The start of 2011 has been busy for Allied Waste.
Just one week before the Fulton City Council approved a contract with Allied to start transporting the city's solid waste to Allied's Jefferson City Landfill Authority starting May 2, the company also finalized a buy-out of locally-owned Ebersole Trash Service.
Starting Feb. 1, Allied Waste took over collection for Ebersole after closing a deal that had been a year in the making on Jan. 31.
"It was a mutually approached subject. Derek (Ebersole, owner of Ebersole Trash) and them expressed that they wanted to take their interest in a different direction," said Rick Graham, manager of Allied's Jefferson City landfill. "They decided they wanted out of this business ... and we agreed to purchase their company.
"The conversation had been going back and forth for a year or two years - this wasn't something that happened overnight."
In a letter sent out to customers, Ebersole said his company had been proud to serve Callaway County for 11 1/2 years.
"We feel our success has been the result of great customer service. We have always strived to be a dependable and reasonably-priced service within our community," Ebersole wrote in the letter. "However, at this time we will be moving on to other business ventures."
The letter goes on to state "Allied Waste Services is the most capable to provide reliable, stable and responsible waste services."
Graham said Ebersole's Callaway customers should not expect to see many changes to their services now that Allied has taken over their trash collection.
"There may be a few minor (pick-up) day changes - we'll switch some of the customers in Holts Summit because we already have service there and there's no sense in driving up a street two different times," he said. "There should be no switch in services whatsoever for most of the customers."
Asked about rates, Graham said those also should stay the same for the foreseeable future.
"We're not looking at any price increases right now," Graham said, noting if anything, 2,000 new customers should help stabilize rates. "If there were to be any type of increase it would be because of fuel costs only, but I don't see that happening."
Although Ebersole now has been absorbed into the Allied system, Callaway County residents do still have a locally-owned solid waste disposal service option in AAA Waste Management out of Fulton.
David Holliday, who owns AAA Waste with his wife, Schatzie, said the benefit to customers is that his service - started in January 2003 after he bought J.T. Brown Transfer in Columbia - is that "we're family owned."
"My wife's the president of the company, I'm the secretary. We run four trucks; we're a small business," Holliday said. "We know our customers by name. They can call and talk directly to me.
"Service is a main key with me. We want people to be happy with our service. If something's not right, we want to make it right."
Graham, who noted "my people and I have been working in the area - in Callaway - since 1975," said customer service is important to Allied as well.
"We've been doing this for a long time," Graham said. "We hope if there's a service issue people will call us. We'll be happy to help anybody with any questions or concerns."
He said any former Ebersole customers with questions about the transfer to Allied Waste can contact Allied at (573) 635-8805.
Attempts to reach Derek Ebersole for comment were unsuccessful.