Founded in 1982, Merrell Bros., Inc. is one of the nation’s leading biosolids management companies, serving municipalities, industrial facilities, and agricultural operations throughout the United States. For more than 40 years, the company has provided comprehensive biosolids solutions including transportation, dewatering, digester and tank cleaning, dredging, lagoon cleaning, land application, and beneficial reuse services.
Drawing on decades of hands-on operational experience, we recognized the growing challenges facing wastewater utilities, including increasing biosolids volumes, tightening regulations, rising disposal costs, landfill capacity limitations, and the need for more sustainable long-term management strategies. In response, we company expanded our focus beyond service delivery and invested heavily in research, development, and engineering to create next-generation biosolids treatment technologies.
Today, Merrell Bros. holds seven U.S. patents, with six additional patents pending, related to innovative biosolids processing systems. These technologies include Solar-Thermal Pasteurization, Double-Drum Drying, and Pelletization systems designed to reduce operational costs, improve environmental performance, produce marketable Class A biosolids products, and provide municipalities with reliable long-term treatment solutions.
Through the combination of nationwide field experience and proprietary technology development, we continue to help utilities transform biosolids management challenges into sustainable opportunities that support operational stability, regulatory compliance, and environmental stewardship.
How do you support the beneficial use of biosolids?:
At Merrell Bros., Inc., we believe biosolids should be viewed as a resource, not a waste product. Our approach focuses on creating practical, long-term solutions that reduce reliance on landfills, recover valuable nutrients, and return those nutrients to productive use whenever possible. Through our patented technologies, including Solar-Thermal Pasteurization, Double-Drum Drying, and Pelletization systems, we help convert biosolids into high-quality Class A products that are beneficially reused as fertilizer, transforming a waste stream into a valuable resource rather than a disposal challenge.
Why are you a member of Northwest Biosolids?:
We are a member of Northwest Biosolids because we believe collaboration, education, and innovation are essential to the future of biosolids management. As regulations evolve and utilities face increasing pressure to identify sustainable, long-term solutions, organizations like Northwest Biosolids play an important role in bringing together industry professionals to share knowledge, advance beneficial use, and promote responsible stewardship of biosolids.
Our mission closely aligns with these goals. Through both our biosolids management services and patented treatment technologies, we are committed to helping communities transform biosolids from a disposal challenge into a valuable resource. Membership allows us to stay engaged with industry leaders, contribute to important conversations, and support the continued advancement of beneficial use throughout the wastewater industry.
What are you most proud of?:
We are proud of the impact our work has on the communities we serve, but even more proud of the people who make that work possible.
Over the past four decades, Merrell Bros. has grown from a small, family business into a national leader in biosolids management and treatment technologies. Along the way, we have completed thousands of projects, developed new patented technologies, and helped utilities address increasingly complex biosolids challenges. While those accomplishments are meaningful, what we are most proud of is maintaining our commitment to faith, integrity, stewardship, and serving others throughout that growth.
We are especially proud of our team members who work every day to help communities operate safely, sustainably, and efficiently. Their dedication, innovation, and servant-minded approach are the foundation of everything we do and the reason we have been able to make a lasting impact for more than 40 years.
