After considering five locations for a new headquarters, Advanced Disposal decided to stay in Northeast Florida and it officially opened its new headquarters Monday.
The company occupies two of the three floors of the building at 90 Fort Wade Road in the Nocatee area of Ponte Vedra.
“Even though we began our company here in Northeast Florida, it was not a foregone conclusion that we would remain here in Northeast Florida,” said Charlie Appleby, chairman and CEO of Advanced Disposal.
The company considered locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Jacksonville, Milwaukee and Ponte Vedra.
“Our decision to stay in Northeast Florida came down to what was the best business decision for our company,” said Appleby.
One of the factors in the decision was the “move-in” ready office. The building was the former headquarters of MDI Holdings Inc. and was furnished and decorated by the company. The remaining office furniture and artwork are being leased by Advanced Disposal.
The second floor has a wildlife theme and the third floor has artwork depicting old St. Augustine.
The staff at the headquarters will include senior management; operations-collection operations; recycling operations; transfer station operations; landfills; sales; maintenance and safety; marketing; accounting; risk management; human resources; IT; purchasing and the legal department.
The company brought 35 employees from its Southside office and promised to create 85 additional jobs at the new location. The company reports it has created 75 of the 85 new jobs it guaranteed, according to Katrine Strickland, marketing manager for Advanced Disposal.
“It’s hard to believe that when Andy Crawford and (Chief Operating Officer) Wally Hall and myself sat down in a small office off of Baymeadows Road in 2000 to develop a strategy that would eventually become Advanced Disposal, that we would be where we are today,” said Appleby.
The company has grown from operating in seven states to operating in 20 states; from a fleet of 1,000 trucks to 3,000 trucks; from 73 locations to more than 250 locations; and from 1,600 employees to more than 5,400 employees.
“One of our first customers was St. Johns County, so we are glad to be back,” said Appleby.
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