Today, ABC Disposal operates 65 trucks on the road every day and employs 175 people.

Some waste removal companies are content to haul garbage, but Massachusetts-based ABC Disposal has placed itself at the forefront of new technology, focusing on solid waste gasification.

The company's partner in this venture, Ze-gen, is building a demonstration facility at one of ABC's facilities to develop the technology, says Vice President Michael Camara. "This is the first attempt anywhere in the world of the development of this kind of technology," he says. "It's cutting edge and state-of-the-art. We hope to have a demonstration plant up and running by mid-May."

If the technology is successfully developed, ABC and Ze-gen will look into building more facilities and licensing the technology, Camara explains. "The whole process involves the creation of a synthetic natural gas, which will create electricity," he says. "I believe that if we are successful, people will come to us. People from around the world have expressed an interest in working with us. We hope to have positive test results sometime this summer and fall.

"On paper, it is going to work," he adds, "but you can't finance a facility with statistics. We need to prove to financial institutions that we have a successful gasification technology."

Daily Operations
ABC Disposal got its start in 1967 when Camara's parents purchased a small company called GB Trucking. The three-truck operation made the most of its outdated equipment, Michael Camara says.

"Since then, we lost my dad in 1989, and in our growth, we were able to acquire approximately 20 other companies and build up a substantial company," he says.

Today, ABC Disposal operates 65 trucks on the road every day and employs 175 people. "We haul everything but hazardous waste," Camara says. "We handle subscription residential collection, contract residential collection, commercial collection, institutional collection and industrial collection. We have roll-off trucks to pick up construction waste, stationary and self-contained compactors, and recycling trucks that do a lot of residential recycling, as well as office paper recycling."

All the company's work is completed within a 35-mile radius of its headquarters in New Bedford, Mass. Camara says competition isn't an issue thanks to ABC's "superior service" and loyal customer base.

The company also owns New Bedford Waste Services LLC, which operates a 48,000-square-foot, 1,500-ton-per-day construction and demolition debris recycling facility and solid waste transfer station. This company has a staff of 25.

"One of our main focuses is safety," he notes. "We bring employees in for two days of classroom training and videos purchased from the National Solid Waste Management Association.

"Testing takes place in the classroom. We also use on-the-job training monitored by our safety manager, and hold monthly safety meetings for every department. It's all geared toward having employees come to work healthy, and sending them home healthy." Camara says a soft economy has affected the industry and caused cutbacks in waste collection. "Volumes of waste are down because business is down," he says. "Home sales are down in this area 20 percent in ‘06 compared to ‘05. People are leery of the economy, so they're not renovating as they used to.

"Construction demolition waste is down, which is about 25 percent of what we do." Despite these challenges, Camara expects ABC to continue to grow and acquire smaller companies. "We will continue to work at protecting the environment," he says. "We continue to expand our safety program, being a good employer and a good contractor for our customers." The company estimated sales of $30 million in 2006. "Along with having a loyal customer base, the Camara family has been loyal to [our] vendors," he says.

"An example would be the Shuster Corp. [We] have been purchasing hydraulic hose and fittings and bearings [from Shuster] for 40 years."