Forty Under 40: Kevin Gardner

An avid duck hunter and cook, Kevin Gardner has no problem disposing of his leftovers.

As site manager of Waste Management of Northwest Arkansas, Gardner oversees all operations of the Springdale hauling company. It’s a fairly recent promotion for Gardner, 38, who said he’s still getting settled into the job.

He got his start in the restaurant business, but after almost 20 years, he decided to try something new. Taking a job as a sales representative with USA Waste Services in July 1997, he quickly moved into operations with USA Waste in October 1999.

When USA Waste merged with Waste Management in January 2000, he became a district manger in Harrison where he was responsible for managing the hauling company at a transfer station and dealing with city contracts.

After a year in Harrison, Gardner moved back to Springdale in January and was placed in charge of handling special projects, from legal to operational to customer satisfaction.

Promoted July 9 to site manager in Springdale, Gardner said his goals are to focus on complete customer satisfaction and providing employees with an extremely safe environment for work.