SLINGERLANDS — Robert Wright Disposal has been owned by the same family since 1949, up until recently.
The Wright family shared with its customers that their business is now a Waste Connections company, the third largest waste management company in North America. The sale took effect on August 1, but as seamlessly as it has appeared to customers, the family said it will continue to be so.
“The change will not affect your service in any way,” Jerry Wright stated in a letter to customers. The Wrights will continue to manage the business, and the truck fleet will continue to bear the family name. Customers will still write checks out to Robert Wright Disposal, Inc. Wright said several factors led to the transfer.
“Over the last few years, I have struggled with increased trucking regulations, insurance requirements, and the nationwide shortage of commercial truck drivers,” Wright said.
Robert Wright Disposal was started by Jerry’s father, Robert shortly after he returned from fighting in World War II.
“Dad was part of the greatest generation, a WWII veteran who was injured by artillery fire while manning a machine gun in the mountains of Italy,” Jerry said. “Dad… came home and started a business and family in Delmar, the town he was born in.”
Robert Wright Disposal had used transfer stations and recycling facilities owned by Waste Connections in recent years.
Waste Connections mailed Wright’s letter to customers, along with a company statement and a service agreement. Customers were encouraged to sign the new agreement with a 10 percent reduction in their monthly charge over the next two years, and one free month of service.
Waste Connections is a publicly owned company whose shares sell in both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company employs approximately 16,000 people, with headquarters in both Vaughan, Ontario and The Woodlands, Texas.
Waste Connections operates both the Colonie and Dunn landfills in Cohoes and Rensselaer, respectively. Sierra Processing, in Albany; Troy Transfer; and Clifton Park Transfer are also listed among the company’s operations.
With the merger, Robert Wright Disposal now falls under the same umbrella as County Waste which provides services to Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Schoharie counties.
“The Wrights have built their company over the last 71 years with a proud tradition of consistent quality local service; a tradition that we will certainly continue through this transition,” stated a spokesperson from Waste Connections.
