Our Story

One person’s problem, is another person’s opportunity to start a business.

At least for Rick Hilgert, founder of Strategic Sanitation Services, Inc. In 2007, Rick’s wife Erin noticed a continual trash problem at a large residential community she managed. The inefficiency of trash pick-up was causing the community to lose curb appeal and money. She encouraged Rick to look at the issue.

Rick assessed the situation. He found that some bins were only partially filled, and others were overflowing. He noted that the trash enclosures would remain messy, even after the trash hauler had picked up. He saw furniture and mattresses piled high. The community was in desperate need of a cleanup. 

Rick determined the community’s three main problems: inefficient trash distribution, untidy enclosures and large, bulky items. His solution was the beginning of Strategic’s Waste Optimization^TM Plan.

Fast forward, and the following year Strategic was providing three communities with trained crews that would clean and distribute trash and recycling on a weekly basis and pick up large items cluttering the enclosures. A Strategic team of specialists started to work with the trash hauler companies to “right-size” hauler services, so communities wouldn’t pay for more than they needed. With Strategic’s help, the communities reduced the number of trash bins, cut down pick-up services and saved significant money.

Then, in 2009, Steven Reyes joined the company as a partner and expanded the number of communities Strategic serviced from three to nineteen by the following year. 

Over time, Rick’s ingenuity and Steven’s strategic execution continued to grow the company with new customers, team members and services. Today, Rick and Steve serve the company as advisors and principals, using their insight to plan Strategic’s future.

Strategic Sanitation Services, Inc. now services 300 communities with 15 plus services in Orange, Inland Empire, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties using our Waste Optimization^TM Plan. 

Strategic aims to honor God, care for people and guard  the environment. We do this by making residential complexes cleaner and happier with Respectful, Reliable and Responsible service.