Name: Matt Spencer
Previous title: CEO of Sweeping Corporation of America
New title: CEO of LRS
As CEO, Spencer will oversee LRS' operations, including its strategic direction, business development and customer relations, LRS announced Monday. He will start on Sept. 12.
"LRS has a well-earned reputation for its unwavering commitment to safety, while delivering cutting-edge waste and recycling solutions, and I am excited to build upon this legacy,” Spencer said in the announcement, saying he plans to bring an “employee-first mindset” to the role.
Spencer comes to LRS from Sweeping Corporation of America, where he was CEO. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer of WCA Waste. During his six years in leadership roles at WCA, the company doubled its revenue and profit while pursuing a “significant M&A strategy,” LRS said in the announcement. Spencer also has experience working at WM and Republic Services, per Linkedin.
Macquarie, which owns LRS, sold WCA Waste to GFL Environmental in 2020.
Paul Mitchener, chairman of the board at LRS, said Spencer is a good fit for the company and its growth objectives. "His extensive experience and visionary leadership will be invaluable as we continue to position LRS as a leader in the waste management sector,” he said in a statement.
The new CEO announcement is the latest of LRS’ leadership changes. Spencer takes on the CEO role previously held by Alan Handley, who departed the role in May. The company previously confirmed it had hired a new CFO, Luke Chenery, in July. Chenery has worked for several companies that that were affiliated with Macquarie.
The changes come as LRS, based in Illinois, has grown rapidly through numerous acquisitions. It most recently announced it would expand its Chicago-area footprint with the acquisition of Environmental Recycling & Disposal. It also grew in Michigan and Indiana with its purchases of Michiana Recycling & Disposal Service and Modern Waste Systems earlier this year, which the company said were its largest acquisitions to date. LRS also recently opened a $50 million MRF in Chicago.
