Executive Biography

UCB New Logo.jpgMarty Metro is the Founder & CEO of UsedCardboardBoxes.com (UCB), a national, venture-funded company tackling the gratuitous $120 billion of cardboard boxes produced around the world each year, most of which are used once then just thrown away. Metro developed the "Rescue, Resell, Recycle" model and led UCB's expansion across the US and into Canada.
A former "Big 6" consultant, Metro is a passionate eco-entrepreneur with over fifteen years experience in enterprise technology, supply chain consulting and business development.

 

UCB works with large manufacturers, distributors and retailers to "rescue" quality used boxes from within their supply chain, rather than having them simply be recycled, or even worse, thrown away. The company then inspects, sorts, re-palletizes and inventories those boxes to be resold via their website, at deep discounts. Quality used shipping boxes are sold by the truckload to companies and UCB makes convenient moving kits for residential customers. These convenient kits are delivered via UPS in just 1-2 business days, nationwide.


Option HMetro began experimenting with used boxes in 2002, with a retail business model called Boomerang Boxes. After 3 years of bootstrapping not able to turn a profit or even take a salary, Metro ceased operations and absorbed over $300,000 of personal debt. Devastated but not discouraged, Metro took a "day job" and within one year, was able to raise venture capital, rewrite the business plan and launch the technology-centric model, UsedCardboardBoxes.com.

Prior to boxes, Metro was an executive with leading technology and consulting firms. He oversaw sales and operations worldwide as VP of The EDCO Group, an enterprise technology consulting firm. As Global Project Manager for AT&T Solutions, he managed large-scale process improvements across this international firm. Metro began his career at Andersen Consulting, working with Fortune 500 clients to implement enterprise technologies and manage the large-scale changes that ran parallel.

 

Metro holds an MBA from the University of Arizona, with concentrations in Information Systems and Management. Prior to his graduate studies, Metro graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife Tracy (a TV host and producer) and their rescued Italian Greyhound "dogger" named Sasekele.

 

Today, Metro enjoys sharing his knowledge and insights through advising, consulting and public speaking. Striving to apply the same best practices and state-of-the-art technologies he learned in his career as a consultant, Metro leads UCB internally and works with as a consultant to other companies who have similar values.

 

Public Speaking

Marty Metro loves to present to audiences of all sizes and has spoken at leading eco-events nationwide, as well as prestigious institutions including: Dow Jones; The Tech Coast Venture Network; Los Angeles Venture Association; UCLA; USC; Pepperdine; Loyola Marymount and more. His passionate and thought-provoking topics include:

 

 

"Teach a Man to Fish and he MIGHT be able to Save the Whales. . . "
To create a successful business model (let alone GREEN business model),
you must build a model that sustains itself first, before it gives too much to others.

 

"Startups (Even Green Startups) are as Easy as 1, 2, 3 . . .Yeah, Right!"
Critical components to a successful startup are: Idea, Execution and Cash Flow.
If you can't generate cash flow, don't waste your time on the first two!

 

"Step Away from the Vehicle. . . "
To succeed in business, you MUST look at your company from the outside in.
Strategic partners can help (or hurt) you with this.

 

"The Business of Reuse: Five Ways to Create Real Value in Your Supply Chain, Through Reuse"

Recycling is all the rage, but reuse costs less and has less environmental impacts.
And it's easy to get real value.

Marty and the team at UCB have garnered impressive media attention, including ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN.


Contact Info:

Marty Metro / Founder & CEO / 1-888-BOXES-88 / 323-724-2500 / MartyMetro@UsedCardboardBoxes.com