The waste management business is a multi-million-dollar industry that thrives on making relationships with current and potential customers. On a sunny Tuesday afternoon Preferred Waste Solutions co-owner Julia M. Isaac stood in the driveway of a Clayton County home talking to a new customer. Isaac believes these relations will make all the difference in a very competitive business.
“We want to be known for quality customer service. We want to be the Chick-fil-A of sanitation service,” Isaac said.
As a Black business owner, Isaac also recognizes there is a small piece of the waste management pie and an even smaller piece as a Black female business owner in this particular industry. She is the only Black female owner of a waste management company in Clayton and Henry counties, respectively, the counties Preferred Waste Solutions services.
A former United States Army reservist for eight years and an employee of the Clayton County Police Department for 10 years, Isaac started their business in January of 2023.
Isaac said, “It was always a dream to start a sanitation company,” she said.
Preferred Waste Solution employs 10 people, according to Julia, whose experience in law enforcement in Clayton County is a big bonus because she knows the lay of the land. “We started the business catering to seniors and the disabled,” Isaac said.
Preferred Waste Solutions not only offers traditional curbside trash pickup, but it offers backdoor service, something vital for seniors that might not have the ability to move heavy cans to the end of their driveways. “We want to be what the market needs,” she said. “We realized our seniors really needed this service.”
Asked what she wants the business to accomplish this year, Julia says she wants to become even more involved in the communities that they serve. On Wednesday, May 1, she brought breakfast to teachers at a Henry County middle school for Teacher Appreciation Day. She also said the company plans to have back-to-school and turkey giveaways this year.