One of the largest waste management companies in Canada taking over the solid-waste operations of Langford-based Alpine Group.
Ontario-based GFL Environmental has bought Alpine Disposal, the solid waste division of Evergreen Industries, part of the Alpine Group. Neither side of the deal will reveal the terms.
Alpine founder and Langford Mayor Stew Young prefers to look at the new arrangement as a “strategic alliance,” rather than an acquisition as he feels it better describes the situation.
Young, who was bought out in the deal, said Alpine Disposal’s administration and management will now control the combined forces of GFL and Alpine Disposal on the Island. But the combined company is now owned by GFL.
“We’ve basically just merged the two companies,” said Young. “[GFL] was mainly up Island and we had down here.”
Young said all of 100 employees and management of Alpine Disposal have joined GFL and the transition has been seamless, and customers will not see any changes.
“[They] won’t notice a thing. The same people will be picking up their garbage,” Young said.
“Stability for my employees was a key thing in this. Every employee stays on and they kept their seniority. [GFL] have been really great to deal with.”
Young said he’s had little to do with the disposal business in recent years, and he hasn’t made a decision involving the company in seven years.
He noted that with the backing of a financial powerhouse like GFL — funded in part by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan — they can now bid on larger government contracts.
“It’s hard for small companies to thrive and build, and the government wants bigger companies to bid on contracts, and when you bid you have to put up millions,” Young said. “This allows [Alpine] to bid on bigger contacts.”
Young said it means the two disposal firms won’t be stepping on each other’s toes as they expand services on the Island.
“This looks after employees in both companies,” Young said.
GFL founder and chief executive Patrick Dovigi was travelling Thursday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a statement, he lauded Alpine as a premier service provider on the Island. “When its owners wanted to transition their Island business to the next generation, we saw the opportunity to combine the strengths of the Alpine Group’s business and its employees with our shared commitment to providing our customers with sustainable environmental solutions,” he said.
The sale does not affect Alpine Disposal operations anywhere else in B.C.
Founded in 1984 with one garbage truck, the firm now has more than divisions and hundreds of employees around the province.
It also does not touch any of the diverse suite of more than 20 companies under the Alpine Group banner.
Alpine businesses include gravel and soil companies, limo services, restaurants, water taxis, auto, RV and boat sales, transportation and welding services.
“Those are all businesses we intend to run for [decades],” said Young.
