Guest Opinion | Jamie Potter: The Importance of Local Hiring

There has been much discussion about local hire initiatives in Pasadena the last few years. As the owner of a demolition and trucking business in the City, I would like to take a moment to personally explain the importance of hiring locally from

my perspective. My name is Jamie Potter. The name of my company is Titan Disposal.

Last year, thanks to the advocacy of the late Councilmember John Kennedy, our company demolished the former Church’s Chicken building at the corner of Fair Oaks and Orange Grove to make way for the construction of a three-story apartment building for homeless seniors. I am grateful for the opportunity to have done something good for the community and thankful for the opportunity to hire a local demolition crew to do the work.

When we are not tearing down buildings, Titan Disposal primarily hauls away dirt and debris from construction sites. We also do a fair amount of street sweeping.

This year, my company is fortunate to continue performing those services for the Pasadena Water and Power Department. 

Our work for the City is a direct reflection of Councilmember Tyron Hampton constantly encouraging City staff to prioritize contracting with local companies.

In order to perform the City contract, I needed to hire someone to operate the sweeper. I approached an acquaintance of mine who I knew needed work. 

I promised him if he got his commercial driving license I would hire him to do street sweeping. A year later, he is now making $80 an hour working full time for me on multiple projects. 

Without the City contract, I would have not been able to hire him.

Education and training are the foundation of good jobs. Mayor Victor Gordo’s efforts to build a partnership between the City, the School District, and our Community College will lead to more job-ready employees for companies like mine.

I would like to personally thank the City Council and Staff for their dedication to local hiring. It has allowed my company to prosper and enabled us to create jobs, fund scholarships, and donate food and toys during the holidays. Titan Disposal is grateful and proud to call Pasadena its home.