Ross Transportation Services, Inc.  (RTS) recently celebrated  a milestone of 14 years with ZERO Lost Time Accidents (LTA), demonstrating that the safety of our associates is truly our #1 priority!  Having no Lost Time Accidents means that RTS drivers kept safety as their top priority as they traveled an average of 2,740 miles per day last year. That’s in spite of rain, snow, sleet and other unexpected hazards. We are so proud of our excellent associates.

RTS General Manager Chris Fada says:
“RTS associates work and perform at a high level.  They drive 80,000-pound trucks in every weather condition imaginable. They put their customers first. They are compliant, productive and, yes, the safest fleet around.  This means 5,110 consecutive days (or 14 years) without a lost-time accident. I am proud to work with a group of people that come to work with safety as their first priority.  They make the decision every day to be safe and they work hard at achieving it.  Congratulations to RTS!”

Through the month of May, 2021 the Ross companies collected items to benefit homeless veterans in Lorain County. Specifically, the items and funds donated went to The Valor Home of Lorain, Ohio, which provides transitional housing for homeless veterans.

Associates collected grocery and gas gift cards, as well as blankets, cleaning supplies, new clothing and winter gear, cooking equipment and much, much more.  Hundreds of much needed items were collected for this drive and the Ross companies plan on participating again next year.

A special nod to our EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) group is required, as they started the drive off with enthusiasm, a large donation and inspired some friendly competition between departments. They presented a challenge for who could gather up the most items.

Thank you to all of the associates who participated in the drive!

More information on The Lorain Valor Home can be found at https://fcsserves.org/program/valor-home-lorain/

Above: Adopt-a-highway volunteers pose for a photo and pick up trash along Giles Rd.

Giles Road in Grafton, Ohio has been the home to the Ross Group of Companies—Ross Incineration, Ross Environmental and Ross Transportation, for more than 70 years. It is incredibly important to all of the companies to keep the road to the site clean and safe. To maintain Giles Road, the Ross companies participate in Lorain County’s Adopt-A-Highway clean up program.

This year, the Ross companies had a great turn out for the Adopt-a-Highway clean up, despite Mother Nature cancelling the activities twice as a result of inclement weather. The snow, sleet, and rain didn’t stop our dedicated Associates. We waited for the temperamental Northeast Ohio weather to cooperate and finally got to work in June of 2021.

Ross associates, most of whom live in Lorain County combed both sides of the two-mile long Giles Road which connects Durkee Road and State Route 82. Associates picked up a variety of trash and debris and a total of 10 trash bags were filled with the discarded litter.

While a handful of associates tended to the garden and seeding, others walked both sides of Giles Road to pick up litter. It was done in coordination with Lorain County’s Adopt-a-Highway program, which Ross associates have participated in for many years.

Above: Owner Jon Cromling gets his hands dirty, and the EHS team plants wildflowers. 

To celebrate Earth Day, associates from the Ross group of companies—Ross Incineration, Ross Environmental and Ross Transportation, set out to rejuvenate the Grafton plant  by creating a perennial flower garden on the grounds of its Giles Road facility.

To do this, a large space was tilled, and associates joined forces to dig holes, plant flowers and spread mulch. Planting this garden was the first step in a multi-year project that will brighten up the grounds and transform an underused portion of the area around the front offices at Ross Incineration.

The goal was to create a butterfly garden using perennial species of flowers including Butterfly Bushes, Black Eyed Susan’s, Lupine, Phlox and many other beautiful choices. Associates have been returning to the space to weed the garden, and enjoy the view.  It was a great opportunity to work together as a team and improve the RIS facilities.

Ross associates also took the warm weather opportunity to plant native wildflower seeds along the two bodies of water within the Ross Incineration Facility. This beautification project was also functional, aiding in preventing erosion and as a waterfowl deterrent.  All of the rain and sunshine in the last month has  allowed the garden and wildflower areas to flourish.

“Our mission is to safely and compliantly treat hazardous waste, protect the environment and serve the community,” said Pat Lawson, VP of Corporate Compliance/Risk Management. “Our effort in June was a natural extension of that mission.”