Waste Nexus Podcast

This episode features a returning guest, Matt Hillin of Lakeside Acquisitions, for a wide-ranging conversation with Brian and Charlie Dolan about the financial mechanics of the waste industry. Drawing on a background that runs from a civil engineering degree at MIT through oil-and-gas engineering, investment banking, and corporate development M&A, Matt brings a numbers-first perspective you do...

In this episode of Waste Nexus, Brian and Charlie sit down with their own Keith Conrad — VP of Business Development at DSQ Technology and a nearly 20-year veteran of the waste industry — for a history lesson on how trade shows and industry events have evolved since the early 2000s. The conversation lands on what's actually changed and why the Waste Nexus format of small, decision-maker-only g...

In Episode 6 of the Waste Nexus podcast, hosts Brian and Charlie Dolan sit down with Justin and Quentin Blazer, two brothers from Pittsburgh who turned their late father's idea into a real product on the shelves of Ace Hardware stores nationwide. Blazer Brand makes the Strong Strap, a lid-locking bungee latch for outdoor waste containers, and they've spent nearly a decade figuring out in...

In this episode of the Waste Nexus podcast, we sit down with Eric Wengryniuk of Reddy Equipment , an Ohio-based company selling, renting, and servicing trash compactors and balers across the Midwest and beyond. Eric shares how Reddy got its start with a part-time fireman selling compactors on the side, how his family took the reins in 1996, and how he and his brother bought the business from their...

In this episode of Waste Nexus, we sit down with Mike Nelson, a 36-year waste industry veteran who started as a shop helper and driver in 1989—back when you were handed a route book, a highlighted map, and told not to come back until the route was done. Mike shares stories from the street (including learning how to dump a truck from a competitor), the realities of customer service in waste, and th...

In this episode, Brian Dolan and Charlie Dolan of DSQ Technology sit down with Matt Locke, CEO of Brightstep, to unpack how valet trash services are reshaping multifamily operations and modern waste management. From private equity trends to technology, service accountability, and the realities of managing trash at scale, Matt shares candid insights on growth, brand strategy, and why this “last-mil...

In this episode of Waste Nexus, hosts Brian Dolan and Charlie Dolan of DSQ Technology break down the key findings from the 2026 Waste Management Tech Trends Report, offering a candid look at how AI is actually being used inside waste management today. The report reveals a clear pattern across the industry: while personal use of AI and informal experimentation is widespread, most companies lack the...

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Mike Mnoian, President of Alamo Disposal , exploring the real operational challenges and opportunities inside the waste management industry. Mike breaks down how Alamo has scaled its roll off business, the realities of competing in a crowded market, and why customer responsiveness is the true differentiator in essential-service industries. One of...