What The Compost Company does

The Compost Company, LLC is a Nashville, Tennessee-based full-circle composting operator founded in 2012 that collects organic waste from local businesses and converts it into STA-certified compost, mulch, and custom soil products distributed across Middle Tennessee. The company runs a commercial composting facility in Ashland City, TN, where locally sourced food scraps and yard debris are processed into a portfolio of bulk and bagged products including Premium Screened Compost (double-screened), BlackJack Compost (single-screened), SuperSoil Raised Bed Blend, Garden Blend, PotLuck Potting Soil, Natural Hardwood Mulch, and Compost Mulch (Clyde's Pride), plus engineered Custom Soil Blends for contractors, engineers, and municipal projects.

The business operates through a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer channels include e-commerce sales via compostcompany.com with pickup at the Ashland City HQ or the Antioch retail location, plus delivery across Middle Tennessee (Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Lebanon). A consultative sales-led motion serves enterprise commercial clients — starting with a free site visit, followed by custom bin setup, staff training, scheduled pickup (daily, weekly, or on-demand), and monthly diversion reporting — with named clients including Tennessee Titans, Vanderbilt University, Hilton, Marriott, Whole Foods, Starbucks, In-N-Out, Jeni's Ice Cream, DaVita, and Metro Nashville Public Works. Free residential drop-off sites across Nashville generate inbound feedstock while also serving as a community-engagement channel, and a dedicated event composting line serves festivals, weddings, and corporate events.

The Compost Company is a privately held Tennessee LLC, bootstrapped and founder/owner-operated with no disclosed external investment. Key leadership includes Ed Wansing (Founder and COO, LEED AP with sustainability credentials), Clay Ezell (Co-Owner, Collection and Business Development, President of the Tennessee Composting Council), Jeffrey Ezell (Co-Owner, Products and Business Development, former Metro Nashville Public Works Recycling Coordinator), and Baxter Lee (Partner, finance and M&A background). Revenue mechanics blend recurring commercial service contracts, one-time bulk and bagged product sales, event-based professional services, and freemium residential drop-off — with the vertically integrated collection-to-product model capturing margin across the waste-to-soil value chain.

Name

The Compost Company

Legal name

The Compost Company, LLC

Website

https://compostcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Compost Company is a Nashville-based full-circle composting operator founded in 2012 that collects organic waste from local businesses and converts it into STA-certified compost, mulch, and custom soil products distributed across Middle Tennessee via pickup, delivery, and commercial service contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Soil Products & Composting Services

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Composting Facility Operations (Windrow, ASP, In-Vessel) (BPALAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compost & Soil Amendment Product Manufacturing/Blending (Value-Added Organics) (BPALAEAH), Organics Collection & Processing (Composting/Anaerobic Digestion) (IMAIAFAF), Compost Product Distribution, Retail & Landscape Supply (Bulk/Bagged) (BPALAEAI)

Keywords

• Organic composting services
• Commercial waste pickup
• Compost and mulch products
• Food waste diversion
• Soil blend manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bulk Compost, Mulch & Soil Sales: Sale of premium screened compost, BlackJack compost, garden blends, raised bed soil (SuperSoil), potting soil (PotLuck), natural hardwood mulch, and compost mulch (Clyde's Pride) - available in bulk by the yard or bagged format. Products sold online for pickup or delivery across Middle Tennessee.
2. Commercial Composting Services: Scheduled commercial food waste pickup services for restaurants, schools, hotels, and businesses. Includes custom bin setup, staff training, flexible pickup schedules (daily, weekly, or on-demand), and monthly diversion reporting. Services start with a free site visit.
3. Event Composting Services: Full-service event composting for Nashville weddings, festivals, and corporate events. Provides bin rentals sized for events, signage, compostable materials guidance, on-site support for larger events, and post-event waste collection.
4. Residential Drop-Off Services: Free compost drop-off locations across Nashville accepting food scraps and yard waste from residents - no appointment needed, no fees. Generates inbound material for composting operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Compost Company operates a full-circle composting solution that picks up organic waste from Nashville-area businesses, processes it into STA-certified compost, mulch, and custom soil blends at its Ashland City facility, and sells those products in bulk and bagged formats to consumers, landscapers, and contractors. Complementary offerings include scheduled commercial food-waste pickup services, free residential drop-off sites, and full-service event composting for festivals, weddings, and corporate events.

Product overview

The Compost Company operates a full-circle composting solution serving Nashville and Middle Tennessee since 2012. The product portfolio centers on bulk and bagged organic soil products including Premium Screened Compost and BlackJack Compost (both STA-certified), various soil blends (SuperSoil! Raised Bed Blend, Garden Blend), mulches (Natural Hardwood Mulch, Compost Mulch/Clyde's Pride), and potting soils (PotLuck Potting Soil). Custom Soil Blends serve commercial and municipal projects. Complementing the product line are commercial services including scheduled food waste pickup for businesses, free residential drop-off sites, and event composting. A free Compost Calculator tool helps customers determine material needs. Products are available for pickup at Ashland City and Antioch locations or delivered across Middle Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Screened Compost STA-certified organic compost produced from recycled food scraps and yard debris. Double-screened for smooth, uniform texture suitable for landscaping, turf installation, raised beds, and commercial growing operations, sold in bulk and bagged formats.
• BlackJack Compost STA-certified affordable bulk compost, single-screened for a coarser texture, suitable for large planting beds, soil rebuilding, slope stabilization, erosion control, and bioretention applications.
• SuperSoil! Raised Bed Blend Premium soil blend engineered specifically for raised garden beds, combining Premium Screened Compost, native soil, sand, peat moss, and perlite for light, airy structure with excellent drainage and moisture retention.
• Garden Blend Nutrient-rich compost topsoil blend combining Premium Screened Compost, high-quality screened topsoil, and natural sand. Designed to break up clay-heavy soil while improving drainage and water retention for in-ground gardens and flower borders.
• Natural Hardwood Mulch 100% untreated pure hardwood mulch with no dyes or additives. Retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and regulates soil temperature while slowly breaking down to feed soil.
• Compost Mulch (Clyde's Pride) 60/40 blend of Natural Hardwood Mulch and Premium Screened Compost. Actively improves soil health while providing weed suppression and moisture retention, with the compost component releasing nutrients directly into soil.
• PotLuck Potting Soil Premium organic potting mix for containers, raised beds, and garden starts. Blend combines Premium Screened Compost with sphagnum peat moss and perlite for optimal moisture retention, drainage, and root development.
• Custom Soil Blends Engineered soil mixes tailored to project specifications for landscaping, construction, restoration, bioretention, stormwater management, and DOT-approved projects. Available for civil engineers, environmental consultants, municipal agencies, and green infrastructure contractors.
• Commercial Composting Pickup Services Scheduled commercial food-waste pickup for restaurants, schools, hotels, and businesses. Includes free site visit, custom bin setup (from 64-gallon roller carts to 10 cubic yard dumpsters), staff training, flexible pickup scheduling (daily, weekly, or on-demand), and monthly diversion reporting.
• Residential Drop-Off Locations Four free, easy-to-access drop-off locations across Nashville accepting food scraps and yard waste from residential customers. No appointment needed and no fees required.
• Event Composting Services Full-service event composting for Nashville weddings, festivals, corporate events, and private gatherings. Includes bin rentals sized for events, signage, compostable materials guidance, on-site support for larger events, and post-event waste collection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost-effective: Often at or below landfill disposal costs, with potential for regular trash cost reduction
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 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

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bootstrap Compost: Nashville-based commercial and residential compost pickup service that also produces compost products. Operates in the same metro market as The Compost Company with overlapping customer profiles and an identical full-circle service/product model, making it the closest direct competitor.
• CompostNow: Subscription-based residential and commercial compost pickup service operating across multiple Southeastern cities. Directly comparable subscription GTM model, though focused primarily on collection rather than product manufacturing.
• Atlas Organics: Commercial compost collection and processing operator serving multiple U.S. regions through municipal and enterprise contracts. Comparable B2B collection services model and organics processing capabilities.
• Veteran Compost: Veteran-owned commercial composting and collection operation serving the Mid-Atlantic region with a similar full-circle model — collecting food waste from businesses and producing compost products for sale.
• Dirt Hugger: Pacific Northwest commercial composter that collects food waste and produces compost and soil blends. Comparable full-circle model with comparable B2B customer base and engineered product line.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management, Inc. Largest North American waste services company with growing organics recycling and compost product lines. Operates at national scale across collection, processing, and product sales — represents both a competitive threat and potential acquirer of regional composters like The Compost Company.
• Casella Waste Systems: Northeast-focused solid waste, recycling, and organics services company with established commercial organics collection and compost processing capabilities — a comparable broad incumbent entering the same end markets.
• Republic Services: Major U.S. solid waste and recycling company with an expanding organics recycling segment including compost production. National scale, capital access, and municipal contracts make it a primary competitive threat to regional players.
• Recology: Employee-owned West Coast waste and organics hauler with established commercial compost collection and product operations. Operates comparable collection-to-product model but at larger regional scale.

Emerging players

• Tilth Soil: Pacific Northwest manufacturer of premium compost, soil blends, and mulches with comparable product portfolio (premium screened compost, raised bed blends, mulches) though less vertically integrated into commercial collection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thecompostco
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecompostcompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/compostcompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-compost-company

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Compost Company