Elmer Caldwell decided to leave his job at Chrysler, move his family to Morristown, IN, and start farming. Shortly after, he learned that his fields were full of gravel; thus, crushing rock and selling it to the public began.

Elmer’s son, Paul, came home from serving in the Army. Seeing the need to focus on crushing rock and to produce asphalt, he decided to stay. After a few years, the need for a landfill in Shelby County became apparent. Paul acquired a permit and opened a landfill on the ground that had been mined out, setting the foundation for the next generation.

Paul’s oldest son, Dana, graduated high school and began running the landfill. Not long after, he became president and realized that to stay competitive, the company would have to enter the trucking business and haul their own waste.

Shortly after joining the trucking business, the recycling evolution began for the Caldwells. Little did they know that recycling cardboard, paper, plastics, and metal would eventually lead them into recycling pre and post-consumer food waste as well as industrial filter cakes. Continuing the family tradition, Dana also raised cattle which led to feeding them pre-consumer food waste.

At the age of eight, Dana’s son, Jordan, was picking up trash and washing trucks. From there, he started operating equipment and working in the shop, learning the mechanics of all of the equipment he could get his hands on. After high school and returning home from college, Jordan started running the hot mix and wash plants. From there, he ran the landfill and started a new semi division for the company, taking on all after hours and non-traditional runs.

The Caldwell family decided to sell CGS to Advanced Disposal. Becoming the general manager of that business unit for two years, Jordan gained good experience in the corporate life but decided to branch off and start his own venture: Caldwell’s Inc.