Bringing a Swap to the Compost Market: Woman-Owned Compost Service Acquisition in San Antonio
San Antonio Composting: Turning Food Waste to Gold
San Antonio has marked another milestone in the city’s sustainability scene with the acquisition of one local composting service by another. Both businesses, led by female entrepreneurs are popularly known for turning food waste into gold.
Pioneering a Green Initiative
Emma Peacock, a newcomer to San Antonio, in a conversation with her friend Pilar Molak about composting services, established that neither was aware of any such service. Both were in search of new career paths, Peacock, formerly in finance and Molak, the erstwhile marketing director for Shetler Wade Jewelers. This marked the beginning of their venture, and they started their own composting service, which quickly went on to make waves. They soon launched Mission Compost in 2022.
For their startup, they reached out to pioneers in the field, Kate Jaceldo and Betsey Gruy, founders of Compost Queens, another locally-grown, women-led composting service. Compost Queens launched in 2017 and found a significant customer base in towns, multi-family buildings, restaurants, schools, and offices that weren’t being served by the city’s green bin program.
Transitioning the Torch
Despite their success, Jaceldo and Gruy expressed their interest in selling their business last year. The idea of taking their company to the next level felt overwhelming, especially after operating through the pandemic, combined with Jaceldo launching her career as the city’s first Climate Adaptation Manager.
Peacock and Molak, sensing the opportunity, stepped up. What was crucial to both parties was to ensure a buyer with similar values. Having entered a series of discussions, they finalized the acquisition and chose Earth Day to announce the merging of their services under one umbrella.
New Horizons for Mission Compost
Mission Compost, since the announcement, has been gaining traction. They maintain an offer of weekly pickups, significantly catering to the needs of their customers. The Mission Compost team, currently with a full-time mission manager and six part-time drivers, are making strides towards ensuring a smooth transition for the customers.
Turning food waste into compost has far-reaching benefits beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It enables sustainable food cycles as farms and gardens utilize the compost to grow food in a nutrient-rich environment. Coincidentally, compost improves soil structure, allowing it to sequester carbon and trapping it in the soil.
Committed to their vision, Mission Compost has diverted 1,239,376 pounds of food waste from local landfills, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 900,000 net pounds. Excited about their new phase, Peacock, and Molak are looking forward to building on what Compost Queens created and helping the sustainability movement in San Antonio.
Conclusion
Composting services form a vital link in the chain of sustainable living. The acquisition of Compost Queens by Mission Compost reaffirms the city’s commitment to sustainability while also inspiring other entrepreneurs to pay attention to environmental initiatives. This venture holds great promise for both the environment and the local economy.
