Posted by Nicky on 1/05/09

Waste giant buys Ron's Disposal

A majority of 34 employees were rehired

By Andrew A. Duffy, Times Colonist January 3, 2009

Ron's Disposal Inc., a 27-year-old Saanich Peninsula
company, has been acquired by industry giant Waste
Management of Canada.

The deal for Ron's Disposal, or RDI as it is commonly
known, became official on New Year's Day.

RDI will retain its routes, rates and almost all its 34
staff.

"They are very keen to keep everything the same right now --
it's an investment they've made," said RDI co-owner Al
Gardner. "They are buying the name, the track record and
the people."

While terms of the deal weren't disclosed, Gardner said he
and partner Ron Schwab didn't have any trouble accepting
the offer and walking away from the company.

"It was time. The offer was good and the way they were
treating the employees was paramount to us and the way they
were treating our customers was paramount to us," he
said. "They did not want to upset the apple cart in any way.

"It was a very classy takeover."

Gardner said reports that staff lost their jobs en masse as
a result of the deal were completely false. While RDI
terminated its 34 employees with severance, Waste
Management rehired all who qualified.

"Everyone was offered a job who qualified," said Gardner,
adding all the drivers were back on the road yesterday.

He estimated only three employees did not qualify to be
rehired.

RDI does residential and commercial garbage and recycling
pick-up around Greater Victoria and has the municipal
contract in View Royal.

Waste Management, which employs 3,400 people at 116
locations in nine provinces, could not be reached for
comment yesterday.

Waste Management Canada is a subsidiary of Waste Management
Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, and boasts 52,000
employees.

Gardner did not know if or when RDI would adopt the Waste
Management name, logo and livery.

"I have no idea what they are going to do, but right now it
is all RDI and the phone is answered RDI," he said. "I
imagine at some time they will integrate it all."

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