Nicole Stefenelli: Finding Her Mentoring Feet
November 1st, 2008By Jennifer Croll
SharedVISION Magazine, November 2008
As a university student, Nicole Stefenelli wasn’t sure how to react when friends encouraged her to follow her passion for recycling. “They said, ‘Nicole, you need to do something about this.’ And I actually didn’t know what that meant.” But she soon figured it out. Today, she’s the founder and president of Urban Impact Recycling.
Started as a university project in 1989, Urban Impact has grown into a Lower Mainland success story. Nicole confesses she’s surprised by how far the company has come. “When I started, one of my best friends said, ‘How many businesses do you need to make a go of it?’ And I said, ‘Oh, 25?’”
Nearly 20 years later, Urban Impact has 4,500 pickup locations. Amid all this eco-friendly success, Nicole’s desire to give back prompted her to introduce Urban Impact’s charitable giving program, which provides free recycling services to charities. The company has also recently taken on the task of going carbon-neutral.
Seeking to strengthen her entrepreneurial chops, Nicole approached the FWE in 2003. “I was just so lucky because the fit, the match, was ideal,” she says of the mentor assigned to her. Still a mentee, Nicole’s unofficial mentoring duties, plus a turn assisting Christina Anthony in organizing the FWE’s e-series entrepreneurial training sessions, suggest that she’s up for the challenge.
In the meantime, Nicole has some sage advice for women entrepreneurs. “Whatever you choose, make sure you absolutely love it, because you will work harder than you’ve probably ever worked,” she says. “But if you do love it and you do feel the passion every time you go to work, it’s easy.”
SharedVISION is an independent monthly magazine for those interested in sustainability, integrative health, and personal growth. They promote solutions for living more lightly on the Earth, providing provocative, entertaining information about organics, eco-products, health, and home, and profiling those who are making a difference.
Urban Impact-Vancity fall Shredathon success
October 18th, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond BC -Urban Impact and Vancity continued their successful series of community Shredathons with four more event this fall. Shredathon participants can avoid risking their personal or financial security by bringing old banking information, business receipts, tax and other personal information for secure destruction in Urban Shredding’s state-of-the-art mobile shredding truck. The events are free, but donations in support of community charities are welcome.
Fall event locations included:
- Vancity’s Mission Community Branch – September 13th, 2008
- Vancity’s North Burnaby Community Branch – September 20th, 2008
- Vancity Pitt Meadows Community Branch – September 27th, 2008
- Vancity’s Chilliwack Branch – October 18th, 2008
While the events were free, over $2,000 in donations, 250 lbs of food, and plenty of local awareness was raised for 4 community charities.
Check for upcoming Shredathons at a location near you in the Events [link to Events page] section of Urban Impact’s website.
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Urban Recycling, Urban Shredding, and Urban Solutions are divisions of Urban Impact Recycling Ltd. Urban Impact is a family-owned and operated business committed to its global responsibility and environmental ethic, providing cost-effective, recycling, shredding and green business consulting services to clients throughout the Lower Mainland. The company was launched in 1989 as a university project for founder Nicole Stefenelli.
URBAN IMPACT PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Sylvia LeRoy, Fresh Strategy
778.840.6140
sylvia@freshstrategy.com
Driven toLive Your Dream: “We’re Energized by Our Green Commitment.”
June 23rd, 2008Maclean’s Magazine , June 23, 2008
L’Actualité and Canadian Business Magazines, July 2008
While Nicole Stefenelli doesn’t consider herself a visionary, there are many people who would say she is. The idea she had in 1989 to start a recycling business couldn’t have been better timed.
Today, Urban Impact Recycling, which started with one employee and one vehicle, is a multi-million dollar business with 4,500 pick-up points in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, 50 employees, 30 fully automated vehicles and a 3,700 square metre warehouse in North Richmond.
“On a trip to Europe as a student in the late 1980’s, I was impressed with their green movement. Back in Vancouver, I started a demo project just to prove that commercial recycling was viable. I was then challenged to take it operational. A lot of hard work and discipline has gone into making this a successful business. But my passion for environmental protection has never dwindled and my partner and I agree there’s nothing we’d rather be doing than running Urban Impact Recycling.
Recycling was non-existent in the Vancouver area in the 1980’s. Blue boxes weren’t introduced here until 1991. The demo project I started while in university was really an academic pursuit. When I graduated, and decided to turn it into a business, little did I imagine that recycling would become as central to our lives as it is today.
It took time for people to embrace the recycling idea, but the business gradually expanded and then started to grow quickly about seven or eight years ago as more and more Vancouver area businesses began to seek ways to reduce the amount of waste they produce.
My partner and husband, Rod Nichols, joined me in the venture in 1992. We were always passionate about the environmental cause and found we had a knack for customer service, but we soon learned that it took more than that to run a business. We had to generate adequate cash flow, and financial results that we could leverage for growth. We learned the business side at what I call the ‘School of Hard Knocks’.
The relationship we developed with BDC was crucial to us. They were much more than a short-term lender, and had a unique approach. Of course they looked at the numbers, but they also banked on Rod and me. That was completely refreshing and we were empowered by their belief in us. We have been partners with BDC since 2000. They’ve helped us grow and expand.
Today, with an increasing worldwide demand for recycled materials, we have buyers from around the globe. To meet their demand, our main marketing thrust is aimed at getting more local businesses on board as recyclers. We also offer shredding services, an area that is experiencing healthy growth right now.
We compete in a very tight job market by providing our employees with an interesting place to work. We offer them profit-sharing opportunities and the chance to get involved in social responsibility initiatives such as tree planting to offset our carbon emissions. These projects really seem to engage staff members and that is very rewarding for us.
We’re planning a move to new premises that we’re modifying to suit our needs. Vancouver is undergoing a boom right now and with this new facility, we will be well positioned to tap into this explosive growth.”
If, like Nicole Stefenelli and Rod Nichols, you are looking for ways to turn an innovative idea into a successful business, go to www.bdc.ca
URBAN IMPACT RECYLING
Specializing in: Office recycling, shredding, cleanup, waste audits
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Works with clients in: Canada, South America, Asia
Owners: Nicole Stefenelli and Rod Nichols
Number of employees: 50
Year founded: 1989
Web site: www.urbanimpact.com
Vancity, Urban Impact, and RCMP Team Up for Community Shredathon in Willowbrook Saturday, June 21st
June 18th, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond BC - Urban Shredding and Vancity will be co-hosting a Community Shredathon, providing free shredding services on-site at Vancity Willowbrook on Saturday June 21, 2008, from 10 am – 2pm.
This is one of many Shredathons being held by Vancity and Urban Shredding as a community service to help spread public awareness about the dangers of fraud and identity theft.
Free shredding services will be provided to anyone who attends the Shredathon. A maximum of 5 bankers boxes per person will be shredded on site. Just look for the Urban Shredding truck. Urban Shredding is a division of Urban Impact Recycling Ltd., and shares its zero waste philosophy – so ALL shredded materials will be recycled by Urban Impact Recycling Ltd.on-site.
The Langley RCMP will have 2 officers on-site to educate the public and answer questions regarding fraud and identity theft prevention. Attendees will learn they don’t have to risk their personal or financial security – they can bring their confidential documents, old cheques or tax information to Vancity Willowbrook and watch all documents be destroyed quickly and securely.
Donations to the GATEWAY OF HOPE through the Salvation Army would be appreciated.
Funds will go to help build a homeless shelter in Langley.
WHO: Urban Shredding, Urban Impact Recycling Ltd., Vancity Willowbrook, RCMP
WHAT: Shredathon – FREE shredding, Fraud and Identity Theft Prevention and Education
WHEN: Saturday June 21st, 10-2pm
WHERE: Vancity Willowbrook at the corner of 200th in Langley
LIMIT: 5 banker’s boxes of materials (max.) will be shredded, per person
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Urban Recycling, Urban Shredding, and Urban Solutions are divisions of Urban Impact Recycling Ltd. Urban Impact is a family-owned and operated business committed to its global responsibility and environmental ethic, providing cost-effective, recycling, shredding and green business consulting services to clients throughout the Lower Mainland. The company was launched in 1989 as a university project for founder Nicole Stefenelli.
URBAN IMPACT PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Craig Thullner, Fresh Strategy
778.329.7340
craigfreshstrategy@shaw.ca
RCMP CONTACT:
Mary Kostashuk
Sergeant, Commercial Crime Section
604.543.4977
mary@kostashuk@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Spring Clean-Out raises public awareness of fraud & identity theft – FREE shredding 1 day only!
April 30th, 2008FREE shredding services offered Sunday, May 4th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond, BC – Urban Shredding will be hosting a “Spring Clean-Out”, providing free shredding services on-site at Richmond’s Lansdowne Centre on Sunday, May 4, 2008, from 10 am – 3pm.
This special event is being held as a community service to help spread public awareness about the dangers of fraud and identity theft. The Richmond RCMP will have 2 officers on-site for the duration of shredding event to answer any questions regarding fraud and identity theft prevention.
Free shredding services will be provided to families bringing a maximum of 5 banker’s boxes of materials to our temporary location in North West Corner of Lansdowne Centre’s parking lot at No.3 Road and Alderbrige. Just look for the Urban Shredding truck.
Don’t risk your personal or financial security – bring your confidential documents, old cheques or tax information to Landsdowne Centre and watch us destroy them, quickly and securely in our state of the mobile shredding truck!
WHO: Urban Shredding
WHAT: Spring Clean-Out event – FREE shredding, live entertainment & light refreshments
WHEN: Sunday, May 4, 2008, 10am-3pm
WHERE: Landsdowne Centre – 5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC
LIMITAT: 5 banker’s boxes of materials (max.) will be shredded, per family
Urban Shredding is a division of Urban Impact Recycling Ltd., and shares its zero waste philosophy – shredded materials, and any banker’s boxes your confidential documents come in will all be recycled.
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Urban Recycling, Urban Shredding, and Urban Solutions are divisions of Urban Impact Recycling Ltd. Urban Impact is a family-owned and operated business committed to its global responsibility and environmental ethic, providing cost-effective, recycling, shredding and green business consulting services to clients throughout the Lower Mainland. The company was launched in 1989 as a university project for founder Nicole Stefenelli.
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Stefenelli
Urban Impact Recycling Ltd.
nicole@urbanimpact.com
OR,
Craig Thullner
Fresh Strategy
778.329.7340
craigfreshstrategy@shaw.ca
