Houston-based Waste Management Inc. (WMI) recently acquired Recycling Services Inc. (RSI), a Chicago-based paper recycling and document destruction firm. Bill Plunkett, Waste Management Chicago region spokesman, says the acquisition of RSI gives Waste Management a strong presence in the Chicago area offering commercial and office recycling programs.
“They have an outstanding business model," Plunkett says of RSI. " We intend to use their strengths with customers, including some of the largest property managers in the city of Chicago. Their expertise will be of great value to Waste Management.”
Along with operating very effective office recycling programs, RSI also conducts waste audits for customers, something that WMI hopes to leverage as they seek to triple the recycling volumes that they handle, Plunkett adds.
“The value to Waste Management is the experience and knowledge that Recycling Services has with office recycling programs. It is our expectation that we will learn a lot from RSI.”
Recycling Services will maintain its name and will continue to operate from its location in South Chicago. “The plan is to keep it as it is,” Plunkett says.
Waste Management also will keep RSI’s staff, including its top officials. “They have great leadership,” he adds.