I started Bare Wire Recycling in 2006 with no investors, no partners, and no safety net — just a $500 panel van with over 350,000 km on it, a mobile scale, and a garage. Before that, I worked in Calgary’s demolition industry managing roll-off bins. In 2005, during a slow stretch, I noticed how much copper wire and non-ferrous metal was being thrown away — perfectly good material, just hauled off as garbage.

So I went to my boss with a simple idea: “Let’s start collecting the scrap, sort it, and recycle it. It’ll put money back into the company.” He didn’t want to hear it. Told me it wasn’t worth the time — that recycling wouldn’t make a difference to the bottom line. That moment stuck with me, because I knew there was value in what others were throwing away. So I decided to prove it.

I left that job and went out on my own. I started offering mobile scrap pickup across Calgary. I did everything myself — from hauling and sorting to paying customers on the spot. I worked out of my garage, built trust one pickup at a time, and stayed true to my word.

By 2008, I officially incorporated Bare Wire Recycling. What started with nothing but hustle has grown into one of Western Canada’s most trusted names in mobile and drop-off scrap recycling.

• 2006 – Launched Bare Wire Recycling as a full-time mobile pickup service in Calgary.
• 2007–2009 – Mobile-only operation, buying copper and electrical wire exclusively.
• 2008 – Officially incorporated as Bare Wire Recycling Inc.
• 2010 – Opened first drop-off yard (3,000 sq. ft.) and began accepting all non-ferrous metals.
• 2014 – Expanded to 6,000 sq. ft.
• 2016 – Grown to 14,000 sq. ft.
• 2017 – Tested a second Calgary location in the northeast (later consolidated).
• 2020 – Expanded Calgary yard to 25,000+ sq. ft.
• 2024 – Opened Saskatoon branch (16,000 sq. ft.) with 7-day drop-off and mobile service.
• 2025 – Opened third location in Kelowna, BC (16,000 sq. ft.), serving the Okanagan.
• Today – Operating across three major cities with a focus on honest pricing, clean facilities, and customer-first service
• Tomorrow – Planning 5 more locations across Western Canada in the next couple of years.

I built this company on my own — one pickup, one customer, and one tough day at a time. In the early years, I did everything myself. I answered the phone, ran the pickups, sorted the material, handled the paperwork, and kept the business moving — while supporting my family and figuring it out as I went.

There were times I was completely burnt out. Times when the truck was barely running, money was tight, and I had to choose between tools or bills. I worked in minus-30 weather, loaded scrap by hand, and pushed through long days with no one to lean on. There were no shortcuts. No head start. Just hard work, belief, and a refusal to quit — even when it would’ve been easier to walk away. That’s what built Bare Wire. And that’s what still drives it today.

• We’re mobile. We come to you — trades, contractors, commercial sites, and residential pickups.
• We’re honest. Transparent pricing, no games, and instant payouts.
• We’re clean. Paved, family-friendly drop-off yards open 7 days a week.
• We’re fast. No waiting around. We value your time because we know how hard you work.
• We care. We treat every customer like a partner — not a number.

We’re here for the doers — the electricians, plumbers, contractors, framers, farmers, and families that keep this country running. Because this industry doesn’t need to be shady, or inconvenient, or unfair. We’ve proven it can be done better.


My name’s Brandon Cooper, and I built this company from the ground up with nothing but grit and belief. If you stop by one of our yards or see a Bare Wire truck in your area, know there’s a team behind it who works hard — and actually gives a damn.

At Bare Wire — We don’t just recycle scrap. We recycle expectations.