Schaben Sanitation Has Long Tradition of Local Service

by Jean Issler

Schaben Sanitation may be a newer name on the roster of Holdrege businesses, but the company actually has a long tradition of providing local service.

The trash hauling service, known back then as Orcutt Sanitation, was purchased from Allard Sanitation by Dean Orcutt, Sr. in 1986. Dean retired in 2005 and sold the business to his sons, Patrick and Dean, Jr.

Pat and Dean still operate the business today, though they transferred ownership to Schaben Sanitation of North Platte in 2010.

Patricia Ridenour is the office manager who has been in charge of customer care for the past nine years. She said when Schaben bought the company the only thing that changed in its operations was the billing. She no longer does billing by hand.

However, Ridenour does provide personalized service for the residential and commercial customers. She feels it is important that when people make contact, they are talking to a hometown native who understands their needs.

Even though online bill payments are now available, many elderly customers still prefer to deliver their payments in person. This is one of Ridenour's favorite parts of her job. "Our customers are special and I like that they linger for ten minutes to chat," she said.

She also has a few customers who call ahead to let her know they are coming and Ridenour meets them at the curb so they do not have to get out of their cars.

Schaben has four drivers who work out of the shop at 314 Third Avenue. The Orcutt brothers handle in-town routes. Orville Samuelson does the Loomis and Bertrand area while Dave Norton takes care of the eastern area including Funk and all the way up to the Platte River.

The company does residential and commercial trash pickup and the drivers rarely have a day off. Pickups are done even on holidays. If the Holdrege landfill is closed for a holiday, Schaben does pickups until the trucks are full, then resume the next day after a visit to the landfill.

Special services are also available. Yard waste pickup is done from April to October and into November if needed. Customers can call in to request and extra pickup during the week Special requests can be made for furniture and appliance pickup.

Roll offs are a popular product for Schaben customers. These large bins are left off at construction sites to collect refuse for the duration of the projects. The larger bins can hold 20 and 30 yards of waste and are typically seen at large projects, such as the renovation going on at Phelps Memorial Health Center. Two-yard roll offs are also available for smaller projects like a one-room renovation at a residence.

Ridenour said that the company lost some customers when the sale to Schaben went through. "But they have come back," she said, "because of the service we offer. And they now know that we are still local." She pointed out that the trucks are serviced and fueled in Holdrege. In addition, five employees spend their paychecks in Holdrege.

To take advantage of Schaben Sanitation's services, contact Patricia Ridenour at patriciar@wcnx.org, 308-995-5641 or at the Orcutt office at 802 Fourth Avenue.