Thomas Womble, chief executive officer of Liberty Tire Recycling, has been named Dealmaker of the Year by Pittsburgh Smart Business Dealmakers, recognizing his leadership in business growth and operational development within North America’s tire recycling sector.

The award, presented through the Pittsburgh Dealmakers Hall of Fame, recognizes executives whose transactions and strategic decisions have had a lasting impact on their companies and the wider business community.

Womble was recognized during the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference on February 19, where the 2026 class of honorees highlighted a range of business achievements across the Pittsburgh region.

Leadership in tire recycling

Under Womble’s leadership, Liberty Tire Recycling has expanded its footprint across North America, building a network of tire collection and processing facilities that serve manufacturers, distributors, and industrial customers.

The company processes end-of-life tires into recycled materials used in a variety of applications, including crumb rubber, civil engineering products, and other rubber recycling markets. These materials can support broader sustainability goals by helping divert waste tires from landfills and returning recovered materials to the economy.

Liberty’s operations are part of a growing industry focused on scaling recycling infrastructure and increasing the use of recycled tire materials in commercial and industrial applications.

Major transaction highlights market position

A key milestone during Womble’s tenure was Liberty Tire Recycling’s acquisition by I Squared Capital in a transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion.

The deal reflected investor interest in infrastructure tied to the circular economy, including companies involved in tire recycling, material recovery, and environmental services. As industries place greater emphasis on resource efficiency and long-term sustainability, recycling businesses with established processing capacity have drawn increasing strategic attention.

The acquisition also positioned Liberty for continued operational investment and potential expansion in markets linked to rubber recycling and recycled material development.

Expanding circular economy infrastructure

The North American tire recycling market continues to evolve as companies explore additional end markets for recovered tire materials, including applications in rubberized asphalt, construction materials, and manufacturing feedstocks.

While technologies such as pyrolysis and recovered carbon black (rCB) production are expanding in parts of the global market, mechanical processing methods that produce crumb rubber remain a major component of the tire recycling industry in North America.

Liberty’s scale and established infrastructure place it among the larger operators in this segment, serving a role in the broader shift toward more circular material use and improved waste tire management.

Industry outlook

As demand grows for recycled materials and businesses continue to focus on measurable sustainability initiatives, the tire recycling sector is expected to remain an important part of waste reduction and resource recovery efforts.

Womble’s recognition comes at a time when the industry is seeing increased investment, expanding end-use markets, and continued interest in technologies that can improve how end-of-life tires are processed and reused.

Article source: Tyre Trends.