IRONTON - A new recycling business that will start with eight jobs and could increase to 20 to 24 in several years will open Saturday in Ironton.

Empire Metal Recycling, located in Huntington at 111 22nd St., is expanding its metal recycling business to the Advanced Cast Products building at 2502 S. 3rd St. in Ironton, said Mike Smith, Empire Metal president. The business has been in Huntington for 20 years and opened a second location at 5095 U.S. 60 in Ceredo last year. The Ironton location will be the company’s third in the Tri-State.

The company recycles aluminum cans, copper, brass, stainless steel, aluminum, old cars, scrap iron and tin, among other metals, he said.

"We have a lot of customers from the Ironton area," he said. "It’s a good way to supplement their income.

Bill Greene, 2320 S. 11th St., Ironton, said the city needs a number of small businesses like that to help the city’s struggling economy.

"We could use a big employer, too, but when a big business shuts down, the entire town is hunting," he said. "This is good news. We need to do something to bring more jobs to town. We need more manufacturing jobs.

"We might have to look to something liking bringing a casino to town."

Smith said Empire Metal has leased a building and could end up buying the structure located near the former Ironton Iron location.

"We recycle all types of metal," he said. "We are expanding our operations to Ohio. We have a lot of customers from over there."

The company already has hired four employees from the Ironton area and trained them at other locations, he said. Three or four other employees from the Huntington area will transfer to the Ironton location, he said.

The business will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The phone number is (740) 532-1051.

Empire Metals will open its Ironton location Saturday. The grand opening is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday only. WKEE-FM will have a live remote from there Saturday afternoon, and the band Love Coats will perform from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday. There also will be free food and refreshments available during the grand opening, he said.

"This was the smoothest process we went through" to open a new site, Smith said. He worked with the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. "I was very impressed," he said.