Family owned and proud: Chet Morrison Contractors going 3 decades strong
July 26, 2017
The comforts of home: Juneau Marine Refrigeration keeps work site cool
July 26, 2017
Roddie Matherne knows his way around trash.
So do his partners.
Their combined 100 years of experience in sanitation is what they say will carry their company, Pelican Waste, into the future and likely in front of your home on a regular basis.
“Providing proper service and being local, a part of the community, is how we have succeeded,” Matherne said. “Giving good, quality service at a reasonable price.”
The company itself is young, officially in business for only four years. But the experience of its owners places it in the ranks of 25 and 50 year businesses, particularly in light of the great strides made in a short amount of time.
Pelican trucks pick up at commercial establishments in Terrebonne, residential in St. Mary, and both in St. Bernard and St. Charles parishes. New contracts have just been signed in Delcambre as well as Harrison County, Ms., which includes the cities of Gulfport and Biloxi.
Matherne, along with Christian LaPeyre and Corey Callais, each brought their unique areas of knowledge in the business together for the project in 2013, three years after Callais had sold his interest in SWIDI, a former king of trash that he had owned since 1978. The outfit was bought by IESI. Matherne worked for SWIDI and then for Progressive after the buy-out. He was never afraid to get his hands dirty.
“I started by hopping on the back of a truck,” said Matherne, whose duties at SWIDI – which began in 1983 – included mechanical operations and route supervision.
The most surprising thing he encountered when doing route work was discovery from time to time of live animals in the midst of inanimate trash – possums and raccoons immediately come to mind – but other than that his field time was fairly drama free.
Matherne and his partners have seen a lot of change in the industry over their many years. Particularly of note, Matherne said, is the technology that allows more work to be done by fewer people.
“I have seen a lot of change with new equipment,” Matherne said. “You don’t need guys on the back of the truck anymore with automated service, more people are going to that.”
Manual labor – hands of men or women on the trsh bin – are still the industry standard, however, and toward that end big changes are not expected yet in day-to-day residential pickup.
Innovations in recycling technology, allowing for less time and trouble for consumers, allow separation of recyclables into glass, paper and plastic to be done at the terminus.
“With the new technology you don’t need peope to sort it,” he explained.
The pelican fleet boasts 35 trucks with another 12 on the way. The company has stuck with the Mack brand, because “they’re tough.”
Numbers and human resources experiences are among Chris Lapeyre’s strong suit, and he brings those to the company, providing a stern backstop.
Lapeyre has worked in employee benefits since 1996. He has earned the professional designation of Registered Health Underwriter from the American College and is a member of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, South Central Industrial Association, Bayou Industrial Group, Lafourche Chamber, Houma Rotary Club, Nicholls State University Foundation and Board of Directors of the local chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association.
In addition to his experience as owner of SWIDI, Callais is a former owner of Abdon Callais in Golden Meadow. He is now chairman of Callais Capital Management as well as chairman of the board at United Community Bank. He is also a member of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, and the Lafourche Chamber.
The partners have their eye in particular on residential service in Terrebonne for the future, and commercial service in Lafourche, in an industry that is highly competitive. But they say they have no doubt they can.
“This area is our home town,” Matherne affirms. •
