Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a regional solid waste, recycling, and resource management services company, dedicated its CDL Training Center to Ken Hier, the company’s first-ever employee, in a ceremony held at the facility on Dec. 12.
Established in 2020, The Kenneth A. Hier Sr. CDL Training Center (“The Center”) has graduated nearly 300 drivers since its inception, providing the necessary training for people to achieve their commercial driver’s license for free.
A standing-room-only crowd of friends and family, colleagues, legislative officials, customers, and vocational school partners were on hand to honor Hier, who passed away in January.
Hier, the first employee hired at Casella in 1976, embodied a steadfast commitment to safety and customer service, performing over one million successful service stops throughout his 41-year career. Known by many as “The Man on the Mountain” from his long-running television commercial that highlighted his commitment to customers through all conditions on Killington Mountain, Hier was named the National Waste and Recycling Association’s Driver of the Year in 1996, and in 2017 Casella dubbed him its “Driver of a Lifetime.”
“The reality of our business is pretty simple, in that the only way that you succeed is through your people,” said Casella Chairman and CEO John W. Casella. “No one illustrated that more clearly than Ken Hier. His commitment to service and safety was at the forefront of everything he did, and his example will continue to be a cornerstone for every graduate who comes through this training center.”
Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Kurrle underscored the need for newly trained drivers, who cited shifting demographic challenges and applauded Casella’s efforts to overcome them and sustain economic resilience. “It’s truly inspiring to have a major employer be a part of the solution by opening this facility to get more truck drivers on the road and more mechanics in the garage. Trucking is part of the American fabric. It keeps commerce flowing, businesses thriving, and workers employed,” she said.
The Center, which provides training, room, and board valued at $5,000 per student, is held over 10 days, has a nearly 100 percent pass rate for its graduates, and requires a two-year employment commitment.
“We commit to the students, who in turn commit to our company,” Casella said. “We have seen over the last four years that drivers who successfully come through the program have an incredibly high retention rate past that initial commitment.”
Hier’s family was also on hand to celebrate the dedication, and Ken’s daughter, Courtney, encouraged recent graduates and current students in attendance to follow in her father’s footsteps and “offer your skills and your performance to build on the mission of customer service, teamwork, and integrity.”
“Our continued growth and success are predicated on the investments we make in our people,” Casella said in closing. “Anyone can buy the same equipment, software, and trucks, but our people and their commitment to our Core Values and culture are the keys to our success.”
