After more than three decades, the Bailey family, owner of Bend Garbage Co., is stepping aside and has sold the business to Republic Services Inc., a publicly traded company that serves 14 million customers nationwide.

President Brad Bailey, 57, said he and his wife plan to travel more and visit their grown children.

“We wanted to spend a little more time with family,” Bailey said in a phone interview. “We’re retiring from garbage business, not moving out of Bend.”

Bend Garbage & Recycling serves north Bend, Sisters, Redmond and Deschutes County, he said. It also has High Country Disposal and Deschutes Recycling, which operates at the Knott Landfill. The company has 35,000 customers.

When the company was purchased by the Bailey family in 1985 it had 12 employees, Bailey said. Today there are 112.

The sale will be finalized at the end of March, Bailey said. Republic Services Inc. would not comment on the pending sale.

Customers most likely will not see a difference, as the same trucks, logo and staff will run the company.

Timm Schimke, director of solid waste for Deschutes County, said that trash collection and recycling should be business as usual for the next year.

“There will be a period of time here that there may be a request for changes, but typically we only consider those requests once a year, “ Schimke said. “After that I’m not sure. It should be business as usual.”

Republic Services operates in 240 markets in 40 states and Puerto Rico, according to the company’s 2017 annual report. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Republic Services reported in February a net income of more than $1 billion, according to its annual report.

Bend Garbage & Recycling approached Republic about the sale, Bailey said.

“We had been aware of their company,” Bailey said. “We sought them out because we thought they shared our values and had the resources to carry on the same level of service.

“They agreed to create a new business unit and bring all our staff on board. That was paramount for us. Our people are important to us. Our employees helped build our company.”

— Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com