280 | Business World Magazine |
April 2013
With its network of more than 2,000 profes-
sional, independent waste haulers, Universal
has amassed a regional and national client
list that includes Marshall’s, T.J. Maxx, Fire-
stone, McDonalds, Pathmark Food Stores,
Lord & Taylor, and Hess, to name but a few.
As much as that achievement is a reflec-
tion of the convenience, cost savings and ca-
pabilities imparted by Universal, it is also a
byproduct of this company’s particular pas-
sion for serving people. During a conversa-
tion withThomas Papa, one will find him re-
ferring to the first names of customers as well
as drivers, from one end of the country to the
next, with as much as friendly familiarity as
he wouldwhen referring to his wife, daughter
or mother; in fact, they all actually work with
him at Universal. More importantly, those
clients as well as the independent haulers,
they know “Tommy” Pappa and know how
to access him, through his office, through his
cell phone or even his home phone. Should
a situation occur, say for example, a store has
a roll-off container, new opening or situa-
tion that prompts something beyond the
routinely scheduled pick-up that needs to be
dealt with right away, maybe even before the
business opens the next day, something that
might even prompt the customer to phone
Papa late at night, he’ll take the call and ap-
point the hauler to deal with it. Universal’s
staff operates in the same manner. As Papa
says, “We’re a mom and pop business on a
different level.”
Papa also no problem explaining op-
erational differences which distinguish his
company from certain competitors’ prac-
tices in the management of waste service,
saying, “Some companies, you call them, but
