Turning Garbage into Gold: Huizenga’s Business Takes Off
Turning Garbage into Gold: Huizenga’s Business Takes Off
While Huizenga was busy growing his waste management company in Florida, his grandfather’s Chicago-based garbage collection business was also prospering under the control of Dean Buntrock, the husband of one of Huizenga’s cousins. For Huizenga, collaboration was the only option.
Huizenga approached Buntrock to possibly form a partnership and together, in 1970, the two decided to merge their Fort Lauderdale and Chicago operations. They incorporated and went public with their new venture, Waste Management Inc., and expressed their goal of taking their company national.
To work towards their goal of a waste management company that covered all of the United States, Huizenga and Buntrock began acquiring other firms across the country one by one. They paid for it with existing stock in their new company.
In 1972, during a period of just nine months, Waste Management Inc. acquired 90 smaller garbage collection firms. In the years that followed, Huizenga’s goal of becoming the largest waste management firm in not only the U.S., but in the world, had been achieved. During this time, Huizenga remained president of the company, until 1982 when he became vice-chairman. He resigned two years later to pursue other interests.
In 1987, Huizenga was approached by friend John Melk, who owned a Blockbuster video chain in Chicago. It was only a small video store chain, consisting of eight stores and eleven franchises, but Melk wanted Huizenga’s help to make it as successful as he had made his garbage collection company. Huizenga saw the potential, and raised $18 million to buy the entire Blockbuster chain from Melk.
Two years later, Huizenga took Blockbuster public, and utilizing the same strategy as he had done before, used the capital stock to start buying up small video stores across the country. In only a few years, Blockbuster had gone from being a $7 million business with 19 stores to a $4 billion enterprise with more than 3,700 stores in 11 different countries. At that point, Huizenga grew bored of the operations, and sold Blockbuster to Viacom for $8.4 billion in stock.
Not one to waste any time, Huizenga immediately launched his next venture: Autonation. It was the first car dealership chain in the U.S. After going public, Autonation quickly grew to over 370 dealerships across the U.S. Huizenga then moved on to Extended Stay America, a hotel chain he created from scratch. In its first year, Extended Stay America grew to include 62 locations across the country. By the time Huizenga sold the company in 2004, it included nearly 500 hotels.
Huizenga then decided to re-enter the waste management business, acquiring Republic Services. He quickly grew it into the nation’s third largest waste management company, before merging it with his first company, WMI.
Throughout all of this, Huizenga had also taken a strong interest in major league sports. He bought the Florida Marlins in 1991 for $95 million, followed by a $50 million investment in the Florida Panthers in 1992. Finally, he bought the Miami Dolphins in 1994. Much like his success in business, two of his three sports teams would go on to win national championships.
Turning Garbage into Gold Huizengas Business Takes Off
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Huizenga did not just start a waste management company. He saw the potential in an underdeveloped industry and bought into it in order to develop it. That is why, after Huizenga’s Florida business began to take off, he in turn began to set his sights even higher.
While Huizenga was busy growing his waste management company in Florida, his grandfather’s Chicago-based garbage collection business was also prospering under the control of Dean Buntrock, the husband of one of Huizenga’s cousins. For Huizenga, collaboration was the only option.
Huizenga approached Buntrock to possibly form a partnership and together, in 1970, the two decided to merge their Fort Lauderdale and Chicago operations. They incorporated and went public with their new venture, Waste Management Inc., and expressed their goal of taking their company national.
To work towards their goal of a waste management company that covered all of the United States, Huizenga and Buntrock began acquiring other firms across the country one by one. They paid for it with existing stock in their new company.
In 1972, during a period of just nine months, Waste Management Inc. acquired 90 smaller garbage collection firms. In the years that followed, Huizenga’s goal of becoming the largest waste management firm in not only the U.S., but in the world, had been achieved. During this time, Huizenga remained president of the company, until 1982 when he became vice-chairman. He resigned two years later to pursue other interests.
In 1987, Huizenga was approached by friend John Melk, who owned a Blockbuster video chain in Chicago. It was only a small video store chain, consisting of eight stores and eleven franchises, but Melk wanted Huizenga’s help to make it as successful as he had made his garbage collection company. Huizenga saw the potential, and raised $18 million to buy the entire Blockbuster chain from Melk.
Two years later, Huizenga took Blockbuster public, and utilizing the same strategy as he had done before, used the capital stock to start buying up small video stores across the country. In only a few years, Blockbuster had gone from being a $7 million business with 19 stores to a $4 billion enterprise with more than 3,700 stores in 11 different countries. At that point, Huizenga grew bored of the operations, and sold Blockbuster to Viacom for $8.4 billion in stock.
Not one to waste any time, Huizenga immediately launched his next venture: Autonation. It was the first car dealership chain in the U.S. After going public, Autonation quickly grew to over 370 dealerships across the U.S. Huizenga then moved on to Extended Stay America, a hotel chain he created from scratch. In its first year, Extended Stay America grew to include 62 locations across the country. By the time Huizenga sold the company in 2004, it included nearly 500 hotels.
Huizenga then decided to re-enter the waste management business, acquiring Republic Services. He quickly grew it into the nation’s third largest waste management company, before merging it with his first company, WMI.
Throughout all of this, Huizenga had also taken a strong interest in major league sports. He bought the Florida Marlins in 1991 for $95 million, followed by a $50 million investment in the Florida Panthers in 1992. Finally, he bought the Miami Dolphins in 1994. Much like his success in business, two of his three sports teams would go on to win national championships.
Turning Garbage into Gold Huizengas Business Takes Off
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 | ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
 |
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 Managing Growth Coaching System The Art Of Networking Managing Customer Relationships SEO Made Simple Sample Chapter |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Raising Capital Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
Top 50 SEO Posts - 2007
Top SEO Posts of the Year | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||