Photo/submitted
By K. B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Business name: ATC Services Junk Removal & Disposal
Address: 9 Walker Drive, Upton
Owner: Gary Pizzillo
Contact Information: 508-529-0200
Where do you call home?
“I’m from the Grafton/Upton area. I have three kids, two girls and a boy,” Gary Pizzillo, the owner of ATC Services Junk Removal & Disposal, said.
How did you get started?
“I started my junk removal business about ten years ago. I also do used motorcycle sales and repairs and was involved in disposing of and recycling items like old tires, bikes, bike accessories and parts.”
Then someone asked him to do some junk removal with his truck, Pizzillo said, and the service grew from there.
“I started with one pickup truck, then added a trailer. Now I have two dump trucks and three trailers. I sort junk into three types: metal, wood, and other. I’m big into recycling.”
What services do you offer?
“We try for one-day service; customers like that. We offer total estate cleanouts, the whole house or one room or one item. We are more than happy to help people move. I’ve done houses that caught on fire, and after I’ve cleaned out the contents, I’ve ended up gutting the inside for the customer, so I’ll do small demolition jobs, too.”
What will you take?
“Pretty much anything. I can’t deal with asbestos, but there’s pretty much nothing else I won’t take. This includes old air conditioners and other devices that use old refrigerants you can’t use anymore. I take all metal for free on every cleanout because I can recycle that.”
Everything that he gets he tries to recycle, he said, and donated many items to local charities. If it’s a good piece of furniture, he’ll sell it. He also takes tires, paint cans and air conditioners. For tires, he pays someone who takes the tires, shreds them and recycles them properly.
“We also break-down old appliances and get the best price for their copper scrap.”
What do you charge?
“I charge by the job and the price reflects my disposal cost. Paints and tires are a little more because of recycling costs. When you rent a dumpster, the disposal company back-charges you for those items, with the bill ending-up being considerably more than the rental fee you expected. When I go on a job, I tell the customer exactly how much I’ll charge for the tires, the paint cans, whatever, so there are no hidden costs. The bottom price is the bottom price.”
What geographic area do you serve?
“I’m in Upton but I’ll go anywhere that’s reasonable and price the job accordingly. Mainly, I serve all Metrowest and Worcester County.”
What else does ATC do?
“As I’ve said, I started-out doing used motorcycle sales and repairs and I still do.”
Do you have any future plans for the business?
“I’ve looked into starting a recycling center, but with land costs so high I haven’t yet.”
