About Discount Appliance

Disposal Alternatives Organization is a green company with a mission. 

Discount Appliance Outlet is how we fund our social programs and create jobs.

Our primary purpose is to promote recycling to protect the Earth.

The second social purpose is to create green jobs and give them to persons with major barriers to employment.

We are proud to be entirely self-sustaining. By maintaining a fiscally conservative budget, we are able to balance out the losses on the appliance pick-up program with profits from the recycled materials.

The two programs are symbiotic, like nature itself.

Background

Disposal Alternatives Organization was founded in 2008 by Cal Hultquist and Dana Eveland. The mission was two-fold: to provide ethical appliance recycling options to Indy area residents while creating well-paying, green jobs to people who need an opportunity or a second chance. DAO is a member of the BBB, the Indiana Recycling Coalition and the National Recycling Coalition.

Dana Eveland oversees warehousing, logistics and operational aspects of DAO and serves as CFO. Dana holds multiple certifications from US Department of Transportation and the EPA and is an ASE certified mechanic. Dana oversees the training of all technicians and warehouse staff.

Cal Hultquist is a former government investigator and a graduate of the University of Illinois (BA) and Indiana University School of Law (JD). He was awarded the Navy Science Award for an environmental water pollution investigation at a young age and the Hugh Carey Scholarship. He holds a US EPA Type I license and USDOT Safety Training certification. He received a Community Service Award from the City of Atlanta, Georgia for participation on Atlanta’s Recycling Task Force in 2009.

Cal served with the Better Business Bureau and was soon appointed Senior Investigator and Law Clerk of the Consumer Protection Division of the State of Indiana under Attorney General Linley Pearson. Later he was appointed Assistant Attorney General in Illinois and City Attorney for two municipalities. He served as investigator and legal counsel prosecuting employment discrimination cases for the EEOC.

Logistics is key to affordable recycling. Dana is experienced and expert at interstate transportation of scrap materials. He has received USDOT Safety Training and Certification. Dana has spent many years in the appliance recycling industry and brings that experience and networking to the team. Dana is an ASE certified mechanic who can assemble an appliance blindfolded.

Dana and Cal are both active environmentalists who share the goals of educating and motivating the public to properly recycle appliances. Dana and Cal attend environmental conferences to better educate themselves as to trends and methods of recycling.

Is DAO government funded?

NO.
DAO is funded by selling the recyclable materials we collect and separate and by refurbishing and reselling appliances and lawn equipment. Only by operating without government funding have we been able to go through the growth pains of developing a business model which is self-sustaining.

Will DAO accept grants in the future?

YES.
Many well-intentioned programs fail when they become dependent on grants. Grant funding is here today, gone tomorrow. Grant dependent programs come and go following that same funding cycle. DAO intentionally sought no grant funding until we were able to sustain growth and cash flow independently. Only by surviving the first year and suffering somewhat as we did so, were we forced to develop a self-sustaining business model.

We are now applying for government funding and grants so that we can expand here in Indianapolis and employ even more people who have barriers to employment. We also need funding and investment to start similar programs in other cities in the U.S. where this program could make a positive impact.

How did we do it?
DAO maintains a conservative budget. All of our furniture, equipment, vehicles and facilities have been recycled and reused. We started in 2009 with $4000 and a box truck. Every single penny of profit is reinvested into more equipment and creating more jobs. Management is mission driven. We are also driven to create profits but we use these profits to fund growth.