Name: Rich Welker

Title: Recycling Plant Manager, Dayton, Ohio How long have you worked at Rumpke? 10 years

What are some of your job duties? I manage the Dayton recycling facility and am responsible for production, personnel, finances, shipping and safety.

What is the best part of your job? I’m a people person, and I really enjoy the crew I work with both inside and outside of the plant. 

How has Rumpke positioned itself as a leader in recycling or environmental stewardship? Rumpke is a frontrunner because they’re willing to invest in the technology needed to be a leader. What I’ve seen with the Dayton glass plant is unlike any other company; you see glass processing but nothing of this kind. Rumpke saw a problem with glass in the industry as a whole and invested in changing that. (Check out our video on glass recycling.)

Rumpke has partnered with the Ohio EPA to increase glass recycling and processing state-wide.

What do think Rumpke will look like in 10 or 20 years? I hope we continue to see Rumpke as a leader in the industry. I see all forms of recycling increasing. We’ve already proved ourselves as leaders with what we do with glass, and I believe we will continue to see that in other areas with how we are reusing natural gas to fuel our trucks. We may not do everything, but we are excellent at what we do.

Learn more about Rumpke’s fleet of vehicles running on compressed natural gas produced on site at the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill.

Why do you like working at Rumpke? I really enjoy working for a family business. Even though we are a large company, there is a huge difference in working for a family company and a large corporate organization. There is an element of accessibility here at Rumpke that may not be present at other companies; we are able to discuss what works and what doesn’t with the owners whenever a problem arises.

For tours or educational information, contact us. You can also visit www.rumpke.com to learn about our careers and services.