Republic Services collects, processes and disposes of solid waste, operating waste collection trucks, transfer stations, recycling facilities and landfills across the United States, one of the largest waste management companies in the country. Its business benefits from high barriers to entry, since landfill permits are difficult and time-consuming to obtain and local waste collection contracts often favor established providers with existing route density and operational infrastructure. Republic Services' revenue tends to be relatively stable and non-cyclical, since waste collection is an essential service that businesses and households need regardless of broader economic conditions, though commercial and industrial waste volumes can fluctuate somewhat with economic activity levels. The company's growth strategy includes both organic growth from pricing and volume increases in its existing markets and acquisitions of smaller regional waste management companies, consolidating a historically fragmented industry.