After years as the solid waste industry's third-largest private hauler, Republic Services celebrated its 10th anniversary in style in 2008 by purchasing Allied Waste, then the second-largest hauler in the United States.

The acquisition closed in fourth-quarter 2008. As part of the merger, Republic moved its corporate headquarters from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Phoenix, where Allied was based. Also, Don Slager, president and COO of Allied, assumed the same titles with Republic.

While Republic was working to close the Allied acquisition, Waste Management, the largest hauler in the country, tried to buy Republic but eventually abandoned the effort, citing the unfavorable state of the financial markets.

Related Information

• Read about possible challenges for the merger of Republic Services and Allied Waste
• Read about the completion of the Allied and Republic merger
• Learn how Republic Services' growth over the past decade has placed it at the center of a merger-and-acquisition battle among the industry's giants