Many small to middle-market waste companies face significant challenges accessing capital. Conventional lenders frequently have limited experience evaluating waste industry assets, while Wall Street investment banks mostly focus on the industry's largest operators. Rice Advisory bridges that gap by providing creative financing solutions tailored to the unique needs of independent waste companies.

We understand the economics of the waste industry—from landfills to collection operations and transfer stations, recycling facilities, and emerging waste technologies. We work closely with owners, municipalities, lenders, investors, and legal counsel to structure financings that support growth while recognizing the operational realities of the business.

We also have operational waste industry experience. We learned this sector by financing projects across the U.S. for more than 35 years. But we also have significant operational experience as owners and operators of three separate integrated waste companies. In addition to securing financing through 62 closed transactions totaling almost $1 billion, our three waste companies also owned and operated five (5) different landfills and at one time deployed as many as 60 trucks and over 5,000 waste containers along the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast.

Our solid waste advisory services include:

• Acquisition and expansion financing

• Landfill and environmental infrastructure financing

• Transfer station and recycling facility financing

• Vehicle, transportation and equipment financing strategies

• Resource recovery projects

• Financial feasibility and valuation analyses

• Public-private partnerships

• Capital structure advisory

• Strategic financial planning

• Mergers, acquisitions, and recapitalizations

• Bank debt, private placements, and alternative capital solutions

• Administration/sale of distressed solid waste assets

Unlike many financial advisors, Rice Advisory combines deep operational knowledge of the solid waste industry with extensive experience in municipal finance, infrastructure development, and economic development. This unique perspective enables us to structure financing solutions that address both private-sector business objectives and public-sector infrastructure needs.

Whether assisting a family-owned hauling company seeking growth capital or advising on complex environmental infrastructure projects, Rice Advisory delivers independent advice, creative thinking, and personalized service that larger financial institutions often cannot provide.

Our Solid Waste Finance Program - How Does it Work?

Our program is, in general, a means by which solid waste facilities can be financed on a long-term, fixed rate, non-recourse basis with tax-exempt securities on a project-specific basis.

There are many combinations of issue types, repayment structures and security provisions which can be tailored to fit solid waste projects under a given set of laws and regulations. The following is a general list of the projects for which Rice Advisory can arrange financing:

• Acquisitions

  Rice Advisory is able to arrange financing for the acquisition, either via direct purchase or through management or franchise agreement with a local governmental entity, of municipal solid waste landfills, industrial/special waste landfills, construction and demolition landfills, inert waste landfills, agricultural waste facilities, medical/infectious waste disposal facilities, transfer stations, waste hauling operations and recycling facilities.

• Privatization

  Rice Advisory can structure the financing and transition of municipal solid waste facilities being converted to private sector management and/or ownership. Rice Advisory professionals have been involved with a number of very successful public/private partnerships, including several in the municipal solid waste sector.

• Expansion/upgrade

  For existing facilities, we arrange financing for the construction of new waste cells or upgrades. Acquisition of land, engineering costs and closure bonds are also permissible, and in some cases costs already expended may be reimbursed from issue proceeds.

• Landfill closure

  We can also arrange long term financing of the cost of closing waste cells or entire landfills.

• Equipment/machinery/rolling stock

  In most cases, clients can include the cost of certain equipment in a long-term financing, provided these assets have some contact with the site of the overall project being financed.