Clean Harbors' Founder Parted With 1,265 Shares. He Still Holds Over 2 Million

Alan S. McKim, executive chairman and chief technology officer of Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), disposed of 1,265 shares of common stock on July 17, 2026. This non-discretionary transaction was executed to satisfy tax withholding obligations associated with the vesting of equity awards, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summary

Metric	Value
Transaction value	$392,884
Shares sold	1,265
Post-transaction shares (total)	2,262,615
Post-transaction shares (directly held)	30,154
Post-transaction shares (indirectly held)	2,232,461
Post-transaction value	$702.7 million

Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($310.58); post-transaction value based on July 17, 2026 market close ($310.58).

Key questions

• What was the nature of this share disposition?
  The activity was an automatic tax withholding event triggered by the vesting of restricted stock, a common procedure where a portion of a vested award is surrendered to cover mandated tax liabilities.
• How is the executive's remaining equity structured?
  The vast majority of the executive's exposure is held indirectly through multiple entities, including 2,065,368 shares in the McKim 2007 Trust and additional positions in the McKim 2026 and 2025 Annuity Trusts.
• How does the current market valuation relate to this transaction?
  The shares were valued at $310.58 per share at the time of the transaction, and the company has delivered a 36% return over the one-year period ending July 17, 2026.
• Does this move impact the executive's overall equity control?
  The disposition affected only 4% of the executive's direct holdings, leaving his total beneficial interest in the company largely unchanged.

Company Overview

Metric	Value
Share Price (as of market close 2026-07-17)	$310.58
Market Capitalization	$16.4 billion
Revenue (TTM)	$6.1 billion
Net Income (TTM)	$395.5 million

Company Snapshot

• Clean Harbors delivers comprehensive environmental and industrial services across North America through two primary divisions: Environmental Services, which manages hazardous and non-hazardous waste collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal, and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions, which provides complementary environmental solutions.
• The company generates revenue through a diversified service-based model that includes waste management operations, resource reclamation, environmental remediation, and industrial cleaning services, serving as a critical infrastructure provider for industrial and commercial customers requiring regulatory compliance and waste management solutions.
• Clean Harbors serves a broad customer base across industrial, commercial, and municipal sectors throughout North America, with particular strength in serving manufacturing, petrochemical, energy, and transportation industries that require specialized hazardous waste handling and environmental compliance services.

Clean Harbors is a leading North American environmental and industrial services provider with a market capitalization of $16.4 billion and TTM revenue of $6.1 billion. The company maintains a competitive advantage through its integrated service offerings, extensive collection and treatment infrastructure, and deep expertise in regulatory compliance and hazardous waste management. With TTM net income of $395.5 million, Clean Harbors demonstrates strong operational performance and profitability within the essential waste management and environmental services sector.

What this transaction means for investors

McKim is Clean Harbors' founder; he started the business in 1980 and still controls a stake worth north of $600 million through his trusts. Such a small number of shares being disposed to cover a tax bill on vested stock is a bookkeeping consequence of how he's compensated, and the price tells you as much: It landed exactly at the day's close, which is how withholding is calculated rather than how a real order fills.

The business, however, is worth more of your attention. First-quarter revenue set a record at $1.46 billion, adjusted EBITDA rose 6% to $247.9 million, and margin widened to 17%. Co-CEO Eric Gerstenberg said the company "began 2026 with better-than-expected first-quarter results," buoyed by both key segments: The hazardous waste side extended a long margin-improvement streak, while the Safety-Kleen unit caught a late-quarter jump in base oil prices. For long-term investors, that Safety-Kleen swing might be the thing to track. Oil pricing is volatile, as we’ve seen time and time again these past few months, and it's the reason management felt confident enough to raise guidance.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.