OAKLEAF’S JIM BARNES SELECTED AS HARTFORD BUSINESS JOURNAL’S BUISNESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2008

Local Entrepreneur Recognized for Successfully Building the Nation’s Fastest Growing Waste Outsourcing Company

East Hartford, Conn. (October 29, 2008)-- OAKLEAF, the nation’s leading provider of waste and recycling services, is pleased to announce that Jim Barnes, OAKLEAF’s Chief Executive Officer, has been named Hartford Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year 2008. This latest recognition further reinforces Barnes reputation as a well respected business leader and talented entrepreneur in the greater Hartford community, as well as in the waste and recycling industry as a whole.

“I am honored to be chosen by the Hartford Business Journal as its Business Person of the Year,” said Barnes, who started OAKLEAF in 1995. “To be recognized in my own hometown means a great deal to me personally, as my roots, and of course OAKLEAF’s, are right here in East Hartford. I am pleased we can contribute to the strong economic backbone of Hartford.”          

A true visionary, Barnes started OAKLEAF in 1995 on the banks of the Connecticut River in East Hartford. His prior experience in the waste disposal industry exposed him first-hand to the myriad of flaws that plagued how the industry operated. Determined to dramatically improve the service offerings and operational procedures for customers who had been adversely affected by a broken-down industry, Barnes set out to transform how the waste and recycling business should be conducted. He immediately created an aggressive, asset-light business model, where world-class customer service would be synonymous with the OAKLEAF name. His revolutionary approach in providing cost-efficient services and personalized evaluations of customers’ waste streams and how they could profit from being recycled or sold, immediately distinguished Barnes as a leader who paid attention to how companies could lessen their environmental impact, while improving their bottom line.      


A little over a decade later, Barnes tenacity and forward-thinking business ideology has served him well.  Under his direction, he has taken OAKLEAF from a single-start up to an enterprise with annual revenues surpassing $700 million dollars. In fact, Barnes continues to out-pace and out-perform the nearest competitor by 12 times. With 24 million transactions conducted annually, OAKLEAF provides waste outsourcing solutions, strategies and logistics services to more than 100,000 locations through its network of over 5,500 haulers, recyclers and waste diversion providers across North America.   


Thanks to Barnes stellar business performance, OAKLEAF continually attracts and secures contracts with some of the largest retailers, property management, industrial and manufacturing companies in the world.  This consistent rise in new business, has allowed Barnes to retain 750 OAKLEAF employees nationwide, a trend that is not reflective of the current state of the economy. Locally, Barnes is committed to stimulating the Hartford economy and has been recognized seven times by Inc/Initiatives for a Competitive Inner City for his hiring of local talent. In August and September alone, OAKLEAF’s new hires accounted for a total of 7.9% of all newly added Connecticut jobs. His firm belief that OAKLEAF’S greatest asset is its people is something Barnes takes great pride in.     

 

A native of East Hartford, CT, Barnes feels a deep sense of commitment when it comes to giving back to the local community.  He serves on the Board of Directors for the Riverfront Recapture Organization and supports Cherish The Children and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Additionally, Barnes serves on the Board of Governors for the National Solid Waste Association and Marist College.


About OAKLEAF 

OAKLEAF, founded in 1995, is an authority in providing sustainable waste logistics and recycling solutions for a broad base of multi-location retail, restaurant, hotel, manufacturing, property management and mall clients including Sears, United Technologies, Kmart, GAP, TGI Fridays and more.  As the most rapidly growing waste outsourcing company in the nation with operations throughout the United States and Canada, an employee base of more than 750 employees, and a nationwide network of over 5,500 certified haulers, recyclers, and waste diversion experts, OAKLEAF provides services to over 100,000 locations throughout North America.  OAKLEAF is backed by New Mountain Capital who provides significant financial and strategic resources to help continue OAKLEAF’s strong growth and superior service to its customers. OAKLEAF has been recognized twelve times since 2001 by Inc. Magazine, including being named five times to the Inc. 500 List (now the Inc. 5000 List) and being recognized seven times by ICIC, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.  Subsidiary operations include Valet Waste (doorstep trash pick up for the multifamily industry), IEM (mall services), WasteLess Environmental Management (waste logistics solutions for Canadian companies), and Greenleaf Compaction (equipment rentals, leases, and sales).  OAKLEAF is also the exclusive provider of dumpster services for The Home Depot Dumpster Rentals.  For more information on OAKLEAF, please visit www.oakleafwaste.com.

 

About New Mountain Capital

New Mountain Capital is a New York-based private equity firm investing for long-term capital appreciation through direct investment in growth equity transactions, leveraged acquisitions and management buyouts.  The Firm currently manages private and public equity funds with over $6 billion in aggregate commitments.  New Mountain seeks out the highest-quality growth leaders in carefully selected industry sectors, and then works intensively with management to build the value of these companies.  For more information on New Mountain Capital, please visit www.newmountaincapital.com.


Contact:
Mary Beth Tryon
Director of Marketing
Phone: 860-256-2018
Cell:  860-778-0803
Email: marybeth.tryon@oakleafwaste.com