Scooper Trooper, Anchorage

Scooper Trooper's crew turns dog waste into solid gold—as well as other forms of legal tender. Noticing that "everyone owns a dog up here," the company launched in 2003 and quickly found success. Though competitors have tried to follow, Scooper Trooper remains a fixture in Anchorage's dog-waste-removal scene by dispatching crews year round to clean the yards of suburban homes, apartments, and condos, as well as the grounds of businesses, parks, and kennels.