At the beginning of March, Grizzly Disposal and Recycling began serving Lake County and within 10 days had secured 300 customers. Just like its competitor, Republic Services, Grizzly had to apply for a carrier license with the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC). This allows commercial haulers to haul municipal solid waste to the county's landfill.  

Lake County Solid Waste director Stacey Kintigh explained in an email to the Leader that the county stipulates that only solid waste collected within the county can be disposed of in the county landfill. He noted that these commercial haulers must haul directly to the landfill, and the public will continue to take waste to the Lake County Transfer Station or other rural transfer sites to avoid increased traffic on Kerr Dam Road.  

Billy Fisher, the general manager of Grizzly, said the current servicer could protest the new haulers' permit, and he had expected a year-long legal battle with Republic, which they experienced in Missoula County. However, Republic did not protest this permit, which Fisher noted allowed his business to start serving the county a year sooner than anticipated.  

Fisher operated Western Montana Republic Services for five years before deciding to leave and partner with Lance Johnson, who had been operating a service in Bozeman since 2007. Together, they applied for a permit and started serving Missoula in 2021.  

Now, with the expansion to Lake County, Fisher has leased property off the intersection of North Reservoir and Skyline Drive south of Polson. He is storing trucks at this yard and plans to build a shop there as he gains customers in the county.  

As of March 12, Fisher said they have 35 trucks and 40 employees, which includes three locals hired from the valley. They have purchased trucks to serve the area and are prepared to serve 1,000 customers in the county.  

“We have enough supplies, trucks and equipment to do whatever the heck we need to do up here,” Fisher said.  

His intent has always been to expand into Lake County, and it’s a dream come true. Grizzly’s permit includes all of Lake County. It also includes a 10-mile radius around Bigfork and Lakeside; trash collected from those areas is taken to Flathead County’s landfill.  

“Missoula pays the bill, Polson is a dream,” said Fisher, who graduated from Polson in 1994.  

Fisher contends that Lake County has been “taken advantage” of by the monopoly Republic has had in the county. According to Fisher, Grizzly’s rates are 40% lower than Republic's, and currently, if customers attempt to cancel their service through Republic, they are offering a 50% rate decrease.  

“If everybody knew that they’d be grossed out. To me, that’s unethical,” he said. “You can’t mistreat somebody for 20 years and then say, ‘Oh, my bad.’”  

“Being local means accountability,” Fisher stated in a press release to the Leader. “Our customers know where to find us. They know who to call. And they know their dollars stay in the community instead of being sent out of state.”

Republic responded to Fisher's comment, stating that they are an ethical and responsible company, and “any other suggestion is false.” James Richardson Jr., the manager of external communications for Republic, stated in an email to the Leader that its employees are Montanans who live in the communities they serve, and its services reflect “changing market conditions.” 

He also noted that Republic is committed to providing “world-class service” to its neighbors.  

“We have a long history of serving Lake County. We routinely review our pricing and services to reflect changing market conditions, which helps to ensure we continue to provide high‑quality, reliable service to the community,” Richardson stated in the email.  

During the most recent Polson City Commission meeting on Monday, March 17, Commissioner Carolyn Pardini also brought up Grizzly's lower rates and said that Republic offered a significant rate decrease to not cancel her service. She suggested that the City of Polson also tell Republic that it is considering canceling to see if it could save money on its solid waste bill.  

Fisher is unsurprised by Republic's promise of rate cuts, and said he’s experienced this before in Missoula. He noted that Grizzly hasn’t changed its rates in three years. With Republic's rate cuts and Grizzly’s lower rates, Fisher estimated that it will save county residents $1 million by the end of this year.  

He also plans to bring better bear cans to the area. He noted that the demands of campgrounds are not currently being met, and he aims to offer a different product that will meet those needs.  

“Our plan is to make it more safe tomorrow than it is today,” he said. 

Grizzly also offers cardboard recycling in Lake County, and in Missoula, they offer an all-in-one recycling service. However, he explained that recycling is difficult in Montana because there is no recycling facility in the state. Recycling from Missoula has to be shipped to Spokane, Wash., which becomes quite costly.  

Fisher has spoken with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the county about recycling and said, “We are going to figure it out together.”  

To learn more about Grizzly, visit www.grizzlydisposal.com or call 406-541-7171.  

    Grizzly Disposal & Recycling trucks are driving across the county. Grizzly obtained a permit to service Lake County, Bigfork and Lakeside areas. (Billy Fisher/Courtesy of Grizzly Disposal & Recycling)