Mike’s Filter & Supply, Inc (MF&S) began its long and successful history in 1978 in Mike Broussard’s garage located in Houma, LA. The original line of business was new filter sales. Through hard work, sales experience, honesty, integrity, and an emphasis in TRUE customer service, Mr. Broussard’s business grew at a rapid pace. It quickly grew and became one of the largest and independently owned new filter business in the country, having five branch stores servicing five states. Due to its success, Moody Price purchased MF&S in 1991. Even before the business was sold to Moody Price, Mr. Broussard was approached by some of his clients about a growing need for disposal of “spin-on” filters (metal filters) which had been outlawed in Texas in landfills. Mr. Broussard had the vision and foresight to open one of the first used oil filter and absorbent collection companies in the state of Louisiana.
The company originally opened in 1990 in Morgan City, LA under the name of Mike’s Environmental Sales and Service. The name eventually changed to Alpha Omega Environmental and was so successful that US Filter purchased the company in 1997 and all of the employees, including Mr. Broussard, went to work for US Filter. While working for US Filter, Mr. Broussard, his son Brent Broussard, and son-in-law Kerry LaJaunie were exposed to the many facets of the environmental industry. Prior to their time at US Filter, the family members were introduced to the idea of renting and servicing of parts washers in the automotive industry. In 1997, Mr. Broussard utilized his ownership of the corporate shell of the business, MF&S, to begin renting and servicing parts washers in the automotive and industrial services of the oilfield arenas.
The first type of solution offered for the parts washers was aqueous based. Although this solution performed well and received good reviews from those who used it, it was not widely accepted by the industry as a whole. This was due to aqueous solutions offered by other companies that did not perform well. Subsequently, MF&S was then introduced to solvent based parts washer system that incorporated filters to help keep the solvent looking clean and to extend the life of the solvent. Although the filters helped with the life of the solvent, Mr. Broussard noticed the systems did not live up to the manufacturer’s promises. The company was now faced with the common problem of disposal of the hazardous waste solvent and sludge. An employee introduced Mr. Broussard to solvent recycling from his previous experience with another company.
Mr. Broussard contracted a company to build a distillation system to distill the solvent waste for reuse in the parts washers. This provided MF&S a safe and economical way for disposal as well as a steady and cost effective supply of solvent. Due to this internal recycling methods and reuse of the solvent, we were able to secure a letter from the Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality (LA DEQ) accepting the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) ruling that this form of recycling is a “continued use of a solvent” and is in this way not a solid waste and is therefore not a hazardous waste. This allows MF&S to offer the option to their clients of disposing of their solids as a product, not as a hazardous waste.
Brent Broussard joined MF&S in August 1999 and began aggressively growing their market share in the parts washing business. Once the distillation system was installed, the company grew from 60 parts washers in 1999 to 150 units in 2000. Brent now runs the operations of MF&S and oversees not only the partswasher business, but also the integration of the transportation and hazardous waste disposal arm of the company. This aspect of the company handles multiple types of wastes such as oil, oily water, oil filters and absorbents, and paints.
