A year ago last November, St. Lucia was ravaged by a severe hurricane. Hurricane Tomas caused the Caribbean island to look like a war zone and destroyed part of the Jalousie Plantation Resort. That’s when Orenco Systems, Inc. swooped in and saved the day.

When nearly half of the 110-suite resort was destroyed by mudslides, its wastewater treatment facility was destroyed, too. They were in immediate need of a wastewater treatment plant in order to get the 60 suites not destroyed by the hurricane up and running in time for Christmas, the resort’s peak season.
Dana Ripley of Ripley Pacific Company, the engineer for the project, knew exactly who to call. Tristian Bounds, Product Manager for Orenco’s AX-Mobile™, which was installed for the project, says, “Dana has been a longtime friend of Orenco. We’ve worked on many projects together so Dana is very familiar with us and our capabilities.” The resort was looking at three different alternatives and even considered bringing in another package plant that was made of steel that had to be cut up. Bounds says, “What it came down to was nobody could meet the timeframe…except Orenco. It was a pretty obvious choice once we said, ‘Yes, we will get it done for you.’”

Ripley contacted Orenco on November 18, and the company’s employees worked eight 12-hour days designing and building the project’s two 42′ tank and treatment units through the Thanksgiving weekend. The system, which consisted of one primary treatment unit and one secondary treatment unit, was shipped out by December 2 and arrived in St. Lucia by December 18. Bounds and an Orenco technician flew down to St. Lucia and helped assist the locals in the construction of the project. Orenco had the project up and running by December 21, finishing the project in an unprecedented one month time period. “The interesting part about that is that half of the time was spent in shipping the units,” Bounds points out.

Normally, the engineering process alone can take a few months to a few years. Under normal circumstances, once Orenco gets an order, the typical turnaround time for manufacturing an AX-Mobile is two to six weeks. In the case of Jalousie Plantation Resort, Orenco actually had the product built and shipped before the order was formally processed. The engineer’s design and the manufacturing process took the two weeks that is usually taken up by manufacturing.

Working at an unprecedented level of service has been something Orenco has done since the company was founded in 1981. Orenco’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Scott Saulls, says, “We’ve been a company that has focused on the technology and advancements we can bring to the wastewater industry.”

In the beginning, Orenco produced equipment for onsite systems as its primary focus. Orenco Corporate Communications Manager Sandra Huffstutter cites Oregon’s large number of failing septic systems as the reason and the inspiration for many of Orenco’s innovations. The company optimized equipment to improve onsite systems and to bring modern sand filters with controlled time dosing and other improvements to the industry in Oregon in the early 80s. “At the same time,” Huffstutter says, “effluent sewer systems were beginning to be designed, installed, and discussed in the onsite wastewater world. Orenco’s owners did a lot of research and—together with Douglas County—installed one of the first in the country in Oregon.” As the company has evolved over the years, Orenco has catered to residential onsite systems and community scale effluent sewer systems.

With the AX-Mobile, Orenco is focusing on the mining industry and camps, disaster relief and the military. “We’re also working on incorporating a toilet facility into the AX-Mobile so it can go into those camps,” Bounds cites as one innovation coming down the pike. In terms of military applications, Orenco can supply units for small battalions and small forward operating bases of 50-300 people. “The military is really moving forward and trying to operate on a very green level, and water and energy are the top two critical elements that they’re really focusing on,” Bounds says. “Right now, Orenco is waiting to find out if we will be installing a treatment unit for the Department of Defense.” The unit would service the equivalent of 100 people in Missouri, as part of a three-month testing process before being shipped off to Afghanistan.

Saulls adds, “We see growth opportunities not only with these remote deployments—be they mining camps or other situations where they need a remote wastewater system—but we’re focusing more heavily on community systems, especially throughout the Midwest.” Orenco is finding that many communities are without sewer or are on septic tanks with leech fields where, as the communities grow, the systems can’t handle the growth. The existing solutions in these communities are failing and alternative technologies, like Orenco’s effluent sewer systems or decentralized treatment options, need to be looked at. “We’re also trying to tap into the international market that exists,” Saulls says, “We already have a global presence—we’ve shipped to 60 countries around the world—but we really want to strengthen that.” Little by little, bit by bit, Orenco Systems, Inc. is working to improve the world.

For more information visit www.orenco.com or call 800.348.9843.

Story by Megan McClure

Matt Utley, for Great Lakes Filters, explains, “We’ve been a pioneer in the filtration business since 1951, creating some of the industry’s most recognized products.” Great Lakes Filters, acquired by Acme Mills in 1974, offers a complete line of comprehensive filtration products and solutions.

Catering to countless industries, including chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and municipal water treatment, Great Lakes invented filters and filtration techniques that are now commonplace in the industry. Their filter bag is one such big innovation. “We pioneered those way back when,” says Utley as he provided a rundown of the filtration industry, dating back to the 1950s when filtration was done with woven materials. Then non-woven materials entered the industry. Non-wovens were less expensive and captured most of the filtration market.

Now, Great Lakes Filters is embarking on a new innovation destined to change the face of the market once again. “Great Lakes Filters was at the forefront and is going to be at the forefront of the nanofiber filtration market,” Utley says. “Nanofiltration technology will eclipse everything that non-woven filter media has been.”

The need for a new media and the desire for the nanofiber media, specifically, comes down to the basic fundamentals of filtration, according to Utley. The dilemma in filtration is: as the efficiency of the filter increases, the pressure drop or restrictiveness of the filter also increases. “This has been the rule of filters since the beginning,” he says. Now, our unique nanofiber filtration media reduces pressure drops dramatically while increasing filter efficiencies. This new media can filter particles down to 10 nanometers (1,000th of a micron) at efficiencies of 99.99%.

In applications that do not require ultra-fine particulate removal, the advantage becomes lower pressure drops. Substantially less restrictive media has ramifications seen throughout the process. Energy savings and longer filter life are two of the main benefits. “This really represents a spike in the technology of filtration,” Utley says, “It’s very similar to what we saw when going from wovens to non-wovens.”

Stephen Couchman adds, “We will initially offer six grades of filtration: three for air and three for water. These filtration grades will be able to capture 80% of straight filtration applications in the market, while maintaining the ability to develop custom applications when needed.” Couchman reiterated that this is a starting point for Great Lakes—“We start with better media and proceed in improving a number of applications.”

Great Lakes also performs comprehensive plant surveys and assists facilities initiating and managing their wastewater treatment programs. The goal is to save millions of gallons of water, resulting in saving our natural resources while adding to their bottom line profit. Utley explains that Great Lakes Filters is currently collaborating with a customer’s plant in developing a plan to reduce their wastewater by 75%.

Some of the major contributors of manufacturing waste streams are aqueous parts washers. As the wash water gets solubilized, meaning the chemistry of the water is no longer able to bring in any more oil, the water’s usefulness is exhausted and carried off to the facility’s wastewater treatment program. Great Lakes Filters has strategies for decentralizing the treatment of waste water.

The water is more difficult to process once it gets to the central processing tank of a wastewater treatment plant. “If we can reduce the amount of waste going there,” Utley says, “We can reduce the operational cost of the treating the waste.”

Typically, a safety or septic team will come out and pump a facility for approximately $.15 a gallon. Great Lakes has developed a method of processing on site for about half a cent a gallon and then reuse the water in their system. The result is green for everyone—both for the environment and the wallet. To complete the job, Great Lakes offers a skid-mounted, turnkey system with a small footprint of five feet by eight feet that sells for under $20,000.

Great Lakes Filter has developed a solid reputation as filtration experts and are often consulted by filter manufacturers to evaluate their products before they hit the market. Furthermore, Great Lakes Filters’ keeps an open dialogue with their customers to keep them abreast of the latest developments in filtration technology. The nanofiber media is the most recent to add to the list and another one that will change the face of the filtration industry.

Story by Megan McClure

When CEOs and managers send Christmas cards to customers, they usually select artwork with cozy candlelit cottages in snow-filled valleys, embellished evergreens surrounded by toys and gifts, or for the faithful, they perhaps send a nativity scene or religious symbol. Business owners in the construction equipment industry, however, have another resource—Idaho artist and Christmas card designer, Cindi Walton, of Walton Laser Graphics.

Walton packs a sleigh-full of holiday hilarity in her customers’ “Ho, Ho, Hos” and draws both human and animal characters for her whimsical cards. “My cards depict workers on the job, dressed in holiday garb installing, or pumping out porta-potties, using cranes, dozers and forklifts, sweepers, pavers, dump trucks, tow trucks and fuel delivery trucks, as well as concrete and other building equipment,” she says, “I also include a line of cards for companies offering janitorial services, rental equipment, temporary services and sales of canoes, kayaks and rafts.”

Kringle’s Jingles
Long-time customer, Jeffrey Cameron, of Johnson Environmental Services in Florida says, “Walton’s cards are unique and great for our industry. There is nothing else quite like them in the market as they are the perfect combination of holiday spirit and humor.” The third-generation, family-owned portable toilet and septic company has been a loyal Walton Laser Graphics customer since 1999—the first year the card company offered designs for the portable restroom industry.

As a design permits, Walton will inscribe the company name on that particular piece of equipment. Customers have the option of using one of Walton Laser Graphics’ greetings, or one of their own. The artist also offers a line of jumbo postcards for select equipment categories, as well as a line of T-shirts with a company’s logo or one of Walton’s designs. As a bonus, customers get a free sample T-shirt along with complimentary Tootsie Rolls with their orders.

The St. Nick Niche
Walton’s journey toward finding her humorous niche in the world of greeting cards began 19 years ago. “I learned how to use a Macintosh computer when I was a secretary, and became interested in graphic design. In 1990, after a stint as a real estate agent in California, I came up with the idea of creating a line of Christmas cards,” Walton says. “My husband, Lee, wanted to sell his building equipment company and retire, so he gave me his mailing list.” She had tried designing and selling holiday cards to her real estate network, but only got a few orders. Then, she and her husband made a friendly wager in 1991. “He bet that if I targeted his industry with humorous illustrations and messages, I would get a better response,” she explains, “I did, and Lee won the wager in 1992.” In just three years, her cards were selling nationwide.

The Waltons moved back to Boise, Idaho in 1995, to be closer to their aging parents. “I took my first art class there at the age of 30, and after 15 years of trying to fit classes into my family and business life, I finally graduated from Boise State in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree,” says Walton. “Because my business is seasonal, peaking between September and mid-December, I was able to make time to attend the university to hone my drawing skills during my slow sales period.”

MAC-Made Merry
In the formative days of her endeavor, Walton explains, “I designed the cards on my Macintosh computer, and we printed them one at a time in my home studio on my laser printer.” As orders increased, Walton’s husband made plates from her designs, and they bought their own offset printing press. Walton briefly outsourced some of the design work to freelance artists, and employed another artist to help with the mass printing work, but for the most part, it has been just the couple working together to grow the business.

Walton adds, “Today’s art and publishing technology allows me to make my sketches, scan them into the computer, and then re-draw and paint them in Photoshop—a very different scenario from the days of painting with acrylics and watercolor on canvas and paper. We need to keep less inventory now since we print just what is ordered on our Toshiba color laser printer.”

The card company’s marketing consists solely of mailing brochures and generating orders from the company website. “We’ve had good luck with our brochures over the years, mailing 200,000 yearly between 1999 and 2003. Now, the Internet is the main source of ordering and an increasingly vital component of our sales effort as we learn more and more about which key marketing terms will optimize our online presence,” says Walton.

Customer-Centered Cheer
Regarding future plans for Walton Laser Graphics and the effect of current economic challenges in the construction-related industries, Walton notes, “We took orders for 78,000 cards in 2010, and have seen about a 50% reduction in orders. But, in 2005-06, we purposely started to scale back to allow Lee to retire from his second career, and give me more free time, too.” Walton handles almost all of the business herself now, except for the holiday crunch when her husband helps with packing and shipping.
Walton has always embraced a business philosophy that she says is relationship-based. “Lee and I decided from the very beginning that not only would we work hard to give our customers a quality product with great service, but would always give them even more.”

Rose Crawford, of Crawford’s Septic Service in Pennsylvania, and a Christmas card customer for almost a decade, is happy to testify to the company’s high standards and customer-centered practices by saying, “Let me tell you, this company has spoiled us. The cards are so comical, we can’t wait to see the new ones each year, and our customers look forward to them, as well. Plus, we get T-shirts and Tootsie Rolls—so what’s not to love about a Walton-inspired Merry Christmas?”

For more information about Walton Laser Graphics, log on to www.waltonlasergraphics.com,
or call 1-800-700-0532.

Story by Daurelle Golden Harris

As Ben Westrick, founder and president of Servant Products and manufacturer of St. George’s Foam Shield would wholeheartedly agree, the topic of using portable toilets may not be one for polite dinner conversation, but it is sometimes an unavoidable fact of life.

“Several years ago, just after graduating from high school,” notes the Fort Wayne, Indiana native, “I worked in construction and industrial sales. My job took me to a rural area in Greensburg, Indiana, where there were no public water, sewer, or even private septic systems. The construction workers and I had to use the on-site portable toilets daily for a year,” says Westrick. “We all joked about acquiring blue-tinted backsides. In hindsight, however, the unhealthy implications of this latrine backsplash were really not that humorous.”

The Proverbial Light Bulb Moment
At some point in time we have all needed to use a portable toilet—whether at a work-related commercial or industrial site, military installation, sports events or outdoor festival. According to Westrick, although some companies have done a great job of upgrading their portable facilities over the years, most of the improvements have been purely cosmetic. Some companies paint or manufacture their units in cheerful colors, dye the liquid in the bowls, and offer sinks and hand sanitizers. But, until St. George’s Foam Shield, the Portable Restroom Operators, or PROs, have had no solution to address the unpleasant sights, odors, insect infestations and basic sanitation issues of the waste itself.

“One day, while doing dishes in my kitchen sink a light bulb went off in my head as I realized that some of the lighter-weight items I was washing sank and they were not floating back above the foam,” notes Westrick. “Even when I dropped items from a higher point, they did not generate any splash.”

It’s All About the Alchemy
Westrick soon realized that while his idea was unique and the concept was sound, years of research, development and hard work would be ahead of him before he could put his idea into practice. “At the heart of the challenge was finding a method of formulating a persistent aqueous foam that would have a reasonable shelf-life, that would repair itself when punctured to eliminate odors, and yet still be biodegradable,” says Westrick. “I spent countless hours mixing chemicals to find that perfect combination and not having much success until I researched patents applied for and granted, for similar foams and found one that had expired in 2000. I called the chemist/inventor who was an expert in aqueous foams and found that while his formula was targeted for use in landfills, I was confident it could be modified for use in portable toilets.”

While Westrick readily admits that he did not actually formulate his product, it is to his credit that he found a way to enhance the formula and apply its use to a different industry. By meeting with regional PROs, and getting valuable feedback, he learned that pleasing colors and scents are key factors that influence consumers in a positive way. But, this piece was only a small part of the portable potty puzzle and $35,000 of Westrick’s own money later, he realized he still needed additional time and financial resources to create a system for delivery of his product.

Successful Solution
Enter Dave Maier, design engineer at Odin Foam in Oregon. Maier worked for a company that manufactured pump-driven firefighting equipment, and Westrick says he was fortunate to have found them, “Dave and his colleagues designed and built a 12-volt battery-operated pump that combines our basic foam fluid with the necessary air compression at a volume to produce the needed foam density.” He goes on to say, “They were very supportive of my vision from the beginning of our relationship and I will always be grateful for this alliance. The Odin team’s faith in me saved years of R & D time and money.”

Westrick’s successful foam formulation coupled with the new modified pump, enabled him to launch St. George’s Foam Shield at the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo in Louisville, Kentucky in March 2011. “The booth was constantly busy as my six assistants and I demonstrated the benefits of the foam shield. I actually acquired my first three customers there.”

The PROs Bowl
St. George’s Foam benefits for the PROs include a two-year shelf life, 90% coverage of unsightly waste material in the portable unit bowls, quicker waste removal improving cycle times, and is available in a variety of colors and scents. The product’s expansion ratio is one gallon of to-be-foamed liquid equals 15 gallons of foam making it a lighter product to transport and using less fuel to do so. Westrick hopes someday to acquire an eco-friendly label for his product.

The St. George’s Foam Shield exclusive compressed air foam system (CAFS) equipment package includes a Brain Box, Honda/Rolair compressor, 20-gallon reservoir tank, discharge hose, suction hose and application wand. Westrick is proud to note “Our Brain Box is a “Made in America” product, as is the Rolair part of the compressor, I buy my chemicals from American companies, and the assembly labor is all done here. I definitely plan to utilize as many USA supplies and equipment as possible, incorporating the best because I want the best for my customers.”

And, as orders for the equipment package and foam continue to pour in, Westrick’s next goal is to add personnel to increase production, and reduce transportation costs by establishing his own strategically placed storage units and shipping hubs across the country. “When I can keep costs down for the PROs by eliminating third party distributors they will be able to generate extra income and get a healthy mark-up, as well as offering the best product available,” says Westrick. “I also plan to be an exhibitor again this coming year at the 2012 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo in Indianapolis.”

Will Effluence Result in Affluence?
Regarding the future of the portable toilet industry and marketing St. George’s Foam Shield in a challenging economy, Westrick, a devout Catholic, says that his faith gave him the courage to pursue this idea from its inception, and continues to provide him with the drive and optimism needed to succeed. “Rather than dwelling on all the negative economic news, I choose to focus on my desire to manufacture an environmentally friendly product that has the potential to increase business for, and positively impact, the lives of my commercial customers, as well as upgrade the portable latrine experience for (with no pun intended) the end user.”

For more information about St. George’s Foam Shield, please call 1-877-644-FOAM (3626), or visit www.stgfoam.com. For a video demonstration of the product log on to http://stgfoam.com/Foam.html

Story by Daurelle Golden Harris

When a temporary restroom makes it to the finals in a competition for the country’s best restroom award, you know it has to be a very fine portable restroom. Don’s Johns Presidential Luxury Restroom Trailer—yes, a portable toilet trailer—is among the top 10 restrooms in the running for America’s Best Restroom. Theirs is the only temporary bathroom in the whole lot. All the others in the contest are permanent restrooms housed in luxury hotels, 5-star restaurants and city museums.

If you’re in the portable restroom business, this is exciting industry news. It lies somewhere between “How sweet it is!” and “You’ve come a long way, baby!” And if you’re a customer or occasional user of portable bathroom facilities, you’re probably hoping to get one of those for the next big-time event you plan or attend.

“It’s an honor just to be the only temporary restroom entry,” says Conrad Harrell, President of Don’s Johns Inc., which has locations in Chantilly, Virginia, Washington, DC and Beltsville, Maryland. In fact, he believes a customer nominated the company’s luxury unit and may have orchestrated a campaign to get people to vote for the entry at www.BestRestroom.com. Unfortunately, ALW cannot announce the winner because the contest runs to September 19. The annual competition is sponsored by Cintas, a provider of full-service restroom programs for businesses.

You Have Come a Long Way!
Don’s Johns Inc., established in the Washington Metropolitan area in 1964 by Thelma and Don Rainwater, was one of the first portable toilet companies in the nation. Don, an entrepreneur who dabbled in a wide variety of small businesses that he’d get interested in and then sell, bought a small septic company in the early 1960s.

“Then he thought he’d start a little business building wooden outhouses,” explains Harrell. “When an order came in, Thelma would call downstairs to tell Don to build another one.” And when the couple divorced, Thelma held onto Don’s Johns and ran it successfully—an unusual step for a woman in those times.

Today, the company is run by CEO Kristie Harrell, Thelma’s granddaughter, and Conrad, Kristie’s high school sweetheart and now husband. Both of them had worked for Don’s Johns when they were younger, Kristie from the time she was 10, and both had high-powered careers in other fields before returning to the family business on a temporary basis—and staying on.

Harrell describes the transition, which was a little quirky: Thelma, who was running the show, asked Kristie, a Washington lobbyist at the time, to help her out for awhile during a break when Congress was out of session in 1992. Kristie helped out and never went back. Shortly after that, Harrell agreed to take a six-month leave from his consulting job to give a hand at Don’s Johns, and he never returned. After that, the transition was gradual.

Thelma Rainwater stayed on as long as she could, until she wasn’t able to make decisions anymore. That was in the late ’90s. Now, the company currently employs 75 full-time people with the addition of 10 to 15 invaluable people who work on a seasonal basis. As CEO, Kristie focuses on the “big-picture” and specific responsibilities in human resources and accounting, while Harrell, as president, handles the day-to-day aspects.

Service + Rental
Don’s Johns provides portable restroom services to a range of regular customers in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, as well as event rentals and services nationwide with a concentration on the Eastern seaboard.

“We’re doing about 6,000 services a week, with every service or product type a portable restroom company can provide,” says Harrell, which includes restroom maintenance or set-up. “It’s easier to explain what we do if we say we’re at the highest end of the food chain with the high-end portable restroom trailers, and then we provide the basic porta-potty for a construction site—and everything in between.”

Harrell goes on to say, “If any of our customers have any kind of restroom need, we have a solution for that.” For example, should a customer wish to have more modern amenities at a rustic cabin, Don’s Johns will install a small pumping system into a closet. “We can move things around so anyone can have a bathroom wherever it’s needed,” he says, “We’ve put toilets in a shack on the sidelines at FedEx Field when a Redskins player got a stomach flu.”

In Harrell’s view, Don’s Johns’ willingness to find a solution and to stay on top of the services it delivers makes the company stand out. “We would love to say that we have better products—and we do—but it’s the customer service that makes the difference. We just look at it differently than our competitors.”

Making History
The 2008 Presidential Inauguration, the largest temporary restroom event in United States history and the second largest in the world, gave Don’s Johns a huge opportunity to make its mark and accomplish an amazing feat. But to get the job, the company had to get past two major hurdles.

“First was to reach a body of influencers who believed they knew how many restrooms needed to be on the mall for the inauguration,” Harrell explains, “Second was proving to them that we were the best for the job—the strongest regional player, since the products were going to come from local resources in any case.” Those organizing the event believed they needed a large national chain and Don’s Johns worked hard to prove them otherwise.

“The folks handling the operational piece were easy to convince,” he says, “but once they slid the decision across the table, the decision makers thought we were too small a company, that they’d need something much larger.” From there, Don’s Johns strategy was to ask their most loyal and influential past and current regional customers to speak up on their behalf, which they did. “We got the event at the last minute, on Christmas Eve, because so many took the time to call and endorse us.”

A Close-Knit Industry
“Prior to this job, I worked in management consulting and was exposed to a number of different industries,” Harrell says. “I’m constantly impressed by how collaborative and fairly close-knit this industry is. I’ve enjoyed that.” He’s also brought it to bear on how Don’s Johns does business. “We’re constantly looking at best practices. I think that creates a ‘younger’ company where we are always growing and learning and that attracts a dynamic work force.”

Harrell also sees himself as a “fix-it guy” who finds a solution using a contact or spin when the odd problem comes up. “I’m a huge technology guy, and I’ve brought every piece of technology into this company that I could. But it’s shocking to me that it’s harder to hire a Class A mechanic or skilled CDL driver than a senior CFO,” he says. “In 2001, techies who needed work would come out, but they couldn’t hack it. Our drivers need to drive safely, work hard and connect well to our customers. It’s a difficult trio of skills to find in a person regardless of the pay. It takes a special person, and there aren’t that many out there.”

Harrell knows that valuing his employees is important and says, “Even though this industry offers good benefits and pay, the jobs are not prestigious. It’s hard work and it’s hard to attract good people,” Harrell says. “Hopefully, I’m not doing a lot of that because we’ve put together a skilled management team and hire people who really know their jobs.”

To learn more about Don’s Johns, Inc. visit www.DonsJohns.com or call 703.273.7100.

Story by Anne Biggs

One of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial vacuum loaders, hydro excavators and sewer cleaners is employing engineered vibration technology to improve off-loading of industrial waste, including difficult materials such as dry bulk powders, slurries and even thick sludge. The ability to quickly and completely evacuate the debris hopper raises productivity, while avoiding the need for worker intervention to successfully empty the entire load. The effectiveness of the technology from the Peru, Illinois headquartered Cougar Vibration is so well recognized that every industrial vacuum loader is specified with a 12V unit installed as standard equipment.

Since the 1960s, Vactor Manufacturing, based out of Streator, Illinois, has combined expertise in pneumatics and high-pressure water technology to design and manufacture its patented vacuum loaders and combination sewer cleaners for the municipal public works and industrial markets. The truck-mounted Vactor® brand sewer cleaning units are designed to remove obstructions from clogged lines, culverts and catch basins, while the Guzzler® industrial loaders have found broad utility in cement plants, steel mills, refineries, chemical plants and power generating stations.

Vactor is also an innovator in high-performance hydro excavators, a safe, highly productive and non-destructive excavation method. To suit the wide range of applications for its mobile units, the company builds every machine to order, based on customer specs.

“In these industrial applications, our customers could be dealing with fly ash, cement, sand, liquids or thick sludge,” explained Product Manager Brett Hart, “You might think of these units as giant shop vacs, used when other equipment can’t access a site. Operators can run the hose hundreds of feet to reach difficult locations and remove material.”

Hart said that the debris hoppers on the hydro excavators and vacuum loaders have a dump mechanism that rises to a 50º angle for off-loading, but often the contents resist emptying. “The vibrator allows the operator to flip a switch and break the surface tension, quickly evacuating the material,” he continued, “It reduces off-loading and clean-up time, and also helps avoid the temptation for personnel to intervene in an effort to extract the entire contents.”

Although Vactor uses four different vibrator models for various applications in its vacuum loaders and hydro excavators, all are designed and built by Cougar Vibration. Each industrial truck gets a mounting plate, whether ordered with a vibrator or not, so a retrofit is an easy bolt-on installation.

Three of the Cougar models are heavy-duty electric units, such as the DC-3200, a powerful design that’s well suited to dump trucks with a capacity of 10-15 yards, live-bottom tandem dump trucks that carry 15-30 yards, as well as large spreaders and vacuum trucks. It delivers 4,000 vibration cycles per minute (VPM) with 3,200 pounds of force, while drawing just 85 amps from the 12V model and 62 amps from the 24V version.

The fourth model is hydraulic, for customers who prefer that option. The HA4-3300 is a variable-speed unit with adjustable eccentrics. Capable of 4,500 VPM with 3,278 pounds of force, the motor is designed for minimal power consumption and low maintenance. Developed to create more force per size/weight, it’s suitable for continuous duty or intermittent work.

Partnering In Cost Reduction
The two companies have a relationship that spans two decades, working together on solutions for new products or specific applications. “Cougar has earned its place as a valued partner to us,” Hart said. “When we have material challenges, they review the details with us and make recommendations, sometimes giving us several models that we can test under field conditions. So our equipment is fitted with the best possible solution for a customer’s specific application.”

An example of that partnering concept came during recent cost reduction efforts by Vactor officials. Because the company provides its own mounting base and some wiring for the vibrator installations, they contacted Cougar to ask if certain elements of the standard installation kit could be eliminated to trim expenses.

Together the two firms reviewed the bill of materials for all four vibrator models currently in use by Vactor, identifying any parts that weren’t being used. By eliminating those components, Vactor maximizes its investment and saves an estimated $40 per unit.

“Over time, that savings is significant,” Hart concluded. “The type of vendor/OEM relationship we’ve developed with Cougar is critical to delivering the best value and product to our customers,” Hart added. “Anyone can sell you a vibrator.”

With a rich history that spans 100 years, Vactor has sold nearly 12,000 units worldwide, far more than any other manufacturer. Over the years, Vactor has firmly established its high pressure water technology, while continually evolving the company’s core expertise in pneumatic conveyance. Vactor Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation’s (NYSE:FSS) Environmental Solutions Group.

Cougar Vibration has been a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-quality industrial vibrators through six decades, supplying heavy-duty AC and DC electric designs that have earned a reputation for performance and durability. After patenting the world’s first 12-volt truck vibrator in 1964, vibration technology and material flow have been the company’s sole focus, furthering a long-term commitment to deliver the most rugged and reliable equipment on the market.

For more information visit www.cougarvibration.com, email cougar@cougarvibration.com or call 1.800.262.2106.

Terra Contracting, LLC, a Kalamazoo, Michigan based company follows six basic principles when conducting their business. Integrity, Safety, Customer Focus, Intensity, Training and Teamwork are all there in the story of how the company came to be, as well as the story of who they are as a company today.

Company founder Al Taplin bought the original company, then called A&B for $800 in 1952. Moonlighting as a machine operator, he worked two jobs until the sewer and drain company that is now one of several companies under the Terra Companies banner turned into a thriving business that his sons and grandchildren not only currently work at and operate, but that they can be proud of. One of those companies, Terra Contracting was named one of 2009’s “50 companies to watch” in Michigan.

Terra can handle just about any waste issue, and they are called in to remedy such issues as emergency sewer backups and flooding at construction sites after rain events. Terra Contracting President, Steve Taplin says, “In these times, we are called in to remove sand and sediment from storm structures washed in from rain events.” Terra also deals with sink hole investigations, preventative maintenance on collection systems to assist municipalities with annual requirements associated with collection system maintenance and hydro-excavation to assist with emergency water main breaks.

Taplin follows a sage piece of advice that he gleaned from his father, “Be proud enough of your work to put your name on it even if you’re the only one who sees it.” The elder Taplin became well known for his visible work, though, as well. Most notably he became known for his ability to put in a septic tank without leaving a mark on the lawn. He learned to make the first cut into the customer’s lawn, what he called “the key,” in such a way that when the sod was put back in place, there was no sign that any digging had occurred. Further, he would lay down plywood on the lawn so that the backhoe and trucks wouldn’t leave tire tracks. His attention to detail was impeccable. When he bought new trucks, he always picked white because the dirt would show easily and would serve as a glaring reminder that they needed to be washed. His trucks always gleamed as they rolled down streets and roads.

Many of those trucks come from Jack Doheny Supplies. The equipment is used virtually in all aspects of their business. Terra favors the Vactor combo unit, designed for vacuuming and jetting simultaneously. Typical uses include municipal sanitary/storm sewer cleaning, catch basin/storm drywell cleaning and wet well cleaning, to name a few. Taplin says, “From an industrial cleaning perspective, this machine can also be used for cleaning industrial process lines, perform miscellaneous wet vacuum services in any industrial setting.”

Taplin says, “For our environmental and remediation part of the business, the combination unit is a very useful tool for spill response, cleaning leachate collection lines in landfills and, in some cases, can be used as a component with Terra’s patented Sed-Vac® operation.”

Terra’s Sed-Vac® is a system for removing sediment and oil from water using industrial cleaning technology. Most notably, Sed-Vac® uses industrial vacuum loaders capable of pulling 5,300 cubic feet per minute at up to 28 inches of vacuum. The technology removes sediment with precision, automatically separates heavy solids, is able to work around debris and is quick to set-up.

Stanley Easement Machines are hydraulic driven units designed for accessing manholes in remote locations (backyards, fields, inside factories, basements of industrial plants, etc). These pieces of equipment work in tandem with the Vactor Combination Unit. It is a self propelled machine that allows the operator to clean sewer at remote locations without having to build roads and/or restore property as a result of driving large equipment across these areas.

As with the combination unit, IBAK CCTV equipment is used mostly for the municipal industry for televising sewer lines. The equipment is designed with a locator and inclinometer modules for measuring gradient of the pipe and to identify at the ground surface exactly where defects exist. Each unit is equipped with Pipeline Assessment & Certification Program (PACP) certified software to comply with the National Association of Sewer Service Company (NASSCO)’s standards for defect reporting.

Terra also uses Guzzler high velocity industrial vacuum loaders that are equipped with bag houses and positive displacement blowers designed for pulling wet or dry material and capable of pulling 27” of mercury at high CFM. Taplin says, “As with much of the equipment that Terra owns or rents, these machines are also used in every aspect of our business.” That includes WWTP vacuum work and industrial plant cleaning. “This equipment is a key component to Terra’s patented Sed-Vac® operation due to the distances and depths it is capable of pulling from,” Taplin adds.

No matter what the unit is, Terra’s machines are equipped to be diverse in their applications and outfitted with options like high dump chassis, large hose reels, additional tool storage and complete nozzle packages so that when the machine leaves the yard, it is ready to handle most projects without the need to run back to the shop to get the right equipment.

For more information on Terra Contracting visit http://terracontracting.net or call 866.354.8963.

Story by Megan McClure

David Zuidema can boast being in business for 90 years. Well, David Zuidema, himself, can’t, but his business, David Zuidema, Inc. can. The fourth generation, family-owned and run business began in 1919 and is one of the most successful septic companies servicing New Jersey, New York and the five boroughs.

Zuidema, Inc. has been working with the same company for many of their vacuum truck and parts needs for the last decade. Imperial Industries, Inc., located in Rothschild, Wisconsin, knows the length good customer service and reliability can go. Zuidema does, too. Not a believer in swearing or using profane language, he was instantly impressed with Tom Aerts, Imperial’s General Sales Manager, and was especially impressed with his phone manner.

Many sales people will use colorful language to convey a point, but not Aerts, “I thought ‘This is someone I’d like to do business with,’” Zuidema said. He also likes that every time he calls Imperial, he gets to speak to Aerts, and labelled the company, as a whole, reliable and true to their word. If ever there is a problem, which Zuidema said is rare, they stand behind it and work to fix it as quickly as possible.

In addition to friendly customer service, Imperial has been extremely accommodating with the type of trucks Zuidema has wanted for his company. To date, Imperial has built approximately 15 trucks for Zuidema, and he also uses Imperial to buy a lot of his company’s supplies, “Valves, pumps—anything related to the truck,” he said.

Zuidema, Inc. services septic tanks, grease traps and portable restrooms. Despite sewer programs pushing people with septic to convert, Zuidema hasn’t seen a drop in his business, but he’s certainly seen it happen to others.

He said, “People just turn the lights out. Companies just lose them—there’s no transition,” and those companies are then forced either to downsize or increase their service area, which is why Zuidema has included New York City in his business’ service area. Doing so, however required him to obtain a license from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Put in place after 9/11, Zuidema said, “It’s pretty extensive,” and it included background checks and fingerprinting for all employees.

“New York City is a whole different world,” he said, and Zuidema handles mostly grease pumping for a few major chains there. He said, however, that the company is only scratching the surface with pumping there, leaving room for growth at some point in the future, be it for himself or one of his sons if they choose to take over the business one day. “We are the closest pumper to New York City in New Jersey,” he added.

Sewer programs may force areas to dry up in terms of septic needs falling by the wayside, but Zuidema maintains that there is always business to be found. Stricter environmental laws have opened up a lot of business for Zuidema, Inc. Despite the fact that a town has switched over to a sewer program, Zuidema said about the environmental laws, “They’ve opened a whole field of work for us.” For instance, Zuidema will haul grease from restaurants and businesses before it reaches the sewer.

Zuidema, Inc.’s willingness to adapt to changes in the industry have kept them in business for the last 90 years. That, and personalizing their customers’ experience wherever they can on a continued basis to demonstrate they care.

Much like the little touches that made Zuidema decide to do business with Imperial Industries, it’s the little touches that make Zuidema’s customers continue to do business with them. They send out a card to customers letting them know when they’re due for a pumping, much like a dentist alerts their patients when they’re due for a cleaning. “We have a lot of repeat business,” he said about his roster of both residential and commercial customers. It’s clear that the little touches only help the already successful Zuidema, Inc. continue to thrive and grow in a sometimes tumultuous industry.

Story by Megan McClure

WasteBooks has been developing software for waste haulers since 1987. WasteBooks is an integrated module to QuickBooks that provides enhanced functionality needed by waste haulers in residential, commercial and roll-off operations. The software solution is designed to manage the entire waste business—not just your books, routing and billing.

The WasteBooks staff offers both experience and expertise in the software and waste hauling industries and have the depth to provide you with the best products and services available. Their staff is highly cross-trained in many areas with a consistent focus on learning new technology and its application, such as the upcoming online bill pay and customer service feature.

WasteBooks supports up to 1,000,000 customers with all route, pricing and service history. As a QuickBooks and Microsoft partner, the software integrates with popular programs such as QuickBooks, MapPoint, Excel, Word and Outlook. The owner of Best Sanitation described it this way, “Before we started using WasteBooks, every time we started or stopped a customer, we had to go into QuickBooks to shut them off, and then go into Excel to update every route the customer was on. We found several times where we were providing customers free service when we did not update each Excel route sheet. With WasteBooks, it is all in one place so that never happens. That alone paid for the software the first month.”

Call (800) 230-1694 to get started NOW!

Waste haulers throughout the country have added WasteBooks to their QuickBooks software for the two best software solutions for saving time and bring the accounting and operations into ONE software. In addition, WasteBooks now offers a Credit Card Processing solution to customers to lower billing and collections costs.

The WasteBooks team is comprised of individuals with accounting, waste operations and logistics experience, as well as network technical skills, and they are focused on developing a software program that is affordable and easy to use.

Also—ask about PocketManager: The complete GPS and handheld driver terminal. Rugged handheld scanners capture each point in the collection process.

Track inventory for each customer or from a master account. Barcode scanning and labeling options allow you to track from the work order to pickup and delivery.

Visit www.wastebooks.com or call (800) 230-1694 today!

Carrie Fox King, President and co-founder of Aglow Systems, first realized the need and idea for a solar powered portable restroom light at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2008. According to King, “We started questioning why the port-a-potties didn’t have lights.” What began as a question, led to a more serious conversation, and eventually turned into a two-and-a-half year project for the couple.

The idea, she says, actually came from her husband, Chris. “It was interesting timing,” King says, because he happened to be researching environmental lighting issues and LED light sourcing. King said her “a-ha” moment came while she was using the portable restrooms at Bonnaroo, at night, in complete darkness, “It’s really not as big of a deal to men. But for ladies, we want to see what we’re doing in there!”

She and her husband returned home, discussed and formulated the idea, and King made the decision that she wanted to go for it. She spoke to a portable restroom operator in her area who thought her idea was a solid one, and that was all she needed to run with it. She knew the industry was looking for ways to illuminate portable restrooms, and she was also aware of one solar light already on the market, but it required that a hole be cut into the ceiling of the unit.

Manufacturing the lights in the United States was something that was important to King, as was supporting American industry, despite the fact that she knew manufacturing them overseas would be cheaper. With the electronics sourced from Illinois, Firefly Solar Lights are built in the Kings’ Knoxville, Tennessee hometown.

To help cover some of those manufacturing costs, King launched a Kickstarter project. “We’re a start-up, and it’s expensive to develop a new product,“ she says. Kickstarter is a fundraising platform on the web that allows people to pledge money from “backers” while still maintaining complete ownership and creative control. It’s an all or nothing site—if a project doesn’t meet its pledge goal, it doesn’t get any of the money, and King is trying to raise $23,000 by mid-June. She says, “Firefly is kind of unusual for Kickstarter projects, but I thought I would give it a shot.”

King and her husband went to the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo two years ago with a prototype and willingness to learn even more from those in the industry who would be buying their product. Over the next year, their prototype saw many changes, and May 2011 saw Aglow Systems ship out their first round of Firefly Solar Lights.

Based on the feedback they received, King says, “The light had to be tough, shock proof, waterproof, weather proof, motion light activated…” and those are only a few of the suggestions King and her husband took away from the Pumper Show. But they listened.

The Firefly Solar Light absorbs sunlight via an oversized, extra-large solar panel, eliminating the need to cut a hole in the ceiling of the portable restroom. Instead, theirs has the capacity to absorb light through the translucent plastic roof.

In addition, King says, “It has a little brain.” The light has a mini-processor inside it that can read and monitor energy levels. Their engineers conducted a study measuring how much sunlight each state in the U.S. gets at various points during the year. The mini-processor has the capacity to read how much energy the solar light is receiving, and if the energy level gets low, the light can expel less energy in order to continue to working through the night, “It’s really reliable,” King adds.

The light attaches to the restroom ceiling using a semi-permanent cement adhesive, adding a measure of safety from vandalism and theft, which was another big issue the Kings heard from industry people. For even more security, there are two rivet holes in every light so they can be secured to the ceiling, in addition to the cement adhesive.

The sheer fact of having a portable restroom that can light up once the sun goes down is another measure of security, in and of itself, “We’re hoping it will deter vandalism since there’s some sort of illumination,” she says.

“We’ve gotten wonderful feedback,” and says they are marketing the Firefly Solar Light to all genders, but says, “For women, this is a great thing.” The Kings would also like to see their lights used in handicap portable restroom units.

King and her husband were only dating when they attended the Bonnaroo Music Festival that would prove life changing for them. Since then, they’ve gotten engaged, started a business and gotten married. “It’s been an interesting year,” she laughs, “It’s been sort of a crazy time, but it’s been really great.” And that’s only so far: surely there’s even better to come for the Kings and Aglow Systems.

For more information on Aglow Systems visit http://www.aglowsystems.com or call 865.312.7312.

Story by Megan McClure