Molok North America Newsletter, Autumn 2019 - 20th Anniversary Special Edition

LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY.
Molok North America
Founder, Marja Hillis
“Marja Hillis set the world of waste collection
alight when she arrived in Ontario with
passion and determination (more than)
20 years ago. We look back on her
life and the legacy she left behind
as we pay tribute to this trailblazing
Female CEO of the Year
2018”
Take a look at the full article
posted on MolokNA.com.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
When our founder Marja Hillis came to Canada
from Finland bringing the concept of the Molok® system
to the North America market she had a vision for the company,
and that was To Change the World One Molok® at a
Time! How was she to do that?
Firstly she had to establish credibility in the industry of
waste and recycling, and as she would tell the story, she
was a single mom trying to sell her daddy’s product in a
different country and in a male dominated industry. Secondly
she would need to find a place in Canada where
the provincial laws and incentives were supportive of small
businesses, where there was a stable and skilled work force
available, and good transportation routes for inbound raw
materials and outbound finished products. It needed to be
in the near proximity of the major markets in Canada, and
also needed to have good commercial real estate available
along with reasonable development charges to encourage
construction and growth.
The waste industry in North America is a fickle industry
dominated by a few major players, that are set in their ways
with an established convention of “how to’s” when dealing
with waste and recyclables in a mature market. Marja
would tell the story about her first years at the Canadian
Waste and Recycling Expo when, in her first year of exhibiting,
most industry professionals would kind of look right
through her and her Molok® exhibit as if it weren’t there.
The following year they would still look right through her as
if she was not there, but while walking by they would mutter
under their breath “she’s still here?” The third year they
would say “well I might as well find out what this Molok®
thing is all about. She doesn’t seem to be going away real
fast.”
So why did we locate Molok North America here, where
the municipalities of North Wellington, West Grey, and
Southgate come together. The confluence of these three
primarily rural communities, along with their rich agricultural
history, create a strong and stable pool of employees
with an excellent work ethic and strong technical skills that
in my estimation are second to none in the province. Quick
and easy access to national and international shipping markets
for inbound goods, strengthen our supply chain, and
helps us to manage logistical costs for outbound shipments
making this area the perfect location for establishing and
growing the Molok® system in North America.
When Molok North America began in Canada 20-years ago,
Marja’s office consisted of a desk in her closet at her home.
From those humble beginnings we now occupy a 50,000
square foot facility on six acres with the property to more
than double the footprint. Our vision of changing the world
one Molok® at a time, and our inclusive culture of honesty
and integrity within a family-like work environment, have
allowed us to become leaders in the world of semi-underground
waste containment that others aspire to follow. We
will only look back to see how far we have come.
Mark Hillis
President & CEO
Molok North America Ltd.