RMDZ Business Success Story

Golden By-Products, Inc.

Golden’s 6” shredder is the first of five machines the tires are processed through.

View Video (4 min., Windows Media, multiple bit rate)

From almond farming to tire recycling, Jim and Karen Barstow know a business opportunity when they see it. Golden By-Products, Inc., a full-scale tire recycling business, evolved from 35 years of large volume materials handling experience when the need arose in the mid-1990s.

In 1997 Golden began hauling, sorting, and shredding scrap tires diverted from California’s landfills, many of which came from State clean-up projects especially in the early years. Today, Golden’s daily flow of tires comes from tire generators such as tire retailers, trucking companies, and municipalities.

With help from the RMDZ program to purchase equipment, Golden By-Products phenomenally increased tire recycling from 8 to 20 tons per hour, as seen in this 4-minute video.

Golden runs over 300 trucks and trailers throughout northern California collecting all sizes, types, and qualities of tires, from passenger car tires to heavy earthmover tires. Scrap tires not suitable for resale are sent to the shredders. For the first 5 years end uses for Golden’s tires included resale of used tires to tire dealers, production of 2” nominal tire chips used as tire chip fuel for co-generation of energy, and for lightweight fill in civil engineering applications.

Northern California scrap tire recycling facility funded in part by RMDZ loan.

In March of 2003 Golden By-Products Inc. requested and received an RMDZ loan in the amount of $1,375,000. Loan proceeds enabled the company to expand its recycling efforts by adding steel liberation and cracking equipment to the existing tire recycling operations. That same year, Golden began crumb rubber production to meet the demands of developing markets including nuggets for loose fill, agricultural soil amendments, rubberized asphalt, and molded rubber products.

Rubber Bark, manufactured by Golden’s affiliate Ag Link, Inc., is one of the latest products made from Golden’s crumb rubber. This colored loose fill material is an excellent product for playgrounds and landscapes. Ag Link is also molding Golden’s fine mesh crumb rubber into stall mats.

With an innovative idea, and help from the RMDZ program, Golden By-Products diverted 38,644 tons of tires from landfills and employed 65 people in 2003--and the numbers are growing. The company is located in Ballico, California, in the Merced County Recycling Market Development Zone.

Rubber Bark is the newest trend for playgrounds and landscapes.

Jim and Karen Barstow are active in the day-to-day operations and as 100 percent owners, the business is their investment and as such they are involved in the long-term planning and operations of the entire company. Two of the Barstow children and their spouses make up the balance of the operational management team.

"A significant key to our success has been the enormous cooperation and support from the California Integrated Waste Management Board in this very capital intense and heavily regulated industry," said Karen Barstow. "Golden By-Products is known for top quality service to its customers and is proud to be part of California’s recycling solution!"

Other RMDZ Business Profiles

Last updated: November 01, 2007