vision about the future of our industry. Oakleaf brings a waste hauling, waste diversion and recycling vendor network along with a shared focus on customers. I am confident that our customers will benefit from WM’s material recovery strategies that provide customers with multiple options. Our vendor hauler partners will also benefit from the increased array of services that they can offer to their customers — enabling them to grow their businesses further. I look forward to joining the WM team to ensure a smooth transition.”
This acquisition aligns with Waste Management’s financial goals of growing earnings, expanding margins, increasing free cash flow, and increasing returns on invested capital. The company expects a three to six month integration period. The company anticipates certain costs associated with the integration and therefore does not expect the transaction to be accretive to earnings during that time. Subsequent to the transition period, the company expects to generate a minimum of $80 million in EBITDA on an annualized basis.
As previously announced, Waste Management is holding a conference call this morning to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. On the call, management may discuss the subject of this press release. The call will be webcast live and may be heard by accessing the WM website at www.wm.com. The call may also be heard by dialing (877) 710-6139 and entering access code 73675301. A replay of the conference call will be available on www.wm.com and by telephone from approximately 1:00 PM (Eastern) Thursday, July 28, 2011 through 5:00 PM (Eastern) on Thursday, August 11, 2011. To access the replay telephonically, please dial 800-642-1687, or from outside of the United States or Canada dial 706-645-9291, and use the replay conference ID number 73675301.
ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is the largest recycler in North America and a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.
ABOUT OAKLEAF
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Connecticut with 650 employees and a nationwide network of 2,500 preferred haulers, Oakleaf provides the first-to-market, asset-light business model with unparalleled technology for some of the largest, most progressive, environmentally minded companies in North America.
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements relating to future events and performance are “forward-looking statements” and include statements regarding closing and funding the transaction described herein, as well as statements related to results and impacts from the transaction, such as EBITDA and synergies anticipated integration timeframe, strategic and financial alignment, internalization of volumes and growth opportunities. You should view these statements with caution. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, circumstances or events. They are based on information known to us as of the date the statements are made. All phases of our business are subject to uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which we do not control. Specifically with respect to the transaction described herein, we face risks that we may be unable to achieve the synergies and savings anticipated, we may be unable to promptly and effectively integrate the merged business, and the transaction may result in unanticipated diversion of management time and company resources. Any of these and other factors, either alone or taken together, could have a material adverse effect on us and could cause actual results to be materially different from those set forth in such forward-looking statement. We assume no