Via Community News Service, a VTSU-Castleton internship, for Rutland Herald
RUTLAND – Trash day isn’t usually known to be full of glitz and glamour, but a new local business is aiming to assist homeowners and businesses on one of the dirtiest days of the week.
Bin Force One is Vermont’s first professional trash bin cleaning service, focusing on giving quality cleanliness to its customers, using state-of-the-art, EPA-certified equipment, environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, and a 17-stage filtration system that captures and filters dirty water, avoiding storm-drain pollution.
Additionally, they offer soft and pressure washing, surface cleaning and fleet washing for commercial vehicles.
After bouncing between majors as a first year at Castleton University, owner Connor Balestra said he was unsure of his path, so he left school to work for Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy at the age of 21.
While working a variety of jobs the next few years and being self-employed, a TikTok video pushed Balestra, now 28, to jumpstart his new venture.
“On TikTok, I came across this trash bin cleaning company, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool,’ I didn’t think much of it. Two days go by, I saw it again. OK, I’m going to look into this. We realized nobody in the state of Vermont was doing this, and I just researched the equipment, and here I am. That’s how I got into trash can cleaning. It was just social media,” he said.
The centerpiece of the business is the Bin Force One-branded, custom-designed equipment trailer, allowing bins to be loaded onto 360-degree, high-pressure wash heads. Bins are then sanitized and steamed at 200°F to eliminate almost all bacteria and germs.
Aside from being the only trash bin servicer in the state, Balestra said that what sets him apart from any competition is offering of additional services, including soft washing.
Typically meant for homes and buildings with any vinyl or plastic siding, the soft washing process uses cleaning solutions to break down various types of bacteria living on the siding and rinses off with low pressure. This method prolongs the life of siding and gives better long-term results.
After knowing him for several years, Mike Abatiell, owner of Abatiello Design Center, said he was interested the second he noticed Balestra’s truck.
“I said to him, ‘Listen, you got my attention on this. This is a really neat concept. I want to learn more about it,’ I started going to these projects. I saw a before and after, and I go, ‘It sells itself, buddy. This is unbelievable. What else can we do with this?’ Connor says, ‘Oh, we can do a house. We can do machines,’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to jump in with this, I’m gonna work with you and open up the connections I have to try to get you up and going, so you’re on a steady pace,’ Everybody needs a little hope, right?” Abatiell said.
Outside of his daily work, Balestra has found ways to connect with the local community by participating in this summer’s Friday Night Live events in downtown Rutland and local touch-a-trucks. He says his goal is to create a cleaner environment for the community through his multiple services.
Balestra added that the encouragement from his clients has been one of the most positive aspects thus far.
“People will see me working on the trailer, doing trash cans, and they’re amazed by this. A lot of them tell me, ‘Thank you for what you do. This isn’t easy; it’s gross work.’ They’re appreciative. Just all the feedback, it just makes me feel better. It’s wanted, it’s appreciated,” Balestra said.
One client, Barbara Jean Quinn, recently had her wood-paneled garage cleaned by Balestra and was blown away by the results.
“He’s amazing. First of all, he’s a terrific human being. He came when he said he was going to, did what he said he was going to do, checked in, and had me look at the work to see what I thought. He was in constant communication. He was very reliable, truthful, and honest about what it may look like. He just went A to Z, everything that could possibly go wrong, or a change that we might see, anything we might be concerned about. And he left the door open — ‘call me anytime,’” Quinn said.
Bin Force One was a recent recipient of the Rutland Redevelopment Authority’s Business Incentive Assistance Program grant. Balestra says that a portion of his grant money will be put towards advertising and marketing efforts to expand the business to a wider audience.
Barbara Spaulding, RRA director of grants and outreach, said Balestra was a joy to work with during the process of receiving his grant.
“It was unanimously supported by the Board of Aldermen and the city, moreover, because of it being a first in the state and kind of leading the way for this green business. I know one of the aldermen said, ‘This application was exactly what the BIAP was made for.’ This is why it was created, for businesses like Connors,” Spaulding said.
Looking toward the future, Balestra says that he hopes to hire employees within the next year, as his operations right now are a one-man show. He wants to allow his future employees to work locally and support their families.
“This is not a small startup for a local kid. I put everything I had into it — all my eggs in one basket. That’s why there’s no looking back. I have to make this succeed,” Balestra said.