Jon Yinger, a Strategic Account Manager for Casella’s Manchester, PA Hauling Division, brings more than 50 years of industry experience and an unwavering commitment to customer relationships. From his start in 1971 to co‑founding Tiger Trash and eventually joining Casella, Jon has built his career on hard work, personal connection, and a deep pride in representing his company. At 74, he’s still one of the first people out each morning, driven by a genuine love for the work and the communities he serves.
When I came out of college, I did not have a job, and we had a baby. On November 7, 1971, I was offered a position supervising a portion of a crew for a residential waste business. That is where it all started. It was tough, but I was young. I learned a lot.
My years with Tiger Trash, including helping start and grow the company alongside Terry Steward Sr. in 1999, taught me every side of the business and shaped how I work with customers today. I met John Casella at a waste show and was struck by how Casella operated with the feel of a small company despite being publicly traded. When it came time to sell Tiger Trash, Casella was the clear choice. Joining the team has proven to be the right decision.
The most rewarding part is meeting people and representing Casella as a professional. I truly enjoy representing the company. I know Casella is behind me, and it is my responsibility to be out there, build relationships, and spread the word to ensure that Casella continues to grow in this area.
I am having a problem even thinking about retirement. I like getting up in the morning. I like getting out and meeting people face-to-face. I don’t sit in a chair. The waste business has been very good to me. It is very important for salespeople who are out there on the street to continue a relationship and know all about their customers. “Show me a salesperson or a company that doesn’t know their customer, and I'll show you my next customer.” Terry Stewart Sr. taught me that in 1971. I do my best every day. I am out on the street by 5:30 am, and after dinner, I’m still checking containers. It is just not out of my system.
Sales and customer relations have really changed over the last 20 to 30 years. Knowing your customers, what they do, and who is making decisions can change very quickly. Years ago, we dealt with one person for over ten years. Today, that can be numerous people over a period of two years.
First, get back to your customer in a timely manner. Knowing your market is also very important. I know most of my customers personally, and I know who I work for. Treat all with respect and the way you would want to be treated. That approach has worked for me my entire career.
I am very big on retention. Salespeople go out and sell every week, but they often forget about one thing: keeping the customers they already have. If you lose a customer today, it's going to take five new sales to make up for that difference. Retention is very important.
Another thing I learned is the importance of saying thank you and getting back to people. Sitting down to write a letter or a card means a lot to people. The most important documents in the country and in the world were handwritten. There is nothing like reading a card. I still send thank-you notes, and I always will.
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, is one of the largest recyclers and most experienced fully integrated resource management companies in the Eastern United States. Founded in 1975 as a single truck collection service, Casella has grown its operations to provide solid waste collection and disposal, transfer, recycling, and organics services to more than one million residential, commercial, municipal, institutional, and industrial customers and provides professional resource management services to over 10,000 customer locations in more than 40 states.
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