During a meeting last week with the City of Mineral Wells’ new solid waste contractor, a company representative spoke afterward with Jack and Teri Richardson after realizing they are the company with “the black trucks and dumpsters.” He complimented the Richardsons on how clean and nice their trucks and equipment are kept.
That is a reflection on how Jack and Teri run their family-owned solid waste company. While their modern service trucks are always shiny and clean, their primary focus is on providing quality customer service based on building long-term relationships while also treating their employees with respect and appreciation. Honesty with a proven track record of quality customer service spanning more than three decades is the foundation upon what JR Disposal is built upon.
This week’s program Chair Brooke Barnett invited Jack and Teri to Wednesday’s Rotary Club of Mineral Wells meeting to talk about JR Disposal – even as the couple fretted about one of their nice, clean trucks making it to Fort Worth and back during potentially icy roadway conditions.
Jack’s father started the business in 1985 with a pickup truck using wooden side boards to collect refuse from six families in the Whitt area, simply to help out his rural neighbors.
Today, the company now serves customers in a four-county region – Jack, Wise, Parker and Palo Pinto.
Jack told Rotarians that unlike large, corporate companies they try and keep rates low and operate on tight budgets and put almost everything they make back into the company to ensure trucks are always up and running and – unless in the most extreme of weather conditions – routes are serviced as promised. Teri said they have had only three rates hikes in the company’s history.
On the rare occasion someone’s home is missed, Jack even late at night will jump in his personal pickup and go collect their trash. Teri has been known to climb into the driver’s seat of a truck to service routes if a driver is out. Jack will work nights repairing a truck so that it is ready to go in the morning.
Like many small business owners know, it takes a lot of work and personal sacrifice to operate a successful business, especially a trash service that has so many moving parts and components and direct interactions with every customer. Like any customer-based business, most interactions are pleasant but not always. The Richardsons have some stories.
JR Disposal operates outside the City of Mineral Wells. If you do not receive a city water bill or pay city taxes, you can contract with JR Disposal for your trash collection needs. Residential carts start at just $30 a month (taxes included). Accounts are serviced weekly and billed monthly. If you need commercial dumpsters JR Disposal has you covered.
If you live outside Mineral Wells and would like to contract JR Disposal for your collection needs, call 940-325-9000 or visit www.jrdisposal.com.
Jack and Teri live in Mineral Wells. It was announced at the meeting Teri will be joining Rotary Club of Mineral Wells! That is fantastic news. We will be very happy to have her.