Change Makers

William J. Davidson William Davidson bought one, used, chain-driven, side-loader, residential truck in July of 1963 and never looked back.  He was a driver by day and a repairman by night, but by the early 1970s when the company was sold to Waste Management, Inc., Wm. Davidson Trash Removal was a valuable business.  Following employ … Read more

Robert G. Banfield Robert Banfield has been a part of the solid waste industry for 45 years owning successful hauling operations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, two landfills, and several transfer stations.  He currently serves as vice president of the Detachable Container Association.  Banfield was recognized by the City of Boston for providing “service above … Read more

Floyd Tuominen Floyd Tuominen has dedicated over 28 years of service to the waste industry.  He began his career as a sales engineer for a machine tool company and then, in 1972, advanced to a sales manager of Mid Equipment of Grundy Center, Iowa, a manufacturer of solid waste compaction equipment.  While there, he introduced … Read more

Keith Foster Keith Foster was the co-inventor and major marketing force behind the Keith Walking Floor unloader that revolutionized the handling and conveying of refuse in mass burners, material processing and recovery facilities, and transfer stations.  He began inventing and applying the use of self-unloading trucks in the 1950s and began applying the use of … Read more

Darlene Jeter Darlene Jeter co-founded Jet-A-Way, Inc. in 1969 where she handled the financial and administrative aspects of the business for over 20 years.  When her husband, Eddie Jeter, passed away in 1991, Ms. Jeter assumed the role of president and chief operating officer.  In a struggling Boston market, she focused her company on a … Read more

Stephen Smith  In 1974, Stephen Smith became an equipment operator at his father’s sludge management firm and, after graduating from college in Agricultural Engineering in 1978, became a staff engineer at Black & Veatch, where he designed beneficial reuse facilities for sewage sludge. In 1983, with a masters in Engineering, he designed and constructed his … Read more

Bruce J. Parker Over the years, Bruce J. Parker has held a number of positions at the Environmental Industry Associations (EIA), starting as in-house counsel in 1981 and becoming General Counsel in 1985. In 1992, Parker’s position expanded to include Deputy for Policy Development and Implementation and, in 1994, Executive Vice-President for Federal Legislative and … Read more

George Fennell George Fennell founded Fennell Container Company in 1973 and built the business from a barn on a dirt lot with one employee to become the largest privately-owned, solid waste company in South Carolina. The company operated the first, privately-held transfer station. Over the years, Fennell created several other companies, including Fenn-Vac, Inc. in … Read more

Lee Brandsma In 1973, Lee Brandsma entered the waste industry as a residential and commercial route driver for his father-in-law at Groot Industries and became the Chief Operating Officer in 1980 at the age of 26. Brandsma and his partner, Larry Groot, built the company from 20 trucks and 35 employees to more than 400 … Read more

Dwight Schaubach  Dwight Schaubach, Chairman and CEO of Bay Disposal & Recycling, Inc., started Feather-n-Fin, a chicken and seafood restaurant, in 1969. Having experienced difficulty in getting the restaurant trash collected, he launched Bay Disposal in 1975, which grew into one of the largest private hauling companies in Virginia before it was sold in 1989. … Read more