In this season opener, I sit down with Steve Deacon, Chief Commercial Officer at EMR Group, for a masterclass on margin… where it’s made, where it’s lost, and how to take control of it across your operation.
Steve shares stories from his 20+ years in the industry, including starting out in a North Philly scrap yard, building and selling his own business, and ultimately taking on leadership roles across the US and now UK. We explore the art and science of margin: why it’s about much more than pricing, where it leaks away quietly, and how well-run yards build culture and systems to protect it.
If you’re looking to sharpen your commercial thinking and spot the margin killers in your business, this episode is for you.
In this episode, we talk about:
👉 The #1 place margin disappears in your yard
👉 Why “grade creep” can quietly kill your profits
👉 How to stop data overload from paralyzing your team
👉 Managing position like a trader (even if you’re a single yard)
👉 Why culture eats equipment for breakfast
👉 And more!
Born Scrappy.
Brought to you by Buddy.
The only marketplace and trade OS built for scrappies, by scrappies.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewithbuddy/
WHO IS STU KAGAN ANYWAYS?
27 years in the metal recycling game and still learning and growing...
I learnt from the best and worked my way up from yard labourer to Executive Director of Trading and Operations for the largest metal recycler in sub-Saharan Africa. Responsible for 4,500 employees, 85 sites, and the overall profitability of a multi-billion dollar operation.
I brought my breadth and depth of knowledge to bear and co-founded the fastest growing, most-loved, and most awarded metal recycling company in New Zealand. No small feat in a country where people are outnumbered 4:1 by sheep (spoiler alert: sheep don’t produce much metal waste).
I thought it was time that tech worked for our industry, so I took all of my experience as an operator and trader and leveraged that to build THE killer scrap app, Buddy. That’s right - built for scrappies, by scrappies.
Father of two crazy-awesome boys. Husband to Lisa. Under 11 football coach. YPO member. Lifelong learner. Mentee. Mentor. Chief dog walker. Committed Stoic. Undefeated dance-off champion.
COME SAY HI ON LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stukagan/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-scrappy/
