Tri-Power Recycling

It is safe to say that Cindy Fifer has spent the bulk of her life in the trash business. In 1976, her father Frank Ward purchased a small two truck trash company whose primary customer base included office buildings in downtown Chicago. Frank was a very energetic, charismatic family man who worked hard to grow the business.

Shortly after purchasing the company, he got the idea to start taking what was going to the landfill back to his yard – he sorted the paper and cardboard out of the waste and began “recycling”. He and his children were true pioneers in the recycling industry. Over the next 20 years they grew to become one of the largest independently owned waste recycling companies in the United States.

In 1986, Brent and Cindy married and rather quickly were blessed with five great children over a span of 10 years. Brent joined the family company with a background in the construction and building business. Because of his background, he became instrumental in the design, build and operation of a variety of recycling facilities throughout the country – including high and low grade paper recovery facilities, construction and demolition recovery facilities, residential MRF (materials recovery facility), and solid waste transfer stations. Brent was involved in all aspects of each operation and intimately knows the mechanics and operations of all the machinery involved.

In 1998, Brent and Cindy decided to leave Chicago and placed roots in Niles, Michigan where they currently reside. Tri-Power Recycling, formerly Natures Wood Products, has been operating in Elkhart, Indiana since 2010. Its facilities are located on 8 acres at 1240 Anderson Street. Brent has built a state of the art full-service recycling facility designed to handle three specific waste streams – fiber (paper, cardboard), plastics (EPS foam, rigids, and films), and wood. Brent’s expertise in material handling flow keeps him actively involved in further modernizing the facility in the most efficient ways.

Brent and Cindy’s extensive experience in the industry allows them to design custom recycling operations for their customers. Brent, Cindy, and each of their five children play important roles in the family business.