Caglia Environmental has received the 2025 Family Legacy award, recognizing its long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship in the Central Valley. The company, founded by Frank Caglia in 1941 after his father-in-law acquired Rossi Disposal Services, has grown from a single landfill on Orange Avenue in South Fresno into a multifaceted waste management and recycling business.
Over the decades, Caglia Environmental expanded its services. In 1971, it launched Industrial Waste & Salvage (IWS) for waste collection. The Cedar Avenue Recycling & Transfer Station began operations in 2003, introducing advanced processing capabilities. Further growth came in 2012 with the acquisition of Redrock Environmental Group in Madera County.
Currently, Caglia Environmental offers integrated services including residential and commercial waste collection, processing, transfer station and landfill operations, as well as organic material management. Its service area extends from Fresno to Merced. The company employs more than 300 people across its facilities; six are members of the Caglia family.
Richelle Caglia, executive assistant to the president, credited their workforce for the company’s achievements: “Without you and your support we wouldn’t have a business,” she said. “We have a great team.”
Looking ahead, one of Caglia Environmental’s main goals is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within five years. The company began capturing landfill gas from its closed Orange Avenue site over a decade ago to power operations in Fresno and plans to expand these efforts by converting emissions into renewable energy.
At the awards event held at Pardini’s in Fresno on August 19th, owner Richard Caglia spoke about community ties: “We’re very fortunate,” Caglia said. “We really, truly, deeply believe in all that we do. All of what our family has done…we cherish them, we honor them, we respect them, and we try our best every day to continue that on — that is truly a legacy.”
The fourth generation of the family is already involved in areas such as equipment repairs and waste processing. In their Family Owned Business Awards application, the family wrote: “Succession in our family isn’t a formality — it’s a way of life,” adding that each generation gains firsthand experience through guided mentorship and shared responsibility.
