Professional Role and Current Position
Ernesto Valencia serves as the Plant Manager at Homewood Disposal Service, a Chicago-based company specializing in waste management and recycling operations. The company operates a single Material Recovery Facility (MRF) network established in 2009. According to publicly available professional profiles and industry sources, Valencia is responsible for overseeing the plant’s operational efficiency and strategic upgrades within the facility.
Company Overview: Homewood Disposal Service
Homewood Disposal Service is a leader in waste and recycling services, providing operations to over 75 communities in the South Suburbs of Chicago and parts of Northwest Indiana. The facility Valencia manages primarily focuses on processing between 350 and 500 tons of material per week through the company’s single-stream MRF system.
Career Progression and Experience
Valencia’s industry experience spans over 16 years at Diversified Recycling Inc., where he currently holds or has held the title of Plant Manager since March 2020. His career began at Diversified Recycling on a temporary basis as a sorter, progressing to baler operator before advancing to management roles. Though currently associated with Diversified Recycling Inc., his role is also cited directly in relation to Homewood Disposal Service’s MRF operations, implying versatile operational leadership within the local recycling sector.
Operational Insights and Strategic Focus
Valencia’s management philosophy and operational approach emphasize maximizing commodity revenue per ton and minimizing processing cost per ton as key criteria for upgrades or changes to the facility. His plant’s capital investment decisions are constrained by available budget and operational capacity, with an emphasis on balancing technology upgrades and maintenance efficiencies.
Valencia highlighted the operational challenge of limited diversion options due to the facility’s single-plant network, which necessitates fast turnaround times during maintenance or equipment upgrades. The tip floor capacity is approximately 1,200 tons, with yard bays that hold an additional 100-200 tons. Downtime for upgrades is effectively limited to about one week max, relying heavily on OEM support for rapid implementation.
Notable Equipment Upgrades and Maintenance Practices
- 2017: Installed four nonwrapping screens, resulting in reduced employee-led maintenance and improved safety metrics.
- 2019: Upgraded the Old Corrugated Container (OCC) screen, rapidly increasing recovery rates for this commodity.
- 2022: Updated four optical sorters on the commingled line.
- Recent: Added two AI-powered robotic sorters on the mixed paper line to enhance quality control.
Maintenance practices under Valencia’s leadership include accountability for specific equipment assigned to individual mechanics, empowering equipment operators to perform minor maintenance tasks. This system has resulted in a reduction of maintenance downtime from an average of 5–8% to 3–5%, with some months achieving downtime under 2–3%. Preventive maintenance checks and machine spot checks are regularly performed, and the plant maintains an inventory of critical machine parts to minimize operational interruptions.
Workforce Development and Employee Retention
Valencia places strong emphasis on investing in team skills and career development, providing monetary incentives such as quarterly and annual bonuses tied to attendance and safety, as well as non-monetary perks (e.g., lunches, merchandise, training opportunities). The workforce is cross-trained on equipment operation and maintenance skills, including welding, bearing replacement, and conveyor fabrication, to reduce reliance on external contractors and enable rapid in-house issue resolution.
Employees also attend OEM training sessions and equipment inspections, which contribute to operational excellence and equipment longevity.
Industry Engagement
Ernesto Valencia has participated as a panelist and speaker at the 2024 MRF Operations Forum held in Chicago, where he shared operational insights on maintaining aging single-stream MRFs, strategic equipment upgrades, and efficiency maximization under budgetary constraints. This engagement positions him as an active contributor to industry discourse on material recovery facility operations and innovation.
Summary of Relevant LinkedIn Profile Information
- Location: Homewood, Illinois
- Current Position: Plant Manager, Diversified Recycling Inc. (March 2020 – Present)
- Total Experience at Diversified Recycling Inc.: 16 years, 5 months
- Initial role: Sorter, progressing through operational ranks to plant management
- LinkedIn connections: Approximately 103 (indicating moderate professional network scale)
Key Points for Engagement
- Valencia’s focus on balancing capital expenditure with operational efficiency during equipment upgrades indicates openness to solutions that demonstrate clear ROI by either increasing commodity recovery or reducing processing costs.
- The facility’s limited downtime window for upgrades suggests interest in fast-deployment, turnkey equipment and maintenance solutions.
- Emphasis on staff training and internal capability building reflects the value placed on vendors who can offer comprehensive training and support services alongside their products.
- Valencia’s involvement in forums and public speaking illustrates a willingness to discuss innovative operational improvements and emerging technologies such as AI-powered robotics.
This profile consolidates detailed operational and professional data to offer a comprehensive understanding of Ernesto Valencia’s role, focus, and managerial approach within Homewood Disposal Service’s recycling operations.
