Turning the move from a negative to a positive required a combination of careful planning, sensitivity to changing customer needs, and a good dose of hard work on the part of Framan and the entire Castle Metal team. As a result, the 91-year-old company, started by Fruman's grandfather and now in its fourth generation, seems solidly positioned for growth in an increasingly competitive market. Castle Metal's principals-Larry Fruman, his sons Andrew and Jeffrey, and son-in-law Bruce Balder- had their first hint of the state's plans for their property in 1991. "Certain rumors were circulating," recalls Fruman. "We started to see stories in the paper about plans for the expansion of the central artery [I-90 and I-93] and the construction of a third harbor tunnel to Logan Airport. There was a lot of talk about acquiring property for the project." If the rumors had any basis in reality, Castle Metal would be one of a dozen or more businesses forced to move by the highway project. Rumor coalesced into fact in March 1994. The state notified Castle Metal that its 2-acre yard would be purchased for the highway project and named the amount of compensation the company would receive. Effective immediately, the recycler was a tenant-at-will, meaning the state could evict it from the property with 30 days' notice. Although there were subsequent public hearings on the matter, they consisted mainly of MHD representatives explaining the importance of the project to disgruntled, displaced property owners.
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