Digital waste services company Waste Harmonics Keter is aiming to generate “double-digit growth” this year following a C-suite refresh.
The company has largely completed its integration under private equity backer TPG Growth, which previously backed Keter before that company merged with Waste Harmonics in 2023.
Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Mohan joined CEO Bob Boucher at Waste Harmonics Keter in November. Mohan previously held senior roles at Office Depot, XPO Logistics and Republic Services, where he worked with Boucher.
Boucher, who previously led Win Waste, became CEO of Waste Harmonics Keter in May 2024.
“I think we're positioning ourselves very strongly to provide a real impact into the market,” Mohan said in an interview at WasteExpo in Las Vegas.
Waste Harmonics Keter offers a range of technology and service offerings connecting clients with haulers and other waste and recycling services. Waste Harmonics was previously backed by another private equity group, Arcapita, which sold its full stake as part of the deal in 2023. The newly merged company has an estimated 750 customers across 70,000 locations.
Mohan said the integration of Waste Harmonics and Keter was done “thoughtfully, intentionally,” over the past year and a half. The founders of both companies remain on the combined company's board, and the new executive team continues to find opportunities for synergies, he said.
That includes streamlining back office operations. The field outreach team employed by Keter in the retail industry has also proven to be an asset for the industrial business traditionally pursued by Waste Harmonics, according to Mohan.
“We didn't find a lot of cannibalization in the business, we found that what we could offer became stronger,” he said.
The company's headcount currently stands at about 350 people. It recently announced a layoff of 66 people at its Victor, New York, office. Mohan said that was part of the combined company rightsizing its office footprint — it just opened a new headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, where Keter was historically based. Mohan expects headcount could still grow this year despite that change, with some roles potentially moving to other locations.
To spur that growth, Waste Harmonics Keter is looking at both internal and external levers. While the company has been in an integration mode for some time, “I think you'll see probably our appetite for M&A will grow,” Mohan said. Prior to its merger with Keter, Waste Harmonics had been on an acquisitive streak, buying companies such as the Talismark Group, Contelligent and Meridian Alliance Partners.
Mohan said that, like the broader industry has reported, volumes were slightly flat to start the year, with a pickup in March and April. But he anticipates organic growth from new business will fuel Waste Harmonics Keter moving forward. The combined company has seen particular success in the transportation and logistics, retail and food and grocery industries, according to Mohan.
He acknowledged the market for waste brokers has been choppy in recent years, as companies like Rubicon and Quest. have announced financial difficulties. But he believes appetite for a high-technology service provider remains strong. He said having a nationwide footprint, an ability to do quality sustainability reporting and insight into rightsizing clients’ waste hauling networks are all selling points today.
“We actually see more and more companies move to or interested in a managed service company, but with higher expectations,” he said.
