More Than Just Pick-Up
For over 40 years, Sunrise Sanitation has been more than just a waste and recycling company. We’re a family, a community partner, and a team dedicated to keeping our corner of Maryland and West Virginia beautiful. From Tucker to Garrett County, we’ve grown alongside the communities we serve and are proud of the role we play in keeping our region clean and sustainable.
Our “secret sauce” isn’t a secret at all. It’s grounded in the core values that define who we are, principles we live by every day to serve our customers, support our team, and strengthen our communities. We call it our C.L.E.A.N. commitment:
C – Collaborative
We work together, communicate and lift each other up to achieve our goals as one team while insuring efficient operations and exceptional service for our community.
L – Lasting
We consistently deliver dependable waste management solutions while adapting to the evolving needs of our customers.
E – Evolving
We strive for innovation and excellence, continuously enhancing our processes to better serve our environment and customers.
A – Attentive
We are committed to providing caring, customer-focused service that prioritizes to better serve our environment and customers.
N – Noble
We show up with integrity, commitment, and pride in our work, every single day while keeping our communities clean out and sustainable.
We believe that each customer is a privilege, and it’s our pleasure to serve you to the best of our ability. This commitment has been the key to our success for over four decades and is the foundation on which we will continue to build.
No one tells the Sunrise story better than our founder, Stuart G. Thayer Jr. Here’s a glimpse into the journey that started it all:
Hello to every reader reading this little piece of the history of Sunrise Sanitation Services, Inc. Although people might say that I am the founder of the company, there are many others who are responsible for its success. In 1977, after accepting Jesus Christ as my savior and making the decision to quit my beer distributorship company, I was in Thomas, WV with no job opportunities unless I left town. During that time Frank Thompson approached me during a Community Bible Church service and told me about his idea to open a trash collection business. It always broke my heart to see people forced to leave our area due to the lack of job opportunities and I had this passion to give back to the community in the form of jobs, but on hearing his advice, I remained silent. To laugh would hurt him and wasn’t something I wanted to do to my friend. Inside, however, I dismissed the idea.
Six months later I was in the trash business with forty-three customers who I serviced in an old beat-up garbage truck that had no heater, bald tires, rusty fenders about to fall off, and multiple paint colors from previous paint jobs. But the old truck did its job well and the company was off to a good start.
It’s never been easy to build this business in a sparely populated mountainous rural area with harsh winter conditions. For years I drove, was the truck mechanic, and did the clerical work, alongside the many other responsibilities associated with owning a business, You work sick, injured, cold, and long hours because that’s what it took. For years there was no salary. All the income generated was for everyday operations and growth, but I cherish many wonderful memories, stories, friends, and experiences.
My philosophy for being successful in the solid waste and recycling industry was to provide great service. We took great pride in the cleanliness and appearance of collection trucks and employees. You know the saying “the customer is always right?” We tried our best to follow this philosophy, and evidently, all this paid off. Forty-five years later Sunrise employs over fifty people, provides services in three states, and is recognized as one of the leading waste companies in the region. Our employees are very important to us, therefore, we provide great job opportunities and excellent benefits. Sunrise has been awarded Recycler of the Year for a number of years by the state of West Virginia.
It’s wonderful to share that my dream to provide numerous jobs has been obtained, and I am proud that the legacy of Sunrise Sanitation Services is being carried forward by my daughter Molly and her husband Nathan Walter. God has richly blessed me, He has surrounded me with so many that have contributed to the success of Sunrise. These include my wife Vivian, my parents, friends, teachers, employees, church family, and all our incredible customers. Thanks for taking the time to read this and, hopefully, if you’re not a part of the Sunrise family you will be.
Sincerely,
Stuart G.Thayer, Jr.
Sunrise Sanitation prides itself on a commitment to the environment. We work closely with several organizations that have the same commitment and dedication to preserving the health and integrity of the environment. Friends of the Cheat is one of those organizations. Over the years we have had the distinct honor of sponsoring and helping to improve the communities they serve. Most recently we were able to donate eight bike racks that are being used in local parks such as Rowlesburg Park, Albright Town Park, Masontown Trailhead Park, Kingwood Sisler Park, and Reedsville Trailhead.
Bob is not only a great customer of Sunrise Sanitation, he is a respected leader in our community. Around Garrett County, he is known as a local History guru and past President of the museum. We work closely with Bob and the volunteers of the museum by sharing our offices with the Garrett County Historical Museum. This relationship has led to opportunities to serve as sponsors of this wonderful organization. We share in the rich History of Garrett County and take great pride in keeping it clean.