The ProGreen Management LLC team includes (seated from left) owners Paul Procaccini and David Greenberg and (standing from left) manager Cassandra Roman, service representative Shaienne Kamlet, sales manager Les Korsos and service representative Melina Abrams.

Starting with the demolition project that would lead to rebuilding student housing at Rutgers University-New Brunswick in New Jersey, ProGreen Management LLC provided roll-off containers for waste removal, as well as fencing and toilets for the two-year project set to be completed summer of 2019.

Paul Procaccini and David Greenberg saw a need—others’ needs, actually—and determined to meet them, as if they were their own.

While these two guys are frequently called upon by contractors, they don’t actually build anything. In fact, despite “working” on job sites in New Jersey and five surrounding states, they rarely are in the field. They don’t even own any of the usual equipment. Yet, they are an important resource provider for contractors, restoration companies, event organizers, concrete/paving subcontractors, roofers and others.

Their company, ProGreen Management LLC (ProGreen), lines up any and all outsourced services and materials from vendors and suppliers that contractors, subcontractors and other businesses need to complete projects on time and within budget.

Vendors play an important role on any construction project. Contractors often connect with outside vendors for a range of products and equipment that they don’t own or operate internally, as well as other services. Examples include roll-off containers for refuse collection, trailer rental, concrete washout containers, recycling debris, scaffold erection, storage container rental, temporary fencing and portable toilet rental.

Lining up all the necessary vendors—often in a confined time period or at an improved cost—can be daunting, especially since many peripheral project needs are not part of a contractor’s mainstream offerings. That’s where ProGreen comes in.

The Heavy Lifting

ProGreen works with some 60 vendors, located in the various states it serves, to accomplish the necessary logistics that ensure requested materials and services are delivered to customers. Owners Procaccini and Greenberg call ProGreen (a combination of parts of their last names) a one-stop shop.

“We are a small company that is very hands-on. We make ourselves personally available to our customers for every job, no matter how big or small it may be,” Greenberg says.

The managing partners both have experiences that paved the way for the start of the unique business five years ago.

“We met in college, went into the same industry through separate family businesses and decided to move on from those positions when we saw the need for the services that ProGreen provides today,” Procaccini says.

He worked in the waste management field for years, and Greenberg drove a long-haul truck, a position that required extensive work with vendors.

The idea for ProGreen came about because companies’ requests, which primarily called for dumpsters, included many other needs.

“They were asking, ‘Do you do this or that?’ and we decided ‘Why not?’” Procaccini says. “Contractors always use multiple vendors. Our company has the capability to shorten their list; we cover it all and provide a better rate, too.”

It’s no wonder the company has many repeat customers.

Call THE Concierge

When a contractor nears work on a project, one or more members of its team contacts the necessary vendor(s) to fulfill all peripheral needs of the construction work. This effort can take away from other important tasks, which is especially detrimental to mission-critical projects.

The alternative offered by ProGreen starts with just one call to its company. Then, Procaccini and Greenberg and their five employees spring into action to set up all the vendors to serve the contractor.

“We’re like a concierge for construction; we provide something unique for the industry,” Procaccini says.

Besides having extensive resources to line up the best vendors, ProGreen also has the vetting and negotiating skills to maximize the product or service quality while minimizing the cost. In fact, the savings ProGreen brings to a customer typically pays the company’s fee.

ProGreen does its homework. At no cost, it audits a contractor’s use of outside services to expose immediate money-saving opportunities. For instance, by investigating and evaluating a company’s current waste and recycling methods, it can identify options for service and frequency improvement and optimal recycling efficiency. Then, it can recommend ways to implement an improved system.

Savings typically range from 5 percent to as much as 60 percent. The average is 20 percent, Procaccini says.

Management of the account is then transferred to ProGreen, including every aspect of it related to pricing, service and communication with vendors.

Procaccini says various skills in effective business communications and savvy planning have contributed to his company’s success. He notes that ProGreen proves itself by achieving excellent vendor services. That’s a reputation forged over time by being trustworthy, highly accessible, not overpromising and prioritizing a certain comfort level in dealing with customers.

“We are an extension of our customers, part of their teams,” Greenberg adds.

Take It Away

ProGreen is a licensed waste and recycling management company. That puts ProGreen in good stead with contractors since removing construction waste from job sites is commonly one of their priorities.

Common construction debris that causes the need for on-site containers includes roofing shingles, wood, drywall and asbestos.

Customers often call on ProGreen to provide both roll-off and front-end commercial containers for collection of the waste. Roll-off dumpsters come in three sizes: 10, 20 or 30 cubic yards. Front-end containers, depending on the size, hold anywhere from 2 to 8 cubic yards of waste.

As a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-qualified company, ProGreen takes recycling seriously, too. The company ensures that the required sorting and recycling work of materials is done properly. This includes block concrete, stone, brick, asphalt, metals and yard waste.

ProGreen acts as a single source for any contracting company or homeowner’s needs. No matter the project’s location, size or scope, it serves as a one-stop option for competitive pricing and service.

A Concern for Community

Besides taking on additional yet important responsibilities otherwise crowding the primary work of contractors, ProGreen helps people in the community through connections with warm-hearted charitable causes.

For the last two years, the company has served as a key sponsor for the local St. Baldrick’s Foundation effort. The interest started with Procaccini’s son’s participation and grew into a worthy cause the entire company got behind. St. Baldrick’s is a fundraising effort to find a cure for cancer in support of children with the disease. Volunteers raise financial support by fulfilling the promise to shave their heads in solidarity with kids who typically lose their hair due to cancer treatment.

ProGreen also supports a fund relief effort for victims of deadly volcanos in Guatemala. In 2018, Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego produced its most powerful eruption in 44 years, burying villages, with at least 165 residents declared dead and hundreds more pronounced missing.

The company is also a frequent contributor to local causes in support of fire response and law enforcement personnel and a Little League team.

ProGreen helps get the job done, whether it’s for charitable causes or the day-to-day work of contractors or other businesses needing someone to handle all the logistics. Dedication to doing the job right—even if it is outsourced—has made ProGreen a preferred resource by those in the region’s construction industry.