Kerry and Becky Getter founded Balcones Resources in 1994 in Austin, Texas. In the mid-’90s the only commodity being actively recycled in a commercial setting was white paper, and the Balcones team saw the need to change the way Texas recycled. “We had an opportunity to make an impact both environmentally and economically,” remarked Kerry. Balcones introduced the Anything that TearsTM program, which simplified office recycling and allowed property managers to quickly quantify their efforts through monthly environmental reports and a reduction of costs related to landfill hauling fees.
Kerry remembers, “It was a challenge at first because we really had to get into the trenches and educate everyone involved in an organization. The janitorial crews were very important because we needed to move the material efficiently and effectively throughout the buildings, and their buy-in was crucial to the success of the program. Education became a necessary component, and we started to see the fruits of our labor in the form of increased participation and a reduction in waste from the different locations we serviced.”
Fast-forward over 20 years, and we have facilities in Austin, Dallas and Little Rock and have grown to become one of the top 50 recyclers in North America.
We service approximately 75% of Austin’s Class A office buildings and 80% of the Class A buildings in downtown Dallas. In addition to multi-tenant facilities, Balcones is also the chosen recycling partner for several corporate campuses, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers.
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Kerry concludes, “We started as paper recyclers, but we’ve transformed into a full service environmental company that works with our customers to reach zero waste goals, educate employees, achieve LEED® certification, or simply take the first step towards a new recycling program.”
LEARN ABOUT OUR HISTORY
Meet Our Team
Kerry founded Balcones Resources in 1994 with a small group of investors and a focus on commercial recycling in Austin, Texas. Prior to starting Balcones, Kerry was a regional recycling manager for Waste Management and was part of a family owned recycling business. He also served as a Director and CEO of a Texas Bank holding company. Kerry is a frequent speaker at national and state recycling trade events and is a two-time finalist for the Ernst and Youngs Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He serves on the advisory board of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas. Kerry attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an anthropology major, and wanted to become Indiana Jones, before there was an Indiana Jones. He gave up the pursuit to become a pitcher in the Texas Rangers Organization, while finishing his degree at Texas Wesleyan. According to NASA, several of his ill-fated pitches can still be tracked in orbit today. Kerry graduated from Texas Wesleyan where he received a BA with a major in Political Science. Adam was promoted to President of Balcones Resources in 2020. Adam joined the Balcones Team in February 2011 and serves as Chief Financial Officer. He is responsible for financial statement preparation and analysis, improvement of profitability, coordinating tax and audit work, compliance, capital investments and keeping the company’s bank happy. He is able to handle all of this through the assistance of his all-star team of accountants and controllers. Adam’s role isn’t limited to spreadsheets and financial statements. One of his favorite parts of his job is that he engages directly with the different managers to help them work more effectively and efficiently. His ability to gather copious amounts of information and translate it into usable and tangible tools has helped transform the way Balcones conducts business. Adam holds a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University and a JD/MBA from the University of Arkansas. When he isn’t number crunching, Adam enjoys Austin’s outdoor and music scenes and is on the Board of Hill Country Conservancy. Joaquin was promoted to Chief Operations officer in 2020. Previously, Joaquin served as the Vice President of Operations. Before coming to Balcones, Joaquin was the Executive Director of the historic Central Texas nonprofit, Ecology Action of Texas. His efforts there led to increased access to recycling opportunities for Austin’s residents and an expanded awareness of the importance of recycling and other landfill diversion activities across the state. Joaquin is an Alumni of the University of Texas where he received a BA in English. He is also an avid rugby player, competing regularly with the local Huns Rugby Club. Joaquin’s favorite activities are spending time in the kitchen or experiencing the outdoors with his two sons. Rusty leads Balcones Resources’ Commodities Group, and coordinates the incoming recyclable material with the end-user demand for fiber and pulp products, developing relationships with paper mills around the world. Rusty started in 1979 at the Dallas recycling company founded by his father, Richard Getter. Rusty has successfully positioned Balcones as the top provider of high-quality paper-making products – earning the company a reputation as innovators in an otherwise traditional marketplace. Rusty is a frequent speaker at industry events such as the Paper Recycling Conference and the Southeast Paper Recycling Conference. Rusty graduated from the University of Texas with a BA in Radio-TV-Film and played baseball for The Longhorns. Rusty began his recycling career after being fired by the Cincinnati Reds for being an imposter. Richie grew up in the recycling business, working part time at Balcones in the summers prior to attending St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX where he earned a BA in International Relations in 2004. Richie began working full time for Balcones in 2005 continuing to learn the operational side of the business working in the Austin facility. In 2008, Richie began developing the plastics recycling side of the business aspiring to grow the services provided by Balcones to its client base and to new customers. Today he manages strategic initiatives, growth opportunities, and the Plastics Division for the company. Building relationships within the industry for well over a decade, Richie has assisted clients in finding solutions for difficult to recycle plastics domestically and internationally. Richie is an avid outdoorsmen and steward of the environment, which continues to drive his passion for diverting valuable resources back into the supply chain.
Kerry R. Getter
Chief Executive Officer
Adam Vehik
President
Joaquin Mariel
Chief Operations Officer
Rusty Getter
President of Commodities Group
Richie Getter
Vice President of Strategy