ROBERTO VALDEZ RUNS AN AMAZING BUSINESS recycling mattresses here in Fort Collins.

His heart is in serving those who are looking to rebuild their lives after incarceration or drug addiction. In fact, that’s how he got engaged with Spring Back Mattress Recycling in the first place.

He created a new life based on the support and leadership of Christopher Conway, his boss and mentor. I met Christopher as well, a sincere man who’s on a mission to serve the community.

Spring Back is rapidly growing in Colorado. With 80,000 mattresses being tossed in landfills each day in this country, they’re addressing a significant problem. That’s an amazing amount of waste which can be better applied to carpet padding, mulch, and reused steel.

This company began in 2010 as a project with Belmont University, and Christopher launched this non-profit in Colorado in 2012. From the very beginning, they’ve had powerful elements of social contribution focused on people, planet, and purpose.

To get a feel for how committed they are, you have to check out their factory.

Roberto’s brother, Alfredo, created this mural, and the one on the opposite wall is just as inspiring. You might say that this has just a little more impact than a little plaque hung on the office wall for visitors to see.

What’s interesting is that they’re not a Christian organization in the sense that a church might be. It’s just matter-of-fact part of their lives, with a deep conviction that everyone needs spiritual support as much as mental or physical. That’s exactly what they provide for each and every employee, no matter what turmoil they might have experienced in their lives.

This is not easy work. It’s hard physically, and there isn’t big enough demand for recycled materials. Declining oil prices have reduced the cost of new products for which these might be a replacement. That has led them to looking for alternative uses for what they can produce, while increasing their visibility to consumers with old mattresses. Many people are willing to give a few dollars to reduce waste.

As you’d expect, employees with spotty backgrounds could be inclined toward high turnover. But that’s where Roberto’s mission to help give them the support they need for rebuilding is crucial. That attention has directly reduced turnover while building a sustainable business.

Because Christopher and this company gave Roberto that second chance at his own life.