Ransomville Business of the Year

Porter Empty Return Center

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Porter Empty Return Center as the recipient of the Ransomville Business of the Year Award. The Ransomville Business and Professional Association assist the chamber in providing a business nomination that has showed dedication and service to the Ransomville community. Porter Empty Return Center brings recycling options to the surrounding communities as well as assists in supporting over forty local organizations reach their fundraising goals.

            Many know Doug Adamson as the guy who works with computers and programming but over the past two years, he is often referred to as the go to "can guy"! As owner of the Porter Empty Return Center and ScotPc Systems, his collective businesses are now known as The Porter Center, with the return center quickly taking over the business complex over the past two years.   His experience in computer/electronic recycling as well as a background working at Certo Brothers led Doug to bring more recycling options to Ransomville, Lewiston, Wilson, Youngstown and beyond.   The location is at the cross point for several communities that proves to be a benefit to his business. The Porter Empty Return Center has four employees through the winter and will likely double the number as summer nears.  Doug's wife Linda and daughter Mackenzie also work to grow the business.

With the can/bottle return concept needing just a small area to start, Doug opened the business in 2014 from the side of the building - where the Care & Share food pantry is now located - at 3628 Ransomville Road.  In 2015, the operation grew and he moved the business one storefront over to the present location just next door.The location provides more room with the Return area front and center with plenty of counter space.  ScotPC Systems is enclosed in a separate area off to the right complete with windows made from the old cooler panes from the former Porter Country Mart.

Educating the public and organizations on how to turn their cans, bottles, and plastics into money is a priority to Doug and his staff.  When people throw their can/bottle into a regular recycling bin, although the bottle will be recycled, the five cent deposit is lost.  Eighty percent of unclaimed deposits are kept by New York State, while the remaining twenty percent is kept by the distributor.  Unclaimed five cents can become millions over time! Porter Empty Return Center collects and sorts your cans/bottles into specific bags and containers that are picked up by Bics/Tomra (a recycle collection company in Lancaster, NY), who then bills each distributor for the deposits.

            With that back end process being taken care of, the focus of Porter Empty Return Center is to reduce the landfills by the reuse of plastics, metals and glass. They make people aware that the deposits they pay when purchasing a beverage are theirs, the consumer.

Returning empties is a great way to teach the community the value of how nickels become dollars which saved over time adds up!  One customer was able to collect enough empties over the course of a year to save the twenty five hundred dollars needed for the down payment of a car.  Monthly coupons can be found online as well as in the local Lewiston Sentinel.

Over forty local organizations have accounts at Porter Empty Return Center.  All of these organizations receive more than the normal five cents per can/bottle.  Customers can bring in their empties and have the funds go directly to that organizations account. Anyone can request a group account, with checks cut upon request.  Anyone looking to donate to a group can view the list at www.theportercenter.com, call 791-1113 or stop in during their operating hours, Tuesday - Friday from 10am - 6pm, and Saturday & Monday from 9am -3pm.  There is NO limit on the size of accepted returns.  Returns don't even have to be spotless! They are received from picnics, parties, and festivals.

            Special empty return canisters were designed by Doug for events.  The signature blue cardboard triangular bins allow a visible return area, while making clean up and accessing the cans/bottles easy and mess free.  You can find many of them in local schools, fire halls as well as at local businesses and institutions. They will soon be incorporated into a recycling program at St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center.

            The Porter Empty Return Center has assisted many organizations in raising funds.  The recycling concept has taken on a community meaning at Porter Empty Return Center with thousands of dollars being raised to support local nonprofit organizations and charities. In addition this year will introduce the first ever P.E.R.C. Scholarship awarded to a local High school graduate.  Doug and his staff have created a business that adds to the quality of live in the community and allows people to give back. It is his hope that the next step of his business is to grow the number of organizations that can be supported from empty can return.

            The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce along with the Ransomville Business and Professional Association proudly congratulate Porter Empty Return Center as the 2016 Ransomville Business of the Year.