Marathon Equipment Company, known throughout the world as a leading manufacturer of on-site waste compaction and recycling systems, began one evening in early 1966 as Lawson Acton, refuse hauling contractor, and Jack Wright, a manufacturer of car washes, were talking over the back fence. Acton wasn't happy with the stationary compactors of the day because they were built like "battleships", with complicated electrical and hydraulic systems. Only the "wealthy few" could afford them, which automatically left out retailers, shopping malls and smaller industrial companies.