Essential Company Roles: Meet Brian Gaughan
As Director of New Business Development at Mid America Paper Recycling, Brian Gaughan plans strategies and guides business decisions. “I am very focused on bringing new business to Mid America,” he says. “I have over 30 years of recycling relationships and am working to create value for Mid America. I also have extensive experience in the plastics markets, an area of growth opportunities for Mid America. I decided to get back into the recycling business. I spent the majority of my career in recycling.”
For several years, Gaughan did business with Mid America Paper Recycling and was always impressed with its operation and how the staff works. He returned to the recycling industry after serving as a director at Heritage Environmental Services in Indianapolis, responsible for growth and new ventures in the sustainability sector. Earlier, he helped launch Greenstar North America (a private-equity-backed startup sold in 2013 to Waste Management) and spent four years as the general manager of the Georgia-Pacific Plastics Division.
At Mid America Paper Recycling, Gaughan’s typical day centers on developing new business opportunities and following up with new customers. “With my experience, I hope to assist the Mid America Paper Recycling team in building on its success. I am currently working on over 20 new projects. Some projects involve the more traditional paper business and some are in the plastics arena. I am also working on a very interesting project in Spain with a potential opportunity. We have several exciting growth opportunities to capitalize on in the plastics space. We approach the recycling business purposely and invest in ways to improve the services we provide to our customers. It’s an approach in which we explore the ‘what else’ and how that can drive value.”
He says the company invests in technology and other areas to improve its services. “We take a total customer value approach, versus just focusing on how much we can pay for waste material. Mid America brings an innovative approach to recycling that is good for the industry. There is a great deal of new technology in the recycling space and Mid America will stay on top of it and use it to create more value.”
People power
Gaughan especially appreciates Mid America Paper Recycling’s unified team approach to the recycling business. “The employees are great to work with and are very supportive,” he mentions. “I like the freedom we have to explore new opportunities. Mid America is quite good at finding new value opportunities with customers. Mid America strives to find and create value, which are advantages in the recycling industry. But I think the best thing about the company is the people. They are high-quality, committed employees, from the top down.”
Of course, there are some challenges, and he knows the markets can frequently be challenging. “The recycling markets can be quite volatile and while that presents opportunities, it can also present challenges. However, I meet with the sales team and executives regularly to discuss how to tackle the demands. We share insights and perspectives and learn about what everyone is working on. We all bring a unique perspective and it is good to share. Still new at my role, I have been leaning on the team to get started in developing new connections, innovations, leads, and projects.”
Gaughan envisions Mid America Paper Recycling moving forward with added growth and success in the recycling space. “That could take the form of acquisitions, partnering, and other acceleration avenues. We want our partners and customers to continue to rely on our expertise as they gather more revenue from their waste.”
To learn more about Mid America Paper Recycling and to take our quick, free Waste Audit, call 773-890-5454 or visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MAPRAudit.
