New local trash service launches in Lennox with old-school customer care

 Randy Weischedel

Lennox residents will soon notice a new, customer-focused garbage service making its rounds throughout the city. Valet Garbage Company, owned by Randy Weischedel is rolling out a weekly garbage collection and bi-weekly recycling that is quickly gaining attention.

Weischedel, who has lived in Lennox for over 20 years, is married to his wife, Christine, with four adult children. 

“With sixteen grandchildren, our family is our hobby,” Randy said, adding that community and family are central to his life.

Learning more about the trash industry from his son, Randy began to dream of his own trash company. 

“My son has worked in the trash business for a while now, and in learning more about what he does every day, I began coming up with my own ideas, and eventually I started thinking more about offering a standard valet service, and Valet Garbage Company was born,” he said.

Noticing a gap in the industry, Weischedel began having conversations with locals about what was missing in their service. 

“It didn’t take long after having a few conversations and doing market research that people miss the old school way of garbage collection and would prefer to go back to a simpler way of getting the job done,” Weischedel said. 

What will set Valet Garbage Company apart from others in the area are the old school services Weischedel can provide. 

“What sets us apart from our competition is that most companies charge for grabbing cans and returning them, but we are setting that as our standard. All our customers have to do is have their cans outside their doors and I will handle the rest. I’ve gotten some great feedback already from my customers, some of which are finding they are really needing this service and weren’t even aware,” he said. 

Launching the business was not without its surprises. 

“I wouldn’t call them hurdles, but there was a lot more to getting the business started than I had anticipated. Getting equipment set up, planning the routes, and becoming comfortable with the truck all takes time, but it has all come together nicely,” Weischedel said.

Right now, Randy is the face and the backbone of Valet Garbage Company. 

“This business is very hands on, so while I am running things on the streets, I have some help behind the scenes working on customer service, building a website, getting marketing ready because based on our current growth, I’m going to need to grow this team quickly,” he said.

Picking up in Lennox, Harrisburg, and Sioux Falls, Valet Garbage Company has stocked up extra cans for the new service area. 

“We have had a semi come and thankfully we had a few extra hands because unloading 800 cans off a semi is far more difficult than anyone could imagine, but it sure made for some great stories throughout the day,” Weischedel smiled.

Residents can look forward to weekly garbage pickup, bi-weekly recycling, yard waste collection, and a “Smelly Can Switch.” However, hazardous materials cannot be accepted at this time.

“We offer very straightforward pricing. Right now, we are offering a $35 per month or $45 per month plan depending on can size. If you sign up for a six month or annual plan, you can save $15 to $35. We do require a one time refundable deposit of $35 for the cans,” he said.

To minimize disruptions, Valet Garbage Company will be using smaller trucks designed specifically for this service which reduce road damage and sound compared to larger vehicles. 

“We already have a smaller truck that’s built specifically for this type of service. With it being as small as it is, it reduces road damage and the sound is a lot less than others,” Weischedel said.

As Lennox welcomes this new service, Weischedel’s community-driven approach promises to make trash collection a little easier and a lot friendlier for everyone. 

“Our plan is to stay in a similar size truck as we grow so we can continue to be service first business, not just a trash collector,” he said.