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JANUARY 2021
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JANUARY 2021 | VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 1
CONTENTS
F E AT U R E S 8 Selling B2B and B2C Services in 2021 16 In The News 22 Industry Leader – Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Chicago IL 32 ALW Classifieds 34 Index of Advertisers
CEO & PUBLISHER Gideon W. Smith
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melissa Kennelly
SENIOR EDITOR Katherine Nolan
EDITORIAL MANAGER Heidi Karpinich
ADVERTISING Tracy Rodean
CIRCULATION Noah Aiden
Phoenix Global Media Inc. P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559 866-418-4400 phone 973-532-0319 fax sales@americanliquidwaste.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS $15.00 per year, or by eligible request.
American Liquid Waste Magazine is published by Phoenix Global Media Inc. Copyright 2020 by Phoenix Global Media Inc. All rights reserved.
POSTMASTER: Please send changes to American Liquid Waste Magazine P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559
Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to American Liquid Waste Magazine are those of the individual authors exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of American Liquid Waste Magazine, its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. American Liquid Waste Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility toward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing information within advertising copy.
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BUSINESS CORNER
TECH NEWS
P R O D U C T W AT C H
A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S
SELLING
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
IN THE NEWS
B2B AND B2C SERVICES
SPOTLIGHT
in 2021 INDEX
A lot has changed. As in most industries over the last year, in the portable restroom service subsector, many business teams demonstrated extraordinary agility in rapidly adapting to meet the unusual challenges. Now, they bring all they’ve learned from the strange 2020 experience into a new year of opportunities and continuing challenges for B2B and B2C services sellers. Here are some changes that portable restroom business owners can expect to continue through 2021 and possibly well beyond:
8 A ME RIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JA NUA RY 2021
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BLENDING MARKETING AND SALES PROCESSES
For portable restroom
The migration to web-based business communications, including selling, will continue bringing the processes and goals of marketing and sales teams into ever-closer alignment. In the most successful companies, greater mutual access to knowledge and information and continuous collaboration will blend the two formerly distinct groups. Bringing sales teams and marketing agents into closer coordination means prospects and current customers are at less risk of finding themselves met with the
rental services sales reps, 2020 was a year of unusual obstacles. From extreme limits on the occupancy of spaces in business buildings to shutdowns and partial shutdowns...
problems of inconsistent information or levels of knowledge that too often occur when these two teams are working too disconnectedly. The new operational model of the combined
voluntary and enforced social distancing, to PPE and hand sanitizing practices, open in-person engagement
marketing/sales department will be joint processes
in B2B and B2C sales efforts were often simply too
of analysis of prospect management through the
difficult to manage effectively.
sales funnel before the sales presentation and after it.
Further, face-to-face cold-calling for lead prospecting
For example, actions to prequalify the prospect and
and in-person sales presentations and other necessary
perform preliminary information gathering, all the way
business interactions sales reps must perform were
through post-close follow-up processes will be shared
either severely curtailed or even eliminated in many
by marketing and sales teams. Likewise, advertising
potential customers’ places of business. Already
campaign design, roll-out strategies, lead qualification,
difficult to obtain, direct access to buying decision-
and eventual unclosed lead nurturing will be joint
makers reached an unprecedented new level of
efforts.
challenge.
REMOTELY DELIVERING SALES PRESENTATIONS
Outside salespeople would benefit from recognizing
For portable restroom rental services sales reps, 2020
that this situation appears to be potentially permanent.
was a year of unusual obstacles. From extreme limits
After all, research indicates that more than 75%
on the occupancy of spaces in business buildings to
of B2B buyers and B2B sellers both prefer indirect
shutdowns and partial shutdowns, and other modes of
engagement with people in the selling process,
continued on page 10
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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E RI C A N LI QUI D WASTE 9
BUSINESS CORNER
TECH NEWS
vs. in-person interaction. Only 20% of B2B buyers say
The most successful sales professionals in 2021 will
they would like to return to receiving in-person sales
provide the business case for each sales proposal they
presentations from potential
make and will provide an informed
A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S
P R O D U C T W AT C H
vendors.
PROVIDING MORE COMPELLING FINANCIAL REASONS TO BUY Financial justification for buying has always been a key consideration for business
IN THE NEWS
customers. In the post-2020
In the post-2020 sales environment, the value of their
sales environment, the value of their purchasing decisions can
examined with much
with much closer scrutiny than
sales presentation will show how the service can help the prospect realize financial objectives. The best sales presentations will help
the new customer feel satisfied purchasing decisions A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
can be expected to be
be expected to be examined
and thoughtful ROI projection. The
closer scrutiny...
before last year. After all, budgets
that their choice to use the service is a financially beneficial decision. SIMPLIFYING BUYERS’ DECISION PROCESSES Generally, in high-stress periods humans are instinctively more
SPOTLIGHT have been slashed to emergency extremes, with many
INDEX risk-averse. Bias toward maintaining the status quo is
businesses imposing spending freezes that have been in
reinforced by stressful conditions. Counter-intuitively,
effect since the late spring of 2020.
intensified risk avoidance tends to lend more to the continued on page 12
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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 11
BUSINESS CORNER
TECH NEWS
of the process for buyers, while still ensuring that they
P R O DThe UCT W AT CH 2020 quarantine and
economic shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic have speeded up the pace I N T H E of N Ethe WS shift that was
already underway to more fully digitalize commercial selling... SPOTLIGHT likelihood of making poor decisions. It also increases the
receive all necessary information to make their decision.
A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S
UPDATING TO MORE COMPETITIVE SALES TECHNOLOGIES The 2020 quarantine and economic shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic have speeded up the pace of the shift that was already underway to more fully digitalize commercial selling, including. Presentation
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
tools and web-based communications had already partially transformed the sales industry. But, since the onset of the health and economic crisis, employing the best available technologies for more robustly managing the selling process online is becoming an indispensable approach for portable restroom rental companies, just
IN X other service sellers. as it is forD soEmany
Amid all the rapid adaptations B2B and B2C sales
tendency to have disproportionate perceptions of the
reps were forced to make during the last year, one
costs of whatever decisions people do make. In those
thing remained consistently clear — which was that
difficult times, any sales presentation that involves even
having the technology to facilitate remote verbal and
a minor bit of complexity in the buyer’s decision-making
written communications and other sales-related tasks
process is likely to be viewed negatively.
is essential to cultivating mutually beneficial business
Before the 2020 health and economic crisis, portable restroom rental sales representatives could feel confident in presenting a whole range of pricing options
relationships in the modern competitive portable restroom services market. It’s never been made more clear that basic CRM
for rental services, accessories, peripheral products,
technology and VoIP telecom should be high-priority
attendant services, etc. There was not much concern
capital investments in future upgrade strategies. Cloud-
about overwhelming prospective customers with details
based systems should also be prioritized for growing
and numbers they couldn’t comfortably process.
companies looking to scale rapidly and seamlessly
In 2021, sales reps will continue to grapple with
while cutting key technology costs. Further, ensuring
the obstacles presented for themselves and their
webpage speed, upgraded content, organic backlinks,
prospective customers due to the pandemic. That means
and top-tier SEO are also fundamentals for competitive
the associated stress on the society can be expected
success.
to continue, despite all progress in efforts to adapt
It’s also time to update sales presentation-quality,
fully. So, salespeople must find ways to streamline their
replacing outmoded PowerPoint shows with more
sales presentations, simplify pricing options, minimize
dynamic video and interactive alternatives, like web-
inconveniences, and offer a smooth, easy experience
connected devices, or video conferencing, for example.
that innovatively reduces the length and tediousness
Social media and web advertising are also inexpensive
continued on page 14
1 2 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JA NUA RY 2021
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BUSINESS CORNER
TECH NEWS
The knowledge gained P R O D U C T W AT C H
odyssey A S Sthrough O C I AT the I O N2020 NEW S has transformed the way selling services will be done in 2021 and beyond.
IN THE NEWS
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R marketing essentials for the new post-2020 era of small business. WHAT B2B SERVICES SELLING WILL BE LIKE IN 2021 In addition to confronting the above list of challenges
SPOTLIGHT
during 2021, portable restroom rental services sales reps
I N DtoE work X in a business environment of continued can expect closures and reduced operations at a great number of prospective customers’ businesses, throughout much of the year, if not all, because of the coronavirus. Adopt the solutions recommended here, to be as prepared as possible to compete successfully in the new B2B and B2C service market conditions. Substitute in-person meetings with virtual ones when possible. Move on from PowerPoint slide presentation and other outdated sales tools to new, more engaging tech alternatives. Combine sales and marketing efforts for a more cohesive revenue generation program. Adjust sales presentations to simpler, more compelling cases for maximizing ROI from using your portable restroom rental service. The knowledge gained through the 2020 odyssey has transformed the way selling services will be done in 2021 and beyond. The evolved sales practices will afford their adopters methods of sales process improvement that can help maximize opportunities and positive outcomes in the new year.
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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 15
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
IN THE NEWS
LRS ACQUIRES ROY STROM COMPANY IN SMILESTONE P O T L I G H T UNION CEMENTING LRS AS THE MIDWEST’S LARGEST PRIVATELY-HELD WASTE PROVIDER CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, January 4,
INDEX
LRS also announced that George Strom will continue
2021 – Lakeshore Recycling Systems is (“LRS”), the
with LRS as Area Vice President, leading operations at LRS’
nation’s seventh largest privatelyheld waste and recycling
Roy Strom facilities in Maywood. Roy Strom Company
company, today announced its largest acquisition to-date:
is the third and largest in a series of recent acquisitions
Maywood, Ill.-based Roy Strom Company (“Roy Strom”),
announced by LRS at the turn of the New Year.
among the most respected independent waste haulers
LRS Chief Executive Officer Alan T. Handley heralded
in the Chicagoland market. The milestone addition of Roy Strom to the LRS family positions LRS for accelerated growth throughout Chicagoland and the broader Midwest. Financial terms were not disclosed and the acquisition is effective immediately.
the acquisition as symbolic and
“...its roots and values planted firmly here in Chicagoland”.
As a result of the combination,
representing a transformation for the company as it positions for explosive growth. “For more than seventy-five years, Roy Strom Company has built a rich legacy as one of the most respected independent waste and recycling leaders in Chicago,” Handley said. “This critical partnership
LRS gains an extensive, long-tenured residential and
demonstrates how trusted LRS remains as a first-choice
commercial customer base, well-positioned Single Stream
acquirer for independent, family-owned waste and
and C&D recycling operations, and a strategically located
recycling companies throughout the Midwest.”
transfer facility in Maywood which serves many local
Handley added “LRS has been built by entrepreneurs
operators. More specifically, LRS will now service residents
with many of the acquired businesses’ family members
in communities such as River Forest, River Grove, North
continuing to serve as key executives throughout the
Riverside, Villa Park, Berkeley, Summit, Willow Springs and
organization. Maintaining our entrenched local roots with
unincorporated DuPage County.
an unyielding commitment to the customer experience
Commenting on the acquisition, Roy Strom President
differentiates LRS and fuels our growth and innovation.
George Strom: “LRS is an aggressive waste and recycling
LRS remains the local alternative to large national waste
industry disrupter with its roots and values planted firmly
haulers who lack the community connection so essential to
here in Chicagoland. We are excited about joining this
successful waste and recycling service delivery.”
winning organization because they share our values and passion to provide our customers with an exceptional
Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS), is North America’s
experience, and our employees a rewarding pathway
seventh-largest privately-held waste and recycling company.
to career success. As the fourth generation of Strom
For more than 20 years, LRS has specialized in providing
leadership, I am excited to carry on my family’s values
comprehensive, fully integrated waste diversion and recycling
of hard work, putting the customer first, and fierce
services for hundreds of thousands of residential . To learn
independence; at LRS those values will be preserved for
more visit www.LRSrecycles.com.
generations to come.”
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IN THE NEWS
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SPOTLIGHT
INDEX
INDUSTRY LEADER Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Chicago IL
Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) is a comprehensive waste management company with 15 state-of-the-art recycling centers serving municipalities, school systems, and other public institutions throughout the Chicago metro area, greater Illinois, and Wisconsin. In 2019, the enterprise was named one of the Chicago area’s fastest-growing companies, on the renowned Crain’s Fast 50.
L
RS controls nearly 2.5 million tons of waste material entering its facilities, which is around
35-40 percent of the entire stream of waste for the Chicagoland and lower Wisconsin Midwestern subregions. Of that waste volume, Lakeshore recycles or diverts about 50 to 60 percent away from routing to landfills, which is an exceptional ratio. LRS LEADERSHIP TEAM Lakeshore’s C-suite is manned by an impressive team of seasoned industry professionals, with strong academic and career credentials. The large and aggressively-expanding enterprise is led by Alan Handley, CEO, champion of the corporation’s growth-by-acquisition strategic model. Handley also lectures as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Before assuming his leadership role at Lakeshore in 2012,
2 2 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JA NUA RY 2021
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Handley was Executive VP and CFO at Aldridge Group, a
Service in Madison, WI, making LRS a bi-state waste
national leader in civil contracting.
management enterprise.
To name just a few other top executives at LRS with
The company has built an outstanding record of
a high level of responsibility for the success of the
service and has grown organically, but has multiplied
company’s thriving portable restroom rental division:
the size of the business largely through acquisitions.
•
Lakeshore continues pursuing its strategy of growth by
Brian Tibble, CMO, came on board as VP of Business
Development in 2016. Tibble handles sales team
acquisition, currently targeting hundreds of potential
development and strategic planning for marketing, sales,
new assets.
and customer experience across the temporary services
Now, in December 2020, Lakeshore Recycling Systems
division.
has nearly 1,000 employees and generates annual
•
revenues of about $240m, up from the $50m the
Meaghan Johnson, Director of Marketing notes
that her team “wears many
company had been producing
hats,” referring to the fact that
at the time of the 2012 merger.
the extraordinarily versatile
The company has
LRS’s portable restroom rental
professionals are fully cross-
built an outstanding
services line, power sweeping,
record of service and
all thriving divisions, and the
trained in all the company’s individually challenging skill sets required in each of its complex revenue channels.
•
Brian Grosse is Lakeshore’s VP
of Portable Services, oversees operations of all the revenue lines in the company’s portable
has grown organically,
and dumpster services are company is today’s largest independent waste hauling
but has multiplied the size
organization in the Midwest U.S.,
of the business largely
and one of the industry’s top 40
through acquisitions.
largest in the country. LRS PORTABLE RESTROOM
restroom rental services,
RENTAL OPERATIONS
industrial, construction, and
Brian Grosse, VP of Portable
commercial power sweeping, and dumpster rentals.
Services, started his career in the wastewater sanitation
LAKESHORE’S STRATEGIC
industry, went on to own his own portable restroom
GROWTH MODEL
rental company, and grew it into a thriving business
Founded in 1999 in a merger between two companies
with the kind of potential that caught the attention of
in Chicago, produced the entity that later, in a 2012
Lakeshore acquisitions experts. Grosse achieved the
merger, became Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS).
dream of so many ambitious entrepreneurs, to grow a
Five years later (2017), Lakeshore purchased Chicago’s
business to the point that it becomes a highly attractive
K Holdings company, which brought new revenue lines,
asset and then have it acquired.
including portable restroom rental services, dumpster
Brian came on board with LRS in 2018, as part of
services, and power sweeping services. Just a year
the transition plan. In just these two years since that
later (2018), LRS acquired Wisconsin’s largest dumpster
time, the Portable Services division has maximized the
provisioning and recycling company, Royal Container
synergistic potential of LRS with its newly acquired continued on page 24
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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 23
INDEX
SPOTLIGHT
portable restroom rental business,
otherwise probably never have rented these kinds of
and the revenue line has grown it
units.”
into the region’s most formidable
Brian estimates that the industrial-grade portable
competitor. Today, Brian oversees
toilets probably account for about 80 percent of the
a vast area of LRS operations with
department’s inventory. The company also has a large
an inventory of around 15,000
selection of about 50 luxury restroom trailer units.
rentable units. The total inventory includes units for construction and
During the COVID crisis,
industrial needs, special events,
our units have been very
and other uses. (Meaghan Johnson mentioned that the company has a total of around 650 field vehicles in
helpful to many industrial
its company-wide fleet.)
companies, enabling them
Brian comments, “During the COVID crisis, our units
to continue operating when
have been very helpful to many industrial companies,
they otherwise may have been
enabling them to continue operating when they otherwise may have been forced to shut down. The
forced to shut down
hand sanitizing and hand washing stations have been especially important for businesses that would
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Those include every size in the range from 1 to 10 stalls and ADA units. The remaining inventory consists of numerous hand washing and hand sanitizing stations, etc. He explains, “We serve the greater Chicago area. We also have a sister company in Wisconsin, Badgerland Portables, which we started from the ground up, and it’s growing well. In just the two short years since the company’s inception in 2018, it has become one of the largest in its area.” Brian estimated that the Portable Services division has about 33 power sweeper trucks. There’s a busy team of drivers in the power sweeping department he oversees,
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especially during the peak period of the year. He talked about the seasonal changes in customers’ needs for portable toilets and power sweeping services that impact his employees across the two departments of the Portable Services division. He explained, “Fall and spring are busier seasons for roll-offs and toilet rental business, and there are more
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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 25
INDEX
SPOTLIGHT
events in summer for which those units are needed. In the fall, we have employees who work with those who move over to help with the power sweeping. “It helps keep guys working.” So, the fascinating operating mode of LRS’s unique management system in its Portable Services division is to cross-train all field services employees so well that they can seamlessly switch job roles back and forth in fall and spring. All the while, of course, they must maintain seamless professional-quality of the heavy equipment operation and care and performance of
else you can think of. It’s mostly because from the very
services. It’s an unparalleled operational model that
founding days of our company, we set that out to be
the company maintains, to accommodate the shifting
our goal—that we wouldn’t sacrifice environmental
seasonal demands between roll-offs, toilet rentals, and
stewardship or sustainability for profit. We believe in that. They really aren’t
power sweeping across the LRS
LRS marketing
service market. LRS CORE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABLE OPERATION All the LRS management team members we spoke with, or from whom we’ve featured comments from previous interviews, here were highly focused on sustainability as the goal that
and sales team are fully familiar with customer needs and how the company meets those needs in its various
shapes everything the company does. Brian Grosse commented in
divisions...
a joint interview for ALW and NAS magazines, “Sustainability is part of our core, and it’s what sets us apart from our competitors. Everything we do is a sustainability initiative. It’s really why I think we’ve been very successful over the last six years or so.” He offered multiple examples of processes the
mutually exclusive—you can be profitable and do the right thing for the world.” LRS has been recognized for its world-class technology, applied in the interest of sustainability. Handley is quoted in a 2019 article as saying, “We’re also continually looking for ways to introduce automation.” He is further quoted in the article as saying
that LRS views the matter of long-term sustainability as a question of affordability, which he translates as a need “to reduce the cost of recycling going in and reducing the labor associated with it.” LRS MARKETING AND SALES
company uses in its facilities to reconstitute various
Meaghan Johnson explains that the LRS marketing
waste products and “give it a second life” either in
and sales team are fully familiar with customer needs
the form of mulch or other valuable materials, to
and how the company meets those needs in its various
reintroduce it into the world as a reusable product.
divisions, including portable restrooms, recycling,
CEO Alan Handley carried the message even further in his 2019 interview with Recycling Today, “We are very different in the market from pretty much anybody
power sweeping, dumpster services, etc. The Lakeshore sales team is extraordinarily versatile, as Johnson reflects, “We’re very nimble in making sure our continued on page 28
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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 27
INDEX
SPOTLIGHT
previously mentioned interview that there are three priorities that define the LRS company culture: 1. People — Alan explained, “We’ve spent a lot of time and focus effort and energy into really developing our people. I think it’s key to the future.” He went on to say, “It’s hard to find good, qualified talent. When we do find them, we want to make sure they have a good, meaningful career with us and that we provide an opportunity for them to grow with our company.” (2019) Brian Grosse told ALW, “We want to make sure all our employees have the tools and resources they need to succeed, and that they’re learning about the industry, sales team can cross-sell all services. For example, if a
and are up to speed. Meaghan Johnson reflected, “This
construction company needs power sweeping services,
year (2020) has, of course, been a little different for all
portable restrooms, roll-offs, those are all things we can
of us (in terms of events the company normally holds
take care of for them.”
to express appreciation for employees and to celebrate
She goes on to clarify, “So,
individual achievements).” Then,
whether a construction site needs something temporarily,
...the company was
or a private homeowner wants
listed among the
to have a contract for routine
Best and Brightest
service, or a municipality wants to talk about street sweeping,
Companies to Work For®
all our sales employees can help them get services in place
as well as receiving the
to meet their needs.” Meaghan
BBB’s award for ethics
also mentioned that the LRS Customer Service team is just as
in the marketplace...
remarkably adroit as the sales
she went emphasized what the whole management team makes clear is the key message of LRS’s leadership philosophy, “What makes Lakeshore succeed is helping the employees succeed.” 2. Safety — No matter who you speak to on the LRS C-team, safety always appears to be top of mind. Management staff clearly sees focus on safety as the company’s deepest
team.
core commitment. Meaghan emphasized in the joint
COMPANY CULTURE AT LAKESHORE
interview, “Everyone needs to know best practices,
There’s much to be learned by newcomers to the
safety protocols, practices, and industry standards.”
portable restroom rental services industry from a study
Brian Grosse reinforces that message, “We’re very
of the LRS internal culture. In 2016, the company was
much safety and maintenance focused. The newest
listed among the Best and Brightest Companies to Work
focus has been on upgrading equipment and materials,
For® as well as receiving the BBB’s award for ethics in
to make it safer for drivers and technicians. He reflected,
the marketplace (2018). Alan Handley expressed in the
“From PPE to material handling, to replacement pumps,
2 8 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JA NUA RY 2021
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to changing hoses, to switching out schedules, we’re
together. We do tend to blend and learn from newcomers
good at our preemptive maintenance. We’re more
in new collaborative efforts.”
about being proactive than reactive with maintenance.”
To how LRS has parlayed the synergies gained from
In 2017, LRS received the award for the Biggest Safety
the mutual sharing and learning between existing
Improvement, from the Solid Waste Association of
LRS departments and newly acquired companies
North America.
merging into the Lakeshore operational system, Brian
3. Innovation — In his October 2019 interview with
looks back, “I learned when I built my own business
Recycling Today, Alan Handley expounded on the LRS
that anybody can go out and buy porta-potties and
“culture we’ve developed of trying to be as innovative
start a company in Chicago or Madison Wisconsin,
as possible, embracing new technologies, listening to
for example. But, it’s about the level of service, the
our customers, and making sure that you don’t just do
constant working goal is that people have a uniform
things the old traditional way.
quality of work that is expected wherever they are. It’s
Our entire corporate DNA and everything we talk about
that our quality of service is consistent anywhere across
is how we keep material from going to the landfill.
our system that people are working. Though we’re
I’m pushing to try to find end products for about
never quite going to get that goal, the point is always
everything we possibly can.” From LRS VP of Portable Services, Brian Grosse, Chicago IL
to hold it as ours, and keep striving for it.”
Brian Grosse, “We’re a company that has grown
Between its portable restroom rental revenue
organically and through acquisitions. With each
channel, other provisioning of portables, and
acquisition comes new dynamics that you’re trying to put
recycling, Lakeshore Recycling Services provides
COMMENTS ON LAKESHORE RECYCLING SERVICES
continued on page 30
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INDEX
SPOTLIGHT
waste management services to many thousands
and partnering with organizations like the Lupus
of municipal, industrial, construction, commercial,
Society, and others.”
and private residential customers, including the 642
The LRS company’s executive team share a deep
locations in the enormous Chicago Public School
devotion to the organization’s grounding beliefs in
system.
the above list of commitments. What also stands out
As the LRS enterprise continues its steady and
in talking with multiple members of this exemplary
successful march to greater expansion through acquisition, the organization certainly appears to be on track to meet Alan Handley expressed goal, “to be a progressive, recycling-first, diversion-first, customer-focused independent recycling and waste company, and then be a dominant player in the markets in the greater Midwest.” Brian Grosse paints a good picture of how the company is achieving that, “We are an
leadership team is a unified
It’s truly too difficult to imagine any extent to which the team’s efficiencies and its genuine and contagious sense of caring for people and the environment could not reach and function with ideal effectiveness.
message and insistence on a supremely efficient and agile approach to everything they do. Undoubtedly, this rarified combination of exceptional will and skill are to be credited for the brand’s outstanding reputation with the many authorities on quality in the industry that has honored LRS with awards for excellence in every facet of business operations and ethics. Based on all these factors,
example of a snowball effect:
it does seem that the top
Brand awareness occurs when
leadership of LRS is right to
people are seeing one of our recycling or other units
be confident in its ongoing drive to further scale
on a block, and people think, “They must be doing
the enterprise. It’s truly too difficult to imagine any
a good job because the neighbor keeps using their
extent to which the team’s efficiencies and its genuine
service. Then, maybe soon they’re seeing two or three
and contagious sense of caring for people and the
of our units on the block, and the number can keep
environment could not reach and function with ideal
growing.”
effectiveness.
In addition to its core commitments to employee development, safety, innovation, customer experience, and its over-arching principle of sustainability, it
For information about Lakeshore Recycling Services,
appears fair to say that another defining quality of
call (630) 377-7000 or go to the LRS website at https://
the LRS corporate culture appears to be the social
www.lrsrecycles.com/.
impact. As Meaghan expressed, “We’re very vocal in the community. We always love to give back as much as possible, through sponsorships,
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INDEX
Abbott Rubber CO. Inc..................................................2 800-852-1855 / pumperhose.com
GSBB Services, LLC...................................................... 32 843-535-5712 / www.gsbb.biz
Peterson Products..........................................................6 800-669-1434 / pipeplug.com
American Jetter............................................................ 32 866-944-3569 / americanjetter.com
Imperial Industries Inc............................................... 21 800-558-2945 / imperialind.com
PolyJohn Enterprises.................................................. 35 800-292-1305 / polyjohn.com
Aqua-Zyme Disposal Systems Inc........................... 2 979-245-5656 / aqua-zyme.com
In The Round Dewatering........................................ 10 317-539-7511 / ITRDewatering.com
Armal Inc........................................................................ 15 866-873-7796 / www.armal.biz
J.C. Gury Company Inc..................................................6 800-903-3385 / jcgury.com
Bright Dyes.................................................................... 32 800-394-0678 / brightdyes.com
Key Commercial Corp................................................ 10 877-333-4539 / keycommercial.com
Cam Spray...................................................................... 20 800-648-5011 / camspray.com
Kuriyama of America Inc........................................... 19 847-755-0360 / kuriyama.com
Com Vac.............................................................................5 800-243-7986 / comvacsystems.com
Masport Vacuum Pump Systems........................... 18 800-228-4510 / mastportpump.com
Comforts of Home...................................................... 34 877-382-2935 / cohsi.com
Mid-State Tank Co., Inc.................................................4 800-722-8384 /midstatetank.com
Coxreels........................................................................... 24 800-269-7335 / coxreels.com
Navitas Credit Corp..................................................... 14 800-422-1844 /navitascredit.com
Dragon Products.......................................................... 17 877-783-5538 / dragonproductsltd.com
Norweco Inc.....................................................................7 800-667-9326 /norweco.com
F.M. Manufacturing..................................................... 13 877-889-2246 / fmmfg.com
NozzTeq.......................................................................... 27 866-620-5915 / nozzteq.com
Vacuum Sales Inc............................................................3 800-547-7790 / vacuumsalesinc.com
Fruitland Manufacturing ......................................... 11 800-663-9003 / fruitlandmanufacturing.com
Paul Swoyer Septics LLC............................................BC 830-935-4936
Westmoor Ltd............................................................... 32 800-367-0972 / westmoorltd.com
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Power Line Industries / Hot Jet USA..................... 32 800-213-3272 / hotjetusa.com RCS II Inc.....................................................................6, 20 518-812-0000 / septicdrainer.com Robuschi ........................................................................ 31 gardnerdenverproducts.com • Roth Global Plastics.......................................................4 866-943-7256 / roth-america.com Stamp Works................................................................. 32 800-758-2743 / sales@stampworks.net Transway Systems Inc................................................ 33 800-263-4508 / transwaysystems.com VacCon............................................................................ 25 904-493-4969 / vac- con.com
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