Citrus County Solid Waste employee; Carl Ballard, Heavy Equipment Operator displaying his first place award

Congratulations to Mr. Carl Ballard, Heavy Equipment Operator for Citrus County Solid Waste who competed at the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) International Road-E-O Workshop, October 24 through 25, 2019, at the Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona. During the conference, Carl competed in the Compactor Division and received first place in his field. Carl was invited by SWANA, all-expenses, paid to participate in the International competition after taking first place at the state level SWANA Road-E-O this past March in the Heavy Equipment Division.

More than 100 front line participants showed off their on-the-job skills operating machinery, driving trucks and repairing equipment at the 2019 International Road-E-O. Spectators enjoyed great weather watching the competition. This was the 35th anniversary of the Road-E-O and it had more participants than in years past.

The International Road E O promotes skill and safety. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is an organization of more than 10,000 public and private sector professionals committed to advancing from solid waste management to resource management through their shared emphasis on education, advocacy and research.

The Road-E-O is a multi-day event that includes general sessions on the latest safety practices in the industry, networking events, the Road-E-O competition, awards banquet, and more. The event promotes professionalism on the part of drivers, equipment operators and mechanics in the field of Solid Waste Management and is sponsored by SWANA.  Additionally, the event promotes a spirit of competition and goodwill throughout participating organizations (municipalities, counties and private haulers).

For more than 50 years, SWANA has been the leading association in the solid waste management field. SWANA serves industry professionals through technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses. For more information, visit SWANA.org.

Congratulation to Carl for representing Citrus County at the international level, his first place award, and applying himself to the training provided at this year’s workshop.