Midwest Regional Safety Manager Selected as a Waste & Recycling News' Rising Star
BATAVIA, Ill.
Advanced Disposal’s Regional Safety Manager Wes Salmons was selected as one of the 2013 Waste & Recycling News’Rising Stars. Salmons was chosen from 70 nominations for the industry’s future leaders.
Rising Star award recipients are published in the Waste & Recycling News March 4 edition. Winners each receive free registration to both the Residential Recycling Conference in Chicago and the Corporate Recycling & Waste Conference in St. Louis.
Salmons is in charge of maintaining safety in four states and at more than 50 sites, including hauling facilities, transfer stations, landfills and material recovery facilities. He has been an integral part of the Advanced Disposal safety team by developing successful initiatives, such as the Fit for Work program that provides employees with health and safety services and focuses on injury prevention. Since the program was implemented, sites in Illinois, southern Wisconsin and Missouri have experienced a 57 percent decrease in Occupational Heath & Safety Administration incidents. He has also worked hard to make sure managers and supervisors are well versed in compliance and auditing procedures so that safety is approached as a company-wide effort. In 2012, Salmons oversaw the addition of a simulator component and had training materials refined to make lessons task-specific. Salmons also oversaw the implementation of a driver retraining program in an effort to retain employees he believed could be successful with further education and support. As a result, 39 drivers were retrained, and 36 of those drivers remain with the company today.
Salmons is a former member of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard and has carried a strong hands-on work ethic distinguishing himself as someone who believes that “good enough” is never acceptable. His positive attitude, along with his ability to anticipate industry changes, has led to promotions to area safety manager in 2008 and to regional safety manager in 2012.
“Wes is the definition of a team player, as excited by the success of the company and his colleagues as he is by his own achievements,” said Jay Rooney, Advanced Disposal regional vice president. “There’s no doubt that with his focus on improvement, his drive to succeed and his ability to inspire people to do better, Wes will continue to thrive and make a meaningful impact in the industry. He is without a doubt a Rising Star.”
Outside of work, Salmons is a devoted family man to his wife, Davina; daughter, Adelynn; and son, Ardin. Although his job takes him on the road quite a bit, he is never happier than when he is spending time with his loved ones.
About Advanced Disposal
Advanced Disposal is the largest privately-owned environmental services company in the United States providing integrated, non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, recycling and disposal services in the Eastern United States. Advanced Disposal currently owns and operates commercial, industrial, and residential solid waste collection operations, municipal solid waste landfills, transfer stations, and recycling facilities. Advanced Disposal is dedicated to preserving the environment and ensuring that all operations are conducted in a manner that follows all local, state, and federal laws in regards to environmental protection. Advanced Disposal is headquartered in Northeast Florida and has operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin and the Bahamas. For more information regarding Advanced Disposal, please visit www.AdvancedDisposal.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AdvancedDisposal.
Contact:
Mary O’Brien, Chief Marketing Officer
Advanced Disposal
(904) 737-7900, mobrien@AdvancedDisposal.com