Our History
Nearly a century ago, Italian-born Joseph Raimo returned from World War I after proudly fighting for his new home country … America.
Embracing the freedom and opportunity he and his fellow soldiers fought for, Joseph opened up a small salvage yard in Caldwell, NJ. This was 1918, a time when “scrap” meant rags and the heavy equipment of the day was a horse and wagon.
As his business expanded, Raimo transitioned into metals realizing they were worth more than the rags. Opening the first Raimo scrap yard on Bloomfield Avenue Joseph Raimo brought his eldest son Frank into the business.
Shortly after that his other two sons, Joseph Jr. and Albert, would join in. From an early age Frank helped out after school and on the weekends.
At the age of 18, Frank Raimo followed in his father’s patriotic footsteps and served in the infantry during World War II, having fought at both Omaha Beach and in the Battle of the Bulge under General George S. Patton. Once back home, Frank joined the family scrap business full time.
The next three decades saw six more Raimo scrap yards open in New Jersey and in Pennsylvania. Frank’s son Joe had also helped out in the family business. After leaving college he entered the scrap industry full time.
In 1974, Frank and Joe decided to branch out into their own venture focused on recycling…a concept just beginning to gain momentum. The result was J.F.R. Salvage, Inc. in Wind Gap, PA.
Innovation has always been the driving force behind J.F.R. The best example of this can be found in the fact Frank Raimo thought the equipment of the day, cable cranes, were too dangerous and difficult for the operators and mechanics.
His innovative idea was to take a hydraulic excavator and add a generator and magnet. This was the first time this had been done in the scrap industry.
Later a third stick was added and the Scrapper was born. A machine designed and built by Frank Raimo to increase the yard’s productivity and more importantly bring safety to the men operating and working on it. Another advantage was anyone could be trained to run these machines.
The Insley Company liked Frank’s idea and was happy to see it on one of their machines. They built a proto type with an elevated cab which they sold to J.F.R. at a discounted price. It was the first one of its kind and was the father to the modern day material handler.
The machine allows the operator to work with increased ease, control, and efficiency. Word soon got about this groundbreaking invention, and many machinery manufacturers came out to J.F.R to see for themselves. They copied Raimo’s concept for a new line of machinery. Insley would also use J.F.R. in their national ad campaign.
Since Frank’s passing in 1997, J.F.R. Salvage has continued to grow under the leadership of Joseph F. Raimo. Today, J.F.R. has a safety and service record that is one of the best in their industry. Their ability to adapt and exceed the demands of both the changing market and increasingly stringent environmental guidelines has helped J.F.R. Salvage last for 37 years.
In 2000, Joseph Raimo’s son John graduated high school and joined the business full time, bringing the family scrap legacy into its fourth generation.
Together they use their knowledge, experience, hard work, and a genuine love for the industry and their customers to continue improving and expanding J.F.R. Salvage, Inc. At J.F.R. the customer is our main focus.