spotlight waste pro usa

8/3/2019 Spotlight Waste Pro USA

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Waste Pro USA:

Creating a Hands-On Business Culture

In the Spotlight

Waste Pro Usa Was foUnded in

2001 in Central Florida by John Jennings.

To understand what is today one o the

astest growing privately owned waste

collection, recycling and disposal

companies in the U.S., it important to

understand amily roots. Originally rom

Long Island, NY, many say Jennings has

garbage in his blood. His ather was in the

waste business in New York and as a kid,

Jennings worked on the trucks during

the summers. During his career he has

worked or, bought and sold a variety o

waste collection and disposal businesses.

Jennings has achieved legendary status in

the industry due to his visionary business

acumen, commitment to customerservice, a keen ocus on employee health

and welare and positive thinking.

Collecting and disposing o residential

and commercial solid waste, Waste Pro

USA is a company o 1,800 employees

and has 39 operational locations in six

southeastern states—Florida, Georgia,

North and South Carolina, Alabama

and Mississippi. It serves more than one

million customers with 1,000 vehicles

and maintains 100 exclusive and long-

term municipal contracts. Waste Pro

also owns a number o state-o-the-art

recycling acilities, including American

Recycling in Atlanta, GA and in

Birmingham AL, processing paper and

plastic. In Atlanta alone, Waste Pro

has implemented recycling programs

at nearly 200 downtown commercialbusinesses and at the Atlanta Hartseld

Airport.

By concentrating

on customer

service and

employeesatisfaction,

Waste Pro has

stayed resilient

during a tough

economy.

18 WasteAdvantage Magazine August 2010

John Jennings ounded Waste Pro in 2001. Jennings comes rom along amily history in the business. The photograph behind him wastaken in Long Island New York in 1932. His ather is ourth romright on bottom row. Photos courtesy o Waste Pro USA.

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WasteAdvantage Magazine August 2010 19

Waste Pro serves the City o Cape Canaveral, FL and has

partnered with the local police orce to be on the lookout or crime.



20 WasteAdvantage Magazine May 2010

W P Usa: Cg H-o Bu Culu


Highly decentralized, Waste Pro corporate oces are in Longwood, FL and

the company has produced strong nancial results almost since inception. It has

been able to nance a signicant portion o its growth rom its own internal cash

fow and bottom line protability. Waste Pro has been very conservative with

borrowing and has one o the best debt-to-EBITDA (Earnings Beore Interest

Taxes Depreciation and Amortization) ratios

in the industry.

Resiliency During ToughEconomic Times

The success o Waste Pro as a business has

been recognized by banking institutions and

nancial investors. Prior to 2008, the rm’s

growth had been predominately organic—

winning new contracts versus buying

businesses. Then, in 2009, a premier equityinvestor, Roark Capital o Atlanta, invested

$100 million in the company. Interested in

the environmental sector, Jerey Keenan,

President o Roark Capital, has experience

with the solid waste and recycling industry

while Waste Pro has an exceptional history o

service excellence, rapid growth and a strong

nancial track record. As a result o the investment, Keenan has added both

nancial and industry knowledge by being one o the ounders and ormer

Chairman o the Board o IESI, a signicant waste collection and disposal

company. The infux o capital has enabled expansion through acquisition at a

measured, yet energetic, pace throughout the Southeast.

Bob Hyres, Waste Pro’s Executive Vice President, states that Waste Pro’s

long-term municipal contracts are “the heart o the business and result in Waste

Pro’s nancial resiliency during recent tough economic times.” Although the

downturn in the construction markets nationwide has had a negative impact,

Waste Pro was involved with recycling beore the slump and has experienced

a dramatic double-digit percentage growth every year in residential contracts

and paper and plastic recycling which outweighs the lost income. Waste Pro,

by design, has kept temporary roll-o business

at a minimum. However, the increase in dieseluel pricing has carved into operating costs

throughout the industry because although uel

costs are much lower than the peak, they are

double what they were in 2001 when Waste Pro

started. “Even though the costs cannot be ully

recouped, using uel surcharges on individual

invoices and uel index price adjustments on large

municipal contracts, a signicant portion can be

recovered,” says Jennings.

A Hands-On ApproachWaste Pro’s success is based on a culture that

is hands-on, decentralized and values customers

and employees. Jennings is in contact with every

Regional Vice President on a daily basis and

travels to local acilities very requently. This

mindset does help employee turnover and satisaction because, Jennings points

out, when employees see the interest in the company and its sta by senior

management, in turn, they are proud to see Waste Pro succeed.

In addition, all employees are eligible or an annual bonus or each year o

seniority up to 10 years. Next year, on Waste Pro’s 10th anniversary, bonuses

will be $2,500 or all o the original employees. Jennings is also proud to say

that no other business oers drivers a $10,000 incentive or sae driving. “I

Recycling is a key component o Waste Pro collection services. Modern and graphic recycling trucks like this one in the City o Daytona, FL help to gain community participation.

Waste Pro sponsors 2010 Charity Challenge in Orlando, FL. Waste Prodonated all recycling containers and felded two teams to raise money or local not or profts.

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any o our CDL licensed drivers have no accidents, injuries, property

damage, vehicle damage or legitimate complaints or three years, they are

recognized and rewarded through this program.” Waste Pro also oersan ongoing employee saety training program, as well ongoing training

or technical skills, interpersonal skills, health improvement and a our-

day annual meeting or corporate sta and management that involves

extensive training.

Waste Pro’s most outstanding achievement is customer service. Their

ability to show municipalities and counties the benets nancially and

rom the service prospective o privatization has been a huge opportunity

and a huge challenge. Jennings stresses, “We show our potential clients

case histories o how we have provided smooth transitions rom anothervendor to Waste Pro and have improved service levels and reduced

complaints. In addition, we oer service enhancements such as special

event recycling, Ewaste recycling, a live online customer inquiry/

complaint system—real local people to answer the phone—and Waste

Pro’s hands on management. As a privately held company we are quicker

to make decisions and do not have a long chain o command between senior

management our employees and our customers.” So ar, the company has

been successul in privatizing about eight communities in their market

areas including the city o Hollywood, FL with 35,000 homes.

“One o our challenges moving orward is to acquire companies that shareour culture,” says Jennings. A classic example o meeting that challenge is

Delta Sanitation o Mississippi acquired last year. “It is uncanny how much they

resemble Waste Pro both physically and businesswise,” Jennings explained.

Waste Pro also participates in community organizations that includesRotary Clubs, Boys & Girls Clubs, America Cancer Society, Habitat or

Humanity, Toys or Tots as well as having its own community outreach service

program, unded by employee contributions, that provides laptop computers

or wounded veterans in VA hospitals.

Environmentally ResponsibleBelieving that the number one long-term challenge in the waste industry

is environmental responsibility, Waste Pro is very green, committed to an

environmentally riendly feet operating out o green acilities. All o their

trucks have an onboard oil recycling system (OPIS) installed to reduce oil

waste, and a special armor covering on hydraulic lines to reduce spills and

pollution. Each acility has an in-oce recycling program and Waste Pro

supports the green initiatives o the communities we serve. For example, in

Bradenton/Sarasota, Waste Pro installed a solar collector system that provides

approximately 80 percent o their electric power at its oce/shop/yard with a

three to ve year payback.

For now, Waste Pro will continue careul acquisition activities to make good

use o the new capital available to them through a credit acility expansion.

The company is also enhancing overall internal and external communications.A Web site upgrade will make it easier to access customer service inormation

such as collection schedules, how to recycle, what to recycle and online

payments.

“Moving orward, Waste Pro’s culture and business model will not change

as we continue to grow. We are awash in opportunity, nancially strong and

devoted to our customers and our employees,” says Jennings. | WA

For more information about Waste Pro USA, contact Ron Pecora, Senior Vice

President of Marketing, at (407) 869-8800, ext. 543 or via e-mail at rpecora@

wasteprousa.com. Visit Waste Pro’s Web site at www.wasteprousa.com.


W P Usa: Cg H-o Bu Culu

Waste Pro has implemented a ree laptop program or wounded soldiers.

As Seen In

©2010 Waste Advantage Magazine, All Rights Reserved.Reprinted rom Waste Advantage Magazine.Contents cannot be reprinted without permission rom the publisher.

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