— Interview With Chandra Balter —
R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business?
Chandra Balter: Rubicon is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and I’m personally based in Toms River, New Jersey. The company has been in business for 16 years.
R&R: What is your name and title, and how long have you been with the company?
Balter: I’m Chandra Balter, strategic account executive, and I have been with Rubicon for over 11 years. For most of that time, I served as a key account manager, overseeing 70 large-scale restaurant clients.
R&R: What services do you offer retailers and restaurants?
Balter: Everything we do is waste-related, and our mission is to end waste. At Rubicon, we leverage our extensive database of national and local vendor partners to identify the best end uses for materials. This can include commodities like metal or used cooking oil, or donating to local nonprofit organizations that can reuse or repurpose these materials.
Grease maintenance is my true passion. When I first joined Rubicon, we were managing grease for only a handful of locations, but through dedication and hard work, I’ve helped expand that number to thousands of locations nationwide. I invested my heart and soul into this initiative, and I’m thrilled to share that we’ve established a comprehensive department focused on grease trap maintenance and the management of used cooking oil. This department goes beyond maintenance; we now provide full repair services from simple gasket replacement to full trap replacement, as well as line scoping and mapping for new restaurants. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come!
R&R: In what regions of the country do you conduct most of your business, or are you nationwide? What advantages does your geographic scope offer your clients?
Balter: We partner with more than 8,000 vendor and hauler partners across all service lines, 90% of which are small, independent businesses that empower us to provide our services in every city across the country.
R&R: What makes your company’s “signature service” stand out in a crowded industry?
Balter: This would be our robust and feature-rich customer platform, RUBICONConnect. We provide our customers with the ability to digitally request service, instantly understand upcoming and historical services, and view standard and customized versatile reporting for operations, finance and suitability data to provide true transparency into their data.
R&R: What kind of feedback do you receive from clients?
Balter: Our clients consistently share that their accounts have never been managed more effectively. That we pride ourselves on a proven track record of minimal service issues, fast turnaround times and accurate, timely billing. Additionally, we cultivate seamless collaboration between their corporate team, field staff and operations teams to ensure a cohesive experience.
R&R: Why should owner/operators choose your company to be their next service provider?
Balter: We prioritize every customer and consider each one family. We are completely transparent with our communication. With our commitment to exceptional service and reliability, owner/operators can trust us to meet their needs and support their growth.
R&R: How many retail/restaurant clients do you have, and is that sector growing for you? Would you like to name any of your clients?
Balter: We work with dozens of customers in the retail and restaurant industries, including Chipotle, Sweetgreen, Papa Johns, Checkers and others.
R&R: What are some of the latest trends you see in the facilities management industry now?
Balter: A growing trend I’ve noticed is that more companies are turning to Rubicon to handle all their waste management needs. They appreciate the convenience of having a single point of contact for every type of material, whether it is municipal solid waste, grease trap maintenance or innovative solutions like a specialized crayon recycling program.
R&R: What predictions do you have for your industry in 2025?
Balter: In 2025, I predict that the waste management industry will see significant advancements driven by technology and sustainability efforts. More companies will adopt integrated waste management platforms, like those offered by Rubicon, that streamline operations and enhance efficiency. With a growing emphasis on sustainability, I anticipate a rise in innovative recycling programs and waste reduction initiatives, focusing on circular economy principles. As environmental regulations tighten and consumer awareness expands, companies will be looking to pursue more eco-friendly practices, leading to a shift toward zero waste goals and more transparent reporting on waste management practices. Overall, the industry will prioritize collaboration, technology adoption and sustainability in response to changing market dynamics.
R&R: What are the top 3 most recent projects you are most proud of?
Balter: The top project I’m most proud of is helping Chipotle achieve their publicized diversion goal of 50% by 2020 and surpassed their composting goal of 25%.
More recently, in the wake of Hurricane Helene, many of our customers faced challenges in cleaning up and disposing of unsaleable food and other items. We implemented our Disaster Response and Recovery plan to assist with their post-event debris management efforts. Thanks to this plan, we were able to deliver thousands of open-top containers to our customers in the affected areas.
R&R: Any final thoughts?
Balter: As our current and future clients face growing regulations and sustainability targets, it’s crucial for us to remain agile and innovative — color outside of the lines. Adopting a proactive mindset rather than a reactive one is essential in an industry that often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
— Chandra Balter is a strategic account executive of Rubicon. This Q&A originally was published in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of Retail & Restaurant Facility Business magazine. For more information in having your company profiled in a future Signature Vendor Spotlight, please contact Scott Royal at [email protected].