Pellitteri Waste Systems: Three Generations of Growth

This article was sourced from Waste Advantage Magazine. you can read the full story on their website here.

The Pellitteri tradition of service began more than 85 years ago in Madison, WI, when Tom Pellitteri’s father, Tony, and his uncles used a borrowed truck to deliver coal and haul away garbage for merchants on Madison’s Capitol Square. Steady business and a strong dedication to customer service ensured the growth of the business to a point at which the Pellitteri brothers purchased their own trucks and built a respected reputation in the disposal business. Pellitteri was the first company to bring mechanized packer trucks and automated container systems to Madison to reduce the “back-breaking” lifting of 55-gallon drums and GI garbage pails. Tony continued to operate the business, Tony Pellitteri Trucking Service, until his death in 1968, after which it was sold to a national trucking company, SCA Waste Services.

In 1979, Tom Pellitteri and his wife, Michele, founded Pellitteri Waste Systems, Inc., which has become a comprehensive waste disposal and recycling business. They built their business on the principle of always looking for a better way to meet the needs of their customers. Today, the third generation of the Pellitteri family oversees the business’s day-to-day operations and long-term planning.

Currently serving 44 communities and more than 80,000 households, as well as thousands of commercial accounts, Pellitteri Waste Systems provides waste and recycling collection, specialty recycling services, onsite confidential data destruction and single-stream recycling processing to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout Southern Wisconsin.

In 2024, the company sorted more than 77,500 tons of mixed recycling at its local MRF, recycled almost 27,000 tons of specialty recyclables from manufacturers and industrial customers, hauled over 6,500 tons of construction materials to be recycled and shredded and recycled more than 1,400 tons of confidential data.

With roughly 170 employees, 110 trucks in their fleet (with CNG vehicles added to the fleet in 2015, and maintenance facilities expanded internally to accommodate the servicing and maintenance of CNG trucks), a materials recovery facility (MRF) and an industrial recycling facility, Pellitteri Waste Systems continues the family business’s tradition of service.

Growth Strategies
In late 2020, one of Pellitteri’s largest competitors acquired another competitor in its area, and the company saw a large increase in customers looking to switch to its services, but trucks, parts, containers and employees were all hard to find on short notice. Fortunately, Pellitteri had built strong relationships with its vendors and had access to everything they needed to bring on the new business growth.

“Our vendor partners were right beside us, working with us to prioritize our needs because they knew we weren’t just there for today and wouldn’t walk away tomorrow,” explains President David Pellitteri. “We’ve always looked at our vendors as valued business partners with whom we work hard to develop strong relationships. We shed off vendors we feel are not valuing partnerships and replace them with vendors who take the time to understand our needs and help us fulfill them in the short and long term. Between 2021 and 2024, our revenues increased by 68 percent. We work hard to earn our new customer accounts one at a time, and our vendors helped to provide what we needed to support our growth.”

A recent situation exemplified how having good business partnerships is crucial to long-term growth and success. David explained that he always recommends that communities that go out to RFP give haulers six to nine months to get the equipment, trucks and communications lined up for a smooth hauler transition.

“This is essential to the success of the transition to deliver on our mission,” he says. “Our families live in these communities. We want to hear great feedback when we meet someone at a kid’s sporting event that they love the new collection program, not how spotty the service was at first, or that the cart delivery got screwed up. However, in early December, we received a call from a community that was on the fringe of our service area and wasn’t on our radar. They had awarded a new curbside contract to a hauler starting a couple of weeks later, but the hauler had just backed out. They heard about our good reputation from other communities in the area so they reached out and asked if we could start servicing their community of 1,000+ homes, spread out over 30 square miles, starting January 1st. Our cart manufacturer, Cascade Carts, was able to remove all the prior hauler’s carts and install our carts before the first service in January. In situations like these, strong vendor partnerships show their true value above a couple of pennies in pricing. Now, we will have a customer for a minimum of 10 years. As an extra kicker, business owners involved with the community are seeing how well we were able to handle the issue and are asking us to service their commercial businesses.”

Facing Challenges
Over the years, labor challenges have limited the ownership team’s ability to spend time growing the business. For much of the organization’s history, the team struggled to find experienced drivers because pay and benefits were not keeping up with the market.

“It took us a while to understand how big this issue was and how it cost us more than we thought,” says David. “Around 2015, we systematically began increasing our pay and benefits package by adding or upgrading a new program each year. By 2021, we felt we had a top-tier package that could compete with any private trucking company and the local government CDL-level jobs. As part of the plan, we put a truck replacement program in place to keep our fleet fresh and provide the trucks experienced drivers would want to drive. We also remodeled our headquarters to provide a more professional environment and help attract new sales and administrative talent. Our employee count has increased by 50 percent in the past four years, and we are hiring experienced, well-qualified drivers from both our industry and other hauling industries.”

Working safely is one of the company’s core values. Pellitteri has weekly safety meetings with all employees and bi-weekly management safety meetings to review any recent safety issues or concerns.

“Over the past 18 months, we have revamped and updated our new driver training program and also added more safety reward programs to ensure we are emphasizing and encouraging employee safety, each and every day,” says Operations Vice President Drew Cochrane.

Pellitteri Waste Systems says battery fires currently pose the greatest industry challenge and risk to its trucks, recycling facilities, and workers. Other recycling facilities continue to experience catastrophic damage from fires that are believed to have begun by rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries. The number of fires will continue to grow if these batteries are disposed of by traditional methods.

“I serve on a number of committees that are working to create a safe and easily accessible infrastructure for battery disposal in Wisconsin to ensure the batteries are not put in the normal waste stream,” says David. “There are answers and solutions available, and we will learn best practices as other states also try different disposal methods.” In the meantime, the company has been running paid campaigns on social media channels to educate the public on proper battery disposal.

Working Efficiently
Not only did Pellitteri Waste Systems open a new Data Destruction Division in 2002 to protect customers’ confidential information, but the company was also proud to be the first Wisconsin data destruction service provider certified by the National Association for Information Destruction.

In 2012, Pellitteri Waste Systems added a BHS single-stream MRF in Madison. For many years, the third generation of Pellitteris traveled around the country attending the NWRA Chairman’s Council tours and learning about MRFs, as well as connecting with other industry leaders to learn how to build, design and run an MRF. Since the build-out of the MRF, the company has had two major upgrades. The first upgrade added robotics and a glass cleanup program. The second upgrade added additional opticals, more robots and AI technology.

All of the communities they serve now have expanded single-stream recycling collection so residents and businesses can co-mingle and recycle more materials than what is required by Wisconsin law. Recyclables are sorted, baled and shipped to manufacturers to be made into new products. Items that are acceptable for recycling at the MRF beyond what is required by state law include:

• Paper cups (hot and cold)
• Cartons
• Metal pots and pans
• Shredded paper in clear plastic bags (smaller than a basketball)
• Small metal appliances like toasters and blenders (smaller than a basketball)
• Small metal plumbing fixtures, faucet, valves and short pipe
• Aluminum foil
• Pizza boxes

In 2021, Pellitteri Waste Systems created a new Recycling Solutions Division to provide specialized recycling services for manufacturing companies. Operating in a facility between Madison and Milwaukee, the division has expanded the scope of materials that can be recycled for industrial and manufacturing customers.

“Diverting materials from the landfill and finding reuse/recycling options has always been a priority for the company. By offering more specialized recycling services to higher volume waste generators who can source separate their materials upfront instead of intermingling them, it opens up more marketability of the materials for reuse,” says David. Organizations with large volumes of pre-and post-consumer paper, plastics, cardboard, metals and other materials can benefit from a customized recycling plan to save money and reduce waste. The company also accepts stretch film/clear bags, electronic waste, ingredient bags and wood and plastic pallets. They also host e-waste events and refer communities they serve to their local Clean Sweep for household hazardous waste.

Educational Outreach
Pellitteri Waste Systems has developed several educational resources over the years to help customers and communities become better recyclers and divert more unnecessary waste from the landfill.

“We created more than two dozen short recycling tips videos that can be found on our website and have been promoted through paid YouTube and social media campaigns, and we regularly publish recycling tips on our social media channels,” says Vice President of Sales and Marketing Danielle Pellitteri.

In fact, their seven-minute video showing how recyclables are sorted at their MRF is shared with many organizations and schools and shown on MRF tours. In addition, they are featured in a great educational video for kids called “Becoming Stewards of Recycling,” and their mobile app and website include a Recycle Right Search Tool, allowing users to verify if items can be recycled.

“We are proud that our company has been recognized for its educational outreach by several organizations. In 2023, Pellitteri Waste Systems received the Recycling Excellence Award from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Outstanding Achievement in Education Award from the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin and the Business Friend of the Environment Award from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce,” comments Danielle.

“The response to our investments in recycling education programming has been great,” notes Marketing Coordinator Joleen Engeseth. “We’ve always received a lot of questions about recycling and our availability for in-person presentations. Building up our digital resources in recent years has helped us to reach and educate a much larger number of people, making access to recycling education easy and fun while better using staff time.”

Giving Back
The company also supports many local fundraising events and charitable causes, such as fire/police departments, youth sports teams, non-profit organizations and community festivals, providing monetary support as well as in-kind service donations.

“Additionally, last year Pellitteri Waste Systems supported 84 local community programs and raised thousands of dollars for food pantries in Southern Wisconsin as part of its ThanksGIVING Back employee fundraising effort,” says Vice President of Information Technology Tim Pellitteri.

“Giving back to the community is extremely important at Pellitteri Waste Systems,” adds Tim. “In fact, it is part of our mission statement—foster an environment which benefits our team, clients and community. This isn’t just lip service; our families and employees live in the communities we serve, so we want to do our part to strengthen our communities.”

Future Success
Pellitteri’s ownership team believes the company’s most outstanding achievement to date is transitioning ownership from one generation to the next while honoring its mission and core values.

“We continue to prepare for our children, the next generation, to have an opportunity to become equal partners in the future,” says David. “We’ve evolved from a strong mom-and-pop hauling business to a professional organization providing waste and recycling collection, recycling processing, expanded specialty recycling and onsite confidential data destruction services to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout Southern Wisconsin.”

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For more information, visit www.pellitteri.com.
To see their MRF in action, visit www.pellitteri.com/mrf.
To see the list of acceptable recyclable items, visit www.pellitteri.com/residential-recycling and www.pellitteri.com/industrial-recycling.

RMHC-Madison and Rogers Behavioral Health Collaborate to Bring Home-Like Support to Families’ Health Journey

RMHC-Madison and Rogers Behavioral Health Collaborate to Bring Home-Like Support to Families’ Health Journey 

Madison, WI — Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison and Rogers Behavioral Health are proud to announce a new collaboration that will provide daytime access to the Ronald McDonald House for families whose children are receiving treatment at Rogers’ Madison clinic.

This collaboration expands RMHC-Madison’s mission of keeping families close by offering a welcoming and supportive environment for caregivers and siblings during the day while their child is receiving mental health treatment. Families can now enjoy a restful space filled with the comforts of home, including access to nourishing meals, laundry facilities, play areas for siblings and quiet spaces to recharge while their child is in care.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rogers families into our House during the day,” said Stephanie Hayden, CEO of RMHC-Madison. “Navigating a child’s health journey, either physical or mental, can be overwhelming. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment by both organizations to support the whole family during a child’s medical journey — recognizing that healing happens best when families are cared for, too.”

Day-use families will be welcomed by RMHC-Madison’s caring staff and volunteers and have full access to the House’s communal amenities from morning through late afternoon. This service is offered at no cost to families thanks to the generosity of RMHC-Madison donors and partners.

“At Rogers, we believe in the power of family involvement in the healing process,” said Cindy Meyer, president and CEO of Rogers Behavioral Health. “This collaboration with RMHC-Madison helps ease the emotional and practical burdens on parents and caregivers while their children receive vital treatment. Having a space to rest and recharge makes a meaningful difference in the whole family’s recovery journey.”

For more information on how RMHC-Madison strengthens families and promotes healing, please visit rmhcmadison.org. For more information on Rogers’ life-saving services, visit rogersbh.org.

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About Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison: Since 1993, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison has provided a continuum of care for those who live hours or even a plane ride from their child’s treatment. By offering housing, meals and a supportive community, RMHC-Madison is Keeping Families Close during life’s most challenging moments.

Through the Ronald McDonald House® and the Ronald McDonald Family Room® at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, families can stay close during life’s most challenging moments and receive the care they need.

About Rogers Behavioral Health
Rogers Behavioral Health is a nationally recognized not-for-profit provider of mental health and addiction services. Rogers offers evidence-based treatment for adults, children and adolescents with depression and other mood disorders, eating disorders, addiction, OCD, anxiety disorders, trauma and PTSD. In addition to locations in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington, Rogers operates three inpatient behavioral health hospitals, 17 residential programs and nine centers offering PHP and IOP treatment in Wisconsin. Outpatient services for medication management and psychiatric evaluations are offered virtually and in-person in Wisconsin.

The System also includes the Ladish Co. Foundation Center, home to Rogers Research Center and the Ronald McDonald Family Room®. In addition, Rogers leads the nationwide WISE coalition with the goal of eliminating stigma related to mental health and substance use disorders. Learn more at rogersbh.org.

Exact Sciences to Highlight Innovations in Early Cancer Detection and Precision Oncology at ASCO 2025

MADISON, Wis. – Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS), a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, today announced it will present ten abstracts at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place May 30–June 3, 2025, in Chicago, Ill. Presentations include new data on the Oncodetect™ molecular residual disease (MRD) test, multi-cancer early detection (MCED) testing, the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score^® test, and the Cologuard^® test that underscore Exact Sciences’ expanding portfolio and commitment to advancing care through scientific excellence.

“The data Exact Sciences will present at ASCO 2025 reflect the scientific rigor and clinical significance of our expanding portfolio and pipeline,” said Dr. Rick Baehner, MD, chief medical officer, Precision Oncology at Exact Sciences. “From MRD to MCED to CRC screening, we are advancing evidence-based innovations that help empower providers and deliver crucial answers to patients. Every study, partnership, and data point move us closer to a future where cancer is detected earlier and treated with greater precision.”

Real-world evidence supporting the Cologuard test continues to grow, with ongoing research into repeat screening. New data from prominent experts and research groups reinforce the Oncotype DX^® test as a trusted, evidence-backed tool, further affirming its role as the standard of care for predicting chemotherapy benefit for breast cancer patients. Building on more than a decade of experience with Cologuard and 20 years of leadership with the Oncotype DX test, Exact Sciences continues to advance the future of precision oncology and multi-cancer screening.

New Data and Continuous Evidence Generation Underscore the Oncodetect Test’s Power to Detect Cancer Recurrence. Data from the Beta-CORRECT study further strengthens the clinical foundation of the Oncodetect test, confirming its role in helping guide treatment decisions and surveillance strategies for patients with stage II–IV colorectal cancer¹. Expanding on this evidence to multiple solid tumor types, Exact Sciences and Flatiron Health continue enrollment in a multi-year, prospective study evaluating how MRD testing can improve cancer monitoring and treatment decisions in community care settings.

New Data Support Promise of MCED as Exact Sciences Prepares for LDT Launch. A modeling study found annual MCED testing could reduce late-stage cancer incidence by more than 40% and mortality by up to 18% in high-risk groups². Additionally, the Falcon registry, a large, prospective real-world study of Exact Sciences’ MCED test, will track 25,000 participants against a 50,000-person standard-care cohort to assess adoption, outcomes, and patient experience. These findings come as Exact Sciences prepares to launch Cancerguard™ EX, its MCED lab-developed test (LDT), in the second half of the year, marking a significant step in expanding access to earlier cancer detection.

Exact Sciences abstracts at ASCO include:

Precision Oncology

• The Association of Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) with Recurrence in Patients with Stage II-IV Colorectal Cancer: The ꞵ-CORRECT Study
  • Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM CT
  • Abstract number: 3590
• Molecular Residual Disease (MRD) in Solid Tumors
  • Monday, June 2, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM CT
  • Abstract number: TPS3186
• Enhancing Recurrence Detection in Stage III Colorectal Cancer Patients Through Molecular Residual Disease Test-guided Surveillance: A Modeling Study
  • Abstract number: e15600
• Patient outcomes in WSG-ADAPT according to NATALEE and MonarchE risk criteria
  • Monday, June 2, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM CT
  • Abstract number: 601

Screening

• Adherence to repeat screening for colorectal cancer using the multi-target stool DNA test: Real-world analysis of patients from Federally Qualified Health Centers
  • Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM CT
  • Abstract number: 3630
• A decade of progress: Trends in 5-year survival across 17 cancer types
  • Abstract number: e23262
• The potential of multi-cancer early detection screening in reducing cancer incidence and mortality in high-risk groups: A modeling study
  • Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM CT
  • Abstract number: 10542
• Falcon – Exact Sciences’ multi-cancer early detection (MCED) real-world evidence (RWE) registry
  • Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM CT
  • Abstract number: TPS11189
• Evaluation of plasma methylated DNA markers for detection HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a case control study
  • Monday, June 2, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM CT
  • Abstract number: 6057
• Feasibility of vaginal tampons versus vaginal swabs in the collection of vaginal fluid for endometrial cancer testing
  • Abstract number: e17617

References

1.  Hashimoto et al. The association of ctDNA with recurrence in patients with stage II-IV colorectal cancer: The β-CORRECT study. Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2025.

2.  Chhatwal, J., Xiao, J., ElHabr, A., Tyson, C., Cao, X., Raoof, S., Fendrick, A. M., Ozbay, A. B., Limburg, P., Beer, T. M., Deshmukh, A., & Briggs, A. (2025). The potential of multi-cancer early detection screening in reducing cancer incidence and mortality in high-risk groups: A modeling study. Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2025

About Exact Sciences Corp. 

A leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, Exact Sciences helps give patients and health care professionals the clarity needed to take life-changing action earlier. Building on the success of the Cologuard^® and Oncotype DX^® tests, Exact Sciences is investing in its pipeline to develop innovative solutions for use before, during, and after a cancer diagnosis. For more information, visit ExactSciences.com, follow Exact Sciences on X (formerly known as Twitter) @ExactSciences, or find Exact Sciences on LinkedIn and Facebook.

NOTE: Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score and Oncodetect are trademarks of Genomic Health, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Exact Sciences. Exact Sciences, Cologuard, and Cancerguard are trademarks of Exact Sciences.

Vierbicher Again Recognized as a Top Firm to Work For

Vierbicher Honored Again with Zweig Group’s 2025 Best Firms to Work For and Hot Firm Awards

REEDSBURG, WI – Vierbicher, a trusted leader in engineering, planning and surveying, is proud to announce that it has once again been recognized by the Zweig Group with two of the industry’s most distinguished honors: the 2025 Best Firms to Work For Award and the 2025 Hot Firm Award.

This marks the third time Vierbicher has earned the Best Firms to Work For recognition and the second time being named a Hot Firm — an affirmation of the company’s ongoing commitment to creating an outstanding workplace culture and driving strategic growth.

The Best Firms to Work For Award highlights architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms that prioritize employee experience, professional development and workplace satisfaction. Vierbicher’s people-first culture, strong values and collaborative approach continue to set it apart.

The Hot Firm Award celebrates the 100 fastest-growing AEC firms in the United States and Canada. Vierbicher’s inclusion on this list for a second time reflects its sustained momentum and leadership in the industry.

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the Zweig Group again this year,” said Rod Zubella, CEO of Vierbicher. “These awards are a testament to our team’s dedication, energy and shared vision. At Vierbicher, we believe that when we invest in our people and culture, excellence follows — for our clients, each other and the communities we serve.”

Vierbicher’s continued success stems from its strong internal culture, emphasis on growth and innovation, and its unwavering focus on delivering high-quality, client-centered solutions. With offices across Wisconsin, the firm remains deeply committed to making a lasting impact through thoughtful planning, design and collaboration.

Badger Football Season Parking Passes Available from RMHC-Madison

If you, your friends, or your company hold season pass tickets for Badger football, and are in search of parking to complement them, look no further! Ronald McDonald House Madison is once again partnering with the McDonald’s on Regent Street to offer Parking with a Purpose.

For just $350 you can reserve a prime parking spot for every home game during the 2025 football season AND help families stay close to their seriously ill children. Learn more by reaching out to Tiyanna Boyd with any questions at tboyd@rmhcmadison.org.