CalMAX "Cements" Another Solid Connection

by Deborah Orrill, CalMAX Co-Coordinator

Greg Wilener, manager of Jet Set Cement of San Leandro, has a smile on his face, and it's not from the chocolate that his new cement pails originally held. Since utilizing CalMAX, Greg has been collecting 500 plastic pails monthly from a neighboring company.

These, once used for holding candy, five-gallon pails are now used to "cement" the future of this rapidly growing company which provides custom cement used primarily by pre-casters and contractors. Jet Set started business in Seattle thirty years ago. Over the last two years, Greg has been in California and word has it, the San Leandro division is planning on doubling business within the next year. Currently, 50 percent of the containers that Greg utilizes for his industrial-grade cement mixture are acquired through his existing CalMAX connection.

When interviewed about the effectiveness of his "wanted" listing for pails in the CalMAX catalog, Greg indicated the program was very effective, stating that "…not only are the pails readily available, they are only half-a-mile away! Can't beat that for convenience." With the pails literally in his "back-yard", Greg can easily send a truck to pick them up on a daily basis. Once returned to the plant, the pails are washed, relabeled and refilled with Greg's customized cement mixture. When asked how much money Jet Set Cement saves by utilizing the reused pails, Greg said, "It's not that we save a lot of money; it's probably a break-even situation." The purchase price of the pails is $1.70 per unit, less the cost to collect, wash, and relabel them. "But in reusing the pails", says Greg, "we have the added benefit of being able to hire an additional employee, and I really like that."

Ever since making his first connection, Greg has been a proponent of the CalMAX program. In the course of the year, Greg estimates that approximately 6,000 pails have been diverted from local landfills. Although Greg couldn't be happier with his CalMAX connection, he recently stated, "We can always use more pails. We will be shipping approximately 2,000 pails to distributors per month, starting in June." So, if you have any five-gallon pails with handles (metal with plastic grip, lids not necessary) you can call Greg directly at (510) 632-7800 and tell him CalMAX sent you! (For additional advertisers interested in pails or similar materials, check the CalMAX catalog under "Wanted Materials—Containers.")

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Last updated: August 01, 2008