Since 1981 Central Texas Refuse has been a leader in the South Texas Market providing full service waste collection, disposal, and recycling. They currently provide Commercial, Roll-Off, Residential and Recycling services. They have also been a customer of Alpine Technology Corporation for that time. Though they have always had a focus on customer satisfaction, over the past three years they have taken it to a whole new level…to put it mildly. What were the catalysts for this amazing change?
First, CTR brought in a seasoned and gifted leader in Mike Lavengco who had a vision for change. Mr. Lavengco was a proven entity in the waste industry having successfully worked with many of the largest haulers in the U.S. More than a mere visionary, Mr. Lavengco was also skilled in the art of execution…he knew how to get things done.
Second, CTR’s vision of growth could only be carried out by skilled, motivated employees who were working in the right positions. Leadership created a culture where high-performers would want to stay “on the bus” while low-performers would want to leave…and some did. The reorganization left CTR with a talented team that was better positioned to recreate this company into a world-class leader.
Third, CTR knew the value of leveraging technology. That would mean change. With 25 support staff and over 50 trucks, the task of passing that vision on to the staff would not be an easy one. An initial analysis from leadership determined that the support staff were only using 10% of the current capabilities of Visual RAMS-Pro, their office software. After several meetings and more extensive training, CTR’s support team is much more comfortable with the many efficiencies that have come about from the expanded use of VRP.
Leadership’s attention then went to their biggest assets, their trucks. Fitting each truck out with military-grade tablets and Visual On-Route (Alpine’s in-cab software) communication was now seamless 
between the office and the trucks. The process to outfit each truck and train the office staff and drivers only took a few months; however, the changed culture will be sustained for the life of the company. Management now enjoys transparency into trucks/routes, increased customer satisfaction, and the financial benefits that go with streamlining routes. The drivers, while hesitant at first to embrace new technology, now see it as a valuable tool to communicate, navigate and make their job easier.
Finally, CTR knew that the demographics of your typical customer in the U.S. are ever-changing. Particularly in the Austin area, the younger, technologically-advanced customers demanded a more contemporary approach to business. Leveraging the internet would bridge that technology gap that was growing over the years at CTR. With that vision in mind, CTR hired the Alpine team in Australia to build a bi-directional link between their website and their office software, VRP. Their new website allows customers to sign up for service, manage their payments, request additional service and more.
While there is still much to do at Central Texas Refuse, they have come a long way over the past three years. They are seen as the premier full-service waste company in the region and continue to thrive. Having visionary and disciplined leadership, motivated and well-placed employees and a technology that can grow with you are all essential pieces to the success puzzle. Congratulations Central Texas Refuse.