GFL Environmental, Rizzo Environment complete deal

GFL Environmental Inc. (GFL), an environmental services firm based in Toronto, has completed the acquisition of Rizzo Environmental Services Inc. and Rizzo’s subsidiary companies with a newly formed U.S. subsidiary of GFL called GFL-USA.

Rizzo Environmental, headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan, is involved in municipal, commercial and industrial solid waste collection as well as commercial recycling, processing and brokerage.

Rizzo Environmental currently provides collection services to more than 40 municipalities in Southeastern Michigan. Its recycling operations, with three commercial recycling facilities, serve customers in lower Michigan and northern Ohio.

GFL, which has been involved in the collection and processing of waste throughout Canada for more than 40 years, is made up of four businesses: its Liquid Waste Division (East & West), its Solid Waste Haulage Division, Solid Waste Transfer Division and GFL Excavating Corp.

According to GFL, Rizzo’s current management team, led by Chuck Rizzo Jr., will remain with GFL-USA.

Patrick Dovigi, GFL's founder and CEO, says, "Rizzo Environmental has a loyal and growing customer base because of its market-leading customer service and its committed management team, led by Chuck Rizzo, Jr., who brings over 25 years of waste industry experience and relationships to GFL.

“Chuck (Rizzo Jr.) and his management team share the same growth vision and commitment to safety as GFL,” Dovigi continues. “Rizzo Environmental is a natural fit, both geographically and culturally, for GFL's plans to grow the GFL brand into the United States. We expect Rizzo Environmental to serve as a foundation from which GFL can continue its growth strategy into the Midwestern U.S. through both acquisitions and organic growth. The customers and employees of Rizzo Environmental will see little change in the way that Rizzo Environmental has historically operated with its headquarters remaining in Sterling Heights.”

In supporting the deal, Rizzo Jr., says, "I'm one of the investors who unanimously approved this transaction, and I'm grateful to retain and expand my equity share. What changes for Rizzo Environmental is our name and our capacity to grow. Our local leadership remains the same, as does our absolute commitment to our customers."

Together, GFL and Rizzo Environmental will have a workforce of more than 4,000 employees and serve more than 80,000 commercial and industrial customers and more than 2.5 million households.

GFL also announced that it has completed the acquisition of Enviro-Smart Organics Ltd. and West Coast Lawns, an organics waste processing facility and turf farm in Delta, British Columbia, Canada.

GFL says that its acquisition of Enviro-Smart confirms the company’s commitment to investing in environmental processes that can be applied and offered to customers from other GFL facilities.