Meet Paul and Dayle of DumpRunner Waste Systems!

The saying goes “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” In the case of Paul Nielsen and his wife Dayle, it’s more than just a cliché, it’s a business.

Dayle and Paul Nielsen of DumpRunner Waste Systems Inc.

The entrepreneurial duo behind Calgary’s DumpRunner Waste Systems – which provides roof-off disposal units for the construction, renovation and private consumer markets –built their business from the ground up. Literally. When their welder left just as they were about begin fabricating the body for their first dump truck, Paul took matters into his own hands.

“I went out, bought a Mig Welder, locked myself away for two weeks and fabricated a 14 cubic yard dump body myself,” he says. “I’d never welded anything before, but the job needed to be done, and I could read a book. Whining about it wasn’t going to solve anything. The surprising thing was that I discovered a latent talent for working with metal that I would never have found otherwise.”

Despite a rocky start, Paul and Dayle have turned DumpRunner into an award-winning success, all while maintaining what they call a vital characteristic to their business – professionalism with personality.

As entrepreneurs, Paul and Dayle take a personal approach to business dealings, from developing long-term relationships with their customers to providing a positive, healthy working environment for their employees.

“We ask a lot of our crews,” confesses Paul.  “We strive to provide wages that exceed industry norms, and along the way, we try to have some laughs. A sense of humour is often the only thing keeping you sane in this line of work!”