The McGrimmon Cartage landfill outside Shawville has a new owner who is bringing big dreams for the site’s future.
Martin Perras purchased the dump last month, along with the concrete forming division of Renfrew company Town and Country, and is now operating the site under the name Crush Waste Management.
“There was a lot of good positive things about that [McGrimmon] business. It’s been running for a long time, it’s a good location, it seems to serve the municipalities well,” Perras said, noting his focus right now is improving the company’s internal operations.
“I’ve already put in a proper sales person, a proper dispatch person, I’ve created more clear distinct roles, and that’s kind of what I tend to do well – really help identify and create a structure, with policies and procedures so we can run more efficiently.”
Perras said he plans to put in a proposal for the MRC Pontiac’s recycling contract it has out for tender, and is also looking into the possibility of opening a composting facility at the dump site.
“I already know that eventually [composting] is going to be a service available, it’s going to come in two to three years,” he said.
“If we want to be known as a dedicated option, and a dedicated site for it, we already have to start putting plans in place.”
In 2021, after many years owning health clinics in Ontario, Perras acquired LBL Excavation and Trucking in Almonte. This was his gateway into the world of construction and eventually led him to waste management.
“If you ask me at the core of what I’m trying to accomplish in my life, I have two main focuses. One has to do with sand, and the other has to do with waste,” he said.
“Basically they are connected because they’re connected to the environment. I really like the idea of taking things, processing them, finding a way to make them good again, or finding ways to find use out of things that are being put in the wrong places.”
