Change Makers

Companies that Make a Difference

We are excited to announce the Waste & Recycling Workers Week - Change Makers! Here we celebrate the companies, large and small, making a difference and providing an excellent service at the local level. These waste management providers, serving our communities day in and day out, deserve to be recognized and thanked for their contribution to keeping our world clean.

Safety Signs

Norman Aardema – NSWMA

Norman Aardema Norman Aardema and his brother bought their first garbage company in 1981, running four trucks. They sold the company, then called Chicago Disposal in 1998 with 100 trucks. In 1999, he merged two medical waste disposal companies to form Midwest Waste Services. He joined NSWMA in the early 1980’s, serving as Illinois Chapter … Read more

Fred Van Arsdale – “My husband was loyal to a fault”

Fred Van Arsdale Fred Van Arsdale began working for Heil Environmental Industries in 1979 first as the Transfer Station Production Manager, then as the National Accounts Manager. In 1998, he moved on to work for McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing, Inc. as the Republic Services, Inc. National Accounts Representative, a job he held until his death … Read more

Robert Rasmussen – Wastequip

Robert Rasmussen In 1959, Robert Rasmussen became a draftsman for an incinerator business. He began manufacturing containers and compactors 10 years later and in 1973 started his own company, Accurate Industries, which he sold to Wastequip in 1992. In 2001, Rasmussen became the President and CEO of Wastequip, which manufactures a wide variety of waste … Read more

Gordon C. Shaw – President of Marathon Equipment Co.

Gordon C. Shaw Gordon Shaw became President of Marathon Equipment Co. in 2003 after moving up the line from his first position as a sales person in 1981.  He’s been behind buildings all his life packer poking.  Him and his college roommate decided to go into the garbage business when they graduated in 1972. Mr. … Read more

Robert J. Riethmille – WASTEC

Robert J. Riethmiller Robert Riethmiller became President and CEO of Philadelphia Tramrail, now PTR Baler and Compactor Co., in 1968. His family started the company in 1907.  Shortly after he started, the market for his company’s main product dried out so he began making balers and compactors, now sold worldwide.  His company received the Family … Read more

Dennis C. Pool – ANSI Z245

Dennis C. Pool Dennis Pool’s uncle had a garbage company and asked him to go for a ride one day.  He went out in the truck and began hooking chains and then continued to work for his uncle on weekends, in the summers, and then after high school full time.  Several purchases later, he found … Read more

Ralph G. Mastrangelo, Sr. – NSWMA

Ralph G. Mastrangelo, Sr. Ralph Mastrangelo started his career in the early 1950s working for United Carting Co., which his grandfather founded.  From 1954 to 1973, he was President of the company, expanding it by using new types of equipment.  He was one of the first to use roll-off trucks and stationary compactors.  Later, he … Read more

Paul F. Hardiman – U.S. EPA District 1 Advisory

Paul F. Hardiman Paul Hardiman began his career at FleetBoston in the commercial lending, specialized finance area in 1965 and retired in 2002 as a Managing Director. He became quite interested in the potential of the solid waste business in the early to mid-’70s because complying with all the emerging regulations required capital. Mr. Hardiman … Read more

Andy Crawford – EIA’s Investment Committee

Felix A. Crawford Felix Crawford entered the waste industry in 1971 when Industrial America asked him to straighten out a troubled waste company in Orlando, Florida.  When that company was sold, he worked for the new company, Waste Resources, for a while and then bought a small waste hauler with 6 trucks.  Nineteen years later, … Read more

Chris G. Weiser – CRAM-A-LOT/J.V. Manufacturing

Chris G. Weiser Chris Weiser worked as a mechanical engineer at Freeport-McMoRan before joining his step father’s baler company.  In 1992, he was promoted to President and in 1996 became the owner of the company.  Today, CRAM-A-LOT/J.V. Manufacturing has over 200 employees and two manufacturing plants and still retains its relationship with its first customer, … Read more