Jennifer Herring is no stranger to an industry where she has to get her hands dirty. Early in her career, Jennifer worked at a Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Atlanta, GA accepting part deliveries into the plant. Her experience with the safety aspect in that job, she said, resonated with her and drove her to her career transition into the waste industry. In 2000, Jennifer began her waste career with a national hauler in safety, then transitioned into operations. “Operations is the nuts and bolts of the industry, and I really enjoyed it,” she said.
In 2011, Jennifer arrived at Waste Pro when the company secured the contract in Concord, NC. She started as a route manager when the division had just one contract and has been with the company through its explosive growth in the area – now at 22 contracts. In that time, Jennifer has done it all – operations manager, division manager, municipal marketer, and more. “I really enjoy the interaction with drivers, I have no problem slinging trash on the back of the truck or driving a route,” she said.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on her Division, she remains optimistic when she comes to work each day. “I love the people I work with – without them I’m no good,” she said. “They literally make me or break me so if I don’t have them here, we’re no good. They’re the best part of the job.”
Jennifer understands the waste industry is heavily dominated by men, but it has never fazed her. Early in her career, she said, she had to work twice as hard to prove herself, but it has come a long way over 20 years. “I won’t ask my team to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, so I don’t get a lot of kickback at all,” she said.
She’s excited to see more women coming into the industry as well, she said. When she first got to the Atlanta Division earlier this year, there was one woman driver – there are now five. “I had a woman start recently, and she was worried her male counterparts would think she couldn’t do the job because she was having trouble with the operation of the truck,” Jennifer said. “I told her not to set the goal too high for herself – I tell them all to take each day step by step. I’m happy to say she’s still here.”
Jennifer has built somewhat of a following within Waste Pro, which she considers something to be proud of. “I still have people that I was with at the previous hauler,” she said. “I think that’s a big thing – build relationships along the way, take care of people, and they will want to stay around and work with you.”
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