West End in its 64th year of business

Editor's note: This story is advertorial content as part of the 2023 Jamestown Sun Progress Edition on "Business, Workforce, Retention."

JAMESTOWN — Now in its 64th year, West End Hide, Fur and Metal Co. Inc. is one of the last larger family-owned larger scrap metal processing facilities in North Dakota, according to Jeff Oster, co-owner with his brother, Mike.

“We do our best to give good service, good pricing, and with our improvements over the last five to 10 years, it’s making things that much easier for the customers and better for us as a company,” Jeff Oster said.

West End accepts iron, cast iron, copper, brass, aluminum, lead, car bodies, aluminum cans and batteries, according to its website. West End does not do anything with cattle hide, deer skins or furs but continues to do scrap metal recycling and distributing new steel, aluminum and stainless and structural products.

“It’s fun and challenging to concentrate on what we are doing now,” he said. "Every day is different. It’s a challenge and I like challenges.”

West End has been changing its image. A sign on its building has the slogan “Scrap With Us.”

Improvements include getting machinery such as material handler cranes, a Sierra stationary shear and a mobile shear.

“It’s just bigger machines that help us process material faster,” Oster said.

He said a digital scale helps get the semitrailers in and out faster. He said West End is trying to be more customer and operator friendly.

He said the yard is getting cleaned up because of the influx of material West End will get during the spring.

Oster said West End is short about three to four employees because the company has expanded its operations in the yard. West End originally started on 13 acres of land at its location and has grown to 35 acres to expand its recycling operations to the south.

He said West End has a good core of employees. He said the employees “work hard but have fun.”

“The biggest thing is team effort around here,” he said. He added that team effort allows West End to accomplish a lot of work.

Oster said West End offers good benefits and salaries are always increasing.

“I think as a company, the owners are good to the employees,” he said.

He said Jamestown is a good supportive community for West End and the company supports the community too.

For more information about West End, visit westendonline.net .