“We’re growing like crazy,” said Don Ross, vice president of sales and marketing for the company.

In addition to 380 employees in Scranton, the company has opened up a new plant in Booneville, Mississippi, where another 100 employees will help the company meet high demands that have only grown with the strength of the economy.

“Our customers are looking for new, more efficient means of collection and greener alternatives,” said Luke Gray, director of human resources.

With new products in line for release soon, leaders at the producer of New Way refuse collection trucks, some of the most popular trucks for garbage collection in North America, say that recruiting labor remains one of their biggest challenges to growth — part of what led them to choose Booneville as their next location.

-Submitted photo
One of the various styles and designs of refuse trucks made by New Way Trucks in Scranton is shown. This one lifts large containers up over the cab roof and then dumps them into the bin.

Ross said that those skills, like welding, were readily available, in addition to other infrastructure, thanks to a local community college.

“We’re looking for a skilled workforce,” he said. “Welding is a difficult skill to find.”

New Way is expected to go from the No. 3 refuse truck manufacturer to No. 2, in North America, with the addition of the new plant. The company currently claims the title of the fastest growing one in North America’s $80 billion solid waste industry, Ross said.

While the Mississippi plant will have more efficiencies built in for production, Gray said the operations won’t negatively impact operations in Scranton and Carroll. On the contrary, they’re still diligently hiring in Iowa, taking on aggressive recruitment efforts.

“We’re constantly hosting tours for all ages,” he said, which is just one facet of the efforts.

-Submitted photo
A welder works on assembling a steel body at New Way Trucks in Carroll.

The company remains one of the few in the skilled trades to offer paid relocation.

In addition to international orders, like the one being put together for municipalities in Ecuador, the company is excited to release a new, cutting edge truck that should promote the company’s mission to meet demands for greener collection.

Their next truck will be 100% battery-operated with the most advanced technology available in such a truck. Though New Way currently has a similar battery-operated truck running in San Francisco, this new model will be fully automated with its collection arm to pick up trash bins from the curb.

Customers, many of whom are government entities, have put the impetus for green innovation on the company as a motivation for getting their business, Ross said.

“When you put your garbage at the curb, you want it to disappear. We’re a key part of making that happen,” Ross said, explaining the utility-like nature of their products for cities around the world. “We try to respond to our customers’ needs and the needs of the industry.”

But even with the essential nature of their business, Ross said their product is not completely immune to recessions. During economic dips, cities tightening their belts might go longer between upgrades or infrastructure purchases for services like refuse collection.

Conversely, in good economies, Ross said the amount of garbage collected tends to go up with an increase in consumer spending.

“When the economy does well, waste goes up,” Ross said, calling their growth a “closely trailing indicator” pointing to a good economy.

With an uptick in the amount of garbage and recyclables needing collection, the company is striving to improve truck efficiency by manufacturing trucks that can use compressed natural gas, haul larger loads and harness the cleaner power of electric.

“Quality, durability, reliability — those are all things we build into our products,” Ross said.