SCRAP metal recycler Mason Metals welcomed the Mayor of Dudley to its Brierley Hill head quarters.

Councillor Melvyn Mottram was invited by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce to continue seeing the region’s SME businesses.

The Mayor was able to see the metal recycling experience that has seen the business serve the local economy and environment for more than 50 years.

From an engineering background himself the Mayor was interested to hear how the business recycles production scrap from both light and heavy industry while still being open to the public to buy and recycle items such as washing machines or domestic copper heating tanks.

Mr Mottram was also able to view Mason’s latest investment, a software programme designed by Cradley Heath IT specialists Iceblue Marketing and Design Ltd.

The Mayor was given a copper cylinder and taken through the process of weighing, recording/storing of personal details and finally payment. The £47 from the transaction was donated to the Brierley Hill Project, towards its cold weather payments to aid needy locals.

Since the collaboration the Metaltrack system has been sold nationally to aid the scrap metal trade adapt to the “cash ban” which began last December. More than 20 systems are now in place, having processed almost £3 million worth of transactions.

Paul Long, director of MetalTrack, said: “Mason Metals showed real vision to plan ahead for the new laws and to use the latest technology.

“We’ve had requests for the MetalTrack software from all over the country, from Yorkshire to the south coast and everywhere in between. It was a great pleasure to meet the mayor and show him what local experts can do.”

Andrew Jones, managing director of Mason Metals, said: “To receive a visit from our Mayor shows the esteem our business is held in locally.

“We are obviously proud of our reputation and it was of benefit to be able to show the mayor how that reputation has been built and also of how our innovation will keep us at the forefront of our industry and technology.

“We keep our business local whenever we can - supplying copper, aluminium and many other metals to West Midlands-based foundries for recycling.”