammy. "There is a great need for recycling operations such as this one."

Butcher knows his suppliers and where his market lies for the finely shredded tires. "Our tire supply comes from a large tire collection company with collection sites throughout the West," he said.

Local residents would also be able to bring their tires in at no charge. The business will take all tires and especially over-sized, all-terrain tires.

The turn-around of tires in and shredded rubber out will be a rapid process, and there will be no unsightly pile-up of tires on the business property, Butcher said.

There will be a lot of trucks in and out of the park making deliveries and leaving with the recycled material. Each truck has the capacity of hauling 22,000 pounds of tires.

Butcher said he will also consider using railroad boxcars for shipping since his property lies adjacent to the tracks.

The market here is brand new and very promising, Butcher said.

"Our first purchase order has come from a major national distributor of the final product. This contract will be consuming most of our initial product," he said.

Ash Grove Cement Company of Kansas is another potentially large buyer.

"They have contacted me about buying rubber, which they use as fuel for their own cement manufacturing operation," Butcher said.

Local retailers of landscaping materials, such as PGG and D&B Supply Co., have also shown an interest in selling the finely shredded rubber material.

The Butchers are in the process of buying two grinding and shredding machines from a supplier in North Carolina. These machines utilize carbide knives that are environmentally friendly.

"They don't get hot or smoke all over the place," Butcher said.

Garlitz, the city administrator, said he is pleased to see more activity in the city's industrial park.

"After almost no interest in the industrial park for two years, I am surprised and pleased that we have had such active interest in the past six months," he said.