Waste Industries has finalized its merger with Alpine Waste & Recycling, a non-hazardous solid waste collection and recycling company based in Denver. Alpine represents Waste Industries’ first strategic move outside of its East Coast footprint since the company’s founding in 1970.

Alpine is a vertically integrated company that operates residential collection, commercial collection, a materials recovery facility and a landfill. Alpine will become the new Waste Industries’ West Region with founder John Griffith serving as the company’s west regional vice president.

“We identified Alpine early on as a very high-quality company with a very familiar corporate culture focused on its customers, employees and community,” said Ven Poole, chairman and CEO of Waste Industries, in a statement. “We look forward to helping Alpine expand its product offerings in Colorado while also bringing their expertise in sustainability to the Waste Industries platform. This merger represents a true win-win for all stakeholders.”

Alpine’s focus on sustainability was a key factor for the merger. The company provides its customers with a product called the Automated Sustainability Report, which details their sustainability efforts versus their goals and compared to their peers. This tracking system synergizes with Waste Industries’ community impact initiatives including conversion of its fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) and its customer-driven corporate philanthropy campaign The Full Circle Project. Waste Industries will lend its years of experience to support and enhance the business model Alpine Waste & Recycling has created over the years.

“In looking at potential partners, we saw Waste Industries as a perfect fit with Alpine. Their commitment to the customer, their employees and the communities in which they do business mirrors our own,” said John Griffith, CEO of Alpine Waste & Recycling, in a statement. “In addition, this merger will be a huge benefit to our Colorado customers because it gives our company access to greater resources, capital and expertise in our industry, while still allowing our company culture, focus on sustainability and our special relationship with the Colorado community to remain intact.”