Ralph Velocci, a leader who has influenced countless people in the industry throughout his more than 50 years of experience in developing businesses, passed away in July. Ralph was an integral part of Waste Advantage Magazine and its Editorial Advisory Board, having been with the publication since its inaugural issue in January 2010. Working together with the first EAB members, he helped to guide the direction of its editorial, including topics, articles, trends and providing input to our annual Year in Review.
In 1969, Ralph started with his father’s company when he was in his teens. Then in 1971, he took that experience and, with his partners, founded Industrial Waste Services where he directed corporate acquisitions and served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Industrial Waste Service became the largest waste firm in Florida and later merged with Attwood PLC, an international waste service firm with operations in the United Kingdom and Europe, where he was Senior Vice President and on the Board of Directors.
Ralph’s experience also included acquisitions, marketing strategies and sales, and he was responsible for more than 134 acquisitions. In 1994, he became President and partner of Clean Tec, which eventually merged with USA waste, where he was appointed to Regional Vice President and was responsible for all operations of Florida and Puerto Rico. USA Waste later merged with Waste Management where Ralph remained as Regional Vice President of Florida and Puerto Rico. Since leaving Waste Management, Ralph continually consulted with waste firms and provided consultation to a number of other companies. Affiliated with government affairs, Ralph also owned and operated Stericlean Special Waste in Costa Rica, specializing in medical waste, CleanPro Enviro Solution in Miami, FL, focusing on liquid water, and was Senior Vice President at Waste Pro (Longwood, FL).
Noreen Cocron, Founder and Owner of Waste Advantage Magazine, said, “Ralph was a true friend and an icon of the industry. We are so proud that we had him as part of our team. He will be truly missed.”