text: **ITEM 1. BUSINESS**
  
  **Company Overview**
  
  We are a leading provider of services in the domestic non-hazardous solid waste industry. We provide 
  non-hazardous solid waste collection services for commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers 
  through 140 collection companies in 22 states. We also own or operate 96 transfer stations, 58 solid waste 
  landÑlls and 35 recycling facilities. 
  
  As of December 31, 2004, our operations were organized into Ñve regions whose boundaries may change 
  from time to time: Eastern, Central, Southern, Southwestern and Western. Each region is organized into 
  several operating areas and each area contains a group of operating locations. Each of our regions and 
  substantially all our areas provide collection, transfer, recycling and disposal services. We believe that this 
  organizational structure facilitates the integration of our operations within each region, which is a critical 
  component of our operating strategy. See Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for 
  further discussion of operating segments. 
  
  We had revenue of $2,708.1 million and $2,517.8 million and operating income of $452.3 million and 
  $412.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The $190.3 million, or 7.6%, 
  increase in revenue from 2003 to 2004 is primarily attributable to the successful execution of our operating and 
  growth strategies described below. The $39.6 million, or 9.6%, increase in operating income from 2003 to 2004 
  is partially due to higher self-insurance expense during 2003 related to existing claims and was attributable to 
  the expansion of our operations and various changes in estimates as a result of continued negative trends 
  through the 2003 policy year. The remaining increase in operating income is due to the successful execution of 
  our operating and growth strategies described below. 