Brazos Valley resident Blake Brannon, president of the Brannon Industrial Group, was recognized by the Waste360 as one of the recipients of the 40 Under 40 award. Local business owner Amanda Mancuso-Laird, president of Waste Equipment Rentals and Sales in Bryan, was also recognized.
The award honors the next generation of leaders who are shaping the future of the waste and recycling industry.
"The young professionals in the waste, recycling, and organics industry never cease to amaze us," Waste360 Vice President Mark Hickey says. "This year’s class is remarkable, and they’ve accomplished a great deal so early on in their careers. You’ll be inspired, impressed, and proud of what they’ve done and what it means for the industry and our planet now and into the future."
As president of BIG, which owns Premier Metal Buyers, BVR Waste and Recycling, and Stop and Go Potties, Brannon has built a business that processes 168,000 tons of material a year. In addition to bringing the first metal recycling facility to Brenham, Brannon brought Construction and Demolition Recycling to Bryan College Station to divert more tons from the landfill.
In growing the business, Brannon has added multiple services so that BIG can offer a “one-stop shop” for waste, recycling, portable sanitation, metal recycling, and temporary fencing. This unique, integrated approach makes waste disposal and recycling easier and more cost effective for consumers, businesses, and municipalities.
This award is not the first time Brannon has been recognized for his contributions to the community. In 2017, Brannon and BIG were honored with the "You Make a Difference Award," a recognition of individuals that were instrumental in initiating the donation and distribution efforts for Hurricane Harvey relief. Working together with Brenham ISD and the Brenham community, BIG delivered 14 loads of donations in less than two weeks. BIG has been awarded Best of the Brazos Valley for the past nine years and has received local awards from Keep Brazos Beautiful and various community organizations.
Outside of BIG, Brannon is a leader in the Economic Development Council and a member of the Young Presidents Organization.
The Waste360 40 Under 40 awards program recognizes inspiring and innovative professionals under the age of 40 whose work in waste, recycling, and organics has made a significant contribution to the industry. The winners are involved in every part of the waste and recycling industry, including haulers, municipalities, composters, recycling professionals, policymakers, and product suppliers. A panel of expert judges from Waste360 evaluated the nominations and consulted with an external advisor to select the finalists and winners. The winners will be honored during an awards ceremony at WasteExpo, North America's largest solid waste, recycling, and organics industry event, May 4 through 7, in New Orleans.
