Wayne Huizenga
Company: Waste Management
Years of Service: 50
Comments: Wayne Huizenga died last night at age 80. In Fort Lauderdale, he started a garbage hauling business, as his grandfather had done in Chicago in 1894. Beginning with a single garbage truck in 1968, and pursuing customers in an aggressive manner, he created Waste Management, Inc., an entity that would eventually become a Fortune 500 company. Huizenga went on to purchase many independent garbage hauling companies; by the time he took the company public in 1972, he had completed the acquisition of 133 small-time haulers. In the early 1980s, he had grown Waste Management into one of the largest waste-disposal companies in the United States. He died of cancer at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the night of March 22, 2018.
We will not forget you, Wayne Huizenga.
Together, let’s honor the memory of the men and women who have served by our side. Whether on the garbage trucks, delivering portable sanitation units, or working in the offices and repair shops, the employees of our industry serve important roles and are very special people. As we remember this fallen hero of the waste industry, we join with their family and co-workers to honor their service.