About Sierra
Sierra's History
Sierra International Machinery took root in the fertile valleys of Central California. In 1946, company founder, Ben Sacco, started Sierra Bag Company, an agripackager. By 1959, he had dedicated part of his lot in Bakersfield, CA to the collection of scrap metal, and thus Sierra Iron and Metal was born.
As Ben’s business continued to increase, so did the piles of scrap in his yard. He needed a solution that none of the processing equipment of the time could provide. Ben, a native of Italy, made frequent trips to his homeland. It was on one of those trips that he found the solution.
While visiting an Italian scrap yard, Ben saw a baler at work. So impressed by its performance and cost effectiveness, he decided to visit the manufacturer. Ben purchased the machine and had it installed in his yard. Not only was he impressed by the way it cleared out the scrap in his yard, other processors who visited Sierra wanted to purchase the baler for their own yards.
Ben decided to make a call to Italy. The manufacturer agreed that if Sierra could sell at least two machines every year, they could have the exclusive distributorship for North and South America. And thus Sierra International Machinery was born!
It didn’t take long for Sierra to far exceed the “two machines a year” target. Sierra has continued to grow throughout the world as a leading provider of processing equipment to the scrap and recycling industries. This expansion has included the addition of the Macpresse line of balers for the recycling and solid waste industries, as well as the addition of the REB-1 and REB-2 “Recycle Everything Balers”, which are manufactured at Sierra’s own plant in Georgia.
Sierra International Machinery has always been an innovator in the industry. It was Sierra who introduced the multidimensional processing machine to the American market. The shear/baler/logger was a revelation for the small to medium processor, providing a cost-effective means for them to complete multiple tasks using one machine.
Sierra’s innovation continues in the way that it works with its customers. Being a processor as well as an equipment dealer, they know the problems. Using their own recycling business, now called Sierra Recycling and Demolition, as a testing ground. They have been able to prove their equipment and gain an understanding of what will and will not work for their customers. As a result, Sierra provides the best equipment, service and support in the industry.
At its core, Sierra International Machinery has always been a family business. Ben Sacco’s way of business was to “tell the customer the truth”. This integrity is the core of what Sierra is all about. These values were passed down to his sons Philip and John, President of Sierra Recycling and Demolition and Sierra International Machinery, respectively. This is how you will be treated when you do business with Sierra today.