Republic Services to Acquire RaeKar Waste Services

The West Tennessee solid waste management landscape is set for a significant transition this summer as Republic Services announced it will acquire RaeKar Waste Services. The acquisition, which officially takes effect on July 1, 2026, brings an end to a period of direct competition between the two waste collection providers in the region.

In July 2024, McKenzie city officials chose RaeKar over its existing contractor Republic Services based on Republic’s lack of communication with the McKenzie customers’ complaints. Now, it appears Republic will return as McKenzie’s provider on July 1. McKenzie residents pay the city for the services. The city then pays RaeKar.

The merger follows active bidding in local municipalities, where the two companies frequently competed for government waste contracts. Notably, both firms submitted competitive proposals for solid waste collection services for the Town of Huntingdon as recently as this past April. Republic earned that contract that begins July 1, 2026. Huntingdon’s longtime contractor, Waste Management, will cease operations there on June 30.

For current RaeKar customers, the companies are emphasizing a focus on service continuity. In a statement from their service base, RaeKar noted that while the company is changing ownership, the daily operations are expected to remain consistent. Residents and business owners will continue to see the same local personnel handling collection routes.

“RaeKar may be changing hands, but the important things are staying the same,” the company stated in a customer notice. “You will see the same friendly faces and experience the same highest-caliber customer service.”

For the immediate future, customers are advised to continue paying their bills through their established methods. Republic Services plans to mail detailed instructions to former RaeKar customers in the coming weeks, outlining new account numbers, online payment portals, and mobile app features.

The acquisition combines two distinct footprints in West Tennessee. RaeKar, a family-owned business founded in 2018 and based in Martin, built a regional reputation for fast and reliable service. Republic Services, a large-scale provider with an existing transfer station located on Highway 22 in McKenzie, already services a wide swath of the region, including Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Gibson, Henry, Madison and Obion counties, the latter of which is the location of Republic’s landfill.