The name Rumpke has been associated with the waste industry around the greater Cincinnati area since 1932 when William Rumpke opened a junkyard. He added different services over the years as the need arose and brought on family members to help — first, his brother Bernard, then their sons Bill Sr. and Thomas. Today, the third generation is in charge at Rumpke Waste & Recycling with Bill Jr. as president and CEO, his brother Jeff as west area president and his brother Andrew as east area president.
But they are not the only Rumpkes working at the company, says Amanda Pratt, director of corporate communications. In fact, 75 members of the family are on staff in this company of 3,200 employees, working in various positions in the company’s 60 locations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, and in all divisions — waste and recycling, fleet servicing, junk hauling and portable restrooms.
But Pratt says while the Rumpke name will get you in the door at the company, continued employment is not guaranteed, and you can expect to start at the bottom. “I always heard Bill Sr. talk about the fact that every family member has to start on the front lines,” she says. “They want them to experience the different jobs. They have to display diligence and perseverance. They also have to go out and get the right education for the job they want to have. Then once they’re here, they have to prove themselves and earn promotions.”
Jeff and Andrew are good examples, says Carl Walter, Cincinnati-area portable restroom operations manager. “Both of them have been in the portable restroom division and have run that at one point in time. And a lot of their sons have also come through the portable restroom division as a way to start their career within Rumpke.”
“Every member of the Rumpke family has the opportunity to be part of the business, if they choose to do so — and if they earn the right to do so,” Pratt says. “More is expected of them because their last name is Rumpke.”
Read more about Rumpke Waste & Recycling in this month’s issue of Portable Restroom Operator magazine.
