Hart Sanitation Celebrates 50 Years in Business!

Hart Sanitation Celebrates 50 Years in Business!

Rebecca Hemlock

The Ashland Beacon

Hart Sanitation is marking a golden milestone this year: 50 years in business serving the tri-state area with dependable waste management and a family-operated approach that has weathered changing markets and shifting times. On the anniversary, co-owner Sherry Hart recalls how a dream turned into a decades-long mission to keep neighborhoods clean and customers cared for. “I think it’s amazing how we’ve met lots of people coming into the office,” she says, smiling at the steady stream of community members who stop by to chat. “We didn’t know when we started if we’d make it one year, much less fifty.”

The roots of Hart Sanitation lie in a moment of opportunity and a husband’s vision. “It was my husband’s idea,” Sherry explains. “His brother-in-law had the Catlettsburg franchise but wanted to pursue other things. Richard Hart, who later became the cornerstone of this family business before sadly passing away two years ago, worked at the A.C. Lawrence Leather Co. in Ashland and wanted to bid on the franchise.” The decision, launched in 1975, would set in motion a journey that would see a small office become a cornerstone of local service for generations.

Back in 1975, the landscape of waste disposal was far simpler. “There were only two companies in our tri-state area offering dumpster service,” the Hart family notes, a fact that framed their early strategy and helped them gain a foothold. Over the years, Hart Sanitation expanded beyond residential pickups to dumpsters for businesses and, eventually, to roll-off services. Those shifts weren’t just about adding trucks and routes; they were about building a broader capacity to meet the evolving needs of Catlettsburg and surrounding towns. “The residential work came first, then dumpsters for businesses, and then roll-off services,” Sherry recalls. “I feel like these additions have helped the city take care of all the city’s needs.”

Of course, 50 years bring both pride and challenges. The landscape today is crowded with competitors, and the company has learned to adapt to a market that’s quick to offer incentives for customers to switch providers. “Today there are several players, and it’s harder to keep our customers because a new company will offer you the moon to get you to change services,” Sherry notes with a steady, practical lens. Yet Hart Sanitation’s longevity speaks to a different kind of value—the trust and continuity that come from years of reliable service and a personal touch.

The moral backbone of the business, according to the family, is the loyalty of their customers and the resilience of their team. “We have been very fortunate that most of our loyal customers are still with us,” reads a sentiment often echoed by the staff. And while the work is demanding—hot in summer, cold in winter—Hart Sanitation has been sustained by good people. “Our job is a hard one,” they say, “and we are very fortunate to have great employees.”

Community ties have always been a central thread of the Hart family story. The City of Catlettsburg has been supportive “all these years,” a relationship that has helped the business grow in harmony with local needs. The company’s evolution mirrors the city’s own development, with each service expansion designed to better serve residents and businesses alike.

Family is at the heart of Hart Sanitation. The next generation has long been involved in the operation; a point Sherry is quick to highlight. “My children have been here since high school, my brother, daughter, and daughter-in-law, granddaughter work in the office, and my grandson is our tech guy.” The legacy expands beyond the immediate family, with other grandchildren contributing to the business at different times, and one granddaughter pursuing work with the company after finishing her studies at the University of Kentucky. That multi-generational involvement isn’t just a family affair; it’s a living testament to building a sustainable, community-focused business.

As Hart Sanitation pauses to celebrate half a century, they remain focused on the future—refining services, maintaining reliable routes, and continuing to give back to a community that has supported them for so long. The milestone is more than a number; it’s a reflection of a promise kept: to show up, take care of customers, and keep the wheels turning for the families who rely on them every week. For a company that started with a single idea, fifty years later Hart Sanitation stands as a trusted, neighborhood-oriented partner, deeply grateful for the chance to serve and the people who made it possible.