Keeping Neighborhoods Clean & Green Since 1932. Rumpke’s History Dates Back To The 1930s!
Rumpke’s history dates back to the1930s when founder William F. Rumpke ran a junkyard and coal delivery business in Cincinnati. His customers often bartered sheep, chickens and old cars and trucks as payment for his services. One day, he was paid with six young pigs. William fixed up some old trucks from the junkyard and enlisted relatives to search for garbage to feed the pigs. William J. Rumpke (who is currently President Emeritus and chairman of the board for Rumpke Waste & Recycling) was only five years old when he began helping his father collect trash from homes and businesses.
Rumpke 1930s-50s
Early Recycling
Recycling metal became popular during World War II. William established one of southwestern Ohio’s first recycling operations in 1941. The trucks dumped the waste into a pit and it was loaded onto a conveyor belt. Workers sorted tin and aluminum, which was baled and sold for about $40 per ton, or rags and items that could be reused. The remaining material was food scraps for the animals.
Moving
By 1945, the growing Rumpke business needed a new home. William moved his hog farm, recycling and junk yard business to an 80-acre property in Colerain Township. The Township was only 10 miles north of Cincinnati but was rural at the time. This site would later become the Rumpke Corporate Headquarters and Rumpke Sanitary Landfill.
Growth on the Horizon
In 1947, William brought his youngest brother, Bernard, on board as partner. Together, they worked to grow the trash collection business by finding new customers and markets.
From Farm to Landfill
The Rumpke family business flourished in the 1950s. Many evenings were spent at municipal council meetings securing trash contracts for communities in the Cincinnati area. In 1955, a new law was passed that changed the course of the family business. The new law required food waste to be cooked before it was fed to livestock. Since locals were used to weekly Rumpke collection, Rumpke sold the animals and concentrated on collection and disposal of trash.
Rumpke 1960s-70s
New Leadership
William J. Rumpke (current President Emeritus) and Thomas Rumpke (son of Bernard Rumpke) were best friends and forged a business partnership to grow their family business. They started their own route in Delhi Township, Ohio, while in their teens, quickly growing it to 2,500 customers. In 1965, they created Rumpke Container Services.
Focus on Environment
The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970. Soon after, Rumpke Sanitary Landfill emerged, as well as an expanded engineering and environmental affairs team to focus on complete compliance and Rumpke’s continued environmental innovations.
Rumpke 1980s
Growth Spurt
By the 1980s, William J. Rumpke (current President and CEO) and Thomas Rumpke had purchased Rumpke Inc. from their fathers and were on an acquisition spree, buying out more than 200 companies. These purchases included landfills that Rumpke continues to operate today in Butler, and Mt. Sterling, Ky., Medora, Ind., and Georgetown, Ohio. By 1984, Rumpke had also begun operations in Greenville, Ohio, and Columbus, Ind. Rumpke opened a Dayton, Ohio, office in 1987.
New Discoveries and Technologies
In 1986, Rumpke Sanitary Landfill became one of the first landfills to recover methane gas and use it as natural gas energy. Over the years, this operation has grown to include more than 200 gas wells that recover enough natural gas energy for up to 25,000 homes in the Cincinnati area.
New Services
As Rumpke’s fleet grew, so did the need for reliable maintenance. In 1987, Rumpke Hydraulics was created with two employees. Also that year, Rumpke purchased a portable toilet business in Georgetown, Ohio. Today, Rumpke offers its portable restroom services throughout Greater Cincinnati as well as Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky.
Solid Waste Districts and Recycling
Ohio House Bill 592 was signed into law in 1988, establishing solid waste management districts funded in part by landfill disposal or “tipping” fees. Although Rumpke had a long history of recovering materials for recycling, Rumpke Recycling was officially developed in 1989 with the purchase of a large recycling operation in Circleville, Ohio.
Rumpke 1990s
Rumpke Recycling
The 1990s were a hectic but exciting time for Rumpke Recycling. The company opened its second recycling facility in Cincinnati in 1991. Over the next few years, Rumpke opened dual-stream (paper and containers) material recovery facilities in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, Louisville and Ashland, Ky. and Indianapolis. The facilities met a critical demand for communities seeking to divert material from landfills.
Landfill Technology
In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced landfill regulations to govern the siting, design and construction of municipal solid waste landfills. These regulations would require Rumpke’s landfills to implement an engineered liner system and groundwater monitoring. While many private companies sold off their businesses, Rumpke forged ahead even opening the Beech Hollow Landfill in Wellston, Ohio, in 1993. Rumpke also began operating two municipal landfills in Hardin County, Ky., and Bartholomew County, Ind.
Expanding Markets
While Rumpke continued to densify its Ohio operations gaining municipal contracts and securing new commercial accounts in the Columbus area, in 1994, Rumpke won a recycling contract for Louisville, Ky., and began operations there, moving from Clarksville, Ind.
Rumpke Today
While Rumpke scaled back its operations in Missouri and Illinois, during the 2000s the company saw tremendous growth in Ohio, with some of the largest acquisitions in the company’s history occurring in 2008.
Today, with Bill Rumpke Jr. as president and CEO, the company continues to grow and look for new and innovative ways for dealing with the region’s waste stream. As the fourth generation of Rumpkes joins the family business, the company continues to flourish.
Honors & Awards
Rumpke has been recognized for a variety of honors and awards throughout its history. Click here to view a list.
http://www.rumpke.com/about-us/our-story
Rumpke in the Rearview
In 1969, change was underway at the Rumpke landfilll in Colerain Township, Ohio. The State of Ohio approved Rumpke to continue providing waste disposal at the site after hearing from Hamilton County health officials and the Ohio Water Pollution Control Board. William F. Rumpke Sr. was interviewed by the Cincinnati Enquirer and posed for this photo. #tbt#ThrowbackThursday.
https://www.facebook.com/RumpkeCo/info
Rumpke strives to be a good neighbor and give back to the communities we service. So whether you are looking for educational opportunities for your school, Rumpke representatives to attend your next event or a donation or sponsorship, Rumpke is happy to assist.
Educational Opportunities
Rumpke offers a variety of educational programs including presentations and facility tours to help teach our neighbors and customers the importance of proper waste disposal and recycling.
Event Outreach
Annually, Rumpke attends several hundred events to help promote the importance of proper waste disposal and recycling. If you would like Rumpke to host a booth at your event, or if you would like one of our huggable mascots, Binny or Binita, the recycling bins to stop by, please let us know.
Donation Request
Annually, we provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to area organizations and charitable causes.
Bill Rumpke Sr.: President Emeritus and chairman of the board for Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc.
Year started with the company: 1940
Industry Experience: Bill has been employed in various positions in his family company, including vice-president, treasurer, secretary, sales representative, driver, heavy equipment operator, mechanic and general laborer.
Fun Fact: Bill was inducted into the Environmental Industries Association Hall of Fame in 2009, the highest honor in the waste/recycling industry.
Bill Rumpke Jr.: President and Chief Executive Officer
Year started with the company: 1985
Education: Bachelor’s degree in General Business from Miami University (Ohio)
Industry Experience: Bill worked in various positions at Rumpke including district manager, route manager, driver, general laborer and ballpark employee. In 1988 Bill founded Rumpke’s Central Ohio Market. Bill is the recipient of the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award and the 2010 Association for Corporate Growth Deal Maker Award.
Fun Fact: Bill enjoys traveling to each Rumpke location and getting to know Rumpke’s 2,300 employees.
Todd Rumpke: Regional Vice President, Southeast Market
Year started with the company: 1985
Education: Bachelor’s degree in General Business and Personnel Management from Miami University (Ohio)
Industry Experience: Todd worked in various positions at Rumpke before becoming regional vice president, including district manager for Rumpke’s Portsmouth and Beech Hollow, Ohio, locations, route manager, driver, general laborer and ballpark employee.
Fun Fact: Todd is a proud member of the RAFT Racing team.
Jeff Rumpke: Regional Vice President, Cincinnati Market.
Year started with the company: 1990
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Xavier University
Industry Experience: Jeff worked in various positions at Rumpke before becoming regional vice president, including regional manager, district manager, division manager, recycling buy-back manager, heavy equipment operator and driver.
Fun Fact: Jeff was a starting pitcher for Xavier University’s baseball team.
Andrew Rumpke Sr.: Regional Vice President, Central Ohio Market.
Year started with the company: 2002
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University (Ohio) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati
Industry Experience: Andrew worked in various positions at Rumpke before becoming regional vice president, including division manager, business analyst, heavy equipment operator, driver and general laborer.
Fun Fact: Andrew is proud to call Central Ohio home.
Mike Bramkamp: Regional Vice President, Northwest Market
Year started with the company: 1992
Education: Bachelor’s degree in management from Miami University (Ohio)
Industry Experience: Mike worked in various positions at Rumpke before becoming regional vice president, including division manager of Rumpke Portable Restrooms, district sales manager and sales representative.
Fun Fact: Mike attended Super Bowl XXIII Bengals versus 49ers in 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium.
Phil Wehrman: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Year started with the company: 1995
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and accounting from Eastern Kentucky University. He received his license as a certified public accountant in 1988.
Industry Experience: Phil worked in various positions before becoming chief financial officer and treasurer at Rumpke, including financial analyst, senior accountant and controller for other corporations.
Fun Fact: Phil played collegiate golf as a walk-on with EKU.
Matt Bauer: Director of Sales and Marketing
Year started with the company: 1998
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Alma College (Michigan)
Fun Fact: Many people know or see Matt as a football player, but few know that his real passion was basketball. Matt played Varsity ball as a point guard in high school and was selected to attend a basketball camp at the University of Michigan where he roomed with the #1 player in the State of Michigan at the time, Antoine Joubert.
Andy Biedron: Corporate Controller
Year started with company: 2000
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University. Certified Public Accountant registration from the University of Illinois
Fun Fact: A Chicago native, Andy still follows the Blackhawks, White Sox, Bulls and Bears.
Charla Cabe: Director of Human Resources
Year started with the company: 1995
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida Atlantic University and has SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification
Fun Fact: Charla was at the Space Shuttle Challenger’s launch of its first voyage in 1983.
Kevin Downey: Director of Hauling
Year started with the company: 2004
Industry Experience: Before becoming the director of hauling at Rumpke, Kevin worked in various positions in both the private and public sectors of the waste industry, including director of operations, general manager, district president, assistant regional safety manager, route supervisor, driver, general laborer and many others.
Fun Fact: Kevin was a master barber in his younger life and still holds a master barber’s license for the State of Massachusetts.
Amanda Pratt: Director of Corporate Communications
Year started with the company: 2000
Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at The Ohio University and holds professional accreditation in public relations.
Fun Fact: Amanda was named the 2011 Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Mike Puckett: Director of Safety
Year started with the company: 2009
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Justice Studies from Northern Kentucky University, Master of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University and Juris Doctorate from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
Fun Fact: He still works as a police officer in Northern Kentucky
Jay Roberts: Director of Engineering and Environmental Affairs
Year started with the company: 2003
Education: Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Dayton (Ohio)
Fun Fact: Amongst a sea of Bengals fans, Jay roots for the Cleveland Browns.
Joe Rogan: Director of Information Technology
Year started with the company: 2006
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration with a management information systems major from the University of Dayton (Ohio)
Fun Fact: Joe married his high school sweetheart and chemistry class partner.
Steve Sargent: Director of Rumpke Recycling
Year started with the company: 1989
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management from Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio)
Fun Fact: Steve was an all-conference quarterback in high school and recently named Outstanding Alumni of Logan Elm High School.
Jim Thaxton: General Counsel and Secretary
Year started with the company: 2000
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton (Ohio) and Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati
Fun Fact: Jim builds and plays guitars.
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