Joe Sheen worked to a demanding schedule for two years. One at night and he worked one during the day. He found that a fledgling garbage truck rental company could support his family.
“It was a struggle,” Cene said.
Six years after starting Triple P Disposal, Cene is building a home for his business in Arnold.
Cene has purchased five lots at 1339-1349 Fourth Ave. where he will operate a roll-off trash business. Includes offices and space for truck maintenance and empty container storage.
Triple P is split between two locations, with offices at their home in Cene, Buffalo Township, and the remainder in rented space on Powers Drive, New Kensington.
“We were looking at buying and this has come true,” he said. “It’s pretty great.”
Cene said he and Arnold’s redevelopment authority had agreed on a price for the lot, but the sale had not yet been completed.
Triple P is one of two companies that have bid on the property, according to Arnold’s director of community development Rick Layburgh. They are working to find another location for their other business.
4 out of 5 parcels are vacant lots. Fifth, 1339 Fourth Ave., has an abandoned building, one of 10 to be demolished under a city contract with AP Wise Excavating.
The sale is subject to zoning approval, but Rayburg said Cene should be allowed to build there and do what it wants to do there. The area is zoned for commercial and light industrial use.
In demolition of the abandoned and dilapidated house, Arnold sought to demolish adjacent buildings to create larger plots attractive for development. A typical site size for that part of the city is 22 feet wide by 120 feet deep, which is too small to handle individually, Rayburg said.
This approach has produced beneficial results. Michael F. Whalen Contracting was built in a similar property on the other side of 4th Avenue from where Triple P is located.
Raised in East Liberty and Lawrenceville, Sheen, 38, has lived in Buffalo Township since 2012. He and his wife Malalie have three children in his scene, and Triple P is named after his 14-year-old daughter Peyton and his 11-year-old Paige. son Paxton, 12;
Cene said he got the business idea from his father-in-law, Dale Bobeck, who died of COVID-19 in September. Bobek had rented a trash can to use for his construction business.
“Funds were tight. I was unhappy with other work towards the end there. I wanted to make extra money,” Cene said. “I bought a used truck and he bought two trash cans. It cost me $17,000. I put $12,000 on his credit card and $5,000 out of my pocket.
“The rest is hard work and growth.”
From its 1 truck and 2 garbage trucks, Triple P has grown to 7 trucks, 80 garbage trucks, and 5 drivers.
Cene said he hopes to complete the purchase at Arnold by October and build the building within a year.
“I’m excited about it. I really am,” Sen said.
Next to the property Cene is acquiring are two more abandoned homes. Cene said he wanted to get them too and tear them down for additional space. However, the city is having trouble communicating with the owners.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. You can reach Brian by email at brittmeyer@triblive.com or on his Twitter. .
