Stericycle, Inc.
A company that collects, treats, and safely disposes of medical and regulated waste for hospitals, clinics, and other businesses. It also destroys sensitive documents and hard drives through its Shred-it brand, keeping everything from used needles to confidential paperwork out of harm's way. Founded in 1989 by Dr. James Sharp after medical waste began washing up on New York and New Jersey beaches in the late 1980s, the name blends "sterile" and "cycle" to capture the full life cycle of safe disposal. Fittingly, the whole idea began as a classroom business-plan exercise.