Clay Ezell

Clay Ezell – The Business of Large-Scale Composting in the Southeast

Clay Ezell is the Co-owner and President of The Compost Company, a Middle Tennessee firm that converts organic waste into high-quality compost and soil blends. He also serves as President of the Tennessee Composting Council and is active in regional environmental and recycling networks. As a USCC-Certified Site Operator, Clay trained through New York’s EarthMatter program.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

[2:28] How Clay Ezell and his brother started The Compost Company after noticing Nashville’s lack of recycling options
[5:23] Clay’s career shift from book publishing in New York to building a composting business
[8:32] How food waste in landfills produces methane, and how composting prevents this problem
[13:24] Clay describes his decision to separate his company’s hauling service and compost product division
[19:03] How EO’s Catalyst program and forum helped Clay avoid premature expansion and gain confidence in leadership decisions
[24:18] Advice for new EO members on maximizing their forum and taking advantage of EO’s broader resources

In This Episode

Impactful industry changes often begin with small observations that spark bold ideas. Yet turning those ideas into a real business brings unexpected challenges and tough decisions. How do you know when to take the leap into something new?

An expert in large-scale composting, Clay Ezell left a stable career in book publishing to follow a calling that blended purpose and impact. Inspired by childhood memories of early recycling movements and the stark waste realities he witnessed, he trained in New York before bringing his knowledge home. Together with his brother, Clay learned by trial and error, navigating mistakes, zoning challenges, and the complexities of running a hauling service and a production arm. He maintains that real progress comes when you stop trying to do everything yourself and start building systems with the right people in the right roles.

In this episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Clay Ezell, Co-owner and President of The Compost Company, to discuss the challenges of industrial-scale composting in the Southeast. Clay talks about treating hauling and product sales as distinct businesses, how food waste in landfills creates methane, and the leadership lessons he gained from EO’s Catalyst program.

Quotable Moments:

“We wanted to do something that gave us a good feeling when we got out of bed.”
“Apple falls off a tree. Nature has a perfect record, batting a thousand for millennia.”
“Fortunately, we complement each other. One of us got one half of the brain, the other one got the other.”
“The need for organization, the inability of any one person to do everything and be everywhere.”
“We have to provide them a better experience, or we’re the first service to go.”

Action Steps:

Differentiate core business functions: Separating service operations from product sales helps clarify strategy, improve efficiency, and uncover growth opportunities. This allows leaders to see where each unit stands on its own merit.
Invest in the right new hires: Bringing in the right people frees leaders from daily tasks and accelerates growth. Good hires feel like adding an extra sail to the boat, powering the whole organization forward.
Adopt sustainable practices locally: Focusing on local waste solutions reduces environmental impact and keeps resources circulating within communities. Hyperlocal systems ensure transparency and eliminate risks tied to global recycling inefficiencies.
Leverage peer networks for guidance: Joining peer groups like EO provides accountability, perspective, and support in tough decision-making. Access to shared experiences helps leaders avoid costly mistakes and grow more confidently.
Prioritize customer experience over competition: Smaller businesses thrive by offering a superior, dependable service rather than competing on size. Delivering value and trust ensures long-term loyalty, even when customers aren’t required to stay.