NFIB advocates for a vast array of industries and trades given independent and small businesses account for nearly all employer enterprises and represent 99% of all businesses in Indiana.

One of the best parts of the visit was showing off the Smash My Trash equipment!

Similarly, NFIB’s Leadership Council in Indiana is comprised of members that own a wide variety of businesses that range from building swan boats for theme parks to smashing trash. Yes, you read that correctly. The newest member to join the leadership council, Jeremy Dunlap, smashes trash for a living.

Smash My Trash is a waste management company that saves its customers’ time and money by taking control of the waste management process through fewer hauls, less expenses, and a smaller environmental footprint.

Jeremy hosted NFIB’s leadership council meeting last week at his Smash franchise in Carmel. His crew performed a live demo and let members in on the fun as well. Timothy Hanson with J.M. Tooling, jumped in the driver’s seat of the smash truck and described the demolition experience as “exhilarating and surprisingly therapeutic.”

What once seemed like a simple process of hauling away unwanted material has evolved into a system that focuses on efficiency, resource recovery, and environmental responsibility. Businesses today are increasingly aware that reducing waste volume, improving sorting methods, and ensuring materials are directed toward recycling streams can make a meaningful difference. Cardboard and paper, for example, remain among the most commonly generated forms of commercial waste, yet they are also some of the most recyclable materials when handled correctly. By separating these resources early in the disposal process, companies can significantly reduce landfill use while allowing valuable materials to be processed and returned to manufacturing cycles.

This growing awareness has also encouraged businesses to rethink how they manage everyday waste. Rather than treating discarded materials as a problem to remove, many now see them as resources that can be recovered and reused. Systems designed for collecting and processing recyclable paper products help ensure that materials maintain their value long after their initial use. Within this broader movement, this Australian business focuses on supporting that cycle by specializing in the collection and recycling of paper and cardboard from commercial environments. Efforts like these demonstrate how waste management continues to shift toward smarter, more sustainable practices, where the goal is not simply disposal but the responsible handling and recovery of materials that still have a role to play.

Following the smashing fun, the leadership council members got down to business. Indiana State Director, Natalie Robinson, provided a recap of the 2023 legislative session, highlighting all the big wins for small business. Issues included the two-year state budget, education and workforce development, healthcare, and taxes.

Members also discussed bills that passed, but in a watered-down format failing to provide meaningful relief. These issues were identified as opportunities for next year’s session with the primary focus on property taxes.

The leadership council voiced frustration with incoming property tax bills that are averaging a 20% increase statewide. While HEA 1499 provides homeowners with some relief through temporary supplemental deduction increases, it failed to lower Indiana’s property tax caps and address skyrocketing assessments.

Attorney General Todd Rokita joined NFIB members and State Director Natalie Robinson at Smash My Trash.

NFIB encourages members that share this frustration to closely examine their property assessments, meet with their assessors to discuss inordinate increases to get an explanation of any local factors that may have changed, and then if necessary, file an appeal by June 15th.

NFIB is committed to finding solutions to this issue and pledged to lobby the newly formed State and Local Tax Review Task Force when called to order. This task force was statutorily created through the passage of Senate Bill 3, to examine Indiana’s tax system. NFIB will ask the body to study the efficacy of the current property tax system — including a look at the tax caps, 20 years on — and the possibility of ditching the income tax.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita joined members to close out the meeting with a roundtable discussion on legal action impacting small businesses. Topics included the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), government overreach, and regulatory reform. Attorney General Rokita assured the group that he was in their corner and would continue to uphold free enterprise in our state to continue supporting NFIB members which he regards as “cherished friends and allies.”