Industrial Solutions
A Conversation with Keegan Gardner
They’re not out there for attention. They want solid equipment, clear plans, and to go home knowing the job was done right. My job is to support that and stay out of their way when they’re doing what they do best.
Q8. How do you stack up against the big national players in this space?
Keegan: Companies like Restaurant Technologies and Darling Ingredients are big operations. They cover a lot of ground and do a lot of things at scale. Although competitors, they are helping this industry keep its reputation, so we certainly tip our caps to those teams, as we pass by them on the road For us, we’re not trying to be the biggest. But we are trying to be the best in North Texas as this metroplex is massive and constantly evolving. And we like to think we know every nook of these backlots. Also, regional and privately held lets us move faster: you see the same people on your route, you can get a decision-maker on the phone, and we can adjust service around how your operation really runs instead of a national template. The ownership is not only invested in the company, but also heavily involved, which makes it mean a bit more. With EarthTek, LiquiTek, and soon YeloTek, we still get some of the advantages of scale—control of hauling, processing, and fuel—but we keep it tight and local. That’s usually where we win: responsiveness, consistency, and a clear line of sight from the trap to where that material ends up.
We’re also talking to peers and evaluating some OCR scanning capabilities, given the amount of manual manifests the work requires. And, simple tools that keep information flowing between the office, the plant, the trucks, and the customer. We wouldn’t call ourselves AI experts, but we’ve got a young team, that if a tool can help take some friction out of the job and give our people back an hour of their day – all while ensuring the customer is happy – we’re interested.
Q7. What should people know about the crews doing this work every day?
Keegan: They do a hard job well and they don’t make a big deal out of it.
Most days start early, in whatever weather we get. They’re backing trucks into tight alleys, working around hot kitchens and tight schedules, dragging hose and running equipment, then leaving the site looking like we were never there. A lot of our drivers come in with five-plus years of CDL experience. We’re always looking at how to build a path for people who want to learn this trade, but we don’t lower the bar on safety or quality.
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