Waste & Recycling Workers Week recognizes the first female Hispanic owned waste removal company in the United States!

Waste & Recycling Workers Week recognizes the first female Hispanic owned waste removal company in the United States!

Maria Rios is the proud President and CEO of Nation Waste, Inc., the first female Hispanic owned waste removal company in the United States.  Maria’s dedication to providing the highest caliber of customer service has allowed Nation Waste, Inc. to become one of Houston’s largest minority owned waste removal companies.

Maria Rios

Maria Rios,
President & CEO

Maria received a BA from the University of Houston in 1997.  While attending university Maria worked for a large waste removal company.  Maria saw an opportunity when she realized there will always be waste and it will need to be removed.  She was inspired to remain in the waste removal industry after completing her degree.  Maria saw a niche in the waste removal industry for a company to thrive by relentlessly focusing on the highest caliber customer service while offering both waste removal and recycling.   Upon graduation Maria purchased two trucks and Nation Waste, Inc. was born.

Twenty-four hour a day, extreme quality customer service gave Maria the ability to prove herself to contractors in a predominantly male industry.  Nation Waste, Inc. began with small jobs and Maria offered a level of customer service that was unheard of in the waste removal and recycling industry thus, proving herself and opening doors for larger and larger contracts to flow to her company.  Maria Rios has guided Nation Waste, Inc. to a place where she now specializes in construction, demolition, commercial, and industrial non-hazardous waste removal with a full range of compactor, front end loader, and roll off services.  As Nation Waste, Inc. has grown Maria has also been able to incorporate recycling allowing her to achieve yet another goal, succeeding in business while, “Working For The Environment.”  Maria is proud to serve the entire Houston business community from the Mom and Pop corner store to Fortune 500 companies.

Maria has built Nation Waste, Inc. into a successful waste removal and recycling company with a focus on how to serve others in the Houston community.  The aftermath of devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Ike gave Maria the platform to demonstrate the extreme high caliber customer service she had built her success upon.  Maria and her Nation Waste, Inc. team worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week providing requested service and seeking out those needing assistance but who were unable to request help with the clean up effort.  Maria sent her equipment to the hardest hit areas in the community and reduced costs to barely cover overhead expenses.  Maria Rios commitment to the community is also demonstrated by her support of Aldine Little League, the Harris County Sherriff’s Department, the Girl Scouts of America and other organizations.

Maria Rios has received many professional accolades including; 2004 Business Woman of the Year from the Business Advisory Committee From the President of the United States at the White House, 2006 Gold Medal Award for Entrepreneur of the Year from the National Congressional Committee in Washington D.C.  (The White House), 2009 Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 2009 BBB Gold Star Award.

Maria is proud to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  Maria has registered Nation Waste, Inc. as a small business enterprise with the Port of Houston as well as with the Cities of Houston, Sugar Land, and Baytown.  She has certified Nation Waste, Inc. as a Minority Business Enterprise and as a Minority Women Business Enterprise with the Houston Minority Business Council and is in compliance as a Historically Underutilized Business with the State of Texas.  Maria has also led Nation Waste, Inc. to memberships in the Associated General Contractors of America Houston Chapter, Dun & Brad, and the Better Business Bureau.

Maria Rios emigrated from El Salvador with her parents as a child, pursued an education, founded a successful business, received an award from the President of The United States, and is truly living the American Dream

Leave a Comment