Meet the Team
Fe Trading Group’s true strength lies in the mettle of its team.
We are dedicated to exceeding customer expectations, and staying at the forefront of industry best practices. We also pride ourselves on building and maintaining professional relationships based on honesty, integrity and service. Our lines are open for questions and feedback.
With over 100 years of combined experience in the industry, our team believes that reliable, trustworthy relationships make this business work. WE dedicate ourselves to working to solve your business challenges.
Robert Kelman, Co-Founder, CEO
201-725-2987
rkelman@fetradinggroup.com
Robert “Bob” Kelman is the cofounder and CEO of FE Trading Group. Bob has worked in the scrap metal recycling industry for over 35 years, and founded FTG in May of 2017. Throughout Bob’s career he has worked in every aspect of the business. Immediately out of college he started in operations, soon moved into commercial, and then transitioned through management positions, from Superintendent to President and COO. Bob’s has a reputation for being a thoughtful problem solver, tough but fair, and has a record of success in all of his endeavors.
Prior to FTG Bob lived in London where he worked as Managing Director of the Sims MM European Scrap business. It was in this role that Bob gained a valuable global perspective on the Scrap Metal business. Prior to London, Bob was based in NY where he was Sims MM President of North America Metals. As President, Bob was the chief architect and manager of the Company’s long-term contract with New York City to recycle curbside post-consumer metals, plastic and glass – returning curbside recycling to NYC. He was the key executive responsible for integrating the Sims and Metal Management executive leadership teams in 2008/2009 while navigating the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Prior to the 2005 merger of Hugo Neu Corporation and Sims Group, Bob was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Hugo Neu Schnitzer East. After Sept 11, 2001 Bob worked directly with the City of New York to safely process and recycle over 286,000 tons of steel and metal recovered from Ground Zero.
Bob is a graduate of SUNY Maritime College, where he attained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture.
Bob has received a number of recognition awards and strong endorsements for his commitment to sustainable development and protection of the environment from the NY League of Conservation Voters and The Natural Resource Defense Council.
Nanci Schuld, Co-Founder, President & COO
312-330-5660
nschuld@fetradinggroup.com
Nanci Schuld co-founded Fe Trading in 2017 after several years in the metal recycling industry. In 1995 Nanci started in non ferrous recycling after several years at the Chicago Board Of Trade in soybean options and futures. Metal Management bought the non ferrous company and Nanci transitioned to the ferrous side of the business. Started and developed the national account business for Metal Management and then Sims MetaL Management after Sims acquired Metal Management. When Sims Started North American Trade it was a natural transition for Nanci to start trading the recycled steel for SMM and many other metal processors and recyclers. During this time Nanci started working with Lynn Baldwin who not only had been in the recycling business for several years, but also had experience in almost every important role from beginning to end of every transaction. Nanci quickly realized that Lynn would be an integral part to starting her new trading business. In 2012 Nanci left Sims to start Fe Xchange, a new independent trading company. In 2017 Nanci started Fe Trading with Bob Kelman to offer an alternative solution to the many scrap recyclers and processors in North America. Nanci is responsible for the strategic, operational and commercial development of the trading and clearinghouse business.
Nanci earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Arizona State University in 1988.
Michael Bloss, CFO
917-414-8321
mbloss@fetradinggroup.com
Mike has been in various financial and project management roles in the recycling industry for over a decade. Prior to joining Fe Trading Group he worked at Sims Limited and was a management consultant at Deloitte. He holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BA in International Relations from Carleton College. He enjoys travelling with his wife and two kids and playing tennis whenever he can.
Joe Payesko, Sr. Director of Trading & Development
201-725-2810
jpayesko@fetradinggroup.com
Joe is a senior executive in the scrap metal recycling industry with more than 41 years of experience leading commercial growth and global trade operations, including key roles in post-9/11 recovery efforts.
Throughout his career, Joe has built a reputation for driving profitability through strategic expansion, operational discipline, and strong leadership. He has led high-performing teams across buy-and-sell operations, negotiated complex international logistics and trade agreements, and played a key role in scaling metal volumes while improving margins across ferrous and non-ferrous markets. His leadership has consistently contributed to increased shareholder value and long-term business sustainability.
Joe has held a range of senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Development officer and President at Sims Metals , where he consistently drove profitability, improved operational performance and expanded market presence across domestic and global markets. He is known for his hands-on, results-driven leadership approach and ability to build strong, collaborative teams. He began his career in operations and has developed deep, end-to-end expertise across the industry.
In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family, cooking, golfing, listening to jam bands, and relaxing down the shore.
Michelle Rees, Trader
219-508-7468
mrees@fetradinggroup.com
Michelle brings over 16 years of experience in the scrap industry, with expertise in brokerage, purchasing, quality management, ISO, freight and logistics. She began her career with an international trading and mill services company, specializing in the Midwest ferrous market, and has since expanded her expertise across domestic markets nationwide as well as international trade.
Michelle holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Ball State University, where she was also a student-athlete. She is committed to building strong relationships, delivering results, and fostering continued growth. Michelle is passionate about her faith, family, health, and fitness.
Ian Templeton, Trader
513-709-3961
itempleton@fetradinggroup.com
Ian joined Fe Trading in 2021 bringing nearly a decade of trading and brokerage experience with him. Ian began his career in 2012 with the David J. Joseph Company (a Nucor company) joining their ferrous trading group. He spent time in both the Chicago and Alabama markets sourcing raw materials for Nucor Steel and trading with numerous other major domestic consumers. Ian is a graduate of Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington, Indiana and earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Economics. In his spare time, Ian enjoys golfing, investing, and spending time with family.
Thad Smith, General Manager
440-897-2220
tsmith@fetradinggroup.com
Thad has been in various roles in the scrap industry in the past 20 years before joining the Fe Trading group as an Operations Manager in 2020. Prior to joining the team he worked for Scrap Metal Services where he focused on commercial recycling and mill services. He is a double major from The Ohio State University in Criminology and Sociology. In his free time he enjoys fishing, hunting and spending time with his family.
Nick Payesko, Director
609-802-8716
npayesko@fetradinggroup.com
Nick joined Fe Trading after seven years at Sims Metal, where he developed experience across engineering, operations, and global trade. He began his career working on capital projects focused on process optimization and value creation before transitioning into international ferrous trading. In his most recent role, Nick managed global ferrous trading positions and physical flows across bulk, container, and rail markets, while developing commercial strategies and leveraging market analytics to support decision-making. His experience provides a broad perspective across the operational, commercial, and financial aspects of the recycled materials industry.
Nick holds a master’s degree from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Rider University, where he was a Division I baseball player. Outside of work, Nick enjoys golfing, following sports and financial markets, discovering new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with his wife and family.
Matthew Coduti, Senior Logistics Director
219-670-5752
mcoduti@fetradinggroup.com
Matt has held various roles in logistics including procurement, sales, and operations for over a decade. His past experience includes working as the Chief Revenue Officer for Jack Gray Transportation and as the Manager of Sales and Marketing for the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Industrial Management from Purdue University. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children as well as playing the piano.
Jeff Leon, Trader
314-707-3317
jleon@fetradinggroup.com
Jeff joined Fe Trading Group in 2025, bringing experience in scrap metal operations, sales, and technology. Prior to joining Fe, he served as Sales and Production Manager at Branch Metal Processing in St. Louis, where he gained hands-on experience in ferrous and non-ferrous purchasing, sales, processing, and yard operations.
Jeff later joined ReMatter, a software company serving the recycling industry, where he worked with scrap processors throughout North America. This experience allowed him to build relationships across the industry while gaining exposure to a wide range of recycling operations and markets.
At Fe Trading Group, Jeff focuses on ferrous scrap trading and developing long-term supplier relationships. Drawing on his operational background, he works closely with suppliers to understand their material and logistics needs while identifying competitive outlets across Fe’s network of steel mills and consumers.
Jeff is based in St. Louis and enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two children.
Danny Sojka, Trader
913-593-7137
dsojka@fetradinggroup.com
Danny has been navigating commodity markets since 2012, building a diverse foundation including brokering physical grains at the KC Board of Trade, trading digital assets such as Bitcoin, and sourcing materials for a non-ferrous scrap yard. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado business school while competing as a distance runner on a track scholarship. Outside of work, you'll find him on the golf course, running trails, or snowboarding.
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