Welcome to the 2020 OCWR Annual Report.

My recap of 2020 would be remiss if it didn’t include COVID-19. I sincerely hope that you have been able to stay safe and healthy as well as manage and endure through this unprecedented global situation. The impacts remain untold.

As an essential public service, our operations continued at full, compliant levels. We implemented a stringent set of best management practices to keep employees and customers safe and found ways to continue to serve the public need. And, despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, we accomplished much more.

We delivered on our promise of launching an organizational pivot, moving OC Waste & Recycling beyond just landfilling. And we provided a regional resource for compliance with new state laws governing organic waste management. We added resource recovery to the essential public services we provide. We constructed Bee Canyon Greenery and launched composting at the Bowerman Landfill. We also completed our composting facility construction at Prima Deshecha and established scrap metal and mattress recovery operations at all three sites.

But we also managed through another crisis-level situation, in addition to COVID. The October Silverado fire had a significant impact at the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill. The fire damaged the landfill gas collection and control system, the power grid, storm water system, combining to force a temporary closure of the landfill. The recovery back to full operation was challenging for our team, but this challenge was met with true grit and creative problem solving, to expedite repairs and compliance. I believe our response to this challenge reflected the commitment of our team to deliver on our promise of being a good neighbor. You can learn more about the story in the Year in Review section of the annual report.

Internally we have adopted the philosophy of Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese word that roughly translates to "change for better." It is fitting for OCWR because our mission of protecting public health and the environment requires sustaining compliance in a changing regulatory environment, where standards are raised continually. We must always change for the better, which means to improve.

The term Kaizen is used in businesses around the world to look at ways of making changes that improve such functions as safety, efficiency and customer service. But Kaizen is much more than a word, it's a concept. This concept describes and inspires continuous improvement in all aspects of an organization. Most importantly, Kaizen is sustained by every OCWR employee and reflects our organizational culture.

Thank you for your interest. I hope you enjoy the 2020 Annual Report update on our journey to resource recovery, and I welcome your feedback.