For over a century, around the Southeast Birmingham Hide &Tallow Co., Inc. (“BHT”) has met the rendering, waste cooking oil removal and grease trap servicing needs of our customers. During that same time we’ve sold our finished products across the nation to producers of animal feeds, pet foods, industrial products and alternative energy. Established before 1900, we can easily stake the claim for Rendering – The Original Green Industry™.

BHT is a Vickers family owned business headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama with plants and dispatch terminals throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Our service area also includes portions of Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana. Our customizable collection programs enable us to service any size of establishment or chain. We collect and recycle millions of pounds of inedible by-products each week, yet have never strived to be the biggest renderer – only the best.

BHT is engaged in the stewardship of our industry. Active in industry and allied industry organizations we continue to contribute to the innovation and sustainability of rendering. Some of those efforts occur in concert with the National Renderers Association; Fats & Proteins Research Council; Animal Protein Producers Industry; National Restaurant Association; American Feed Industry Association; and Alabama Feed & Grain Association.

The BHT Story

WWII Waste Fats for ExplosionsIn the late 1800’s a small wholesaler of hides, furs, skins, tallow, beeswax and ginseng opened on Morris Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama to meet the rendering needs of the slaughter houses and grocery stores in central Alabama. The Vickers family of Lebanon, Tennessee obtained ownership of BHT in the mid 1930’s after working in the business for a number of years. A member of the Vickers family has managed the business ever since.

At the height of World War II, rendering got a boost in popularity from U.S. government reuse initiatives, one of which included campaigns to save waste fats for use in the production of explosives and gunpowder for the military.

Over the subsequent years, the company grew geographically as it added processing facilities in the larger metropolitan areas throughout Alabama. Alabama Hide & Tallow Co., Inc. was formed in 1947 to operate a rendering plant in Huntsville, Alabama. Alabama Renderers, Inc. was formed in 1959 to operate a rendering plant in Montgomery, Alabama.

During the 1980’s management of the company was turned over to a third generation Vickers – T. Owen Vickers, who is currently CEO and President of BHT. Also during this time a new state-of-the-art processing facility was constructed at the Bessemer, Alabama location that enabled it to increase its production capacity and maximize efficiency of operations.

Today, BHT continues to be owned and operated by the Vickers family. Our long time commitment to customer service has expanded with the increasing demands of our thousands of customers, but continues to be founded in the two principles that adorn the original BHT logo since its inception decades ago – “Prompt Service” and “Market Prices Paid”. Our service area has expanded to include more than twenty states. Our service offerings have grown to include rendering, waste cooking oil management and grease trap management.