Building the Valley: From wooden to fiber barrels, family-owned Plum company recycles for over a century

In an era when recycling wasn’t common, Penn Barrel Inc., established in 1908, built its business reconditioning wooden barrels.

Now the company, based in Plum, reconditions and recycles 55-gallon steel, plastic and fiber barrels for use in environmental cleanups and other applications in the region.

“We’re a small company, but we do a lot of distribution,” said Adam Kaufman, the fourth-generation owner of Penn Barrel, which started in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

“We have had our little niche, and we always have had what customers need in stock.”

The business started as Penn Barrel and Cooperage Co. A person who repairs barrels is known as a cooper.

Kaufman’s great-grandfather, Eli Weiner, reconditioned wooden barrels for any product that could be packaged and shipped, such as oil, Kaufman said.

The family business continues to be successful after more than a century because “people are always going to have some materials to ship and will need a decent-sized container to ship it in,” Kaufman said.

The business employs 20 people and is looking to hire more workers.

Just like his father, when he was young, Kaufman spent summers working in the family’s barrel business.

He said he loves the niche business as did his parents. He said his mother still works on site.

The company’s diverse client base comes from within a 200-mile radius of its Plum facility.

Operations moved from its East Liberty facility to Plum eight years ago to expand floor space in order to recondition barrels.

Decades ago, the company worked as a broker and distributor of barrels.

These days, Penn Barrel helps companies that receive materials in drums and are then stuck with the drums.

“We reach out to them, or they find us,” Kaufman said.

Given the supply of used barrels, the company focused more on reconditioning when they expanded operations in Plum.

“We’re recycling, helping the environment and saving money for customers who can buy reconditioned drums instead of new ones,” Kaufman said.

Companies that recycle business products, as Penn Barrel does, play a role in reducing waste, said Lauren Fraley, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“Waste reduction, beneficial reuse and recycling are important for everyone — not just individuals or municipalities,” she said.

The DEP connects companies, organizations and individuals with outlets for recyclable materials, such as barrels, Fraley said.

To learn more about Penn Barrel Inc., visit pennbarrel.biz.