CLEARFIELD – Former local businessman and second-generation owner of Novey Recycling, Sol Novey (1930-2007), has been honored posthumously with the Ambassador of Peace Award for Korean War veterans.
Sol Novey was honored during a special ceremony at the company’s annual Christmas party at the Veterans of Foreign Wars F. Michael Sicks Post 1785 of Clearfield.
The children of Sol and Gladys Novey, Dr. Martin Novey and Alane Novey Seidel, accepted the award, which was presented by Chief Chaplain Ben Chon to honor Sol Novey’s service and sacrifice during the Korean War.
The “Ambassador for Peace Medal,” also called the “Korean Peace Medal,” is a commemorative medal awarded by the South Korean government to U.S. veterans who served in the Korean War, signifying appreciation for their service in bringing peace to the region.
Eligibility requires service between June 25, 1950 and July 27, 1953.
It was noted that the Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War” because it was overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War.
The medal honors veterans whose sacrifice and service made way for the freedom and prosperity South Korea enjoys today that’s led to its rebuild with both economic and cultural growth.
Sol Novey served in the Korean War with the U.S. Army’s 76th Engineer Construction Battalion from 1952-1953.
Per Chon, 342 citizens of Clearfield County served in Korea, but so far as his knowledge, Sol Novey is the first to be recognized with the medal.
Pursuit of the local presentation began on Veterans Day while Mike Boal, operations manager of Novey Recycling, and his wife, Helen were visiting area veterans clubs, thanking the men and women for their service and gifting them Novey Recycling t-shirts.
In conversation Boal learned of the Ambassador of Peace Award, and the very next day, he started his pursuit to arrange for a medal presentation to the Novey family.
As the chief chaplain of the Altoona Veterans Administration, Chon is also in pursuit of eligible veterans who may also be honored for their Korean War service.
Korean War veterans and their families (living or deceased) who haven’t yet received the medal are encouraged to contact Chon to arrange a medal presentation. Chon may be reached via e-mail at ben.chon@va.gov.
All requests must be processed through the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Philadelphia.
According to Korean war data provided by Chon, by the war’s two-year mark, there had been over 1.5 million casualties, and by its end, more than 36,000 Americans had lost their lives, over 92,000 had been wounded and more than 7,500 had been reported missing.
Many bodies were not recovered because the ground had frozen, he said.
Novey Family Background
- 1887: Abe Novey is born in Poland, the youngest of two brothers.
- 1903: He arrives in central Pennsylvania to work in clay mines.
- 1906: Abe and his wife, Ida start a scrap business in Clearfield. He travels by horse-drawn wagon through the streets, as he passes homes and businesses acquiring items such as rags, furniture and metal for recycling or resale.
- As the Industrial Era booms, the next 40 years see family members help the business through both World War I and World War II. Scrap metal was hand-loaded onto dump trucks, which required a laborious full day to fill a railroad car.
- 1954: After the Korean War, Sol, the youngest of five children, starts working at Novey’s Iron and Steel. Through lots of sweat and grease, the first crane is purchased and “production” begins for the company. Tractor-trailer transport becomes a more viable option for efficiency.
- 1962: Abe’s health is failing. He passes shortly thereafter. Sol and his wife, Gladys, begin a second-generation of the family business.
- 1978: “Novey Metal Company” is named during the expansion to a second location in Clearfield. The site is used for the processing of different materials with cutting torches, shears and balers, and in turn, is diversifying the scope of services.
- 2007: Sol’s 54 years of service to the family business and community comes to an end. Gladys continues to oversee the company after his death. Their son, Marty and daughter, Alane, help plan with promise to move into the next generation. Novey Recycling appropriately becomes the updated company name as communities are “Going Green.”
- 2011: The Novey family completes the modernization and consolidation of company into a corporate structure. Business is growing to include outlying areas of the county and state. ?The mission statement continues to: “Provide Recycling Services in the Most Safe and Efficient Manner While Conserving our Resources.” The addition of specialty trucks and trailers offers the newest offsite services including dismantling and/or removal of train cars, water tanks, and towers, bridge materials, and heavy equipment.
- 2019: The second location open to public through acquisition of the former GAP Recycling yard located in Weedville, Elk County. Roll-off services now include landfill services in addition to scrap metal, and cardboard pick up.
- 2024: A third location opens to the public through the acquisition of the former Elias Recycling yard located in Northern Cambria, Cambria County. They are currently hiring employees, experience helpful, but not required.
- The foundation of Novey Recycling built on customer service, honest pricing and investment in our employees is a family business model that started over a 100 years ago. The century old visionary spirit will continue into the next one.
Informational video provided by Chaplain Ben Chon (Creation date 2010)
