Oral history interview with Lonnie Poole, March 22, 1999

Lonnie Poole describes the slow evolution of his waste management company from business plan to publicly traded corporation. Poole believed that he could earn a profit as a private waste manager and spent years trying to convince counties in North Carolina to cede control of their solid waste to him. After a decade of lobbying, his efforts began to pay off, and Poole found his organization growing. Poole describes the elements that made meeting his goals difficult, the eventual success of his company, and some of the complicating factors--like environmentalism--that pose continued challenges.