Many successful companies operate on the premise that coming up with a new idea is virtually the same as giving the customer what he or she wants. Tom Aerts, General Sales Manager for Imperial Industries based in Wausau, Wisconsin, has noticed that the call is increasing for specialization in the custom tanks that they manufacture. “Orders for stock units are going down. Every year, people want equipment that is more specialized and customized.”

As a result, Imperial Industries manufactures a specialized six-inch aluminum debris filter that is available as an accessory attachment for tanks used in land application. The comb that filters solids in Imperial’s Ultimate Debris Collector comes in two spacing options to meet state regulations, and application is much cleaner and more efficient.

“The Ultimate has become very popular this year,” says Aerts. “It saves a lot of time and effort in the field.”

Along with customized equipment, Aerts has also seen an increase in orders for self-contained, slide-in tanks that were originally designed for the back of a pickup truck or a small trailer to service portable restrooms. Imperial Industries offers these portable service units in painted steel, aluminum and stainless steel and in 300-, 450-, 550- and 650-gallon total capacities for waste and water or for waste only.

Gayle Humphries, Owner and President of Best Enterprises in Cabot, Arkansas, has been designing and fabricating stainless steel pumping trucks and tanks for more than thirty-four years. That means he’s spent a lot of time thinking up ideas and innovations that benefit the portable toilet and septic pumping industry. In a time of increasing call for specialized equipment, Best’s ability to customize has given the company an advantage.

Humphries believes wholeheartedly that high-quality, well-maintained equipment is the surest way to make a profit in this industry, and he’s proud of the custom trucks and tanks his company has put on the road for his customers. He won’t hesitate to tell you about the first stainless steel tank he built in 1978, which is still on the job in Phoenix.

“About the year I built my first tank,” he says, “we perfected a system for putting a clutch on a vacuum pump and operating it from a switch on the dashboard similar to the air-conditioner switch.”

Hydraulic systems were developed soon after, but Humphries didn’t forget the air-conditioner switch from 1978, and the ease of operation.  “We now have developed a system of electromagnetic clutches that can be installed on a jetter or a vacuum pump [and] that allow you to run them either simultaneously or with a remote control. With this, one man can do it all. He runs the jetter and uses the remote to turn it on and off.

“It’s a whole lot easier to maintain than hydraulic systems,” Humphries says. “Since not many companies have people who can work on hydraulics, it means that a hydraulic unit would have to sit until someone can get to it. Our system, repairs can be made quickly, and you can be back in operation without a lot of down time.”

“Plants are continuing to pressure the contractor to reduce his hourly rate or improve productivity,” says Sales Director Tony Fuller of Federal Signal Solutions.

Headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, Federal Signal is the parent company of Guzzler, a world leader in industrial vacuum technology. Along with sister companies Vactor Manufacturing, Jetstream and Elgin Sweeper, the four make up Federal Signal’s Environmental Solutions Group. 

In response to the pressure, Guzzler has developed the Guzzler NX vacuum loader next-generation air mover. Where a standard vacuum loader will require emptying when only three-quarters full, the Guzzler NX allows operators to pump more and dump less.

“This is a highly efficient, low-noise-level machine, designed to overcome any lack of air conveyance,” explains Fuller. According to specs on the company’s website, the NX features the “industry’s quietest blower,” better fuel economy and improved loading with vacuum recovery technology, which allows for cleaning the baghouse while still vacuuming material.

Fuller also speaks of Federal Signal’s extensive training platform. Along with an array of Haz-Mat courses and OSHA training, the company provides training from job set-up to all aspects of operation.

“What’s a vacuum? It’s an equalization of pressure. The objective is to create negative pressure in the debris tank. Our training shows how to understand the process better and learn the tricks on how to make it more efficient.”

Jack Doheny Supplies oversees what it bills as the world’s largest selection of sewer cleaning truck equipment, street sweepers, and vacuum trucks from its corporate home in Northville, Michigan. It services what it sells from eleven key facilities around the country that are available to customers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

“We view our customers as being in an emergency business,” says company President Dan Weber. “A fuel spill or a leak or sewage overflow that affects the health and welfare of the community, that is an emergency situation, and we will respond [to] and support our customers.”

While this commitment is not innovative, the way Jack Doheny Supplies implements its services may be considered fresh. “What we bring to our customers is a multitude of ways of getting equipment into customers’ hands,” Weber explains. “We do it through multiple financing approaches, including in-house financing, rental-purchase approaches, and having a very diverse rental fleet.”

This cross-section of trucks provides Doheny’s clients with access to rent or lease equipment to handle a variety of specialized jobs—“when they haven’t yet developed the core business to support the investment.” Should that aspect of the business prove profitable in the future and should the client be capable of making the investment, Doheny offers his customers fair and reasonable lease-purchase terms.

“Our customers are able to create equity in the units and acquire the assets,” says Weber. “And no one else does it like we do. It allows them to enter markets that limited capital might not have allowed them to enter.”

Jack Doheny also offers “the most comprehensive and complete equipment overhaul in the industry” for worn sewer cleaning and industrial vacuum trucks. The company’s “remanufacturing” process rebuilds each piece to original equipment standards, so that the equipment works like new and can be warranted like new. The company promises to “systematically go through every component of your truck” and bring it back to “original performance standards.”

In an industry that often focuses on what we human beings discard or wish to get rid of, it is refreshing to find so many innovators who are committed to finding ways to build equipment for decades of use and who then provide service or will rebuild as a way to extend the lifetimes of these products even further.

Story by Anne Biggs

By Jim vonMeier
Right now, the spotlight is on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Obviously, no one wanted this to happen in the first place, and no one wants it to continue, but people will give different reasons why it needs to be stopped.  Some are worried that it will drive up the cost of gas (which it will); others see the pictures of oil-soaked birds and say innocent animals are dying.  Still others say their summer vacations at the Louisiana beach will be ruined. 
Regardless of the reasons people give, most do not realize how far into the future and widespread this damage is going to reach.  Even if it were stopped today and BP provided the 20+ billion dollars to help restore the region, the reality is that no amount of money is going to fix it, at least in our lifetime.
The damage is already hitting me in Minnesota.  I like shrimp, but the cost of these tasty little morsels has already gone up $2 a pound.  In Louisiana, people are canceling their vacations to the beaches. But the damage won’t be limited to the Gulf Coast, because the current will push that oil all the way around Florida and up the East Coast.  That will not only hurt the Atlantic fishing industry, but their tourism industry as well.     
The sad part is that we already had a solution to this problem more than thirty years ago: solar panels and tax credits for alternative forms of energy, proposed during President Carter’s administration. Unfortunately, the solution was short-lived, and many quickly abandoned these alternatives.
We ignored the oil/energy crisis; instead of building smaller, more energy-efficient homes and business buildings, we put up huge glass and steel monstrosities because they were attractive and all those windows allowed a better view.  We bought bigger and more powerful SUVs and glossy pick-up trucks.  At the same time, we put solar, wind, fuel cell and battery technology on the back shelf.          
The President at the time (Regan), reassured America that this was a good thing, because it was what we needed; but maybe, just maybe, if he had kept those tax breaks in place, there would have been enough incentive for us “little guys,” to come up with efficient alternative energy sources, and we wouldn’t have more than 50,000 barrels of crude oil pumping into our ocean today.   
Unfortunately, that is one of the negative effects of big business…the corporations sell what they have available and not necessarily what is the best solution—and because they have a lot of money, they can use that cash to influence the politicians who make the choices. The politicians, in turn, push big business’ products while stifling the competition. 
But the oil disaster isn’t the only crisis we are facing; our water quality and supplies are in serious jeopardy, the public just hasn’t heard that much about it.  Just as there were alternatives available then, there are currently alternatives that can help our situation now.
Large-scale treatment facilities are big business, and, like any big company, the goal is to get as many customers/sales as possible Just like the energy industry, however, these companies don’t always look beyond their year-end earnings report.  The massive discharges from our sewage treatment facilities are contaminating our lakes, rivers, and oceans.  And, because most facilities operate on the “take it from local sources and flush it downriver to the ocean” process, our aquifers are suffering. 
But you already hold the solution—a septic system.  When properly designed, installed, and maintained it will not only treat wastewater better, it will also return water to the aquifer where it originated.  
Every week, I get emails from homeowners around the country asking how to fight the big-pipe projects; two weeks ago, when I got a technical question from a woman who lives on one of the many barrier islands off the East Coast, I assumed this was the case.  So I answered her question, but I continued to tell her what would happen if the projects didn’t stop: over-development, environmental damage, depleting her local water supplies, etc.  
She responded to me and said, “You don’t understand, this project is already underway.  It was started a few years ago and is now about two-thirds done, but you are wrong on your timetable.  You said we would start seeing the problems in five to seven years.  Guess what? Everything you said would happen already has begun; the development, the tax increases, our wells…and it isn’t even completed yet!”     
This is a worldwide problem, but it is those of you in the industry who can fix it.  These homeowners who are calling me should be contacting you…or you should be contacting them before these projects get started.  I can help you fight them, but to be honest, often by the time I get the call, it is too late and they have already spent a huge amount of money on their environmental impact and engineering studies. 
The Gulf oil spill is the main focus in the media right now, but we (you) can use this environmental tragedy to show the world that big business is not always the answer…the small family-owned businesses can often fix things better, faster, and cheaper.   
Jim vonMeier performs educational programs directed at homeowners, teaching them the health and environmental need for proper septic systems and how to find a certified septic professional to inspect/design/install/maintain their systems.  He has also represented homeowners in their fights against public sewer projects and speaks at contractor programs around the country on the subject of customer service. He can be contacted at 763-856-3800 or jvonmeier@sepicprotector.com      

Story by Marie Elium

1-763-856-3800  jvonmeier@septicprotector.com

Industrial cleaning in the sewer or wastewater industry has never enjoyed a big profit margin. Toss in a dicey economy, and contractors look for every advantage to cover their costs and enjoy a modest gain.
For that reason, the development of industrial cleaning tools, water blasting, and inspection equipment has recently been driven by the economy. The development of new equipment has been modest, with companies either developing improved versions of reliable standbys or making adjustments to their existing equipment to make it work better and faster without sacrificing safety.
One company that has followed that trend is NozzTeq, of Dunedin, Florida. The company is a custom manufacturer of sewer and drain-cleaning equipment. NozzTeq’s newest product is the BL Swiper, said President and CEO Scott Paquet.
The BL Swiper was developed specifically to help contractors work more efficiently and quickly while still performing at the same high level that customers have long expected from NozzTeq equipment.
“As the economy changes, the cost to clean pipe or what the contractor gets per foot is much less,” Paquet explained. “So in order to make a profit, a nozzle that performs better so they can clean upwards of 2,000 to 4,000 feet a day is required sometimes. The general trend is that it’s getting more competitive out there for contractors, and even cities, to clean more feet per day.”
Paquet continued, “We developed the BL Swiper so we can provide that product [that] performs up most with the air channels and tube system we have always used. What’s different is the air channels and the material we make [them] out of. Also, we had the opportunity to apply for a new patent.”
The BL Swiper basically is a new, patented sewer nozzle that is designed to clean sewers and storm water pipes. The BL Swiper is constructed to “super charge” the cleaning effect “by using both the water flow from the high-pressure pump together with the jet streams. The water flow, through the pressure in the jets, creates a jet stream, and the jet streams create thrust through a number of channels,” NozzTeq explains on its website.
NozzTeq said that its tests have shown that the flow rate can be almost cut in half compared with normal flow needs. “The pressure has a direct impact on the cleaning ability of the BL Swiper. By increasing the water pressure, the thrust power will also accelerate, decreasing the total cleaning time,” the company’s promotional information claims.
Each water jet is matched with a channel; so a nozzle with four water jets has four channels, for example. By placing the channels in the center of the BL Swiper nozzle, the total force of both air and water can be directed into the pipe or tube to clean it in a cost-effective manner.
Another company, Super Products, based near Milwaukee, WI, is a leading manufacturer of the Supersucker truck-mounted industrial vacuum loaders, along with the Camel combination sewer cleaners, the Camel Jet high-pressure jetters and the hydro-excavator Mud Dog.
The company is promoting its Supersucker M-Class, which uses a modular design for what it calls its state-of-the-art vacuum technology. The modular design provides low maintenance, heavy-duty vacuum efficiency, and super airflow, and it promises the best performance in the industry, according to company literature. The M, or modular design, allows operators the flexibility to select the correct body size and the proper number of separators and bag houses to meet specific job requirements.
One of the leaders in the industry is the Elgin, IL-based Federal Signal Environmental Solutions Group, which includes Jetstream and FS Solutions.
“For water blast contractors, 2009 was a very tough year due to the overall economic turndown,” said Sales Director Tony Fuller. “Lower demand for all types of goods resulted in lower productivity at the plants. This, in turn, resulted in less need for industrial cleaning services.
“In addition, normally scheduled jobs were deferred wherever possible because maintenance budgets tightened as companies attempted to save their way to profitability. The market is more competitive than ever, both for manufacturers and contractors,” Fuller said.
As with other manufacturers, Federal Signal Environmental Products Group is finding that its customers are looking for ways to boost productivity.
“The biggest change in the market is a desire for increased productivity,” Fuller said. “Contractors are under pressure to get jobs done faster, without compromising safety or increasing price.
“Flow or GPM at a given psi correlates directly to productivity; the more water you flow, the quicker the material deposits will be removed. The limiting factor has traditionally been the human operator. Productivity is limited by the amount of water the operator can safely hold with a hand tool,” he explained.
So, how has Federal Signal responded to those changes in the industry? Fuller states that manufacturers have answered with more automated tooling that either eliminates the operator from the equation or reduces his exposure to high-pressure water devices.
“Jetstream offers a wide range of pump sizes and plunger configurations to maximize flow efficiency at every horsepower range,” he noted. “We have also worked with customers to maximize utilization of their existing equipment with gun manifolds. Multiple pumps can be easily combined for more flow when needed, so automated tooling can be used at peak GMP.”
That’s not all. “Seasonal industrial cleaning jobs [such as spring and fall shutdowns] are typically project driven,” Fuller said. “The variability in demand, increasing equipment costs, and the tightening of credit over the last couple of years has also negatively affected contractor growth.”
In response, FS Solutions has aggressively expanded its locations throughout the United States, he said. “We offer a wide range of rental programs for pumps and tooling so contractors can balance the right mix of equipment and people with less risk.”
As for the future, Fuller said FS Solutions is prepared to meet the demands of a steadily growing economy.
“As employment rolls begin to improve and the demand for qualified or certified labor and operators increases, FS Solutions locations are staffed with experts to educate and train equipment operators at all levels, in a variety of areas, including operations, safety, and productivity of both water-blasting and vacuum applications,” Fuller said. “Training is available online or can be conducted at any of our four locations through the United States with our state-of-the art, hands-on training module.”
Gary Poborsky is President of GapVax, which bills itself as “the manufacturer of the world’s most advanced industrial vacuum truck.” Based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the company has recently introduced a hi-dump industrial vacuum truck, which Poborsky said is in direct response to requests from customers who wanted a more efficient way to do their jobs.
“We decided [to make it] because of the numerous requests we’ve had from existing customers and potentially new customers wanting to have that [hi-dump] option available. They wanted something that was more stable,” he said.
GapVax has been manufacturing industrial vacuum equipment, hydro-excavation equipment, and municipal equipment (combination machines) since 1989.
The company manufactured its industrial vacuum hi-dump in 2009, and it debuted at the Pumper Show in Louisville in 2010.
“The hi-dump was a customer request so they can dump their payloads on the jobsite instead of risking being ‘overweight’ on their way to the dump with the industrial vac truck having a full load,” he said. “This way, they can dump into a roll-off container
with the hi-dump feature and stay on the jobsite, getting more work accomplished and not risking the overweight hassles.”
Poborsky said the economy has led to tighter budgets for almost everyone. “GapVax uses the best quality materials to manufacture custom equipment to give the customer[s] exactly what they want. Our machines are reliable and last longer because they are made from such quality products. Also, we have the safest design,” he said. “When you are using the hi-dump and have a full debris body, lifting the body in the air is dangerous, but with the superior design of the GapVax Industrial Vacuum hi-dump, we ensure the safest possible positioning from the design.”
The design has been so successful that GapVax is planning on introducing a hi-dump hydro excavator and a hi-dump combination machine, Poborsky shared.
Those who build machinery for the liquid waste industry are finding that their customers are working harder to do more with less—less money, less equipment and less manpower. Their solution is to bring equipment to the market that will help customers nudge as much profit as possible from the bottom line.
“They have a need for higher quality machines, high performance, and longer lasting machines because they are a huge capital investment,” Poborsky said. “They don’t have the budgets to buy equipment every few years. They want to buy better equipment that will last longer and have better performance.”

Story by Marie Elium

Families Fighting for Their Industry
By Jim vonMeier
Remember when plaster was used to finished interior walls? Art Beierle does.  In the 1950s, Art believed he had a lifetime of work ahead of him—until the early 1960s, when drywall was developed. 
Although plastering covered all the sins of the job and made for a beautiful finish, it was time consuming and labor intensive. Drywall wasn’t necessarily better; it was just faster, maximized profits for the developers and saved the homeowners a few dollars.  In the space of a few years, almost an entire trade evaporated. 
With a growing family, Art needed to find something to put food on the table, so he started working with his brother-in-law, who had started a business of pumping septic tanks for new homes.  It wasn’t long before he started his own pumping business, but he added a little something extra to it—while most of his competitors did the pump and run, he tried taking the extra time to educate his customers.  They didn’t always listen, but there were those who did (and appreciated it), and with those individuals, Art built a lifelong relationship.  
Art’s son Brad was born into the business.  He was riding in the truck with his dad while still in diapers, and when his dad hurt his back, Brad—at the ripe old age of eight—pumped his first tank (Art drove while Brad pulled hose). 
When he was right out of high school Brad, like many of us, wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, so he went to technical college to learn diesel repair.  After that, he floated from one job to another until landing at a bank.  But one day, Brad grew tired of “working for the man,” so he took what was (and probably still is) the longest lunch break in history. It wasn’t long after that Brad went back and asked his dad for job (for the fourth time). This time, however, he stayed, bringing with him new ideas and the enthusiasm that every business needs from time to time.  They got bigger and better trucks, and, with Brad’s college knowledge, he was able to modify them to perform even better.    
By the time Brad was in his thirties, computers were becoming necessary. Art didn’t feel like learning these “new-fangled gadgets,” so Brad began to lead the company. 
In 2003, Brad and Art got into portables with Brad’s wife Dawn running it.  They have actually taken big contract jobs (Colorado International Speedway, the numerous spring/summer/fall festivals) away from the large portable players—not because they under-bid them but because they offer better service.  And all three of Brad’s daughters are involved in the family business (his first helped him pump a tank at nine years old).     
Brad has also taken it upon himself to get NAWT certified, something most only do if they have to, but Brad wants to do the job right. 
Now, however, Brad’s family business is being threatened by progress and ignorance. Colorado, like most of the country, had a huge housing boom in the 1990s, with developments going up all around the Denver area. At that time, however, the Colorado septic regulations were outdated, and the required skill levels for being a contractor were minimal. Many of the systems going in were doomed to fail, and they have. 
According to one report, 66 developments have significant failure rates. As a result, many homeowners are now hoping to become hooked up to a treatment facility.  Brad is smart enough to know that if the big-pipe goes in, a plant will not just be built for those developments. They will start running those mains from one development to the next and picking off every home along the way.  As a result, Brad will lose his local customers forever and his cost of doing business will dramatically increase because he will be forced to drive further out to find more customers. 
But Brad and his family do not just see the process as losing out on business, to them, it is an environmental cause as well.  They have seen the pollution damage these plants do, and they realize Colorado water supplies are already in jeopardy. With more plants going online (and discharging Colorado water down river to the oceans), they will seriously damage the future for all Colorado residents. 
Brad and his family are getting ready to fight back.  He is volunteering his time/expertise by working with the regulatory people to update their septic codes and will be attempting to organize the contractors in his area to work together to solve the current problems.    
He is also helping to organize educational programs for the communities so they can make the right choices; he hopes to have the programs up and running this summer. 
Unlike Brad, Don McAllister was not born into this business; he initially owned the Livestock Feed and Supply Company. In the 1980s, the Iowa farming industry began to slowing down, and by 1989, he needed part-time work to augment his income, so he began working with an elderly gentleman who did septic pumping.  A year later, the boss retired, and Don bought the truck. As a bonus, the boss threw in his customer list.  Eventually, in 1991, he branched out into the portable industry as well.
Much of his pumping work was turning into repairs, and he knew why: installers were giving their work away and weren’t doing the job right in the first place.  As such, Don added repairs and tank replacements to his list of services.  
As his business (and revenues) grew, he elected to hit the Pumper Show, and the effects were predictable—when he saw all the toys, he was amazed at how vast, advanced, and far reaching this industry was.  Not only did he see the value in proper equipment, but it encouraged him to join the Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association to get trained and certified in system design/install—he even got certifications from NEHA. 
With the number of repairs he did, he knew right away he wasn’t going to be the cheapest, but he was going to do it right.  And although certification is not required in every area, he still gets certified and requires his crew do the same. 
Today, they do it all: Don’s son Jeremy, like Brad, started out in the truck in grade school.  Now, at 35, he runs the install portion of the business.  Daughter Tera handles the phones and scheduling.  Wife Karen deals with the books and red-tape that goes with running a business. 
They also employ Kristy, who handles the portables, and two others—one for installs and another who handles pumping and fills in wherever needed. 
Although the economy is down, they still manage to do well. However, Don and his competition are now facing an enemy that is far more dangerous than a down economy or a sewage treatment plant.
Not long ago, Don got a call from Andrew Johnson, a contractor who worked a few counties away.  Andrew’s father had started RJ’s Plumbing and Heating in 1982.  The septic side of their company does installs, pumping and repairs (the county sanitarians do the designs per their county regs).  This is a family business as well.  
Andrew learned about something that may affect both his and Don’s businesses. In this part of Iowa, they have to go deep, approximately 7,000 feet, to hit water, and it is not the best quality. As a result, several years ago, a nonprofit company was formed to harvest surface water and deliver it to those homes and businesses that chose to tap into it.  Today, they have 3,600 miles of pipeline supplying water to over a dozen counties.  They have also built and currently operate several municipal treatment plants—and now they want to get into the septic industry. 
The plan is that when the homeowner needs a system, the organization will have the county sanitarian design the system, and then they (the organization) hire the contractor to do the installation.  After completion, the organization will own the system, and the homeowner will pay a monthly fee to cover service, operation, maintenance and future replacement.   
There are several potential problems with this plan:

• The new company would pick which contractor would do the work, not the homeowner.  
• The company would also control the price.  That means the contractor would have to agree the job was only worth a certain amount, but what happens if none of the contractors on that chosen list agree that the price they are given is fair? 
• And what if you don’t make it on that chosen list, or do not get along with someone who makes the picks?   

I actually talked to one of the people with this organization, and he seemed like a sincere and honest man who did not want to hurt the independent contractors, but that is one individual who will not always be there. What if the next person has no regard for the local contractors?  Growth and taking advantage of opportunities is a natural progression of any business. 
Not many individuals will turn away work. The same idea applies here.  A few years down the road, a new director may come in with the attitude that growth for them is more important than protecting a handful of independents, and work will be lost.    
Brad’s fight in Colorado will be fairly easy because all he has to do is tell the homeowners the truth about price: $5,000 to $15,000 for a septic system or $30,000 to $60,000 for the pipe.  He can also use public perceptions of how government-run projects are routinely mismanaged, suffering major delays and escalating costs.  It doesn’t hurt that people already feel they are overtaxed and over assessed.     
However, Don and Andrew are going up against a non-profit, and that is a different story.  To many, the term non-profit means two things: the company is dedicated to a cause, and if no one is making a profit, it means individuals are receiving services at rock bottom prices.  Of course, if you have ever seen a study on non-profits, you know that is not the case.  With the big charities, the workers may be doing it for free, but the operators are not; they get paid and some of them get paid very well.   
Remember that even a non-profit has to make a profit if they are going to keep operating. They can often undercut the independents because they don’t have to pay any federal taxes.  And, a non-profit has easier access to grant money. 
While many non-profit companies can secure grants, family businesses, like Don’s, Andrew’s, or Brad’s must pay for improvement or repairs from their own profits. These individuals cannot afford to provide services for customer’s who cannot pay—they do not have the option of using grant money.  Additionally, family businesses have to pay taxes on the money they make. It is no longer a level playing field for the independents; in fact, it is an uphill battle for them if they don’t fight back. 
About the only defense independent contractors have is to point out to the homeowners if this is allowed, the independents will be forced out of business and that means no competition—and competition is what keeps pricing fair and encourages higher levels of service.  They can also explain that the organization will make them pay a monthly fee and will own that piece of their property.  And if they get to the point where they own it all, they could easily change from a non-profit to a for-profit.     
Clearly, this industry is very often a family-business enterprise.  But it is also clear that more and more of these family businesses are facing difficulties with the influx of larger enterprises and non-profits into the industry.  This trend is forcing these families to fight to remain solvent; in order to continue serving their loyal customers and in order to avoid losing their livelihood, these families are “fighting back” and becoming more proactive.

Jim vonMeier performs educational programs directed at homeowners teaching them the health and environmental need for proper septic systems and how to find a certified septic professional to inspect/design/install/maintain their systems.  He has also represented homeowners in their fight against public sewer projects and speaks at contractor certification courses around the country on the subject of customer service.  1-763-856-3800  jvonmeier@septicprotector.com          

It seems the only thing the folks at Russell Reid don’t plan for is good fortune. They study every aspect of the waste management industry, meet annually for a management retreat to strategize for the year ahead, carry out an acquisitions program, reinvest in the company according to long-term goals for managed growth, and carefully tweak operations and marketing to fit their business model.  As a result, the 67-year-old company enjoys a significant amount of—you guessed it—good fortune.

Maybe the lesson here is that good luck comes to those who work their tails off and leave nothing to fate.

“We are the third owners of the company, started in 1943, by the original Russell Reid,” says Gary Weiner, President and Chief Operating Officer for Russell Reid. When his father, entrepreneur Morton Weiner, acquired the company in 1981, “we were operating exclusively as a portable toilet rental company and figured it would be a good fit.”

Morton and his brother David had started Mr. John portable toilet rentals [www.MrJohn.com] in 1964. Their first unit was built of plywood, the holding tank a 55-gallon drum with a hole cut in its side. From that humble and sort of scary beginning, a company was born that now has seven locations and nearly 250 employees.

Finessing the fit
Both companies were based in central New Jersey, and, like Mr. John, “Russell Reid was a service-based company,” explains Gary. “It came with two 3,000-gallon vacuum trucks and two metal boxes of index cards that represented customer accounts. It also came with a tremendous amount of goodwill. We opted to hang onto the [Russell Reid] name and branded it. Later, we adopted and trademarked a slogan, ‘Responsible Wastewater Management™,’ because we wanted to tell our customers that they’d be in good hands. Our book of business began to grow.”

Around this time, “Another dynamic was occurring in New Jersey. New regulations virtually outlawed the disposal of septic waste on farmers’ fields or in landfills. That opened the door to a number of smaller companies wanting to exit the business.”

Over the years, Russell Reid has acquired many similar smaller scale companies that were good fits and that allowed the growing company to expand the range of services it could offer to customers.

Gary explains: “The same trucks and workers could operate in other markets, from residential to commercial and industrial work.” That includes—but isn’t limited to—pumping leachate at landfills and grease for restaurants, cleaning out a drain at someone’s home or inspecting municipal sewer lines.

Gary rattles off “tanks, pits, pumps, sewers, sanitary, and storm”—the quick list of what Russell Reid does. “We have a number of combination sewer jet vacs that are more expensive and complicated. We got into that carefully.”

He anticipates that as the infrastructure in the Northeast ages, Russell Reid may expand its services to include relining and rehabilitating sewer conduits.

Centralized for “economies of scale”
Russell Reid is a full-service waste management company providing collection, transportation, and disposal of solid and liquid waste to all of New Jersey, metropolitan New York and Long Island, Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania, and northern Delaware. 

Russell Reid and Mr. John share around 100 management and support personnel, and their 150 field service employees are co-branded and cross-trained. Of the companies’ seven locations, five are fully staffed service centers with a service manager, operational support staff, equipment maintenance personnel, and field service techs. Dispatchers and customer service personnel staff a central logistics department that pushes all work out to the service centers electronically, while financials and sales and marketing are also centralized.

“All customer relations, logistics, billing are done from a central location. We process [the work] here [and] push it out to the branches, where it is executed. Then it flows back for updating, processing, and billing,” says Gary.

Doing the right thing
Having grown up in the business, Gary likes “the change, the innovation, the challenge, being a leader.”

“I like the enthusiasm and excitement that industry professionals derive out of an industry that is often seen as mundane, obscure, and irrelevant.”

At the same time, he is realistic about the effort required to be successful. “The margins are very, very thin; the marketplace is unbelievably competitive; and there really are no trade secrets. It’s very challenging to create and build a sustainable model that allows the business to reinvest in itself. It’s not, by any means, easy. We made a commitment early on to be Best in Class, [and] we’ve been investing and re-investing from an early stage.”

He continues to be devoted to “making a not-very-sexy industry memorable. Our brand has excellent name recognition in the state of New Jersey. We have very high moral standards, a high level of integrity, and are environmentally responsible. We do the right thing. And if we don’t, we make it right.”

Find out more about Russell Reid at www.RussellReid.com  or 800.356.4468.

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Sidebar
An industry of ideas
American Liquid Waste: What’s the most significant advancement you’ve seen in the industry?
Gary Weiner: Solar light in the toilet…Actually, when we were at the pumper show [Pumper & Cleaner Expo, February 2010, in Louisville, KY], I saw a completely robotic video-inspection ’droid camera, self-propelled and wireless/cableless. I think it was mapping the sewer system. It could process everything it saw as well.

My brother Mitchell said [of the pumper show], “it’s a place of ideas.” That’s where you can really see the creativity and innovation to address the needs of this industry. It’s really come a long way.

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Story by Anne Biggs

People love their septic systems—or at least don’t mind them. When properly maintained, the lowly septic system is an efficient, if not especially glamorous, underground workhorse. The big selling point? No city sewer bills to pick away at the family budget. Do a load of laundry, flush a toilet, and empty a bathtub; everything just drains away to…somewhere else.
When people do not maintain their septic systems—and you know who you are—that’s another matter. A broken pump, blocked line or a poorly draining leach field is more than just a stinky inconvenience. The matter becomes a health issue, an odor issue and possibly a huge bank account issue if a leach field has to be rebuilt.
Fortunately, septic system owners have an ever-expanding array of monitors, safety screens and filters to help them keep track of how well and efficiently their systems are operating. With these high-tech devices, homeowners—from within the comfort of their own living rooms—can know instantly if there is a problem with their septic systems. Those on the go can get the messages sent to their cell phones, too. The excuses are gone.  There are several companies that are providing new and innovative solutions.
Dave Couture is pump division sales manager for PolyLok, a Wallingford, Connecticut, company that distributes an impressive array of accessories and equipment for those in the septic industry.  PolyLok, like others in the industry, offers alarms that are triggered when a filter or system is not working properly. Some alarms are wireless, using a device that is installed in the system and operated by a battery. Others require a bit more installation work such as running electrical conduit that connects the alarm to a buzzer in the owner’s home.
Couture said Minnesota is one of several states that have begun requiring new and retrofitted septic systems to have alarms and similar monitors installed before gaining approval. He sees the trend continuing. In many areas, regulations include requirements for alarms on filters, too.
In the past, Couture and others who make components for onsite systems have said that too many septic systems have endured years of little or no maintenance. Filters are especially important because they remove solids and protect the customers’ leach fields.
While PolyLok recommends that homeowners have a professional install the monitors to ensure they meet any local codes, he said it is a simple job that some people choose to do themselves. The cost of the alarms, filters and monitors is relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to the alternative of rebuilding a leach field.
“It makes sense to use one when you have a very expensive leach field out in your yard. You would not want to redo that leach field if a couple-of–hundred-dollar alarm with a filter would keep that from happening. It is a protection of your investment.”
Unfortunately, unless localities require such monitoring systems, many people will continue to leave them out of their septic systems.
“A lot of people want to cut costs on everything, and if it is not mandatory, they will not do it. An initial little investment up front is definitely worth it in the long run,” he said.
Other accessories that have become popular in the industry have to do with safety—keeping people and animals out of septic tanks.
To that end, PolyLok and other companies make safety screens, screw-on lid covers and padlocked tops for tanks. Again, mandates for such obviously necessary safety devices are hit or miss, depending on the area.
One of these companies, the BrenLin Co. of Herman, Minnesota, is promoting its Seal-R Ring and Seal-R Lid, two devices aimed at making maintenance easier and cutting installation costs.
The Seal-R Ring is a lightweight, polyurethane sealing ring for septic tanks, according to the company’s website. The ring, which creates a watertight seal between the tank top and riser pipe, allows each to be installed easily and quickly with polyurethane foam sealant. The seal is a barrier to groundwater and prevents leaks into the tank.
The Seal-R Lid is a cover for plastic dual-wall riser pipes. The sturdy cover installs quickly with screws and has a gasket to prevent groundwater from seeping in. The lid is lightweight, so service can be accomplished without heavy lifting.
To work efficiently, septic systems need to be properly maintained and monitored. But looks count, too.  To that end, Couture said his company has several styles of artificial rocks—fiberglass and plastic decorative landscape stones—that help hide septic vents and well covers. He said the rocks have been well received. At a recent trade show, in fact, few people could resist touching the rocks that were on display; they look so realistic.
Gary Koteskey of Sim/Tech Filters in Michigan oversees another company that is an industry leader for septic components. The company is promoting a pump vault that can be used as a filter tower. The device also has applications as a step system for a septic-effluent pump.
“The big advantage we have is we can filter wastewater before it comes into the vault. We use standard filter tubes. The two-inch vertical standing pipes become our guide rail, and they extend above the water level in the tank. These are all exposed, and you can service the filter more easily,” Koteskey explained.
“Nobody else has done this in the industry. You can just slide these tubes off. We also make a maintenance tool, or stopper, that can slide into the two-inch pipe. The tool closes off the intake holes into the vault. It assures that no debris enters the vault when someone is servicing the filter tube or pump vault,” he added.
Sim/Tech also has brought to the marketplace a device for accurately determining the amount of sludge in septic tanks. Koteskey said those who maintain onsite septic systems have been hampered because they do not have tools that consistently and precisely measure or sample wastewater and other fluids. Sim/Tech’s TruCore changes that. The design permits a contractor to take a sample without creating excessive turbulence in the vault.
“Because there are no restrictions caused by valves, stoppers (or) flaps…fluid is allowed to flow freely and virtually undisturbed into the sampling tube, creating a true core sample of the contents of the tank,” according to Sim/Tech officials.
“TruCore also has a relatively large sampling capacity compared to other sludge core samplers on the market,” Koteskey continued.
Filters, alarms, monitors and similar controls—all of which are relatively inexpensive—are vital to the proper operation of septic systems. The best way to keep an eye on how well a system functions is to have someone else—or something else—do it for you.

By Jim vonMeier
This is the time of year where my inbox is flooded with, “We have a big wet spot in the yard…the toilets are flushing slowly…we had six inches of sewage backup in our basement.  What should we do?”  My first instinct is to answer: “Buy a new house.” 
But I know most of these people would fail to see the humor, so I skip it and tell them the first step is to find a good, certified contractor and have the system assessed to see what the problem is.  Is it a mechanical problem, like a plugged baffle or line, or is it an operational failure, like a leaking faucet overloading the system? 
Another possibility is a design problem; if the tank is too small, it won’t allow for proper settling/storage of solids, and solids will be flushed out to the soil system.  If the soil system is too small, it won’t meet the daily flows from the house.  Or it could be something more serious, like an old cesspool that is not only illegal in most parts of the country, it is a danger—from cave-ins—to anyone in the house or neighborhood.  The only way to determine what the problem is would be to call in a pro.   
Naturally, some individuals have a distrust of contractors because of the horror stories circulated throughout the neighborhood, “I used to work with this guy, and his brother had an uncle whose best friend called a contractor out to pump his tank, and the guy failed it and turned it over to the county.  They came out and told him he needed to put in a new $30,000 system.  Didn’t have the money and lost his house.” 
Hear a few stories like that and people will quake in fear just looking at the yellow pages.  I tell them those horror stories make the rounds, just like in any other industry …but the problem is, I have never actually known anyone that it has happened to.  Yes, there have been cases where someone is selling a house, and they were too unknowledgeable (or cheap) to have their system updated before they put a price on the house and listed it. Then, they got caught at the point of sale and had to shell out the big bucks to have it done before they could transfer the property. But the average homeowner with a problem? Nope, never seen it. 
The truth is, most contractors do not want to be the septic police; their jobs are to fix systems, not make enemies.  They also have to live and work in your neighborhood, and if they start reporting people, they won’t be working long.  I tell them they are going to need to trust someone sooner or later; they may as well do it now or stock up on the rubber boots and air freshener. 
In some cases, people have said, “The contractor walked around the backyard for three minutes and said I needed a new system and then left.”  My reply: “Chances are, that guy has been working in your neighborhood for years and already knows all the systems on your street are faulty, and the only real solution is a replacement. It would be more frustrating if he spent three hours digging up your yard and then told you the same thing while handing you a bill for a half- day’s work.  He did you a favor.” 
But I do agree that not all contractors handle the bad news in the best manor.  If the system does need replacing, you shouldn’t just hand the homeowners huge estimates and walk away like writing out a check for thousands of dollars is no big deal.  You need to tell them why it is in their best interests to get the system repaired properly, starting with the pollution issues from an improperly designed system. 
My favorite method is telling them that it could be contaminating their well, and “You could be drinking today what you had for dinner last night.” That usually gets them a little green around the gills.  I’ve even triggered the gag reflex a few times when I tell them about people who have had their bogus systems replaced and two weeks later, their wells ran dry. Crude, but effective.          
When they ask how this could happen, I tell them states have ignored septic systems for years because sewage is not a popular topic of conversation and, contrary to popular opinion, the health departments don’t want to force people out on the street over a bad system, so they have let homeowners slide.  That doesn’t mean you can go on indefinitely flushing your toilet into your neighbor’s yard because things are getting tighter, but in most cases, they will work with you to help solve the problem.     
However, don’t just give homeowners the bad news; follow-up with the advantages of a proper system: not only will they be able to sleep better at night and reduce pollution, it will also raise the value of their homes without raising their property taxes.  Bonus round. 
But let’s say you get the call and, after assessing the system, it comes out clean per code requirements; it is just slow/failing because of abuse. Something you should offer is a tune-up, using the analogy, “You have to tune-up your car; your septic system needs the same type of maintenance.” 

• The tank should be inspected and pumped if necessary. 
• The distribution box should be checked for cave-in or settling out of level.
• The lines from the distribution box should be checked and, if warranted, jetted to clean them of any potential obstructions.
• The next step would be to use an additive to treat the soil area.  Most contractors have products they like for this purpose.  In the old days, using acids was common; it was cheap and easy.  However, these have been outlawed in most areas because that acid ends up in the drinking water supplies, causing cancer and birth defects.  Today, there are safe products to use; one I like is Septic Scrub by Arcan (888-352-7226) to clean the sulfide build-up.  If they have clay soils with sodium damage, I like Septic Seep by Drayner (800-372-9637).  These are both environmentally safe products that have proven track records.  There are also numerous bacterial agents on the market.    
• Today, there are add-on aerobic components like Aero-Stream (877-254-7093) that fit in the existing tank and provide additional treatment before the effluent goes out to the soil area.      
• If the soil system is in really bad shape (vehicle compaction), you could try soil fracturing (Terralift; 413-298-4272). 
• A riser should be installed on the tank for future inspections; just make sure it is a secure riser with the safety net installed, because there have been several cases of the risers getting damaged when a homeowner hits it with his riding mower. The lid comes loose, and children could start jumping on the covers and then falling into the tank and drowning.  I would go so far as to put something over the riser like a fake rock (877-329-6757). 
• An effluent filter installed in the tank and a washing machine filter in the house to protect the soil system from further plugging/damage is also a possible solution.

Now that you have the system up and running again, you should encourage the homeowners to enter into an annual inspection program; for a reduced cost, you can inspect their systems for potential problems and determine if the tank needs to be pumped…and you can do this far cheaper because you have set the systems up for quick inspections, and you can do it from a pick-up truck, not a huge service/pump rig.      
Just to show you how effective a simple explanation can be: a while back, I asked a friend if he included effluent or washing machine filters in his designs/installs.  He said no because people don’t want to spend the extra money.  I suggested when someone asks him for a bid, he ask them how long he wants the system to last—ten to fifteen years or indefinitely.  When he is scratching his head, take the opportunity to explain how a system works and what causes it to fail (solids plugging the soil is a leading cause of failure) and how for a few more dollars, he could have a Cadillac system. 
The contractor now not only puts in those more expensive Cadillac systems, he also wins bids over many other (cheaper) contractors because by explaining things, he shows the customer that he is looking out for him or her.  Those few extra minutes can mean a lifelong business relationship…and with the city treatment plants and public utilities competing for your customers, you will need that loyalty. 
Jim vonMeier performs educational programs directed at homeowners, teaching them the health and environmental need for proper septic systems and how to find a certified septic professional to inspect/design/install/maintain their systems.  He has also represented homeowners in their fight against public sewer projects and speaks at contractor programs around the country on the subject of customer service. 

1-763-856-3800  jvonmeier@septicprotector.com