A fifth-generation business, Crow Metals blends tradition with investment in modern recycling technology
Crow Metals Ltd specializes in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycling. With three conveniently located yards in Romford, Dagenham, and Rainham in the UK, the company serves the entire East London and Essex region. Dating to 1943, the company’s extensive experience has earned it a strong and trusted reputation in the industry.
W. Wakefield Senior founded the business as a traditional scrap metal and rag merchant operating from a horse and cart in Dagenham. After returning from military service, he established the company during a period of post-war recovery, initially trading scrap metal and textiles and later securing council contracts across London.
The business grew steadily under the next generation, with W. Wakefield Junior helping expand operations. In 1960 the original site was compulsorily purchased by Dagenham Council, prompting a move to Crow Lane in Romford. This relocation marked a turning point, and the business adopted the name Crow Metals.
From the 1990s onwards, Crow Metals modernized and expanded further, entering waste management services and broadening its customer base. Joe Wakefield joined the business in 1995, representing the fourth generation of the family.
Romford 2013
More recently, the company moved into larger, purpose-built facilities, including a major Romford site opened in 2013, allowing it to serve both trade and public customers more efficiently.
As a long-standing family-operated business with over eight decades of local and regional trading experience, the company has earned the trust of prominent clients in the automotive and aerospace sectors. At Crow Metals, customer satisfaction is paramount, and the dedicated team is equipped with the expertise and resources to handle scrap metal projects of any magnitude with professionalism and efficiency.
Its facilities are equipped for baling, shearing, stripping and grading materials to maximize recycling value and prepare metals for resale or export. Additional services include scrap car collection and authorized disposal, catalytic converter purchasing, and dedicated support for other scrap metal merchants nationwide. Crow Metals also offers site collections using its own fleet of vehicles, helping businesses manage bulky waste efficiently.
From small copper lots from residential projects to substantial 30-ton shipments from corporate partners, the company’s commitment to exceptional customer service remains unwavering. As a proud member of the British Metal Recycling Association, Crow Metals is dedicated to sustainable practices, actively contributing to the reduction of metal waste destined for landfills.
“Today Crow Metals is a fifth-generation business,” begins Joe Wakefield, Managing Director. “The company remains family-owned, which adds a personal touch for suppliers, customers, and staff alike. As such, our word is our bond, and once an agreement is made, it is set in stone with a handshake. Even if that handshake takes place over the telephone.
“Essentially, we buy scrap metal from local tradesmen, factories, and other metal merchants throughout the UK. This includes all non-ferrous metals as well as iron and steel, and we process and recycle the materials at our sites in Essex, just outside Central London. We also supply the export market and UK foundries, loading containers for destinations around the world, as well as walk-in flows into European foundries.”
Two years ago, the company opened its third site in Rainham, Essex, where it shares the premises with Keeble Recycling Ltd. “The motivation behind this expansion was to increase the aluminum side of the business, where we process rolled aluminum and mixed aluminum grades ready for loading into containers; the majority of which are bound for India,” Joe shares. “We also handle rolled aluminum, car wheels, and lorry wheels, and trade stainless steel of all grades from that site.”
Establishing the Rainham site has entailed considerable investment in equipment and infrastructure to increase capacity in advanced material handling and processing. “We have purchased two Terex Fuchs material scrap handlers,” Joe elaborates, “and use these machines to efficiently move all types of scrap metal around the site and onwards to their next destination.
“We have also invested in an ARJES TITAN 950 shredder, which is based at our Rainham site. This machine processes the scrap metal we buy, preparing it for export and foundry-grade use. These investments have significantly improved our operational efficiency. The speed at which the material handlers can move scrap is a huge benefit compared with how things were done in the company’s earlier years. Alongside the shredder and our Lefort shear, which has served us well for many years, we continue to process materials efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of foundries around the world.”
While 2026 got off to a tough start, with many businesses in the metals recycling sector struggling and a number of significant closures across the industry, for Crow Metals, continuing through the rest of 2026 and into the future means providing the consistent service it has delivered since 1943.
“Looking ahead,” Joe concludes, “we would like to take on more space and further develop the Rainham site. This will require bringing in new staff and promoting existing team members in the years to come. The speed of change is increasing every year, but the old-school values still apply. Those principles give us the strong foundations we need to move confidently into the future.”
Built on traditional values of trust, reliability, and service, the company combines long-standing expertise with ongoing investment in equipment and infrastructure. As it continues to expand, Crow Metals remains focused on sustainable recycling, operational efficiency, and delivering consistent service to customers across the UK and international markets. www.crowmetals.co.uk
