Nearly every hauling company has a “yard guy”, a “roustabout”, a “general laborer”; these are the unsung heroes of Waste Connections’ safety culture. Austin’s safety hero is a man by the name of Juan “The Don” Esquivel. Juan is among the most loyal and long-tenured of our team members – going on 22 years of service for the company. Juan is a fiery dude, never hesitant to “see it, say it” which earns him the respect of his peers.
The running joke around Austin is that Juan is the chief of operations, and we all report to him for duty. And like most jokes, this one carries a kernel of truth. On the toughest of days, when the pouring rain is coming down hard and heavy, when the Central Texas sun is beating down as early as 7am, there’s Juan. First one out of the shop with a shovel, weed wacker, or lining up carts for the drivers during rollout. When it comes to the culture in Austin, It Starts With Juan. There may come a day soon when Juan finally decides to hang ’em up. That’s why Austin’s 2019 Summer Safety Campaign celebrates Juan in a way that will last beyond his remaining tenure with us.