Ramona brothers ease into recycling business
By Karen Brainard
Looking for ways to boost income with a business affected by the sluggish economy, the Roe brothers of Ramona found a compatible niche: recycling.
“We were in the construction repair business, and with the economy construction was kind of slow,” said David Roe.
A.C.E. Rental and Repair, the business owned by Roe and his brother, Jim, deals with heavy equipment repair. For over 20 years, they had been hauling their own scrap metal, David Roe noted, so they thought they would start out small with recycling and “see where it can take us.”
The Roes began with recycling steel and have gradually added copper, brass, and aluminum. Around April they started drawing more residential customers by adding aluminum can and plastic bottle recycling.
“The good thing about recycling is we pay out,” said David Roe, adding that their customers usually turn around and put that money right back into other Ramona businesses by buying gas, food, or other items.
On an average, customers bringing in cans and bottles for recycling walk away with $30 to $60, he said, bringing in 10 or more pounds of cans and 15 to 20 pounds of bottles.
When creating a name for their recycling business, the brothers sat down to see what they could do with their last name. Using each letter in Roe to begin a word, they came up with Recycling on Earth. According to David Roe, many customers ask them if they realize the initial letters spell out their last name.
The Roes have been Ramona businessmen for almost 30 years. Their father started the heavy equipment repair business in 1983. Three years later the brothers took it over, and they moved it to the present location at 1230 Olive St. in 2001. That’s where they have set up Recycling on Earth.
Noting their new business has been successful and they keep adding items to recycle, David Roe said, “It’s a growing thing for us.”
Recycling on Earth is open Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 760-789-9430.