Envision what others fail to see.
“We make gummy bears,” the client says, “and we often end up with scrap…transitioned colors, misshapenbears, you name it. We could ship it off to a pig farmer for feed, but can you help us figure out how to make better use of it?”
This might not be a typical request for most businesses, but for David Mendelson, it’s just another day at the office. His company thrives on transforming daily disruptions into viable opportunities.
David and his team view by‑products not as waste but as valuable assets. Their mission is to create innovative ways to repurpose these discarded items, transforming them into both environmentally friendly and profitable ventures. As he explains, “Our business deals with industrial by‑products. Raw materials coming into a manufacturing facility don’t always match the finished goods leaving it, creating friction points where by-products are generated. This could be as simple as a corrugated box from a distribution center or as complex as by-products from manufacturing artificial skin for burn victims.”
When faced with the gummy bear scrap problem, David and his team came up with a creative solution: They located another client who was struggling to improve the bait used to lure grizzly bears away from residential areas. While the bears had grown indifferent to traditional bait over time, the gummy bear scrap proved (ironically!) irresistible. David’s team connected the gummy bear company with the bear-bait manufacturer and produced a triple benefit: The bait manufacturer found a better raw material, the bears were safely captured, and the gummy bear company had a more valuable—and dependable—market for its by‑products.
“We do not only create revenue but eliminate costs, too. Whether it is the sale of a newly identified by‑product, the elimination of landfill costs, or the streamlining of material handling within the process, all of our work falls to the bottom line of our clients,” David says.
David is the latest link in a 100-year-long chain of creative thinking and innovation. His journey is deeply rooted in his family’s entrepreneurial spirit, beginning with his great-grandfather, an immigrant who came to America without a dollar to his name and without speaking a word of English, and helped revolutionize the scrap industry.
In the early 1900s, David’s great-grandfather and his sons established Waterway Paper Products in Chicago, the first paper mill in the United States to use 100 percent recycled newspapers rather than wood chips to make new newsprint. The mill produced all the newsprint for the Chicago Daily News and created a market for the by‑product of the mass production of
information: newspapers. Unfortunately, when this innovation caught the eye of a big player in the paper industry, the family was pressured into selling the mill—and then lost the proceeds in the stock market crash of 1929. Despite this setback, the Mendelson family’s spirit of innovation remained unbroken.
David’s father, Robert, later founded Donco Paper Supply Company, and now under David’s leadership, Donco comprises several entities—Donco Paper itself, along with Ohio Pulp Mills, Poly Recyclers, and Ramblin Corp—all of which focus on making recycling economically viable.
Whether it’s using by‑products from clothing manufacturing to solve problems in the coffin-making business or transforming scrap from diaper production into fake snow for theatrical performances, Donco exemplifies the behaviors of thinking deeply and believing that better is possible. In small regional firms, as well as international businesses, opportunities present themselves when scrap is looked at through a creative lens.
This approach has cultivated a team dedicated to intriguing, intellectually stimulating work—including David’s 90-year-old father, who continues to contribute to the team’s deep thinking and innovative solutions.
“As proud as I am of our family business, I am much prouder of our business family,” David says. At the heart of Donco’s achievements is a culture that values relationships, family, innovation, and a collective commitment to making a difference.
This ethos is celebrated through traditions such as the Donco Threshold, which celebrates the many team members who spend more than half their lives working with the company and those who transition to emeritus status rather than retire, preserving the firm’s legacy of knowledge and experience. “No one ever retires from Donco,” David states, highlighting the
sense of belonging and dedication that defines the company’s culture.
David Mendelson’s story demonstrates a long-term commitment to innovation, driven by the belief that through deep thinking, every challenge presents an opportunity for improvement and positive disruption. It is also a wonderful example of the first two positive disrupter behaviors.
Behavior 1: Think Deeply to Uncover Insights
It takes effort and ingenuity to uncover true insights, which are distinguished by their value and originality.
For David and his colleagues, each project presents an opportunity to reimagine recycling’s possibilities. This approach has led to pioneering solutions that go beyond mere waste management and create sustainable, economically viable products. “We look at our business kind of like a giant jigsaw puzzle, but sometimes, the pieces that we put together come from different puzzle boxes,” David explains, underscoring the creativity and analytical thought involved in their work.
Behavior 2: Believe Better Is Possible
Amid the ever-changing dynamics of the recycling industry, David’s optimism anchors Donco. Inspired by his family’s history of resilience, he sees every challenge as a stepping stone toward a greener future.
“Recycling is economics,” he asserts, emphasizing the idea of achieving sustainability goals and reducing his company’s environmental footprint through economically sound practices. He and his team don’t just focus on whether a by‑product can be put to good use; they also focus on profitability, asking how clients can reuse it in a way that makes financial sense and is economically sustainable.
Reflect on Your Behaviors
Have you looked beneath the surface to find innovative solutions to problems? Reflect on these moments and appreciate the power of deep thinking. Recall a time when a positive outlook helped you overcome a challenge. How did optimism transform the situation?
Quick Challenge
Consider the challenges and disruptions in your life or work. How can you apply a Mendelson-like approach—combining deep thinking with a belief that better is possible—to transform these challenges into opportunities for growth? Observe how adopting this mindset can lead to innovative solutions that positively affect both your personal life and professional life.
