California 91²Ö¿â Solutions, Inc. (CWS) is approaching its 35th year as a leader in the international recycling, resource recovery and environmental infrastructure business with operations in California and Vietnam. Headquartered in Oakland, the company serves more than 343,000 customers across Oakland and San Jose and operates six Bay Area recycling facilities. Through its wholly owned subsidiary Vietnam 91²Ö¿â Solutions (VWS) it also manages large-scale waste infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh City.
âApproaching our 35-year milestone in business means more to us than just a number. Itâs a testament to what immigrant entrepreneurs can achieve if they put time and work into their passions in this country,â said David Duong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of California 91²Ö¿â Solutions.
David Duong founded California 91²Ö¿â Solutions in Oakland in 1992. The company received its first City of Oakland franchise in 1993 and has served Oakland continuously since. California 91²Ö¿â Solutions later expanded into San Jose while building a broader operating network around collection, processing, material recovery, customer service and the marketing of recovered commodities.
âWhen we started, we had eight used trucks and a family willing to work. That was it! The company is much larger today, but the responsibility and the mindset here has not changed. People count on us every week. We have to do the work safely, take care of our employees, serve our customers well, and keep finding better ways to recover materials instead of wasting them. Itâs a community business at the end of the day,â said David Duong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of California 91²Ö¿â Solutions.
California 91²Ö¿â Solutions provides residential recycling collection in Oakland through Oakland Recycles and in San Jose through San Jose Recycles. The company also serves commercial customers, including manufacturers, offices, retailers, restaurants and multifamily properties. Collection was where the family business began, and it remains the part of California 91²Ö¿â Solutions most visible to customers. But collection is only the first step in a larger system that includes sorting, processing, material recovery, logistics and commodity marketing.
âWhat weâve developed here at California 91²Ö¿â Solutions can be best described as a tightly-knit integrated municipal operating model. 91²Ö¿â collection and recycling is a community business and communities donât work in linear ways. People throw out different things at different times in the year, and theyâre not always predictable in their habits. Technologies change over time too. Three decades ago people used to throw out videotapes and cassettes; today they throw out smartphones. The nature of what youâre recycling isnât always the same, but by building a system that accounts for these changes, weâve been able to consistently improve the quality of our output,â said David Duong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of California 91²Ö¿â Solutions.
Nearly 35 years after David Duong founded California 91²Ö¿â Solutions, the company remains family-owned and operated, with the next generation now holding leadership responsibilities across the business. Michael Duong serves as President, Johnny Duong as Chief Operating Officer, Kristina Duong as Chief Financial Officer and Victor Duong as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. Their roles span operations, finance, public affairs, municipal relationships and long-term planning, giving the company continuity between the business David Duong built in Oakland and the organization now operating across California and Vietnam. The leadership structure reflects years of the next generation working inside the business alongside David Duong rather than a sudden transfer of responsibility.
âGood recycling service is not only about picking up a cart,â said Michael Duong, President of California 91²Ö¿â Solutions. âIt is also about helping people understand what belongs in that cart and why it matters. Our employees, city partners, residents and businesses are all part of the same system. The companyâs operations and the community which they serve are co-dependent in that way. Thatâs why we value our place in the local community so much.â