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We could go on for pages just listing corporate milestones, but that's not very interesting, is it? So rather than bore you with mindless statistics, we're going to switch gears here. We felt it would be much more in keeping with DumpRunner's corporate personality to relate the story as told from a human perspective; that of DumpRunner's founder, Paul Nielsen.
"DumpRunner Waste Systems was originally just an idea that had been percolating in my head since about 1991. Unfortunately, it took over 10 years until I actually committed the idea to paper, built the business plan and proceeded to make that idea a reality. The company was born as DumpRunner Enterprises in June of 2002. We managed to borrow a few bucks, and right as we were about to start fabricating the dump body for our first truck, our welder bailed on us. I was left high and dry with a bunch of material, a looming deadline, and nobody to weld. In what was to be typical scenario for the next 4 four years, I went out, bought a Mig Welder, locked myself away for 2 weeks, and fabricated a 14 cubic yard dumpbody myself. Up to that point I'd never welded anything, but the job needed to be done, and I could read a book...whining about it wasn't going to solve anything. The surprising thing was that I discovered a latent talent for working with metal that I would never have found if I had not just gone out and "made" that box happen."
"By August DumpRunner was operational, and we started off loading garbage into the truck by hand. The first few months of sales were awesome, and our cashflow projections were right on track...that is, until Dec 2002 came around and our sales screeched to near zero. We were like ducks in the crosshairs, and it was going to get really ugly."
"It's no exaggertion to say that as a family we all suffered tremendously that first winter. Our timing for startup was awful, we had no clientele base, our truck was an absolute gas guzzler, we had emptied our bank account, the bills were piling up, and we had barely enough food to put on the table. And it wasn't just money that was stretched; our stress levels were off the charts. By January it was rent or food, and food won out. As a parent, it was just devastating to barely be able to provide for our kids. We did whatever we could to earn money, as not many people were cleaning yards out in January! My wife even took a part time job just to get enough money to pay for groceries. I can remember shovelling snow in -30 weather with no insulated overalls, leaky snowboots, and frozen fingers. You shovelled fast to keep warm. Wait a sec...this is sounding suspiciously like a tale my parents would tell (laughs)"
"But in spite of the horrendous situation, I refused to give up. Call it stubborness if you will, but I simply could not admit defeat, no matter what the cost. It just wasn't an option. Looking back, that kind of situation is where you really find out what you're made of, and how strong your convictions are."
"Just when things seemed hopeless, we caught a break. A construction supervisor spotted us working on a site one day, and started sending us work. That led to other jobs, and eventually we survived through to the spring rush. Today, I could not tell you 'how' we managed to get through that period. I just know we did."
"That first winter really helped DumpRunner in the long run, as it gave us perspective on how hard we were going to have to fight to stay in business and grow the company. It also taught us how critical the task of stabilizing our cash flow was going to be for the continued success of DumpRunner. By the summer of 2003 we were actively looking to expand into the container market, and managed to buy out a small company that November and take over their client base. One other major consequence of that first winter was the realization that the most loyal and valuable person I could ever hire was right beside me...my wife. Somehow I convinced Dayle to come on full time in May 2003, and that was hands down the best move this company ever made."
"Over the years we certainly learned the value of being self sufficient, especially as far as repairs were concerned. I cannot begin to convey just how many nights were spent out back repairing something or another than had broken. We fixed everything ourselves, from burned out wiring, hydraulic failures, differentials, and even rebuilding our first Freightliner's diesel engine when it was -20deg outside. Sure we learned lots, but we also realized that we were far too busy to be "fixing" equipment when we should be "using" it instead. That was the impetus that really drove us to make a huge capital re-investment towards trucks and containers in 2007. The result of that program generated immediate and substantial benefits for our clients, and has enabled DumpRunner to remain a service leader in the medium sized container market."
Since the beginning, DumpRunner has continuously added capacity and built it’s list of repeat clientele. In the spring of 2006, DumpRunner was recognized for it’s efforts and success when the Canadian Youth Business Foundation first awarded us with their 2006 Alberta Best Business Award, and then selected us as their 2006 National Best Business Award Winner. To say we were honoured was an understatement.
If you're still reading, you've probably figured out that we're not just some run-of-the-mill corporate entity out to make a ton of bucks and then pack it in. DumpRunner is indeed different from most waste companies you've dealt with; we actually talk to our clients and try to figure out how we can serve them better. Even though we've grown by leaps and bounds, we still retain that vital characteristic we've had from the very start...professionalism with personality.
Find out for yourself! Read on, and see what we can do for you. Or, give us a call at (403) 685-0262.
We’d be happy to help out!
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