Matthew Kretschmer

In Spring 2016 Semester, Matthew Kretschmer was attending Cleveland State full-time and working 60+ hours per week managing the family business, Legacy Waste and Recycling. "I saw potential for the company and when I was asked to take over, I couldn't say no," said the senior who graduated in December 2016. 

Matt took on the challenge of reviving the company about one year prior. He met with Katie Van Dyke, Director of CSU's Small Business Development Center regarding the business and how to reposition it for success. Since then, he's worked on identifying key markets, navigated a merger, developed pricing competitive pricing models, tapped into new resources to help manage payroll and basic human resources functions and is currently leading a re-branding of the company.

"The SBDC and Katie have been great in helping me identify resources," said Matt. "My classes have also been invaluable - there are so many things you don't know, until you know you don't know them."

"We are happy to work with Matt," said Katie Van Dyke. "He is a driven individual who came into our Center with questions specific to his business. Working with him to understand his strategic goals and vision for his company was not only interesting, but rewarding for us. He has done amazing things in such a short timeframe in addition to going to school full-time. Matt is the type of client we all dream about working with. He takes advice, is engaged in discussion and not afraid to work hard to achieve the results he wants."

How does Matt manage being a full-time student and more than full-time business owner? "I get my knowledge and then I get to work," he said. "The more I learned in the classroom and at the SBDC, the more effective I became," he added.

Legacy Waste and Recycling is based out of Elyria, Ohio and handles commercial, industrial, business and subscribed waste collection services for communities that do not offer residential services. The company owns a small fleet of trucks and is growing.