KOP Insiders: Jennifer Kozak, Vice President of Human Resources for Clean Earth

KOP Insiders delves into the stories of the people who make King of Prussia one of Pennsylvania’s most dynamic live-work-play-stay destinations.

In depth interviews provide insight into the companies that make up our diverse business community and put a face to the individuals behind the business. In this edition, we are joined by Jennifer Kozak, Vice President of Human Resources for Clean Earth.

Can you give us a little background into Clean Earth and your role there?

Clean Earth provides recycling and disposal solutions for hard-to-treat waste, including hazardous and non-hazardous waste, contaminated soil, and dredged material. I’m actually quite new here at Clean Earth, coming up on three months. Prior to joining Clean Earth I was at General Electric for over 15 years, and I also spent some time with a private equity organization.  As Vice President of Human Resources at Clean Earth, I’m responsible for leading the overall human resources strategy including recruiting and retaining top talent.

From an environmental perspective, what kind of impact does your work have on the region?

Striving to make a postive environmental impact is actually one of the main reasons I decided to work in this business. The environmental services side of what we do touches all of our lives in one way, shape or form. Prior to joining Clean Earth, I didn’t have a full appreciation for those kinds of things, and after having visited some of our facilities, I was wowed at what Clean Earth does. As it relates to the overall treatment of waste, we have a huge impact focused on recycling and sustainable solutions. As we recruit talent and bring people into this organization, the passion that we all have for our environmental services and the beauty of recycling and recovery from fuel blending for beneficial reuse to recycling non-renewable resources such as soil –  it’s a really beautiful partnership between the people here and our technologies that help make it happen.

What motivated Clean Earth to establish a major presence in King of Prussia? How has operating in KOP contributed to the company’s success?

It was a combination of things. King of Prussia has such an incredible vibe. The area is a hotbed of so many great things, including its close access to Philadelphia. It was also important to us that we had access to culture and restaurants — there’s no shortage of amazing, fun things to do here. From an accessibility perspective, it’s so easy for our employees to get here.

How does KOP as a location factor into your recruitment efforts?

We’ve been very blessed in that area. People want to join a business that works towards a greater good. Coupled with that is the fact that we work in the GeoBlue building, which is absolutely stunning. Additionally, there are so many great residential options — both temporary and permanent — for our employees. KOP has exploded in that regard. I’ve even spoken to people we’ve attracted from other countries who say that the area is so welcoming and friendly, which is always great to hear.

As someone who was born and raised in the area, you’ve seen KOP’s transformation. What’s that been like for you?

It’s been incredible to watch. I remember when The Village at Valley Forge was a golf course [laughs] — it’s come so far. Ironically, in all my time that I lived here, this job is the first time that I’ve actually worked here.

What are are some of your favorite things to do in KOP?

That’s an easy one: obviously, my favorite thing to here is shopping [laughs], but my husband and I also love to dine out at all the great restaurants here. There are a number of wonderful trails and other places to hike and walk as well. We love taking the whole family and bringing our dogs to walk through Valley Forge National Historical Park. There’s so much to do that it’s become a fun challenge trying to tap all that’s available.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about moving their company to KOP?

The fact that KOP is a major artery and sits so close to a number of different local, regional and even national business centers like New York and DC is perhaps the biggest reason to move your business here. You’re really at the center of it all. And from a team-building perspective, you really couldn’t ask for a better place to set up shop. Everything you need for your employees to be happy and fulfilled both professionally and personally is all right here.

The floor is yours. Tell us anything you’d like to share about Clean Earth. 

The biggest thing I’d like to share is for anyone reading this to please reach out. We’re always looking for great talent as it relates to functions like finance, IT, HR, etc. Additionally, we have a number of plants in the surrounding areas that are looking for drivers, environmental technicians and other titles so please take a look at our website as it relates to career opportunities. We enjoy making sure that we have a diverse pool of people; we’re doing a lot with agencies like Women In Trucking to pull more female talent into our organization.

I’d also like to share this is a business that’s growing. We aim to be one of King of Prussia’s top employers in the near future so keep up with what we’re doing because we’ve got big plans.

About Clean Earth

Clean Earth is one of the largest specialty waste companies in the United States providing remediation, disposal, recycling, and beneficial reuse solutions for contaminated soil, dredged material, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste.  Our vast portfolio of technologies and services touches nearly every industry that generates waste including energy, infrastructure, commercial, industrial, retail, and healthcare markets.

933 1st Ave Suite 200, King of Prussia, PA 19406 | www.cleanearthinc.com