A Milestone for Professional Scrap Trading
SMASH has officially been recognized as a Bronze Sponsor of the 2026 OARA Convention & Trade Show, scheduled for March 26–28 at the Markham Hilton in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association hosts the largest auto recycling trade show in the country, and this sponsorship marks an important step in SMASH's growing presence within the professional recycling community.
The announcement came from Steve Fletcher, Co-Executive Director of OARA, who shared the news in a LinkedIn post that reached thousands of recycling professionals. Fletcher, whose career in Canadian auto recycling spans more than three decades, described SMASH as a "B2B scrap metal auction platform purpose-built for trading catalytic converters, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, auto parts, and everything else your yard processes." He praised the platform's ability to provide clear visibility for both sellers managing inventory and buyers evaluating what they're bidding on.
What OARA Recognition Signals to the Industry
For professionals in the scrap recycling space, industry association endorsements aren't given casually. OARA represents the interests of auto recyclers across Ontario and works closely with environmental regulators, insurance companies, and industry partners to set standards for the sector. When an organization with that kind of influence welcomes a technology platform into its sponsor ranks, it signals that the platform has been vetted and valued by people who understand the business.
SMASH has earned that recognition by solving a persistent problem in scrap trading: the lack of transparency. In traditional scrap metal transactions, pricing is often opaque, buyer credentials are unverified, and sellers have limited leverage. Our platform changes that through competitive auctions where every bid is visible, every buyer is vetted, and every transaction creates a documented record.
Trust Built Through Transparency
The professional recycling industry runs on relationships. Yard owners need to trust that buyers will pay on time and show up when they say they will. Buyers need to trust that listed materials accurately represent what they'll receive. SMASH provides the infrastructure to build and maintain that trust at scale, without replacing the personal relationships that make this industry work.
Visit our About page to understand how the platform operates, or explore our locations to see where SMASH-connected recyclers are operating near you. Whether you're processing ferrous metals, non-ferrous scrap, catalytic converters, or auto parts, the platform is designed to accommodate the materials your business handles.
Growing Our Presence in the Recycling Community
The OARA Convention brings together yard owners, processors, traders, and service providers from across Canada and the northern United States. For SMASH, being there as a sponsor means more than brand visibility — it's an opportunity to meet the recyclers we serve, hear what's working and what could be improved, and demonstrate our commitment to this community.
If you're attending the convention, come find the SMASH team at the Markham Hilton. We'll walk you through the platform, answer your questions, and show you how professional scrap traders are already using competitive auctions to get better outcomes for their materials.
Read Steve Fletcher's full post on his LinkedIn profile, or see the complete convention details and registration information on the OARA event page.
Industry trust is earned, not purchased. With OARA's endorsement, SMASH is showing the professional recycling world that transparent, competitive scrap trading isn't just an idea — it's here and it's gaining momentum.