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August 2021
www.promonthly.com
Crunching the
NUMBERS
A New York tax preparer bought her customer’s restroom
business and discovered a great off-season small business
Page 14
Wedding Bliss
A seasoned Connecticut entrepreneur
finds his happy place rolling out quality
portable sanitation products for outdoor
celebrations
Page 22
In Business Since 1959
TUFF-JON
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Styles of Tuff-Jon 2930 S St. Phillips Rd. | Evansville, IN 47712 Email: aschenk@tuff-jon.com | Website: www.tuff-jon.com
CONTENTS | AUGUST 2021
8 From the Editor: Portable Restroom Graffiti Plays a
Pivotal Role in Racial Discrimination Lawsuit www.promonthly.com
A California construction company agrees to pay $725,000 to workers for
failing to control offensive messages and language found on a worksite. Published monthly by
- Jim Kneiszel
10 @PROmonthly.com
Check out exclusive online content.
COLE Publishing Inc.
1720 Maple Lake Dam Rd. • PO Box 220
12 At Your Service: Making the Right Fuel Choice in Three Lakes, WI 54562
Your Next Restroom Service or Delivery Rig © Copyright 2021 COLE Publishing Inc.
A variety of factors will drive a PRO’s decision to go with either a more No part may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.
common diesel power plant or a gas engine in the next work truck. In U.S. or Canada call toll-free 800-257-7222
- Jeff and Terri Wigley Elsewhere call 715-546-3346 • Fax: 715-546-3786
Website: www.promonthly.com • Email: pro@promonthly.com
Office hours 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday - Friday
14 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– COVER STORY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: A one-year (12 issue) subscription to PRO™ in
the United States, Canada or Mexico is free to qualified subscribers. A qualified
Business Incubator: Crunching the Numbers subscriber is any individual or company in the United States, Canada or Mexico
A New York tax preparer bought her
August 2021
www.promonthly.com
that partakes in the portable restroom industry. Non-qualified subscriptions are
customer’s restroom business and discovered available at a cost of $60 per year in the United States and $120 per year outside
a great off-season small business. of the United States. To subscribe please visit promonthly.com or send company
name, mailing address, phone number and check or money order (U.S. funds pay-
- Betty Dageforde
able to COLE Publishing Inc.) to the address above. MasterCard, VISA and Discover
Crunching the ON THE COVER: Accountant Vicki Gogis ran the numbers are also accepted. Supply credit card information with your subscription order.
NUMBERS
A New York tax preparer bought her customer’s restroom
and saw a good opportunity in Gotta Go Now Corp. in
Patterson, New York. Now she splits her time between Our subscriber list is occasionally made available to carefully selected companies
business and discovered a great off-season small business
Page 14 preparing taxes and running the restroom business. Gogis is whose products or services may be of interest to you. Your privacy is important
Wedding Bliss
shown in the company yard with a service truck built out by to us. If you prefer not to be a part of these lists, please contact Holly Gensler at
Brenner Tank with a Conde (Westmoor) pump and restrooms holly.gensler@colepublishing.com.
A seasoned Connecticut entrepreneur
finds his happy place rolling out quality
portable sanitation products for outdoor
celebrations
Page 22
from Satellite Industries. (Photo by Mitch Wojnarowicz)
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Submit ads online at www.promonthly.com/classi-
fieds/place_ad. Minimum rate of $25 for 20 words; $1 per each additional word.
Include a photo for an additional $125. All classified advertising must be paid in
22 PROfile: Wedding Bliss advance. DEADLINE: Classified ads must be received by the 10th of the month for
A seasoned Connecticut entrepreneur finds his happy place rolling out insertion in the next month’s edition. PHONE-IN ADS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Fax to
quality portable sanitation products for outdoor celebrations. 715-546-3786 only if charging to MasterCard, VISA, Discover or Amex. Include all
credit card information and your phone number (with area code). Mail with check
- Betty Dageforde payable to COLE Publishing Inc. to the address above. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
APPEARS NATIONWIDE AND ON THE INTERNET. Not responsible for errors beyond
30 PSAI News: first insertion.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted efforts to define better portable
sanitation cleaning protocols worldwide, and the PSAI will follow with its DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Call Jim Flory at 800-994-7990.
Publisher reserves the right to reject advertising, which in its
own guidance. opinion is misleading, unfair or incompatible with the character
- Karleen Kos of the publication.
32 Product Focus: CONTROLLED CIRCULATION: 5,500 per month. This figure
Jim Flory includes both U.S. and International distribution.
Hand-Wash Equipment and Supplies
- Craig Mandli REPRINTS AND BACK ISSUES: Visit www.promonthly.com/reprints/order for op-
tions and pricing. To order reprints, call Jeff Lane at 800-257-7222 (715-546-
3346) or jeff.lane@colepublishing.com. To order back issues, call Holly Gensler at
36 Product Spotlight: 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346) or email holly.gensler@colepublishing.com.
Spot sensors from LooView provide real-time tracking
of restroom inventories
- Craig Mandli
36 Industry News
COMING NEXT MONTH — SEPTEMBER 2021
Live demonstrations and operational equipment
• PROfile: Visit a Cape Cod PRO for the water and wastewater industries!
• Return Engagement: Finding her happy place weqfair.com | 866-933-2653
4 August 2021 Portable Restroom Operator
ADVERTISER INDEX
Tank World Corp AirVote ................................................ 29
American Tank Company LLC............... 27
ALL MAJOR BRANDS IN STOCK AND READY TO BUILD Armal................................................... 25
Navitas Credit Corp. ............................. 25
DELIVERING MORE Century Paper Products ....................... 13
PolyJohn Enterprises Corp. .................. 40
THAN WHAT Cro Software Solutions ........................ 19 PSAI..................................................... 31
YOU EXPECT
Davidson Tank ..................................... 29
PortaLogix ........................................... 29
FlowMark Vacuum Trucks .................... 33
Robinson Vacuum Tanks ...................... 17
Fruitland Manufacturing ......................... 5
ROEDA ................................................... 9
Imperial Industries, Inc. ........................ 39
Satellite Industries ......................... 20, 21
ServiceCore ......................................... 25
J&J Portable Sanitation Products ........... 3 Slate Pages ......................................... 37
KeeVac Industries ................................ 15 Slide-In Warehouse .............................. 15
Surco® Portable Sanitation Products ... 37
Liquid Waste Industries, Inc.................. 27
Masport, Inc......................................... 10
T.S.F. Company, Inc. ............................... 2
McKee Technologies/Explorer Trailers .... 37
Tank World Corp .................................... 6
United Site Services, Inc......................... 7
Milwaukee Rubber Products, Inc. ......... 19
Walex Products Company .................... 11
National Vacuum Equipment, Inc. ......... 27
WEQ Fair.............................................. 38
July 2021
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Page 14
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industry has forever changed the
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Portable Toilet & Septic service
Page 22
ASME & R stamp accredited UL 142
www.tankworldaz.com Subscribe/Renew Online
Office 623-536-1199
12001 W. Peoria Ave
El Mirage, AZ 85335
Jerry’s cell 623-680-2037
tank.jerry1@gmail.com
Fax 623-935-4514 at www.promonthly.com.
service@tankworldaz.com
6 August 2021 Portable Restroom Operator
FROM the EDITOR Contact us: PRO strives to serve the portable restroom industry with interesting and
August 2021 helpful stories. We welcome your comments, questions and column suggestions and
promise a prompt reply to all reader contacts. Call 800-257-7222; fax 715-546-3786;
email PRO editor Jim Kneiszel at editor@promonthly.com.
Portable Restroom Graffiti Plays a Pivotal
Role in Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
A California construction company agrees to pay $725,000 to workers for failing
By Jim Kneiszel
to control offensive messages and language found on a worksite
G
raffiti on portable restrooms can be a persistent and time-consuming had repeatedly complained Use this story as a
problem for you and your technicians. The labor and cost of cleaning about the racial harassment catalyst to talk to
supplies adds up over time, and frustration over this senseless either directly to defendant
customers about
vandalism mounts over every time one of your units is tagged. Hathaway’s management or to
But a California construction company recently found out about the the management of their direct the importance of
immense cost of letting racially charged graffiti continue unchecked at employers, the contractors inspecting units their
a major work site on the campus of the University of Southern California. or subcontractors of the USC workers use. Explain
Faced with a federal harassment lawsuit due in part to ongoing portable project.”
that you are their
restroom graffiti, San Francisco-based Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Despite the settlement, the
Co. has agreed to pay $725,000 to Black and Hispanic workers for graffiti and construction company denied partners to keep the
language that were deemed racially offensive. allegations of harassment or restrooms free of
The lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity that it violated federal anti- graffiti, racially
Commission (EEOC) alleged that the company failed to take effective action harassment laws. In a news
charged or otherwise.
to correct racially charged restroom graffiti and other behavior on the $700 review of the suit, Hathaway
million construction project where Hathaway Dinwiddie served as general said its “foreman, supervisors
contractor over several years. The EEOC determined the conduct violates and project managers did everything possible to respond to the cases where
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. graffiti was scribbled on portable toilets by an unknown party.” And further,
the company said it has a zero-tolerance for harassment and conducted
WHAT ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS? training with workers and subcontractors covering its commitment to
According to an EEOC release announcing the settlement, the diversity, equity and inclusion.
construction company will — in addition to paying the workers — retain This is unfortunately not the only case to reach the courts alleging
an equal opportunity monitor to review its Title VII compliance, review and racial discrimination based partly on job site portable restroom graffiti. In
revise its harassment and retaliation policies and procedures, and provide a handful of lawsuits filed in California and elsewhere, workers complained
training to all employees on racial harassment and retaliation. Further, about seeing images of swastikas, nooses and racist language drawn on
Hathaway agreed to have its subcontractors verify that they follow similar portable restrooms. Additional concerns were also raised that worksite
policies and procedures. employers didn’t take these complaints seriously enough.
“We commend Hathaway for taking steps to hold subcontractors
accountable and address this ongoing industry-wide problem. We continue LIABILITY CONCERN
to see racial harassment as an ongoing problem. We encourage all employers, In this case, the construction company faced financial consequences.
including those in the construction field, to review their harassment policies But how hard it is to imagine that one day the company placing and
and procedures to make sure they are in compliance with federal law,” said responsible for cleaning portable sanitation equipment could be
Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC Los Angeles office. impacted negatively by a similar lawsuit? At the very least, PROs could
The suit contended that, “Starting in 2015, the racially offensive and become involved in settlements like this one by being asked to prove
derogatory graffiti was prevalent in the portable toilet facilities, which were they have anti-harassment, diversity and inclusion policies in place
frequented by [Hathaway’s] managers. Also, starting in 2015, the claimants when incidents occur.
8 August 2021 Portable Restroom Operator
All this points to the very real potential for liability for PROs who are question until they can clean them properly. A proactive step would be to
often the first line of defense where graffiti is concerned. Here are some provide graffiti remover to your customer’s site manager so the scribbling
suggested actions that will help ensure you are never involved in this type can be removed when it’s noticed between your service calls. You can also
of situation that could become both a financial catastrophe and a public ask them to call you immediately upon noticing offensive graffiti so you can
relations nightmare. respond quickly.
TRAIN YOUR WORKERS DO THE RIGHT THING
Good community behavior in areas of diversity and inclusion starts Certainly the financial consequences for this construction company
at home, and that means making sure your employees are setting good steal all the headlines. But the bigger and sadder story here is that racism
examples for your customers on job sites. Train your crew about racial can still be found on American worksites, and hateful messages scrawled on
discrimination issues and set your own zero-tolerance policies for your the walls of portable restrooms.
own business. The EEOC has identified six national priorities in its Strategic The portable sanitation industry is racially diverse, and PROs I know
Enforcement Plan, or SEP. You can learn about federal laws prohibiting earnestly want to create a welcoming workplace for employees of all colors.
employment discrimination at www.eeoc.gov. In fact, I would say that many in the restroom industry are very good at
looking beyond their cultural differences or the color of their skin and
TAKE COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY finding ways to get along together. I think partly it’s because we all know
If one of your workers lodges a complaint about racial discrimination the work is hard, the hours are long and dealing with wastewater can be
or witnesses a questionable situation on a worksite, don’t sweep it under challenging and unpleasant. Being part of a happy team makes a tough job
the rug. Meet with the employee, listen and take proactive steps. Encourage more enjoyable. ■
your workers to speak up if they are ever uncomfortable on a job site. Have
discussions with your minority employees to hear their concerns and act
accordingly to reassure them the company cares about providing a positive
workplace atmosphere.
TALK TO CUSTOMERS ABOUT GRAFFITI
According to the EEOC, Hathaway should have known about the extent
of the problem because company managers used the portable restrooms
containing derogatory graffiti. Perhaps your clients aren’t as observant
as they should be about the condition of their portable restrooms. On
construction sites, they may not pay attention to graffiti, holes drilled in
walls or other forms of vandalism, for example. Use this story as a catalyst
to talk to customers about the importance of inspecting units their workers
use. Explain that you are their partners to keep the restrooms free of graffiti,
racially charged or otherwise, and help prevent costly damage to the
equipment. Working together, you can reduce damage to your units and
create a positive work environment.
DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM
If there is an issue with offensive graffiti, do everything in your power
to nip it in the bud. Check the units more frequently. Consider the graffiti as
a symptom of other bad behaviors among workers on the job site and your
technicians in the field. Keep in mind that racially charged language was the
second component mentioned in the EEOC lawsuit, so train your workers
that if they see or hear something, they need to say something. Situations
involving discrimination of any kind can blow up quickly and take a terrible
toll on both the victims of the discrimination and the companies who may
end up being held responsible through financial damages.
EQUIP AND EMPOWER ALL EMPLOYEES
You want technicians to take action immediately when they find
offensive graffiti on a portable restroom. Make sure they have effective
products to remove the graffiti quickly and easily. If they can’t remove
the graffiti right away, provide locks or zip ties to decommission units in
promonthly.com August 2021 9
@ PROmonthly.com
Visit the site daily for new, exclusive content. Read our blogs,
find resources and get the most out of PRO magazine.
LEGACY BUILDERS
Canadian PRO Finds Livelihood in the Family Business
Lindsey Greig of Gotta Go Portable Toilet Rentals never meant to take over the
family business, but an out-of-the-blue offer made her reconsider. Find out what
caused her change of heart in this exclusive online article.
promonthly.com/featured
OVERHEARD ONLINE
Don’t write your job
descriptions so that they
intimidate a candidate. Avoid
making requirements for things
that are trainable. Pick your
battles and don’t be too hasty in
judging a book by its cover. KEEP CALM
Crafting Attractive Job Listings
Employees Leave,
promonthly.com/featured Don’t Let it Get You Down
Business leaders must be prepared for
some employee turnover. Sooner or later,
you’re bound to have an employee who
leaves the company; read this exclusive
online article for tips and tricks to avoid
a turnover-related nightmare.
promonthly.com/featured
emails and alerts
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10 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorAT YOUR SERVICE
Jeff and Terri Wigley are portable sanitation industry veterans, having
owned and operated Atlanta-based Pit Stop Sanitation Services for 22 years.
Send your questions for them or comments to editor@promonthly.com.
Making the Right Fuel Choice in Your
Next Restroom Service or Delivery Rig
By Jeff and Terri Wigley A variety of factors will drive a PRO’s decision to go with either a more common
diesel power plant or a gas engine in the next work truck
Q UESTION: Our company is looking to purchase two new trucks. We
need another route truck with a slide-in tank and another truck for
pickup and delivery as well as for pulling restroom trailers. In the “diesel
Some experts suggest that if you are using your vehicle
less than 25,000 miles per year, gas may be a better choice.
versus gas” debate, what do you suggest?
The cost of both fuels can fluctuate dramatically based on
ANSWER: The answer is “it depends” because every PRO is unique. From
one area of the country to another, from one high/low population center economic conditions, but diesel is usually more expensive.
to another, from one size company to another, and from a multitude of
other classifications, no two companies are alike. The goal of this column,
therefore, will be to present facts, data, questions and options that your
company can use to create the framework so you can make the best decision
for your company. “TON” RATING
In the U.S., when first produced, trucks were rated on their payload
CLASSIFICATIONS OF TRUCKS capacity in tons. These capacities were ½ ton, ¾ ton and 1-ton. Over the
Regardless of fuel type, one of the first decisions to be made is the years, payload capacities have increased while the ton titles have remained
type of truck(s) that your company needs to handle the job effectively and the same. These ratings, therefore, are for comparison purposes only.
efficiently. There are eight truck classifications in the U.S. based on the
maximum loaded weight of the truck expressed as GVWR (gross vehicle BEGIN YOUR ANALYSIS PROCESS:
weight rating). Given that you are an experienced PRO with a fleet of vehicles, compile
data on each truck.
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION CLASS SYSTEM:
1. Vehicle use (route service, unit pickup and delivery, pull event trailers
1. Class 1 – Light Truck – GVWR up to 6,000 pounds and/or restroom trailers, supervisory/sales)
2. Class 2a – Light Truck – GVWR between 6,001 and 8,500 pounds 2. Vehicle size (light, medium, heavy)
3. Class 2b – Light/Medium Truck – GVWR between 8,501 and 10,000 3. Age of vehicle
pounds 4. Miles driven per year
4. Class 3 – Medium Truck – GVWR between 10,001 and 14,000 pounds 5. Annual maintenance and repair costs
5. Class 4 – Medium Truck – GVWR between 14,001 and 16,000 pounds 6. Fuel mileage
6. Class 5 – Medium Truck – GVWR between 16,001 and 19,500 pounds 7. Type of fuel (diesel, gas, other)
7. Class 6 – Medium Truck – GVWR between 19,501 and 26,000 pounds
8. Class 7 – Heavy Truck – GVWR between 26,001 and 33,000 pounds. The information you compile on each existing vehicle will assist
A commercial driver’s License (CDL) is required to operate this in making decisions on a new vehicle. For example, if maintenance
vehicle class. and repair costs are significantly higher on an existing older light-class
9. Class 8 – Heavy Truck – GVWR over 33,001 pounds. A CDL is also delivery truck, perhaps moving up to a medium class truck would be
required, at a minimum, to operate this vehicle class. beneficial.
12 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorIn your analysis of the existing fleet, also go beyond the numbers and 6. Monitor current information and trends about industry vehicles
examine other factors such as the service area (city, suburban, rural), terrain through PRO and Pumper magazines, attending industry trade shows
traveled (flat, mountainous, interstate, off road) and days of week in service (WWETT and PSAI), and staying in communication with the truck
(occasional, five days a week, every day). This information can be useful in dealers and builders you work with.
choosing the best features and options for the new vehicle.
HOW DO THESE FACTORS IMPACT YOUR DECISION
FACTORS TO CONSIDER — DIESEL OR GAS? OF FUEL TYPE FOR YOUR COMPANY?
In reference to the diesel vs. gas question, here are some general Based on your specific needs, use these facts to help to make this
statements we have found in our research concerning each fuel type. Based decision for your company. Do not base the decisions on others’ opinions or
on the analysis of the existing fleet, the fuel option that meets the needs of on the type of equipment your competitors may or may not be using. Once
the PRO is “best answer.” purchased, record and monitor the costs, performance and statistics on the
new vehicle(s) just as you are doing with the rest of the fleet.
1. Gas-engine trucks cost less to purchase. Depending on class and
manufacturer, the diesel option for a truck usually costs between $7,000 FINAL THOUGHTS
and $10,000 more than the gas option. “It depends” is important to your company and to your company only.
2. Diesel’s engines use about one-third less fuel than comparable gas Identify the factors that are important in choosing the type of vehicle fuel
engines. Some experts suggest that if you are using your vehicle less power that your company will employ.
than 25,000 miles per year, gas may be a better choice. The cost of both As technology is constantly changing and evolving, use your decision
fuels can fluctuate dramatically based on economic conditions, but framework to evaluate new fuel options such as natural gas, propane, hybrid
diesel is usually more expensive. electric and electric. Always be open to change! ■
3. Diesels have a longer useful life and retain more value with higher
mileage totals. They are typically equipped with heavier frames, hitches
and the engines weigh more as well.
4. Diesels can pull heavier loads and are the go-to option for power takeoff
operations. If you need to pull heavy trailers often, diesel might be a
better choice.
5. Gas trucks have a simplified maintenance and, in general, repair
technicians are not as costly. Gas-powered trucks use fewer and less
expensive filters and consume less oil, which is a cost savings. Diesel
powered trucks are costlier to repair.
6. The differences in fuel economy between the gas and diesel engines
depend on the intended use of the vehicle. With light loads, fuel usage
is similar. With heavy loads, gas engines work harder and the miles per
gallon are reduced. The diesel engine’s mpg drops only slightly with
heavier weight.
7. New diesel engines require diesel exhaust fluid, which is needed
to meet emissions requirements. This is another added expense to
operation of these vehicles.
8. Most diesel engines have an integrated exhaust brake, which slows the
truck with back pressure from the turbo. The jake brake reduces wear
and tear on the brake system and lowers the risk of brake overheating.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE
1. Fuel price can also be a consideration depending on miles driven and
service area covered.
2. The availability of diesel fuel can be a factor in some geographic
locations.
3. Larger trucks generally require CDL drivers and, as with any specialty
skill, pay rates will be higher.
4. Insurance varies depending on the size and the age of your fleet vehicles.
This is another expense to factor into your decision framework.
5. Consult your certified public accountant about of favorable depreciation
schedules for purchase of new vehicles.
promonthly.com August 2021 13Right: The crew at
Gotta Go Now Corp.
includes, from left,
Josh Messer,
Vicki Gogis and
Jody Feurstein.
(Photos by Mitch
Wojnarowicz)
Business INCUBATOR
Crunching the
NUMBERS
The Business Incubator introduces
readers to new restroom operators.
We will revisit owners of the startup
companies when they become more
established to find out how they met
many challenges along the way. If you
know someone new to the portable
sanitation industry who you would
like to suggest for one of these features,
send his or her contact information to
editor@promonthly.com.
A New York tax preparer bought her customer’s restroom
business and discovered a great off-season small business
By Betty Dageforde
V
icki Gogis has done tax preparation for 30 years around Patterson- The business came with 175 standard and 18 ADA-compliant units
ville, New York, working first for her mother then on her own since and five hand-wash stations from Satellite Industries, an Isuzu vacuum
2014. She has also simultaneously held various accounting jobs truck, four-unit and ten-unit trailers, four 225-gallon holding tanks —
since — even with 700 clients — tax work alone does not bring in enough and, most valuable, an owner willing to teach them everything he knew.
income in this rural area. But she wanted to find a source of supplemen- Although Gogis felt prepared for this new undertaking, there were a
tal income that would enable her to be entirely self-employed. The an- few unforeseen challenges.
swer came in the form of something she was completely unfamiliar with
— but there was some logic to her thinking. TRUCK PROBLEMS
One of her clients owned a portable restroom company. She could “DOT was the first hurdle,” Gogis says. “We had to get our equip-
see the numbers were good; the two businesses had complementary slow ment up to [New York] DOT standards.” She knew the old Isuzu would
and busy seasons; it was something her boyfriend, Jody Feurstein, could have to be replaced eventually, but after getting a few tickets for faulty
do after having sustained severe injuries in a motorcycle accident; she had equipment that time came sooner than expected. She replaced it with
room to store equipment on her eight-acre property; and she had a busi- a 2009 Chevy 3500 flatbed built out by Brenner Tank with a 300-gallon
ness background. She told the owner, Rob Hewitt, that she’d like to buy it if waste/150-gallon freshwater aluminum slide-in tank and Conde (West-
he ever wanted to sell. By November 2018, Gotta Go Now Corp. was hers. moor) pump.
(continued)
14 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorPortable Restroom Trucks
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promonthly.com August 2021 15Left: Vicki Gogis works in
her home office with an
assist from her cat.
Below: Jody Feurstein
returns the vacuum hose
to the slide-in unit from
Brenner Tank.
Gogis thought their Department “When the phone rings, I
of Transportation worries were behind
them, but unbeknownst to her, the New still get a buzz. I love the
York Department of Transportation process, the journey of
(DOT) lowered the weight of a vehicle starting a business and
that came under its jurisdiction. Sure
enough, they got stopped for not hav- growing it. The money’s
ing DOT numbers. “Luckily they were coming in and it’s great,
nice enough about it,” she says. “We’ve but it’s more the journey,
had no problems since.”
really, and enjoying it.”
AGING INVENTORY JONATHAN IBBETSON
The inventory needed attention.
About 25 units that are functional but LOST A FEW CUSTOMERS
not up to Gogis’ standards will go to Hewitt and Gogis sent a joint letter of introduction to the clients in
auction. “If somebody had a hunting camp, it’s perfect for something like which Hewitt expressed his confidence in her. But between client resis-
that.” She felt she had to buy a truckload of new units (Satellite Industries) tance to change and missteps by Gogis and Feurstein, there were a few
— “A $20,000 expense I couldn’t incur but did because it had to happen.” casualties.
Feurstein is enhancing a few flushable and ADA-compliant units, for which “I hate to say it, but we did lose some customers because in the begin-
there is low demand, into deluxe units for weddings and high-end events. ning we didn’t know what we were doing. Plus Rob did all his services on
“They’ll have a sink, baby-changing station, mirror, lights. We’re trying to Mondays so that’s what everybody expected, but we just couldn’t do that
think of inventive ways to make our company stand out.” and people were upset. But my goal is to reach out to those people and say,
Gogis pressure washed every unit. “All summer I was in my bikini wash- ‘We’ve figured out different things and if you want to give us another shot,
ing units in my backyard,” she says. “Even an older-style unit will look good, we’d love it.’”
will look new.” Feurstein makes sure the units stay that way when he ser- Gogis says she has stiff competition from large well-known companies,
vices them. “I’ve had a lot of compliments about the cleanliness of our units,” so she’s hoping to win customers over with her personal touch. She’s also
Gogis reports. “We take the best care of them we can. We take pride in that. pursuing markets to the south that are not well covered. “It’s a little far but
We want people to see the name and say, ‘Oh, wow, these are clean.’” I want to be available for people who need it and don’t have other options,”
she says. Price setting is still a work in process as she tries to balance finan-
cial realities, keeping up with market rates and not upsetting customers.
(continued)
16 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorRobinson Vacuum Tanks
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viSit Our WebSite tO See all available inventOryRight: Vicki Gogis reviews
the day’s service route with
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Feurstein.
Below: Josh Messer fuels
a Honda engine that powers
a Conde pump to provide
vacuum for a Brenner Tank
slide-in unit.
As businesses started to re-open Gogis adapted to new needs. Sinks
were now required on job sites, so Feurstein moved sinks from some of
their little-used flushable units to standard units and built hand sanitiz-
er stands for restaurant outdoor seating areas. Construction is back but
events are still down so this challenge is ongoing.
DIDN’T THINK ABOUT THAT
Weather. Gogis has had to become better prepared to handle cold
winters. “The freshwater freezes, the sludge freezes. We had a time last year
where everything froze. We had to wait a couple days and do what we had
to do to thaw it. There are some things you don’t think about.” She’s getting
a heater for the garage.
Company name. Gogis assumed she could keep the “Gotta Go” name,
but while Hewitt ran it as a sole proprietorship, she wanted it set up as an S
corporation and at the corporate level, that name was not available. Fortu-
nately, she found a simple solution. She just added the word “Now” to the
FIGURING OUT A WEBSITE end of the name — Gotta Go Now Corp.
The company is on Facebook, but website design is unfamiliar terri- Employer Taxes. “I didn’t really take into account the full cost of pay-
tory for Gogis, although she does have specific ideas about what she wants. roll when I did my budgeting, with all the employer taxes,” Gogis says. “I
“Other websites say, ‘Call for pricing.’ But I want somebody to be able can definitely see I need my gross income to go up.”
to rent a unit, get an estimate, pay for it, and know it’s going to be delivered
where and when they want it.” She’s working with a local web designer and THE PERFECT COMBINATION
web-hosting company GoDaddy to have a site up and running. Future plans include sending out a mass flyer, connecting with tent rental
companies, purchasing tracking software and buying a second vacuum truck.
THE CHALLENGE NO ONE SAW COMING Gogis says she’ll never give up tax work but loves the new business.
Just when the company was getting established and looking forward “At 50, I never thought I’d be buying this kind of business. But I’m ex-
to the upcoming summer season, COVID-19 hit. Construction shut down tremely happy with the decision. I like the flexibility to do my own thing dur-
for three months and events canceled. The federal Paycheck Protection ing the week, I enjoy the physical aspect of it, it gives me exercise, I get out of
Program helped, and J&J Chemical, local vendor Hill & Markes and the the house, I get to see people. My work life is exactly where I want it to be.” ■
insurance company were understanding about late payments.
18 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorHOSE &
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Hose Distributor
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promonthly.com August 2021 19FILE
WEDDING BLISS A seasoned Connecticut entrepreneur finds his happy place rolling out
quality portable sanitation products for outdoor celebrations
By Betty Dageforde
H
W
ith a background in food service, strip mall ENTREPRENEUR TO UNION MAN
management and truck driving, there was When Provenzano graduated from high
no hint that one day Marc Provenzano school in the 1970s, his father, Albert Provenzano,
would be involved in the portable sanitation and said he’d either pay for college or set him up in a
wedding industries. But for six years the 62-year- business. “My father was an entrepreneur and I
White Glove Restrooms old has been renting out two portable restroom saw how he lived his life,” Provenzano says. “It was
Milford, Connecticut trailers during the May through November hard work, but I thought, I can sign up for this.”
wedding season, servicing Connecticut and parts He started with a deli/catering business in
of New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He the strip mall his father had built, later added a
Owner: Marc Provenzano
operates his business, White Glove Restrooms, laundromat, then in 1990 followed in his father’s
Founded: 2014 out of his home in Milford, Connecticut. footsteps and built his own strip mall and put in
Employees: 1 Provenzano’s prior skills proved useful to the a pizzeria — and on the side managed property
Services: Restroom trailer rentals enterprise. He’s organized, detail oriented and and fixed and flipped houses (about one a year).
Service Area: Connecticut, parts of New good with people. “I felt I could provide a superior By 2004 he was still managing property but had
service,” he says. “I’m smaller, I’m hands-on, sold all the businesses.
York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts
I’d had 30 years of business experience, I knew A chance encounter at a bar a few years later
Website: www.whitegloverestrooms.com how to interact with clients and I was very laser- led him in a very different direction. He heard the
focused on cleanliness and presentation.” Teamsters were hiring drivers to move equipment
22 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorAbove: Outside the trailer entrances, Provanzano provides a table for
users to set their smokes and drinks so they don’t have to take them
into the four stalls of the restroom trailer.
“I learned [from the deli business] the more items you have on your menu,
the less efficient you are and the less money you make on each dollar you
Above: Marc Provenzano is shown with his sell. It makes it easier to run the business the way the clients are happy
truck from ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies hooked up
to a restroom trailer from JAG Mobile Solutions.
with because I’m not all over the map with who I rent to.”
(Photos courtesy of Marc Provenzano) MARC PROVENZANO
for movie sets in the state. Provenzano had a
commercial driver’s license and decided to take
the opportunity.
“It was a whole different lifestyle,” he says.
“I’m an entrepreneur so I like to think for myself
and do things in the most productive way. In
a union situation, that thought process works
against you.” But it was a blessing in disguise, he
says, because it gave him health insurance and,
with three daughters, he needed it.
When that fizzled out after about five years,
he went to work for UPS. The job was seasonal so,
in looking for additional work, he came across
a portable restroom company seeking drivers
for its restroom trailers. “That’s where I was
introduced to the nuts and bolts of the portable
sanitation business,” he says. “I was never in a
restroom trailer in my life before that.”
promonthly.com August 2021 23FILE
Right: Marc Provenzano connects a water hose during a service call.
Below: Provenzano worked with builder ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies to design a service
rig that works with his wedding trailer specialty. The truck carries a 300-gallon
stainless steel slide-in waste tank and a Conde (Westmoor) Super 6 pump, which
would capably handle two weekend weddings of 100 to 150 guests.
He only did that for a couple
“I made up a template
months during the summer of
2014, but it got the wheels turning email to send them,
— mostly because of everything saying, ‘If you have time,
the company did wrong.
“It gave me thinking points
please leave me a review
of how could I do this better,” on theknot.com,’ and
he says. “It looked to be a fairly they did. What I find is He did about 18 jobs in 2015, enough to give him confidence and
easy business model compared to justify ordering a second trailer, this time a two-stall Porta-Lisa (after
to my other businesses and it that brides really trust having turned down a number of weddings requesting a two-stall). In
was enjoyable because people other brides’ opinions 2016, he did 60 weddings.
were glad to see you and you’re
because they see it as
going to weddings and events.” MAKING IT SPECIAL
After analyzing the financial and unbiased.” Soap and paper towels were the only “amenities” Provenzano’s prior
business aspects, he decided to employer provided in their trailers, which he thought was underwhelming
MARC PROVENZANO
give it a go. for a wedding. His are stocked with toiletries and hygiene products such
as body sprays, perfumes, hairspray, mouthwash, deodorant. (“The dollar
GETTING STARTED store is my friend — that and Amazon.”) His deodorizer products and scent
Provenzano began putting things in place in late 2014 so he’d be ready rings are from J&J Chemical.
to go for the 2015 wedding season. He bought a four-stall Porta-Lisa from He also likes to create a lovely setting. His Porta-Lisa interiors are from
JAG Mobile Solutions and sent an introductory email to wedding planners the JAG Cottage series, which features wainscoting, crown molding and
in Connecticut. Using GoDaddy he set up a website — which was a struggle, wood-grain floors. He adds flowers, scenting and background music. “No
he admits. matter what you’re selling somebody, or what experience you’re providing for
“It just wasn’t my cup of tea as far as getting the proper verbiage and them, you can always put the extra effort into differentiating yourself,” he says.
putting the pictures in there and making something that doesn’t look like Initial contact with the client is through email and phone. As for
a third-grader did it.” It took about 10 days before he was satisfied with the pricing, he says he’s not the most or least expensive. “I present value at
results. But he had designed it on a desktop, and some time later it was my cost that people understand. I really don’t have many people haggling
brought to his attention that it wasn’t formatting properly on cellphones — with me.” Provenzano delivers the trailers Thursday or Friday for weekend
which is what his target market, the 20- to 35-year-olds, uses. At that point weddings and picks them up Sunday or Monday. The clients turn
he called GoDaddy and they fixed the problem. everything on at the day of the wedding using his simple checklist.
(continued)
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promonthly.com August 2021 25FILE
Above: An attendant and trailer are set up at a wedding venue. Outdoor
weddings have become a popular choice for couples in Connecticut
where Marc Provenzano owns White Glove Restrooms.
Provenzano says the trailers are fairly easy to maintain and he does it himself —
“BEST OF” AWARD
he checks the air pressure in the tires, replaces the brakes when needed and changes
the flush valves on the toilets every three years.
When Marc Provenzano, owner of White Glove Restrooms,
started advertising on wedding-planning website theknot.com, CUSTOM ALL THE WAY
he initially went with their free package. But features were Initially Provenzano used other vendors to pump out his trailers, but soon
limited and by 2016, he took it more seriously and started paying realized it would be more efficient to have his own vacuum truck. He planned the
for it. “It’s under $100 a month to be what they call a preferred design down to the square inch. First stop was Bald Hill Dodge in Rhode Island to
vendor,” he says. “You can put more pictures on; you can be on buy a 2016 Dodge Ram 3500 dually with four-wheel drive, plus a white paint job to
the first page when people look under your category.” match the trailers and the company name. They then took it to B.H. Trailers and
Plows who added a 9.5-foot truckbed from CM Truckbeds, custom underbody
The site had a feature where brides could leave reviews and
he really pushed for them to do so. “I made up a template email
storage boxes and a backup camera.
to send them, saying, ‘If you have time, please leave me a review Then he had to work out the tanks. Saving space was critical. He made a diagram
on theknot.com,’ and they did. What I find is that brides really of the flatbed and worked out everything. He had ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies build a
trust other brides’ opinions because they see it as unbiased.” custom stainless steel slide-in waste tank. He figured 300 gallons would enable him
to do two weddings of 100 to 150 people per weekend. The Conde (Westmoor) Super
He was utterly surprised when he was notified he’d won a
“Best of Knot Award” for 2016 in his category (rentals). “When
6 Power Pak pump has vacuum and pressure capability he wanted.
you have a certain number of positive reviews in a year, you get “I didn’t know if I’d ever need pressure,” he says. “But it has come in handy
it,” he says. “It really helped springboard me into knowing I’m when occasionally you get a blockage, which could just be a buildup of toilet paper
onto something and my future is set.” — or, one time, a miniature bottle of Southern Comfort. If you have to disconnect the
hose, it’s messy. With the pressure you’re able to blow everything back into the tank
Now that he has more than enough work, he no longer and clear the line.”
pesters brides to leave reviews, all of which have been five stars.
Lastly, Macy Industries built a custom 170-gallon rectangular aluminum
freshwater tank. That left room on the back of the truck for carrying equipment, such
(continued)
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promonthly.com August 2021 27as his Honda ultra-quiet 3,000-watt generator. “It all worked out very well MORE
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Weddings only. Provenzano says he did not go into this business 800-815-2557
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the cream of the crop. Marketing is simpler and more focused. Trailers
Westmoor Ltd.
don’t get beat up as they might at other events. The value of focusing on 800-367-0972
one thing goes back to his deli days, he says. www.westmoorltd.co
“I learned the more items you have on your menu, the less efficient Below: The view inside one of the Porta-
you are and the less money you make on each dollar you sell. It makes it Lisa trailers from JAG Mobile Solutions.
easier to run the business the way the clients are happy with because I’m
not all over the map with who I rent to.”
No employees. Provenzano says he turns down work and could easily
support eight trailers, but that would require employees and he’s adamant
he wants to run this business as a one-man show. To pull that off, he relies
on event staffing agencies to provide attendants (contracting directly with
the client) and a couple of self-employed ladies to clean the trailers after
each use per his detailed instructions.
Handicap needs. Provenzano didn’t feel he could justify the cost of
a wheelchair-accessible trailer but does provide a wheelchair-accessible
portable restroom sourced from another vendor on infrequent occasions
when one is needed. He maintains strict standards for their quality and
cleanliness.
NEXT CHAPTER
Provenzano enjoys the wide range of beautiful and interesting
wedding venues — oceanfront property, family farms in the hill country,
museums, vineyards, even an indoor horse arena.
At Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven, weddings take place at
a gazebo on the beach with the ocean as a backdrop, then guests can
go inside and ride a restored 1800s carousel. An airplane hangar at the
Danbury airport features 1940s planes hanging from the ceiling. He had
his doubts about a rock quarry, he says, but it turned out to be wonderful.
“It was in upstate Connecticut on top of a mountain with a large side of
it cut out because they’d been taking granite out of it for 40 years. They put
up a tent, had it catered, put in parking. The views were absolutely gorgeous.”
The 2020 COVID year was a mixed bag for Provenzano. There were
many cancellations (he refunded 100%), but he also picked up some
weddings that were originally too large for his services but had been scaled
down. In fact, Provenzano thinks weddings of the future may be smaller, a
trend he started seeing even before the virus. He also thinks it’s possible
COVID may permanently scare people from having tight gatherings, opting
instead for larger tents.
Provenzano says he’s not at the end of the tunnel just yet but does
want to start thinking about retirement options in the next three or four
years. But he likes to keep busy and can only do so much fishing, he says.
One idea he’s floating around is licensing his business model to other
portable restroom companies so others can benefit from his experience.
This has been the most enjoyable and stress-free business Provenzano
has owned. He loves it and says he gets really fired up by the compliments.
“There’s not too many nuts and bolts doing this compared to the other
businesses I had. I found my little niche that works for me and I’m excited
and proud what I, by accident, fell into but made work.” ■
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promonthly.com August 2021 29Karleen Kos is executive
director of the Portable
Sanitation Association
International. She may be
reached at karleenk@psai.org
or 952-854-8300.
Watch for Changes in Restroom
Service Standards
By Karleen Kos
T
he recent pandemic has brought many changes in portable sanitation • Provision of paper towels or hand dryers, and trash receptacles that are
around the world. Some things will likely revert to the pre-virus norm, “non-manually activated”
and some will be altered forever. The Portable Sanitation Association • Frequent refilling of consumables to prevent running out
International (PSAI) and other global industry leaders are working hard • Good ventilation
to ensure the tragedy of COVID-19 can be turned into a long-term win • Daily cleaning and disinfection as a minimum
for portable sanitation users. Everywhere, discussions and work are
occurring on new standards reflecting our collective efforts to minimize the This section also recommends, but does not require, equipment operated
transmission of diseases and to raise the bar for workers, eventgoers and the by foot pumps.
general public far into the future. The implications for the portable sanitation industry are tremendous.
A wide array of stakeholders — based primarily in Europe — recently Documents from ISO, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
created new guidance related to tourism in the post-pandemic world. These or any other voluntary standard-setting organization do not have the force
parameters were released in May 2021, and they are recognized by the of law. They are not binding. However, they are usually the foundation for
International Organization for Standardization as an ISO standard. many subsequent laws and best practices.
Portable sanitation industry leaders in Europe made a significant, The ISO standard takes requirements for portable sanitation to a new
positive impact on this new global standard. Rather than allowing the level. Importantly, the ISO imprimatur confers considerable legitimacy to
codification of initially proposed language that would have placed portable the contents. That means globally, people will take the minimums in the
restrooms at a significant disadvantage, their work ensures our industry will document seriously and work to implement them.
be able to contribute to positive public health in the years to come.
WHAT ABOUT HERE AT HOME?
SANITARY DETAILS The PSAI is presently updating existing American National Standards
Portable restrooms are covered in two areas of the final version of ISO/ that relate to portable sanitation. These documents cover minimum
PAS 5643:2021 Tourism and related services — Requirements and guidelines requirements for non-sewered sanitation in places of employment (Z4.3)
to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the tourism industry, and both advance and in other uses including events, public spaces and displaced persons
requirements for clean, readily available equipment for the public’s use. camps (Z4.4).
The PSAI Standards and Guidance Committee will review the new ISO
SECTION 4.7 (E) CLEANING AND DISINFECTION REQUIREMENTS calls for the document and consider whether it is appropriate to adopt — or adapt —
following standards: the portable sanitation provisions for our documents. Conditions differ
from country to country, so it is unlikely to be a “copy and paste” exercise.
• A complete cleaning, disinfection and pumping of temporary toilets at But expect the U.S. consensus group facilitated by the PSAI to take the ISO
the beginning of the day standard seriously and to discuss how these requirements would apply in
• Cleaning and disinfection of the equipment used for servicing toilets the North American market.
after use It’s not too late to get involved. To be designated an ANSI standard, the
• Documentation of the daily cleanings and disinfections public must be able to review and comment on the PSAI documents before
they are finalized. People interested in a more active role in the process
SECTION 6.2 COMMON TOILET FACILITIES (including portable toilets), dressing may apply to join the consensus body that votes on the updated standards.
rooms and lockers lists several requirements. These are the most notable: We invite everyone who is interested to get involved. Please contact me for
more information about reviewing, commenting, or voting on the updated
• The need for enough space for social distancing American standards. ■
30 August 2021 Portable Restroom OperatorYou can also read
