Advanced Disposal Buys Second Illinois Waste Hauler in June

Advanced Disposal has acquired Decatur, Ill.-based Ross Disposal Services for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition of certain assets of Ross Disposal by the Ponte Vedra, Fla.-based Advanced Disposal includes residential and commercial customers in Decatur, the company said in a news release.

“This addition further expands our environmental services to residents and businesses in Decatur, which is a community we service already and home to our collection facility and Valley View Landfill,” said Dan DeWaard, Advanced Disposal region vice president.

The deal represents the sixth acquisition for Advanced Disposal in 2015, and the second in Illinois this month. Earlier in June Advanced bought Disposal Management Systems Inc., based in Schaumburg, Ill.

The company in May purchased Sturgeon Bay, Wis.-based waste hauler Little Hoppers. The previous month it bought the Beloit, Wis.-based waste and recycling hauler Rock Disposal Inc. In January Advanced Disposal bought two haulers in separate deals. It acquired Henderson, Ky.-based waste hauler Pea Ridge Waste Management LLC, and it also purchased Hornback Recycling & Disposal Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich.

At WasteExpo in Las Vegas earlier this month Advanced Disposal CEO Richard Burke took part in a Heavy Hitters discussion with three other CEOs at some of the largest waste industry companies. Burke agreed that economics are better these days in the garbage business and talked about how housing construction for the waste industry provides “four pops.” The first pop is special waste; then waste generated in the construction process; new goods bought and old ones phased out by homebuyers;  and finally volumes generated by the new businesses that open to serve the growing communities.

Burke also indicated that one reason that volumes haven’t yet returned to pre-recession levels is because of a secular shift in consumer behavior. “The recession made us all better consumers,” he said. “I’m not sure people are spending the same way they did in the past. … Consumers are not taking the same debt.” With less consumption and less eating out at restaurants, commercial waste volumes are constrained.