What Kessler Consulting does

Kessler Consulting, Inc. (KCI) is a privately held, founder-owned solid waste management consulting firm established in 1988 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company provides nine discrete professional service lines — strategic planning and optimization, procurement and contracting assistance, operational and financial assistance, waste reduction and recycling, organics recycling, waste composition and generation studies, sustainability and green programs, collection routing and optimization, and zero waste and master planning — to county and municipal governments, educational institutions, and nonprofit recycling organizations across the United States. KCI differentiates through a small, specialized team of 12 full-time professionals whose senior staff hold 175+ combined years of solid waste experience, supported by active leadership roles in SWANA, Recycle Florida Today, the U.S. Composting Council, APWA, NWRA, and ANSI.

KCI's underlying technology is domain expertise and methodology rather than software. Its technical differentiators are its waste composition sampling methodology (hand-sorting solid waste by material type and generator sector to inform diversion programs) and its collection routing optimization practice, which it describes as advancing the science of waste collection. The firm has not developed a unified software platform, mobile application, or API-based product. Its own operations are carbon-neutral with 85%+ internal waste diversion, and its Northeast office is solar-powered and exports excess electricity to the grid — credentials used to reinforce credibility with sustainability-focused public-sector clients.

The business model is project-based professional services sold through direct enterprise consulting engagements with government and institutional buyers, typically obtained via competitive procurement or extension of existing client relationships. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Marketing relies on industry conference presentations (SWANA, WasteExpo, Recycle Florida Today), professional organization leadership, a content-driven website (kesconsult.com), and direct referrals within the government sector. The firm is led by Principal Mitch Kessler, with no external institutional investors, parent company, or subsidiaries, and operates from offices in Tampa, Portland, Boone (NC), and Colorado Springs.

Name

Kessler Consulting

Legal name

Kessler Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://kesconsult.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kessler Consulting (KCI) is a 1988-founded, Tampa-based boutique solid waste management consulting firm with 12 staff serving U.S. county and municipal governments, educational institutions, and nonprofits across nine service lines, including strategic planning, procurement, waste composition studies, and collection routing optimization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solid Waste Management Consulting

NAICS

Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

C&D Recycling Brokerage, Compliance & Reporting (LEED diversion, documentation) (EUAIAHAM)

Keywords

• Solid waste consulting
• Recycling program planning
• Waste management procurement
• Sustainability consulting services
• Organics recycling advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for solid waste management planning, including strategic planning, operational assistance, procurement support, waste reduction programs, organics recycling, and zero waste planning. Projects are typically structured engagements with defined scopes of work, budgets, and deliverables.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KCI provides nine project-based solid waste management consulting service lines to government and institutional clients, covering strategic planning, procurement and contracting, operations and finance, waste reduction and recycling, organics recycling, waste composition and generation studies, sustainability and green programs, collection routing and optimization, and zero waste/master planning. Engagements are tailored to client needs and delivered by senior consultants with deep domain expertise in solid waste systems and recycling programs.

Product overview

Kessler Consulting (KCI) offers a comprehensive portfolio of solid waste management consulting services rather than a unified software platform. The core offering consists of nine distinct service areas including Strategic Planning & Optimization, Procurement & Contracting Assistance, Operational & Financial Assistance, Waste Reduction & Recycling, Organics Recycling, Waste Composition & Generation Studies, Sustainability & Green Programs, Collection Routing & Optimization, and Zero Waste & Master Planning Programs. These services are delivered by a team of professionals with over 175 combined years of solid waste experience, providing practical, measurable results through customized strategies for municipal governments and private sector clients throughout the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Planning & Optimization Consulting service focused on optimizing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of clients' solid waste systems through strategic planning and system optimization. Built for governments and institutions responsible for solid waste and recycling programs.
• Procurement & Contracting Assistance Service helping clients develop innovative approaches for meeting solid waste objectives, including contract provisions that have set the procurement standard. Targeted at public sector clients needing vendor procurement support.
• Operational & Financial Assistance Service helping clients enhance operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solid waste systems from generation to recovery or disposal. Aimed at organizations seeking to optimize day-to-day waste operations and financial outcomes.
• Waste Reduction & Recycling Service designing programs incorporating all elements of the solid waste hierarchy including source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. Targets municipalities, counties, and institutions seeking integrated diversion programs.
• Organics Recycling Service assisting clients with a wide variety of organics processing methods and technologies, tailored to each client's needs. For governments and institutions building composting and organics diversion capacity.
• Waste Composition & Generation Studies Service conducting waste and recyclables composition and generation studies to develop and implement successful waste diversion programs. Includes hand-sort sampling across residential, multi-family, and commercial sectors.
• Sustainability & Green Programs Service committed to the management of environmental resources through innovative strategies that protect, conserve, sustain, and restore natural resources. Targeted at organizations seeking broader sustainability program design beyond solid waste.
• Collection Routing & Optimization Service advancing the science of waste collection to increase efficiencies, improve safety, and enhance recycling and waste diversion through the use of new routing technologies. For collection system operators and municipalities.
• Zero Waste & Master Planning Programs Service helping clients reach their zero waste, zero landfill, and environmental program goals through comprehensive master planning. For organizations pursuing ambitious zero waste commitments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% satisfaction rating from participants for new automated cart system in Sarasota County
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI staff serve in leadership roles including Director of Collection & Transfer Technical Committee, faculty for Certified Recycling and Composting courses, and Distinguished Service Awards. Mitch Kessler serves on the International Board and is Immediate Past President of SWANA Florida.
• Recycle Florida TodaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI is a founding member with lifetime achievement and recycler of the year awards. Staff serve as Board Members and Chair. Contributed to founding and leadership of the organization.
• U.S. Composting CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI staff participate as Annual Conference Committee Members, Legislative & Environmental Affairs Committee Members, and Marketing Committee Members. Active involvement in industry standards and policy development.
• American Public Works Association (APWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI has received Consultant of the Year and Project of the Year awards from APWA. Active member contributing to public works excellence.
• National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI staff serve on the Supplier Board of Governors and Nominations Committee Chair, contributing to industry advocacy and development.
• U.S. EPA WasteWise ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI has been an EPA WasteWise member since 1999. The program recognizes organizations demonstrating superior achievements in waste reduction and recycling.
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI participates on ANSI Supplier Advisory Board and ANSI Standard Committees, contributing to standards development.
• Northeast Recycling Council (NERC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive involvement in regional recycling council activities and initiatives.
• ASTM InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI staff participate in ASTM committees contributing to standards development for solid waste and recycling.
• Florida Organics Recyclers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCI founding Chair and active member. Received Exceptional Leadership Award for contributions to organics recycling in Florida.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with a sustainability and environmental services practice that includes solid waste and recycling advisory work. Competes for the larger end of municipal and institutional waste engagements where integrated capabilities are required.
• HDR Inc. Large global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with an active solid waste and environmental services practice. Competes with KCI on integrated planning-plus-engineering scopes, though HDR's offerings span a much broader portfolio beyond waste.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with an environmental services practice that includes solid waste and recycling planning. Competes for major municipal and institutional contracts where bundled engineering, environmental, and program management capabilities are required.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with substantial environmental and water/waste practices serving public agencies. Overlaps with KCI on solid waste planning and recycling studies but operates at far larger scale and as part of a multi-disciplinary portfolio.
• Burns & McDonnell: Engineering, construction, and consulting firm with an environmental services group supporting municipal and industrial clients on waste-related projects. Overlaps with KCI on planning and procurement work but at materially larger scale and with engineering execution capability.
• Jacobs Solutions: Global professional services firm with deep environmental, water, and infrastructure practices serving public-sector clients. Overlaps with KCI on waste and recycling planning, typically on larger integrated scopes and programs that exceed KCI's standalone capacity.
• ICF International: Global advisory and digital services firm with a strong environmental, energy, and sustainability practice that includes solid waste and recycling policy/program advisory. Competes for higher-level planning and policy engagements serving federal, state, and large municipal clients.

Direct peers

• SCS Engineers: National environmental engineering and consulting firm with a dedicated solid waste practice covering landfill engineering, landfill gas, and recycling/MRF support. Directly comparable to KCI as a specialist consulting firm serving public-sector waste clients, though materially larger and engineering-led.
• Cascadia Consulting Group: Specialist consulting firm focused on solid waste planning, recycling program design, and sustainability for governments and institutions across the West Coast and beyond. Comparable to KCI as a small, niche-focused consultancy serving municipal and institutional clients with similar service offerings.
• Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB): National solid waste and recycling management consulting firm focused exclusively on solid waste planning, procurement, and operations support for public-sector clients. Closest direct peer to KCI in service mix, client base, and project-based delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kessler-consulting-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kessler Consulting