Lakeshore Recycling Systems, the Illinois-based company with which Indianapolis recently inked a decade-long trash hauling and recycling pickup contract, announced on Monday that it has acquired a small local solid waste firm.
The company, also known as LRS, purchased GHW, a locally owned and operated company that primarily provides trash compacting, construction-site dumpster pickup and commercial waste and recycling services.
GHW—owned by partners Jim Gamage, Troy Hintze and Kevin Walbridge—will maintain its current leadership, service model, and team.
LRS declined to disclose financial terms of the deal. Approximately 60 employees with GHW will join LRS, according to LRS spokeswoman Michelle McConnaughey. That includes drivers, supervisors and support staff.
“The acquisition of GHW is a strategic step that supports our broader investment in the Indianapolis market, including the upcoming residential contract with the city,” McConnaughey said in an email to IBJ. “GHW brings deep local knowledge, a strong reputation for customer service, and an experienced team, all of which strengthen our ability to serve residents and businesses with excellence from day one.”
She added that the company prioritizes local partnerships when possible, and acquiring GHW will allow the company to “integrate faster, operate more efficiently and build on the trust they’ve earned in the community.”
Beginning next year, LRS will provide services to the 157,000 units currently covered by Waste Management and Republic Services and is expected to assist in the city’s planned 2028 transition to universal curbside recycling. Residents living in the 120,000 units served by the Department of Public Works and AFSCME Local 725 will not see a change.
LRS will onboard a still-undetermined number of drivers, mechanics and support staff from Waste Management and Republic Services as those contracts come to an end, McConnaughey said.
LRS operates in eight states and provides hauling services in more than 125 communities. It also provides residential recycling collection for more than 600,000 residents in Chicago.