Ecowaste buys A-1 McDuffie Sanitation, adds 60,000 customers in Alabama and Mississippi

Ecowaste Solutions acquired family-owned A-1 McDuffie Sanitation, expanding its Mobile County footprint and moving deeper into Mississippi. The deal brings 60,000 customers, more than 40 trucks and all employees into Ecowaste’s Gulf Coast growth plan.

Why it matters: - The acquisition expands Ecowaste Solutions’ Gulf Coast scale and adds a dense customer base across Alabama and Mississippi. - The deal strengthens Ecowaste’s position in Mobile County and pushes the company into Laurel, Noxubee County and Stone County, Mississippi. - Ecowaste said every A-1 McDuffie employee will stay on, reducing transition risk for customers and staff.

What happened: - Ecowaste Solutions announced the acquisition of A-1 McDuffie Sanitation, a family-founded hauler based in Semmes, Alabama. - A-1 McDuffie serves 60,000 customers across Alabama and Mississippi. - The company operates more than 40 trucks and employs more than 90 people. - Ecowaste already operates a hauling facility in Mobile, Alabama. - The acquisition extends Ecowaste service into Laurel, Noxubee County and Stone County in Mississippi. - Ecowaste said this is its 14th acquisition since the merger. - The deal follows Ecowaste’s acquisition of Adams Sanitation in Milton, Florida.

The details: - A-1 McDuffie was founded in 1998 by Kenneth Havens’s grandparents. - The company name was chosen so it would appear first in the phone book. - Havens joined the family business in 2009 and now serves as chief executive officer. - A-1 McDuffie built its brand around community involvement and education. - In 2014, the company introduced 96-gallon pink carts, with $5 from each cart going to a breast cancer charity. - The company later added a black cart with a red lid, called the mission cart, with $5 from each cart supporting a local nonprofit. - Havens described the business as a “people company that offers a sanitation service.” - Ecowaste says the company will keep operating with its existing team during the transition. - Havens will help guide the transition alongside Ecowaste leadership. - Ecowaste is welcoming the A-1 McDuffie team into the company. - Ecowaste is headquartered in Coppell, Texas, and operates across ten states in the South and Mid-South. - Ecowaste provides residential, commercial, roll-off, portable restroom, recycling and other environmental services.

Between the lines: - The acquisition appears designed to buy local trust as much as routes and equipment. - A-1 McDuffie’s charity-linked carts suggest a business model built around neighborhood identity, not just waste collection. - Ecowaste is leaning into that local reputation while adding corporate scale and regional back-office support. - Reynolds framed the deal as a fit between entrepreneurial ownership and a larger platform focused on safety, service and employee engagement.

What's next: - Ecowaste will manage the handoff with Havens and the existing A-1 McDuffie team. - The company will try to preserve customer relationships while integrating the new routes and employees. - Ecowaste is continuing its Gulf Coast expansion after the Adams Sanitation deal and this latest purchase. - For more information, visit Ecowaste Solutions.