Our Story
Ava’s Waste Removal is more than just a trash and recycling company, it’s a family built on love, resilience, and the belief that even life’s hardest moments can be turned into something meaningful for others.
Owners Steve Groh and Mary McGuire were both raised right here in the Bloomington area. In October of 2015, they took a leap of faith and started Ava’s Waste Removal with a dream of building something honest, dependable, and deeply rooted in the community they call home. What began as a small family business quickly became something much bigger. Through hard work, compassion, and treating customers like neighbors instead of numbers, Ava’s earned the trust of the community and was voted Best of B-Town three years in a row from 2019–2021.
But the heart behind Ava’s Waste Removal started years before the first truck ever hit the road.Their daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor in May of 2009, a terrifying moment no parent is ever prepared for. Wilms Tumor is the most common form of kidney cancer in children, and suddenly Steve and Mary found themselves facing hospital rooms, uncertainty, fear, and prayers for their little girl’s future. Like so many families walking through childhood cancer, their world changed overnight.
Thankfully, Ava entered remission in January of 2010, and her strength became the inspiration behind everything they would build moving forward.
When Steve and Mary began planning their business, they knew one thing for certain: they wanted Ava’s story to mean something beyond themselves. They wanted to give back, to help other families fighting the same battle, and to bring hope where there is heartbreak. That’s why, since day one, Ava’s Waste Removal has donated a portion of its profits to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, a promise they say will never change.
Today, Ava is a happy, strong, fun-loving teenager who enjoys reading, mowing, riding go-karts, and climbing into the trucks that proudly carry her name through the community. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty either, whether she’s helping work on the trucks or riding along on deliveries, she remains the heart and soul of the business.
Steve and Mary want every customer to know that when you support Ava’s Waste Removal, you’re supporting more than a local company. You’re supporting a family who understands struggle, gratitude, and the importance of giving back. Every can picked up, every customer served, and every mile driven helps continue a mission born from love for their daughter and hope for children still fighting cancer today.
From the bottom of their hearts, Steve, Mary, and Ava simply want to say thank you. None of this would be possible without the incredible support of the community they’re so proud to serve.
Integrity: Operating with the highest ethical standards, transparency, and accountability in all our dealings. This means reliable, honest resource management and unparalleled service excellence that earns the trust of our communities and partners.
Community: Committing to the well-being of the areas we serve by minimizing environmental impact, actively supporting local initiatives, and ensuring our operations contribute positively to a clean, safe, and sustainable public environment.
Teamwork: Fostering a collaborative environment where employees are valued, respected, and empowered to combine their diverse skills. By working together efficiently, we drive innovation in resource management and consistently achieve the highest standards of service excellence.
Safety: Prioritizing the health and security of our employees, customers, and the public above all else. We maintain rigorous safety protocols for all operations, vehicles, and resource handling to protect people and fulfill our vision of a clean and safe environment.