Arnold Gachman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Arnold Gachman, president of Gamtex Industries for nearly 40 years, recently received a lifetime achievement award for his leadership in the scrap recycling industry and for his tireless commitment to the community.

Gachman, a board member of the Recycling Council of Texas (RCOT), received the award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) during the national organization’s 2013 convention in Orlando, Fla.

“Throughout his career, Arnold Gachman has proven to not only be a wonderful leader for the scrap recycling industry, but his generosity, ability to teach others, and willingness to learn have helped set our industry’s course for decades to come,” ISRI President Robin Wiener said.

RCOT President, Jim Shapiro, on Gachman being honored: “Arnie Gachman has shown all of us that our industry can operate in a manner that is responsible and where our businesses can work closely with our communities.”

“And Arnie has been a mentor to me and the industry in many different ways,” Shapiro added. “He always seems to know all the answers and has been a highly regarded voice for our industry for many years and hopefully many more.”

At age 27, Gachman was named general manager of the family business, Gachman Metals (later Gachman Metals and Recycling Co.), and five years later, in 1974, he became its President. His success earned him the respect of industry colleagues who soon enlisted him to serve in leadership roles in the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel (ISIS) Gulf Coast Chapter and later as national secretary of ISIS in 1984.

Gachman also was active in the National Association of Recycling Industries, which gave him unique qualifications for leadership when the two organizations merged in 1987 to form the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. In 1992, Gachman became ISRI’s third president. He has served as vice president of the RCOT and is currently a board member.

He also serves as Chair of Trustees of Baylor All Saints and Baylor Hospitals and Board Member of Sammons Transplant Institute at Baylor University Medical Center, Board of Governors of The Fort Worth Club, Vice President of Beth El Congregation and Add Ran College of the TCU Board of Visitors. He is Immediate Past Chair of the University of North Texas Health Science Center Foundation and a member of the UNTHSC advisory board. He received the Person of Vision Award from UNTHSC in 2012. He also serves on the Health Benefits Advisory Board of the City of Fort Worth.

Gachman is a graduate of R. L. Paschal High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in financial management at Texas Christian University. Gachman is married to Harriette Gachman and the couple has two children and four grandchildren.