Dive Brief:
- Waste Connections is purchasing assets from the Waste-Away Group, a waste collection, transportation, and recycling company serving northern Indiana and southern Michigan, according to sources familiar with the deal.
- Waste-Away, based in Elkhart, Indiana, is a third-generation family business that has been in operation for more than 80 years. The company describes itself as the largest waste services provider in the area and serves 11 counties, according to its LinkedIn page. Ken Himes is the company’s president.
- Waste Connections did not respond to a request for comment. The Waste-Away assets will merge on March 1, but local operations are expected to remain the same, according to a company customer service representative.
Dive Insight:
The deal will expand Waste Connections’ presence into Indiana. It currently operates numerous landfills, transfer stations, MRFs and collection services in surrounding Illinois, Kentucky and Ontario, Canada.
Employees were informed of the sale last week, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the local market.
Waste-Away operates Borden Waste-Away, which provides residential waste and recycling services, and the Recycling Works single-stream recycling facility that processes materials from residential and municipal customers within a 100-mile radius of Elkhart, according to the company website. That facility was upgraded in 2021, according to Waste Today.
Waste-Away also operates Integra, a secure document destruction business; PineCone Recycling, which handles wood waste; and Himco, which offers industrial waste and roll-off services.
Waste-Away has grown through various acquisitions in recent years and once owned a landfill. In 2021, the company acquired Site Works, which handles construction and demolition recycling, according to Waste Today.
Other waste companies have been active acquirers in Indiana in recent years, including WM, GFL Environmental and Republic Services.
Waste Connections closed over $215 million in annualized revenue from 13 acquisitions in 2023, executives said during its Q4 earnings call on Feb. 14. CEO Ron Mittelstaedt said he expects an “outsize” year for more acquisitions in 2024.
Lead Editor Cole Rosengren contributed to this story.
