Liverpool has a rich industrial history—how has the city influenced your business journey and shaped your approach to waste management? Working in Liverpool in the waste industry, you get to know everyone. As it is a small city, everyone knows everyone. So, for a very long time, the power of word of mouth was enough to sustain steady growth. Focusing on service has been the key, as working massively in the city centre, you must abide by strict times to ensure all jobs are completed. (Modernising the company and navigating new regulations clearly required strategic thinking. Having weathered those early storms, Andrew focused on evolving and growing the business. We were curious about the strategic changes he implemented to keep Central Waste competitive and forward-thinking.) What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting out, and how did you overcome them? Funny enough, working in a family business can be challenging. The biggest obstacle I faced was modernising outdated practices that no longer apply to the current waste industry, as it is a fast-changing environment. Fighting every inch tooth and nail was the only way forward. Putting in hours the hours and toughing it out was the only way. (The fruits of these strategies are evident. For instance, Central Waste processes around 76,000 tonnes of recyclable waste each year, drastically cutting down what ends up in landfills. But beyond the numbers and operational tweaks, Andrew is equally focused on the company's social and ethical role. This led us to discuss Central Waste's engagement with the local community and its approach to responsible waste management.)
Waste management is a highly competitive industry—have you had to adapt or pivot your business model over the years to stay ahead? Waste management truly is one of the most competitive industries in the UK. Nobody truly wants to pay for waste, and large companies play on this by offering unrealistically low initial prices at the beginning and putting their prices up throughout the year. Usually locking customers into 2 / 4 years contracts that automatically renew. So, the initial price becomes expensive after the first few months. This is because the extensive company's strategy is rapid expansion. For this precise reason, we chose the completely opposite method of sales. We go in at the right price, and as a result, we keep customers happy and retain them for much longer because we manage their expectations right from the beginning. Usually, they have succumbed to large companies' tactics once or twice before and understand what they have with us is a fair price for excellent service. Again, the large companies have forgotten that they are in a service-based industry and usually fall short of service. Our primary focus is on service, which is our company motto.
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