Rockwood Sustainable Solutions adds VP

Lebanon, Tennessee-based Rockwood Sustainable Solutions has hired Stefhen Loffredo as a new vice president and member of the construction and demolition materials recycling company’s leadership team.

Rockwood says Loffredo has a strong background in liquid waste management and a talent for building long-term partnerships, adding that his experience can help the company usher in a new phase of growth and direction.

Before joining Rockwood, Loffredo helped manage the Nashville operations of Music City Environmental, a company focused on liquid waste processing. His work involved handling everything from grease traps and used cooking oil to runoff from landfills.

“Stefhen’s mindset went beyond disposal,” Rockwood says of Loffredo's position at Music City Environmental. “Grease was converted into compost for farms in Kentucky, and used oil was routed into renewable recycling operations,” acccording to Rockwood.

Loffredo has a connection with Rockwood company founder Lincoln Young that goes back more than six years, tracing to when Loffredo was working at GFL Environmental and Young was one of his customers.

“After raising rates, Stefhen jokingly told Lincoln he should start his own transportation company," Rockwood says. "Lincoln took that suggestion seriously, and Stefhen watched from a distance as Rockwood took shape and grew.”

In his new role, Loffredo will focus on exploring additional opportunities in the U.S. southeast.

Rockwood accepts concrete, wood and gypsum drywall for recycling, along with wire and cable, plastics, glass, tires and old corrugated containers.

“There’s interest from the public, but many people don’t know where to start or assume recycling just isn’t an option in their area," the company says of recycling in Tennessee. “That gap between curiosity and action is where Stefhen sees the most opportunity. Rockwood is no longer chasing prospects. Instead, customers are coming to them.”

According to the C&D recycling company, municipalities are seeking partners that can follow through on sustainability goals, and building strong relationships with local governments will be a key part of Rockwood’s long-term growth.

On that front, Rockwood has a Zero Waste Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, which it describes as an approach beyond what competitors offer.

According to Rockwood, Loffredo sees strong potential in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; and in cities in South Florida and Alabama, adding that they show the same signs Nashville once did in terms of greater interest in C&D recycling.

“There is clear demand for better environmental services and not enough capable providers,” Rockwood says, adding it already has a project underway in Louisiana.

With Loffredo in place and a clear strategy underway, Rockwood says it is stepping into a new era.

“We’re building something that lasts; something rooted in integrity and built to serve,” Loffredo says.