![Go[ing] Postal](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lRzt!,w_80,h_80,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e03b0b6-2100-4e6e-b2d7-7c6c009ef6c4_1280x1280.png)
![Go[ing] Postal](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lRzt!,w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e03b0b6-2100-4e6e-b2d7-7c6c009ef6c4_1280x1280.png)
Bring in the Garbagemen
USPS can use some waste management.
On Friday, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) reported losing an astounding $3.3 billion. The agency is on track to lose roughly $7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025, on top of the $100 billion the USPS has lost over the past fifteen years.
But there’s some good news: two new executives will be joining the ranks of the United States Postal Service (USPS). On April 30, President Trump posted on Truth Social, “I will be nominating Anthony Lomangino to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors. He built one of the most successful sanitation businesses in the country. He knows how to fix a problem — and the Postal Service has many!” Then, on May 9, the USPS announced that David Steiner will be the next Postmaster General. As two prominent figures with sanitation industry experience, Lomangino and Steiner will hopefully be able to apply their business know-how to America’s mail carrier.
Anthony Lomangino began his career in the waste industry by joining Allied Sanitation, and his profile quickly rose. He played a pivotal role in transforming the company into Star Recycling, which became the 14th largest privately owned solid waste management company in the United States before its sale in 1996. In 1999, Lomangino founded Southern Waste Systems (SWS) and its affiliate, Sun Recycling, in South Florida. Under his leadership, SWS expanded to 12 facilities and employed over 750 people, focusing on recycling construction and demolition materials.
Lomangino’s waste management career has not been without controversy. WM (formerly known as Waste Management) — a leading waste management company — bought SWS in 2016, and Lomangino’s former partner “Alligator” Ron Bergeron alleged that Lomangino was in cahoots with WM to kneecap Bergeron’s rival business. These claims have proven flimsy at best, and fortunately, judges have rejected Bergeron’s grievance-fueled antitrust arguments. Not only was the acquisition legally legitimate, but consolidation has resulted in WM running a more capable and cost-effective business. WM has been able to keep otherwise-surging labor costs under control, and retention rates are on the rise while business is booming.
WM’s success is likely why President Trump tapped David Steiner to be the latest Postmaster General. Steiner served as CEO of WM from 2004 to 2016, leading the company through a significant transformation following a major financial scandal in the late 1990s. His leadership was pivotal in restoring the company's credibility and financial health. He streamlined operations, improved safety records, and enhanced employee morale, effectively repositioning WM as a leader in the recycling sector. Since then, he’s gained significant experience in the delivery and parcel sectors.
Compare this record of success to the USPS’ sorry status quo, marred by low retention and high costs. Hopefully, Steiner and Lomangino will reverse course and pull America’s mail carrier out of the red. If they need some ideas, I have a few modest suggestions.