Mergers & Acquisitions

Waste Eliminator expands through acquisitions

Waste Eliminator, a Gainesville, Georgia-based provider of solid waste hauling, disposal and recycling services, has acquired Gainesville Waste & Recycling (GWAR) and Dawsonville Waste & Recycling (DWAR), both based in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Founded in 2007 by Kacy Cronan, GWAR is a recycling and composting operation that partners with large corporate and industrial customers to assist in achieving their sustainability goals.

As one of five permitted biosolids composting companies in the state of Georgia, GWAR has been chosen to handle waste by several nationally recognized companies because of its resourcefulness in diverting waste from landfills to other beneficial uses, Waste Eliminator says.

Following the acquisition, Cronan will remain with Waste Eliminator as a partner. He also will serve on the board of directors and the executive leadership team, where he will be responsible for leading business development efforts.

“The acquisition of GWAR is a game-changer for Waste Eliminator, bringing important disposal and recycling infrastructure to the platform and offering additional recycling capabilities to better serve our customers,” says Wes Turner, CEO of Waste Eliminator. “The combined platform is now the largest independent waste management and environmental services business in metro Atlanta. With the support from Allied Industrial Partners (AIP, a private equity firm providing financial backing to Waste Eliminator), we are well-positioned to integrate these companies and grow further,” Turner continues.

“The demand for recycling and sustainability services among our client base is strong, and joining Waste Eliminator will provide us with the additional tools to address the market need,” Cronan says.

Waste Eliminator also acquired DWAR, formerly known as 400 North Landfill, an inert landfill outside of Atlanta that handles, processes and recycles organic waste and inert materials that otherwise would be destined for a landfill. DWAR’s facilities also include transfer capacity for construction and demolition and municipal waste. 

AIP co-founders and Managing Partners Bradford Rossi and Philip Wright say AIP saw “an attractive opportunity to grow the platform and gain economies of scale in a fragmented market” by investing in Waste Eliminator.