A professional baseball player who left the major leagues in 2006 is finally beginning his dream of becoming a successful businessman, thanks to some contracts from International Paper, Memphis, Tenn., USA. Ashley Freeman broke into Major League Baseball by earning a spot on the roster with the Colorado Rockies in the early 2000s. Freeman played third base, first base, and outfield. He continued to play hard but left the game after a wrist injury in 2006.

 

Today he's competing in another ball game, and much like baseball, it has high stakes. Freeman started Allstar Recycling in Muscle Shoals, Ala., focused on green recovery from landfills, and recently secured his second contract with International Paper. This time he will be working a bigger job for International Paper in the city of Selma, Ala. As a result, Freeman will be able to expand his Allstar Recycling business into the city.

 

Selma community leaders congratulated Freeman during a news conference this past week. Freeman's business is about reducing landfill space, making money, and going green.

 

Freeman said that "we'll bring it from IP, and it will be in various loose forms like cardboard boxes and plastics." 

In the beginning, Ashley Freeman plans to hire 10 people with the hope of adding another 20 more or so down the road. Employees will make around $15 an hour. Freeman described his newest contract with International Paper as "significant" but more of a trial period for now to see how things go.

 

"We're doing three truckloads a day," said Freeman, who is confident he'll deliver just like he did for the Rockies 13 years ago.