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After five decades at the helm of one of Jamaica’s private and community-rooted waste management companies, Dorothea Gordon-Smith is preparing to hand over the reins of Garbage Disposal & Sanitation Systems Limited, GDSS, to the next generation.
She will be retiring by the end of 2026.
“I am in the process of executing that plan,” Gordon-Smith said, adding that two of her children are involved in the company’s day-to-day operations.
Founded in 1975 by Gordon-Smith and her late husband, Michael Gordon, GDSS has evolved from a single-truck operation into one of Jamaica’s largest waste management companies. The company offers comprehensive waste disposal, recycling, and sanitation services to both commercial and institutional clients.
Today, GDSS operates a fleet of 35 trucks. Gordon-Smith says she prizes the US-made International trucks for their sturdiness. GDSS also employs over 100 Jamaicans, and serves approximately 650 clients across 11 parishes, with offices in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Salem in St Ann.