By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Efficiency and less wear and tear on the vehicles. Those were the words mostly heard Tuesday afternoon at the Rumpke Waste and Recycling Transfer station grand opening on (4399) Boron Drive in Covington.
“Our Covington Transfer Station was a $20 million project,” Jeff Rumpke, President, Rumpke Waste and Recycling, told the Northern Kentucky Tribune.
The company recently completed a $3.5 million renovation of Covington’s former public works building. This follows the opening of a new $8.2 million transfer station at the site – including the construction and paving the project swelled to that $20 million mark.
“All our Northern Kentucky trucks now will come here, and compact here,” Jeff Rumpke continued. “Then the entire load will be moved to our Pendleton County landfill.”
Hence – the efficiency factor.
“Having our trucks parked in Covington will greatly improve our efficiencies and allow us to better service Covington and other Northern Kentucy communities and businesses,” said Adam Rumpke, region vice president.
In the past, according to Andy Beever, a 19-year Rumpke sales supervisor, the individual loads from Northern Kentucky would make the trek to Pendleton County and the landfill.
“Now we certainly have an efficient way to move waste,” he said.
“Route trucks now have a place to unload and they won’t have to travel great distances to our landfills.”
Hence – less wear and tear on vehicles.
“We now load the semi-trailers here in Covington,” Beever said, “and get three or four route trucks worth of waste. It makes our entire process a lot simpler and easier.”
Beever said Rumpke has Northern Kentucky landfills in both Pendleton and Montgomery County.
“And,” he said, “we’re planning some 75 trash trucks sometime in the future.”
Tuesday’s Grand Opening was mainly an open house for media and local dignitaries, as the plant has already been in operation. The 25,000 square foot facility initially houses 45 employees but is expected to grow to more than 80 in the coming months.
As for Rumpke, they have been in operation since the 1930s when founder William F. Rumpke ran a junkyard and coal delivery business in Cincinnati. William fixed-up some old trucks from the junkyard and enlisted relatives to search for garbage to feed the pigs which he received as payment for some of his services. His customers often bartered sheep, chickens, and old cars and trucks as payment for his services.
William J. Rumpke, was only five-years-old when he began helping his father collect trash from homes and businesses.
In 1986, Rumpke Sanitary Landfill became one of the first landfills to recover methane gas and use it as natural gas energy. Over the years, this operation has grown to include more than 200 gas wells that recover enough natural gas energy for up to 25,000 homes in the Cincinnati area.
As for growth – there’s always room for that. In fact, Beever says Rumpke is now hiring for:
Rear load Drivers
Roll-off Drivers
Roll-off Driver (Non-CDL)
Delivery Truck (CDL)
Maintenance Repair Techs
Preventive Maintenance Techs
Inventory Specialist
Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor
Andy Beever may be reached at 859-512-4495.
