Browning-Ferris Industries

Browning-Ferris Industries was a North American waste management company that was disbanded in 1999. Its name is a licensed trademark of Allied Waste Industries. Its headquarters were located in the Eldridge Place 1 and 2 complex in the Energy Corridor area of Houston, Texas.

Browning-Ferris Industries
IndustryWaste management
FateBankruptcy
Founded1968 (1968) (as American Refuse Systems)
Energy Corridor
Houston, Texas, U.S.
FounderTom Fatjo
DefunctMarch 1999 (1999-03)
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
,
U.S.
Area served
North America
ParentAllied Industries
Websitewww.bfi.com at the Wayback Machine (archived April 9, 1997)

History

BFI was founded in Houston, Texas by a 28-year-old accountant named Tom Fatjo. The company was initially known as American Refuse Systems, and it opened its first landfill in 1968. The company soon became the first waste hauler on the New York Stock Exchange, after purchasing the Browning-Ferris Machinery Company, and changing their name to Browning-Ferris Industries. BFI was an early competitor to Waste Management, Inc. BFI and Waste Management both began to buy the locally owned companies and create national brands. Eventually, BFI collapsed under the weight of running local businesses from a national platform. The company was sold to Allied Industries, together with private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Apollo Management, in 1999.[1]

Some local units of Allied Waste are still known as BFI in the markets they serve. Earlier, in 1997, some local units of BFI had been sold to Superior Services, Waste Management, Inc., and Waste Connections, Inc.[2]

In 2008, Allied Waste was acquired by Republic Services Group based in Florida.

The BFI branding is still seen today. The company leases two types of dumpsters to individuals and organizations: a standard, ubiquitous blue dumpster for general waste, and a green dumpster for paper recycling only. It now operates under the Allied Waste Services. Waste Connections uses the BFI blue colors, and a BFI-esque logo. In 2000, Allied Waste sold BFI's Canadian assets to a group of investors, including the BFI trademark. The new company took the name BFI Canada.

Corporate headquarters

BFI had its headquarters in the Eldridge Place 1 and 2 buildings in the Energy Corridor area of Houston, Texas.[3][4] The 12-story Eldridge Place One has 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2) of space, while the 14-story Eldridge Place Two has 280,000 square feet (26,000 m2) of space. Both buildings are located on Eldridge Parkway and Memorial Drive. In 2000, after BFI was dissolved, Allied Waste Industries sold the buildings to Brookdale Group for $50 million. In addition, the firm Global Marine leased 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) of BFI's former space to use as its world headquarters.[4]

See also
  • Browning-Ferris Industries v. Kelco Disposal, a United States Supreme Court case involving BFI and a competitor
  • Hal Bernson, Los Angeles City Council member who sued Browning-Ferris for libel in 1992

References
  1. "A trash hauler is buying a much bigger rival, a type of deal that makes Wall Street a bit nervous". The New York Times, March 9, 1999.
  2. "About Us". Archived from the original on 2007-12-24. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  3. "Welcome to BFI". Browning-Ferris Industries. April 28, 1999. Retrieved on February 8, 2010.
  4. Sarnoff, Nancy. "Atlanta REIT buys former BFI buildings". Houston Business Journal. Friday October 20, 2000. Retrieved on February 8, 2010.
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