Industry News

Mergers & Acquisitions

Cards continues expansion in Texas

Springdale, Arkansas-based Cards has announced the acquisition of Homeland Waste Management, a subscription residential, commercial and roll-off waste hauler based in Wylie, Texas, for an undisclosed sum. The purchase represents the company’s fifth Texas-based hauling acquisition.

Cards now operates in Dallas, Collin, Hunt and Rockwall counties, serving residents and commercial clients through its franchise agreement with the city of Anna, Texas. Its other Texas acquisitions include DR Disposal and Recycling in 2019, Reed Sanitation in 2022, and Barnes Waste Disposal and County Recycling Services in 2023.

Homeland has served the waste and recycling needs of the Dallas metro area and surrounding counties since 2014. The company will continue operations out of Cards’ Anna location, further densifying its subscription residential, commercial front-load and permanent and temporary roll-off services.

“Our acquisition of Homeland augments our recently announced acquisition of Barnes Waste and strengthens our overall service footprint in Dallas metro,” Cards CEO Dan Christensen says. “We offer a warm Cards welcome to all Homeland customers and will be adding new jobs, equipment and local spend into the market for months to come.”

Homeland President Drew Stewart says, “Our residential and commercial customers can expect a seamless transition with a continued focus on exceptional customer experiences. It’s been enjoyable getting to know the Cards management team and to know they share in our commitment to our esteemed customers whom we have been privileged to serve.”

Dustin Reynolds, chief revenue officer at Cards, says Homeland was an attractive purchase because of the company’s passion for customer service and willingness to accommodate customer requests.

“I also noticed they had a unique relationship with their employees,” he says, describing it as a “very special bond, unlike anything I’ve seen.”

Cards Recycling is a regional provider of solid waste hauling, transfer and disposal services for residential and commercial clients. The company operates hauling facilities, transfer stations, recycling centers and landfills.

When profiled in the March 2022 issue of Waste Today, Christensen said of the company’s acquisition strategy, “What we really look for is quality operations with quality equipment and quality employees. And we’ve been very fortunate with the acquisitions that we’ve made, and we’ve got some really great employees that have helped bring new ideas to our existing platform.”

Funding

New Hampshire makes $10M available to help municipal fleets reduce diesel emissions

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has announced a new funding opportunity to replace old, municipally owned diesel vehicles, engines and equipment with new diesel and electric vehicle models. The new program, Granite State Clean Fleets (GSCF), has made $10 million available and has set an application deadline of Oct. 13.

GSCF is funded through money in the New Hampshire Volkswagen Trust allocated for local government projects. To learn more about GSCF and how to apply, watch the recording of the NHDES “Granite State Clean Fleets Webinar and Q&A” webinar on YouTube at www.you tube.com/watch?v=R-23gMio5ns.

A second funding opportunity is available through the New Hampshire Clean Diesel Grant Program (DERA), which will accept proposals through Sept. 15.

While GSCF funding is open to local government entities, the DERA funding does not have that restriction; it can be awarded to businesses, nonprofits, state agencies and more. DERA-funded projects must reduce diesel emissions, often through the replacement of heavy-duty vehicles or nonroad equipment.

Photo courtesy of Waga Energy

Conversion Technology

Waga Energy, Casella to develop RNG at three landfills

Casella Waste Systems, a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company based in Rutland, Vermont, and Waga Energy, a France-based expert in the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) from landfill gas, have signed a commercial agreement to develop RNG facilities at three Casella landfills.

As part of the agreement, Waga Energy will deploy the capital required to fully fund the construction of the projects and will own and operate the RNG infrastructure. Casella and Waga Energy will share revenue generated from the RNG facilities once operational.

Because of the time required for permitting and construction, commercial operations are expected to start in about two years. The initial production across the three sites is expected to total approximately 1.3 million British thermal units (MMBtu) per year of RNG. Casella will receive a royalty stream from Waga Energy to supply landfill gas to the RNG facilities, and the projects could be entitled to investment tax credits as part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

“Working with Waga Energy is a great opportunity for our company to further enhance our strategy around resource management and sustainability,” Casella Waste Systems Chairman and CEO John W. Casella says. “We have been impressed by Waga Energy’s innovation and technology platform and believe that they are a strong partner to help develop RNG capacity at these three facilities.”

Waga Energy purifies landfill gas using its patented WagaBox. The company usually finances, builds and operates its WagaBox units under long-term contracts with landfill operators for the supply of raw gas and generates income by selling the RNG it generates. Waga Energy operates 17 WagaBox units in France, Spain and Canada, representing an installed capacity of 640 gigawatt hours per year, and 15 more units are under construction in France, Canada and the United States.

Labor

Ontario introduces program to attract women to trucking industry

The Ontario government is funding a new program designed to attract women and under-represented groups to the trucking industry, reports The Toronto Star.

On the morning of June 27, Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the funding announcement at a GFL Environmental facility in Ayr, Ontario, outlining the training program that will be led by the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada.

The province plans to spend $1.3 million on the new program, which provides 54 women with up to 200 hours of training to help them obtain AZ (tractor-trailer) and DZ (straight truck) licenses.

Only 2 percent of Ontario truck drivers are women. The province estimates that at least 6,100 truck drivers are needed to fill all outstanding job vacancies.

Through the training, eligible candidates will learn how to operate a commercial vehicle, perform maneuvers, conduct inspections, maintain the vehicles and understand commercial vehicle systems and controls.

“Our truckers are just so important to every sector and every industry in our province,” Ford said. “Whether it is getting materials to construction sites or goods to stores, truck driver[s] play a critical role in keeping our economy moving.”

Providing easier pathways for women to enter the profession will play an important role in filling current vacancies, Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada CEO Shelley Walker said at the June 27 news conference.

As reported by The Star, truck drivers make about $26 per hour in Ontario.

“With a significant and growing skilled driver shortage facing Ontario’s trucking industry, this initiative is timely in both removing barriers to employment and supporting Ontario’s economy,” Walker said.

The new program will reimburse up to $4,500 for childcare and other living expenses. The first cohort of in-person training began July 1 in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Greater Toronto area, Ottawa and London. After completing the program, the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada will work with graduates to help them find work.