Chris Martin

Sometimes, all it takes is a rotten banana. That’s what Chris Martin saw strewn in the alley outside his Pioneer Square apartment that finally made him say, “Enough is enough.”

Martin left the comfortable confines of his advertising job to start CleanScapes, a garbage collection company that, since its founding 13 years ago, has gone on to successfully challenge such giants in the industry as Waste Management.

Martin took a one-trick-pony industry and refashioned it in a way that made sense to today’s customers. He didn’t want a business that just picked up garbage and went on its way. He wanted a service that would make a city a better place to live. The first big idea was the Dumpster Free Alley program, in which he found a way to remove commercial waste bins that had become fixtures in crowded alleys by offering daily garbage pickup services. Less noise, fewer trips, less pollution. Everybody was happy. This sort of progressive thinking led to major contracts with cities such as Shoreline, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.

CleanScapes has moved forward with other green initiatives such as a truck routing system that reduces the number of trips. The trucks also run on cleaner-burning natural gas. There are recycling programs, daily streetscape maintenance, on-call emergency cleanups, graffiti removal, pressure washing and parking structure services, too. And Martin is a listener. Recently, a CleanScapes driver came up with a new truck design that, when implemented across the company, reduced collection trips and fuel consumption by about 50 percent.

Finalists:

Tim Welsh

President, Garco Construction (Spokane)

Since Tim Welsh bought Garco Construction in 1978, the company has gone from a one-dimensional, pre-engineered steel building contractor to a multifaceted and vertically aligned company that can quickly adapt to the times.

A former company commander in the Army Corps of Engineers in Vietnam, Welsh knew the value of face-to-face relationships. If a new person shows up on a job site, Welsh makes sure to introduce himself. He also fuels relationships by giving to community organizations, particularly those in Spokane, where he grew up.  He volunteers with organizations such as Gonzaga University, the Spokane Chamber of Commerce and Associated General Contractors, where he was awarded the SIR lifetime achievement award for skill, integrity and responsibility in the construction industry.

Because of his personal and professional touch, Welsh has helped Garco stay strong in an industry that was all but destroyed by the 2008 housing collapse.

As for the future, two of his sons are being groomed to take over the business, and Welsh will make sure that the personal touch Garco has established will continue long after his retirement.

Dan Madsen

Chairman and CEO, One Eighty/Leisure Care (Seattle)

Part inspirational speaker, part visionary leader, Dan Madsen has led his company, One Eighty/Leisure Care, to profitability.

He joined the firm in 1988 as general manager and became its sole proprietor in 2003. Since then, the business has grown to 45 existing and developing communities throughout the United States, Canada, India and Mexico.

One Eighty/Leisure Care is a developer, designer and manager of unique, resort-style senior housing communities. As one of the largest privately held providers of senior housing, the firm has made it its mission to dispel the stereotypes that surround senior housing by providing a lifestyle and level of service and amenities unmatched in the industry.

And this approach coincides with Madsen’s philosophy of doing right by employees, residents and customers—to affect the lives of everyone he comes in contact with positively every day. And that commitment is why Madsen has spoken on behalf of seniors and the senior-care industries before the U.S. Senate, a host of other industry professionals and college students across the country.

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