WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS — The list of accolades continues to grow for brothers Drevian Arrington and Andre Willis, owners of The Trash Boys, a business they started in 2024 to help residents get their trash cans to the curb and back on collection day, and to help keep communities free of litter.
On Saturday, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) will present them with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for their resilience, vision, and hard work during her 4th Annual Small Business Expo and Conference at Tri-C Corporate College in Warrensville Heights.
The certificate cites “their outstanding achievements, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to community service."
Brown said in a statement to News 5, “The Trash Boys are an example of the incredible drive, talent, creativity, and hustle that we have in Northeast Ohio. My office is honoring them for showing what’s possible and for their work to build a stronger community.”
Brown’s office said the expo and conference are a way to help aspiring entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses.
It will feature a panel discussion with local business leaders and smaller sessions on topics such as contracting, branding, and financing.
Brown’s office said Amazon will give a presentation related to online commerce. Other participants include government agencies, organizations, banks and lenders.
In addition to The Trash Boys, several other entrepreneurs from Northeast Ohio will be honored.
The event is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending should register online.
I first reported on The Trash Boys in 2024.
The business idea was the result of a push from their mother and seeing other young people develop money-making ideas on TikTok.
My News 5 colleagues and I have followed their journey ever since, reporting on the awards they've received from various people and organizations in the community, their expansion of services, community service and the launch of a youth development program called Turning Trash into Triumph.
In our most recent story, Drevian said, “I feel like I’m a mentor, I just want to keep doing this the rest of my life,” when asked about the impact they're having across the region.
Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.
