After immigrating to the United States from Italy in 1935, Leo Poggi began operations of Turlock Scavenger. As the city grew over the years so did its demand for garbage pickup. The business continued grow and in 1948 Leo sold ownership of the company to his sons – in – law, Howard Sisco and Jesse Marchant. By 1967 Turlock Scavenger had expanded to the point where directly hauling trash was not possible and Jesse (now sole owner of the company) built a transfer station. This Transfer Station allowed for the consolidation of trash collected from the area and provided for a more efficient “transfer” to the Geer Road Landfill. Jesse continued to run the company until his passing in 1987 at which time his ownership went to his three sons: Alan, Greg, and Lee Marchant.
Turlock Scavenger Company has always been a pioneer in the refuse industry, ready to try new and alternate ways to pick up waste; in the late 1950’s, the company began picking up cardboard under the name Turlock Carton Press as part of its first recycling program. Rear container pick up, with new rear-loaded trucks came into effect in the early 1960’s. In 1970, frontloader trucks came into operation picking up dumpsters similar to today. In 1989, Turlock Transfer expanded its transfer station into what is seen today. Automated sideloader pick up began in 1992 which created the first weekly three can automated pickup service in the state of California, if not in the entire country. And in 2011, Turlock Scavenger began purchasing Natural Gas (CNG) trucks, furthering their commitment to reducing emissions and being a positive influence for environmental stewardship. Turlock Scavenger provides steady, high-quality service to the city of Turlock and communities of Denair, Hickman, La Grange, Empire, and other areas in Stanislaus County.