Kollekt U.S. Inc. expects to employ 15–20 people at its 30,000-square-foot Greenville, South Carolina, facility by the first quarter of next year as it brings an Italian-designed automated side-loader, the Kurb, to high-density urban collection across North America.

The company, which launched in late September under CEO Don Ross, made its industry debut at RCon, held Sept. 29–Oct. 2 in St. Louis, where it displayed the Kurb truck — a unit built in Italy since 1997 and now being mounted on a U.S.-built truck body in Greenville. Kollekt is part of Germany-based Kirchhoff Group.

Speaking with Recycling Today Media Group at the event, Ross framed the equipment play around two pressures municipal and commercial haulers already face: labor supply and safety in dense collection environments.

Why automate urban collection?

Ross said automated side-loaders have already made residential collection of waste and recyclables safer, and Kollekt aims to extend that concept to commercial routes in urban cores.

The labor argument is stark: 50 percent of commercial driver's license holders are expected to retire within 10 years, Ross said. Automating commercial collection can make refuse collection jobs accessible to a wider range of people by reducing the role's physical demands and improving safety.

While automated side-loaders are new to U.S. urban environments, Ross noted they already operate in many cities worldwide.

What is Kollekt actually building in Greenville?

The Greenville facility will mount the Kurb collection truck, whose collection body has been produced in Italy since 1997, on U.S.-built truck chassis. Ross said the site was selected for its business-friendly climate, favorable logistics and talent pool.

The hiring sequence reflects contract obligations. Kollekt is first staffing operations roles to fulfill its contract with New York City, then plans to add sales, after-sales service and parts support staff.

The company will also build out a U.S. distribution network, which Ross said will further improve parts availability for customers.

"I'm pleased Kirchhoff Group has put its trust in me," Ross added.

How does the Contenur partnership fit?

Kollekt has partnered with Spanish container maker Contenur to introduce a waste collection ecosystem built around the Kurb side-load truck. The pairing is designed to make containerization practical for municipalities across the United States.

Kollekt says the ecosystem can help communities deliver cleaner sidewalks, reduce rodent sightings, lower accident risk and improve collection efficiency — claims that echo the containerization debate now playing out in large U.S. cities wrestling with curbside bag waste and pest control.

Even so, Ross stopped short of pitching a single template. "All solid waste is local. We need to find what works for the community," he said.

What happens next?

The near-term milestones are concrete: staff the Greenville plant to 15–20 employees by Q1, mount Kurb bodies on U.S. chassis at production scale, and meet delivery obligations under the New York City contract — the first real test of whether European-style automated urban collection can take root in the U.S. market.