text: As I thought about these achievements, I realized they result from the environment that we work to 
  
  create for both our customers and our people. We care about our customers and the communities we 
  
  serve. About our people. About the environment. And, of course, we care about you -- our 
  
  shareholders. Every year we adopt a theme that captures our Company and our values. Our theme 
  
  for 2005 is “Republic Services…A Company that cares”. 
  
  Our 13,400 dedicated people worked hard last year to create real value. We improved the way we 
  
  deliver our services, increasing our efficiency in routing our collection trucks. We improved the way 
  
  we construct disposal cells at numerous landfills, lowering costs. We worked with our vendors to 
  
  control prices. And, we communicated to our customers the value of the services we offer. This year 
  
  will be no different. We will continue to concentrate on these fundamentals. 
  
  Republic’s future is bright. We are mindful of our mission. We know our business exists to ease the 
  
  burden of managing society’s waste. It’s not a glamorous business, but it is an essential one, and we 
  
  take this responsibility very seriously. 
  
  At the end of the year, Republic had 140 collection companies, 58 landfills, 96 transfer stations and 35 
  
  recycling facilities in 22 states. These resources give us many opportunities to listen to our customers, 
  
  anticipate their needs and quickly respond to them. Each customer faces challenges unique to his or 
  
  her business and community. Our goal is to remain flexible and to tailor our services to each 
  
  customer. 