American Liquid Waste - July 2019

JULY 2019

MAY 2019

Get a Leg Up on the Competition with the Gooseneck LAXI TAXI™ • Great for Special Events • Haul Up to 26 Jons • Less Expensive than a Semi • Deck Height Around 32” Depending on Configuration • Optional Lowering Center Rail • Optional Wood Decking • Optional Rear Cart Mount • Customizable Configurations Available

F.M. Manufacturing, Inc.

Innovative Portable Restroom Solutions™

p 877.889.2246

www.fmmfg.com

fmmfgsales@gmail.com

I NS I DE

p 8 Should I Outsource HR?

p18 Imperial Restrooms, Albany NY

Simple • High-Performance • Wastewater System Eljen GSF…Your Affordable Treatment Solution For Today’s Wastewater Challenges!

CORPORATION

Innovative Products and Solutions Since 1970

1-800-444-1359

2 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JU LY 2019

eljen.com

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

total waste handling solutions

SEVERE-DUTY OPEN TOP CONTAINER

Single and Two Container Roll-off Trailers

Liquid Tight Containers

Roll-off Hoists

Trash/Solid Waste Containers

Vacuum Trailers

Vacuum Boxes

DRAGONPRODUCTSLTD.COM >> 877-231-8198 w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

VACUUM TRAILER

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 3

JULY 2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 7

CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S 8 Should I Outsource HR for My Portable Restroom Rental Business?

Phone: 800.422.1844 ext.112 Fax: 888.883.9380

14 In the News 16 Root 66® Is Three Machines In One. Get Your Kicks!

ext.112

18 Imperial Restrooms, Albany NY Unique Luxury Niche Service 28 ALW Classifieds 30 Index of Advertisers CEO & PUBLISHER Gideon W. Smith

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melissa Kennelly

SENIOR EDITOR Katherine Nolan

EDITORIAL MANAGER Heidi Karpinich

ADVERTISING Tracy Rodean

CIRCULATION Noah Aiden

Phoenix Global Media Inc. P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559 866-418-4400 phone 973-532-0319 fax sales@americanliquidwaste.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS $15.00 per year, or by eligible request.

American Liquid Waste Magazine is published by Phoenix Global Media Inc. Copyright 2019 by Phoenix Global Media Inc. All rights reserved.

POSTMASTER: Please send changes to American Liquid Waste Magazine P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to American Liquid Waste Magazine are those of the individual authors exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of American Liquid Waste Magazine, its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. American Liquid Waste Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility toward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing information within advertising copy.

4 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JU LY 2019

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

PRoduCTs ComPany

Quality Products for Professionals Since 1916

PetersenÂŽ Pipe Plugging Systems Pipe Plugs and Packers for all your Pressure, Chemical and Temperature Requirements.

Call us to quickly customize a pipe plug or plugging system for your specific application.

P 800-926-1926 or 262-692-2416 / F 800-669-1434 or 262-692-2418 / www.pipeplug.com petersen_0113ad.indd 1

6 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JU LY 2019

Vi s i t Us

12/19/12 4:57 PM

Follow Us

LOWER

PRESSURE

SHOULDN’T MEAN LOW

EXPECTATIONS.

335 Pressure Washing Unit

3,500 psi (241 bar) shown. * Also available in 4,950 psi (341 bar).

THE NEW 335 PRESSURE WASHING UNIT. BUILT TO THE ORANGE STANDARD. There seems to be an acceptance that low pressure water jetting systems are fragile and prone to breakdown. We don’t believe just because it’s not ultra-high pressure, it should get a pass on reliability. In fact, it’s exactly why we’ve built the new NLB 335 3,500 psi (241 bar) hot water pressure unit. The 335 is built to the same standards as our industry leading high pressure systems and building reliability to our standards means profitability to you. If you’re ready to learn about how a real unit can operate, look at the NLB 335. Just another reason why the industry gold standard is orange.

US Intl.

(800) 227-7652 +(248) 624-5555 NLBCORP.COM

© Copyright 2016 NLB Corp. | PSaleUnt_16_010.1

BUSINESS CORNER

TECH NEWS

P R O D U C T W AT C H

A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

SHOULD I OUTSOURCE HR

?

IN THE NEWS

A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

SPOTLIGHT

INDEX

FOR MY PORTABLE RESTROOM RENTAL BUSINESS

A new portable restroom business owner typically operates in a state of constant motion for the first months to years, struggling to over-deliver on service and generate revenues to grow the company. As staff size increases, needs change. If the company grows large enough, back-office operations eventually must be expanded to include HR, Payroll, Accounting, IT and a number of other administrative teams. Some of these can be well-managed by just one person. In Human Resources, however, the number of specializations and the large skill sets required for each role make it unlikely that one person can be found who can adequately fulfill all HR needs. For small to medium-sized businesses, HR outsourcing typically offers the most practical alternative to in-house HR.

Managing HR In-House, vs. Outsourcing Your portable restroom business may have reached the size-threshold, at which you have too many employees to cost-effectively manage the vast number of functions that a complete HR department provides. At this point, you either need an in-house solution that provides all of the resources

8 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JU LY 2019

to perform thoroughly in the following general HR and related operations as well as a number of others, or you’ll need an outsourced HR service to carry this unavoidable load of responsibilities for you: Recruiting — A full-scale HR department needs a highly effective recruiter, modern HR recruiting platform

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

technology, and data resources in order to most efficiently attract top talent to your company’s recruiting pipeline.

Compliance — Working closely with your company’s legal experts, your Compliance Specialist can help ensure that you are consistently in compliance across the whole spectrum of potential causes of action that can lead to extreme financial losses.

Training — HR training specialists can provide a full range of safety, accident investigation and incident management, diversity, sexual harassment, and numerous other types of HR-related training.

Benefits Administration — Group health insurance plan administration, 401K management, HAS, Flexible Spending accounts, Dental and Vision plan administration, and traditional retirement account options all require detailed management by experienced professionals.

Risk Management — Workers’ Comp, HIPAA, COBRA, Safety, ADA and other areas of risk require well-qualified administrative management to ensure against preventable losses.

Payroll Processing — As an HR-related function, payroll requires proficient management of Social Security, Benefits and tax withholdings, tax reporting (including in municipalities, as applicable), handling I9s, and a wide range of payroll inclusions and modifications.

HR Management — Many good outsourced HR services can routinely spend time onsite and work with employees throughout

THE BOOMER

™

T704HA Series Industrial Sewer Vacuum Hose

www.kuriyama.com w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

your company, to help maintain HR-related training, update documentation of changes in employee’s HR files, address performance and interpersonal issues, design performance improvement plans, manage or support myriad kinds of internal problem resolutions, and even provide employee appreciation and team building event planning and other culture-building activities.

How Much Outsourced HR is Right for Your Business?

Although a good outsourced HR support provider can provide most or all of the above functions with impressive efficiency and ideal consistency, you may need or prefer only a few of the available outsourced HR services. Each business has its unique needs, but gauging your level of HR needs by the size of your continued on page 10

Bio-Septic Boost

A Drainfeild Soil Restorative Sodium is the REAL problem.

Septic Drainer drives sodium OUT of the soil.

Removes Bio-Mat

SeptiMarker

Custom vinyl decals

FREE Shipping To New Customers. Use Promo Code PUMPER.

RCS II, Inc. • www.septicdrainer.com • (518) 812-0000

• Abrasion Resistant Tube – ¼" gum rubber tube designed for wet or dry applications where severe abrasion is a factor. Provides for long hose service life.

• Heavy Duty Construction – Thick tube and cover, high tensile strength fabric and durable steel helix wire designed for high pressure and vacuum application. All sizes rated to full vacuum, and PSI safety factor 3:1 (2"-8") and 2.5:1 (10").

• Grounding Wire – Steel wire helps prevent the build-up of static electricity and to help keep material flowing smoothly.† • Corrugated Outer Cover – Provides increased hose flexibility.

• “Cold-Flex” Materials – Hose remains flexible in sub-zero temperatures. Has a service temperature range of -40°F (-40°C) to +212°F (+100°C).

• Cuffed Ends Available – Available with soft cuffed ends for easy installation and clamping.

sales@kuriyama.com

847.755.0360 J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 9

BUSINESS CORNER

TECH NEWS

business is a good way to help ensure your company has the appropriate extent of HR functionality at each stage of growth.

Up to 10 Employees Within the first several years, a startup portable restroom rental P R O D U C T W AT C H businesses typically has only a few employees. With under ten employees, owners, managers and administrative support staff can usually manage payroll, hiring, onboarding and all other HR responsibilities and deliver customer services, conduct field services training, perform equipment and vehicle maintenance and generate the sales needed to grow the business.

It’s a lot,I N and T every portable restroom business H Esuccessful NEWS owners has his or her astounding stories of incomprehensible entrepreneurial feats during this phase of the enterprise.

Nevertheless, with their tiny but talented teams, the work gets done, and it is actually often more financially practical at this staff size to do most or all of the HR work in-house.

Between 10 and 50 Employees As the business grows, SPOT L I GHRHneeds T grow with it. Compliance issues multiply, which means that professional attention to risk management becomes more imperative. Payroll and benefits management become a staggering time-consumers. Recruiting, Safety and other HR-related training needs increase. Employee

TACKLE THE TOUGHEST JOBS WITH QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST!

PRO GRADE

HOSE, CORD, & CABLE REELS Efficient Septic & Sewer Clean-Up Operations Enhance Worksite Safety Corrosion Resistant, PowderCoat or Stainless Steel Finishes LEARN MORE:

PRESSURE WASH | FLUID TRANSFER | VACUUM | AND MORE

TOLL FREE | 800.269.7335

coxreels

www.

1 0 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S .com T E JU LY 2019

FOLLOW US:

satisfaction and retention rates rely more and more on effective HR systems and HR’s internal customer service quality. Low staff retention rates naturally translate to diminishing external customer service quality and satisfaction rates, making HR a A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S pivotal resource for continued growth and branding.

With upwards of 10 to 15 employees, employers often discover that the burden of managing all HR functions in-house has become a detriment to the quality of their efforts to add value to customer services and is negatively impacting the amount of their time and energies that were routinely spent on growth activities there were A Sback S Owhen C I AT IO N fewer I N Semployees.

I D E R At this juncture, outsourcing the more complex and time-intensive HR functions is likely to offer business owners their most reasonable

“HR needs vary from one business to the next, even within the same industry.”

INDEX

option for controlling administrative costs and freeing up resources better applied to core operations.

Between 50 and 500 Employees Portable restroom businesses that have grown into this size range are often in the process of scaling, sometimes with aggressive growth plans. Recruiting, training, onboarding, personnel development, legal compliance, managing risk other HR responsibilities rise to become high priorities during this phase of enterprise growth. Hiring employees to run new branches in other states may expand the range of issues in the areas of Recruiting, Payroll (tax reporting), Training, Benefits management and Compliance, among other HR and related functions.

During this phase, it is likely to be less costly and more efficient to maintain outsourced HR and related services in areas like Payroll, Benefits management and HR Legal support, as qualified professionals in these specialties are expensive hires and normally do not have access to the same vast range of resources that a PEO or other HR services provider has. The same amount of work can typically be done off-site at a fraction of the cost of a team of certified professionals to fill these roles in-house.

Over 500 Employees It is likely to remain more practical, in terms of cost, for the most complex of HR functions to continue as outsourced operations until a business exceeds 500 employees. Larger portable restroom rental businesses may find that returning to in-house HR functions offers advantages in the competitive employment market and/or that the gap in operating cost estimates may continued on page 12 Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

Delivered Price – Quantity Discounts WaterCannon.com

Hydraulic Driven

20 GPM up to 5000 PSI

Portable Electric Low RPM 3.5 GPM 3500 PSI 7.5 HP

Hot Water Portable 420 cc Gas

Hot Water Portable 440 cc Gas

4 GPM

4 GPM 4000 PSI 120 Volt

JETTER KIT 4000 PSI 120 Volt

Hot Water Portable Honda 389 4 GPM 4000 PSI 12 Volt

Indoor Electric 5 to 50 HP 208/ 440/ 575 Volt Up to 15000 PSI

7000 PSI Gas or Diesel Powered

High Capacity 10 GPM Up to 5000 PSI

Up to 10 GPM 11,500 PSI

Industry Trained Staff

Portable Gas 4000 PSI

Industrial Package Hose Reel

Hot Water LP Natural Gas Oil Fired Up to 2,000,000 BTU’s 20 GPM

available from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays E.S.T.

Car And Truck Detailer

Honda Kohler Lifan

Auto-Stop/Start Complete with Reel 100' Hose

Hot Water Portable Honda 389

Hot Water Portable 440 cc

4 GPM 4000 PSI 120 Volt

Hot Water Portable – Electric 3.5 GPM 3500 PSI 7.5 HP

Electric Heated – Electric Motor

Diesel Engine Diesel Burner

1.800.333.9274 (WASH)

Hot Water

4 GPM 4000 PSI 12 Volt

Hot Water Electric Powered – Oil Fired Up to 50 HP Up to 8000 PSI

Portable Auto/Truck Detailer

150° F – 6'x6" 225 Gallon Gas and Diesel Yard duty Trailer – 100 Gallon

Cabinet Hot Water Heaters

Customizable Jetter Packages

12 or 120 Volt – Up to 2,000,000 BTU’s 20 GPM 12 GPM – 3500 PSI

Water Cannon, Un contacto en Espanol: llama al: 1.800.917.9274

Orlando | Phoenix | Minneapolis | Hattiesburg | Melbourne | Toronto | Bogota Int’l: 1-321-800-5763 Water CannonQUI is proud to be a MWBE w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI R I C A N LI Q UI D WASTE 11

BUSINESS CORNER close between certain in-house and outsourced HR operations, making in-house HR a more reasonable than it has been up to this stage of growth. In some cases, due to various unique needs, companies continue outsourcing HR beyond 1,500 employees.

P RYour OD U C T about W AT H Making Decision HRCSourcing HR needs vary from one business to the next, even within the same industry. There are more ways to think about HR for your portable restroom rental business, in addition to basing your needs assessment largely on current staff size. You should also consider your strategic plans. Do you plan to hire many new employees over the next several years? You’ll need the benefit of I N Tthat H EcanNkeep E WupSon all fronts, including Recruiting HR support and onboarding, Training and Compliance. Do you need to improve your staff retention rates? If so, you may need an inhouse HR professional to work directly with your staff to help build the company culture.

As a small to medium-sized portable restroom business, if you opt to hire an in-house HR employee, you are likely to still OT L I G H Tsome of the HR functions that do not benefiSt P from outsourcing require very frequent onsite interaction with employees. You may choose to outsource Benefits management, Payroll, and other complex administrative HR functions, and select an in-house HR

1 2 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

TECH NEWS employee who specializes in Recruiting, Training, Compliance or another HR function that also lends very well to team and culture development.

The key consideration should be to avoid over-burdening your A S SHR O employee(s) C I AT I Owith N N E W S of tasks that can be in-house a mountain done more efficiently by an entire HR team of experts off-site at a fraction of the cost of hiring just one certified HR professional.

Finally, in your decision-making process regarding HR outsourcing, ask yourself how much more value you may be able to add to your company by freeing much of your own or others’ time that is currently spent on HR tasks, to pursue backA S S ideas O C IforAT I O N Imore N Srevenues.

I D E R At least partial burnered generating HR outsourcing may offer the solution you need in order to reallocate resources to core operations that best advance your business goals.

Source INDEX https://justworks.com/blog/when-to-get-an-in-house-hr-departmentand-when-to-outsource https://www.inc.com/hr-outsourcing/best-hr-outsourcing-for-smallbusiness-in-2017.html

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

You Spoke. We Listened!

New Optional One Piece Tank Strong, Solid, Dependable

» 60 Gallon Tank » One Piece » Easy to Assemble » Easy to Clean

Toll free: 866 873 7796 | www.armal.biz w w w. a m e r i c a n l i q u i d wa s te. co m

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 A M E R I C A N L I Q U I D WA S T E 1 9

A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

IN THE NEWS

COXREELS® INDEX UPGRADED MULTI-LOBE SEALS

SPOTLIGHT

Coxreels is proud to announce a seal upgrade to the nitrile 1.5” and 2” inline swivels with advanced multi-lobe sealing technology. The enhanced seals are designed to maximize seal integrity, improve overall seal performance, and maximize seal life. In-depth testing has shown that the performance of the multi-lobe seals exceeds that of the standard O-ring, cup, and T-seals for large capacity fluid handling and high volume delivery in both high and low pressure applications. Additionally, the new seal geometry has a better resistance to compression set, which is a leading cause of premature seal failure.

Coxreels® has remained steadfast and focused on manufacturing high quality professional grade hose, cord, and cable reels since 1923. Offering a full product line serving the industry in every channel and application, Coxreels® takes great pride in designing, building, and supporting all of their products right here in the U.S.A. For further information on the Coxreels® upgraded multi-lobe seals, contact Customer Service at (800) 269-7335 or visit www.coxreels.com.

Hydraulic Driven Pressure Washer IN STOCK

WaterCannon.com 1.800.333.WASH (9274)

HYD3010

3.0GPM

1000PSI

HYD3525

3.5GPM

2500PSI

HYD4050

4.0GPM

5000PSI

HYD4040

4.0GPM

4000PSI

HYD5530

5.5GPM

3000PSI

HYD1130

11GPM

3000PSI

HYD1722

17GPM

2200PSI

HYD2020

20GPM

2000PSI

HYD2418

24GPM

1800PSI

HYD8043

8.0GPM

4300PSI

HYD1840

18GPM

4000PSI

889 979 $ 1,645 $ 1,795 $ 1,799 $ 2,099 $ 2,099 $ 2,099 $ 2,099 $ 2,099 $ 6,599 $ $

FREE DELIVERY* • Quantity & Fleet Discounts Available *Some delivery restrictions may apply. Call for details.

Water Cannon, Un contacto en Espanol: llama al: 1.800.917.9274 Industry Trained Staff Water Cannon Orlando | Phoenix | Minneapolis | Hattiesburg | Melbourne | Toronto | Bogota is proud to be a International: 1-321-800-5763 MWBE available from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays E.S.T.

YEARS OF SERVICE

1 4 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

Advanced Enviro-Septic® System

Passive Onsite Wastewater Treatment & Dispersal Scalable for any Project ™

QPW: 2013 LIC: SMK40495

Passive Non-Mechanical Process

Treatment & Dispersal

Proven & Reliable Track Record

Affordable

www.PresbyEnvironmental.com 800-473-5298

w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI R I C A N LI Q QUI UI D WASTE 15

A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

IN THE NEWS

ROOT 66® IS THREE MACHINES IN ONE.

GET YOUR KICKS! With theSversatility handle P O T LtoI G H T 1-1/4” to 4” drain lines, General Pipe Cleaners’ Root 66® is three machines in one!

Designed to clear practically any inside or rooftop drain, the Root 66 sectional cable power drain cleaner uses 5/8” or 7/8” sections interchangeably. There’s no need for adapters or tools to switch from one cable size to the other!

Need to clear sinks and other small drain lines? Get the optional drum with smaller 1/4”, 5/16” or 3/8” Flexicore® cables.

Just slide onto the back of Root 66, and you’re ready to go.

A General exclusive, optional 7/8” Proflex® sectional cables (15R10-P) sport an inner spring. It gives the cable greater strength to transfer extra torque down the line for additional cutting power.

And now you can quickly and cleanly use sectional drain cleaners in confined

1 6 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

and hard-to-access areas with General’s INDEX new 5’ by 7/8” (5R-10) sectional cable. It offers better control to reduce the risks of spraying walls, floors, and furniture from exposed wet, spinning cables.

Operating Root 66 is easy, too. Depress the drive handle for plenty of cable torque from the 1/2 hp capacitor motor.

Release the drive handle and the cable immediately stops rotating – for no additional torque build-up. A wide, fourpoint base adds greater stability, and an optional dolly offers easy transport over long distances.

Other accessories include cable carriers, the optional drum for small drain work, and a toolbox. Standard equipment includes a ground fault circuit interrupter, double palm leather gloves, rear guide hose, and General’s tradition of quality, performance and reliability.

For more information contact the Drain Brains® at General Pipe Cleaners at 800-245-6200 or 412-771-6300, or visit drainbrain.com.

General Pipe Cleaners, a division of General Wire Spring Co., is a leading manufacturer of high quality Americanmade drain cleaning equipment. In business since 1930, the four-generation, familyowned company is poised to celebrate 90 years of service to drain cleaning professionals and plumbing contractors, as well as to facilities managers, the rental industry and the hardware/DIY market. The Toughest Tools Down The Line.

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

NEW YEAR. MEANS TIME FOR NEW METAL.

THE IMPERIAL BASELINE SERIES

INTRODUCING:

WHY IMPERIAL?

2020 INTERNATIONAL MV 607

$100,766

lease for as low as

$1,199 OAC/mo

$972.93 OAC/mo

Best service after the sale Top quality You’re not a customer, you’re a partner, because our name is on the truck too Over 150,000 tanks built 22 engineers and designers on staff for all your tank needs

2500-GALLON ALUMINUM TANK

CUMMINS ENGINE NVE607-FAN-COOLED 380 CFM PUMP Also available with 2019 Freightliner M2-106 body: $110,900

2019 FORD F550 V-10 4X2

$ 65,328

• • • • •

980-GALLON STEEL TANK

GAS ENGINE, MASPORT HXL4 160CFM PUMP Also available with diesel engine: $73,791 | Also available on a Ram

2020 INTERNATIONAL HV 607

$124,878

lease for as low as

$1,778 OAC/mo

350HP CUMMINS ENGINE NVE607 FAN-COOLED 380 CFM PUMP Also available with 2019 Freightliner M2 106 body: $128,641

2018 RAM 5500 HEMI 4X2

$ 75,545 $1,125.09 OAC/mo

4000-GALLON ALUMINUM TANK

1300-GALLON ALUMINUM TANK

GAS ENGINE, MASPORT HXL4 160CFM PUMP Also available with diesel engine: $82,998 | Also available on a Ford

ORDER YOURS TODAY BY CALLING 1-800-558-2945 OR VISITING IMPERIALIND.COM. w w w. aIndustries, mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m and operated in central Wisconsin for more than 35 years, is the trusted choice J U LY 2for 0 1specialized 9 A M E RIseptic C A N solutions LI Q UI Dand WASTE 17 Imperial proudly family-owned expert service.

SPOTLIGHT

INDEX

IMPERIAL RESTROOMS, ALBANY NY

Unique Luxury Niche Service In early 2008, a new luxury niche service brought something unique to the Florida wedding and special events market. Edward Garcia opened the doors of Imperial Restrooms, Inc. and began delivering luxury portable restroom rental services in the sunshine state.

From the start, the demand for luxury services in the Florida portable restrooms market was high. So, Imperial was a hit!

P

ublic works departments in the region, events planners and anyone looking to have an outdoor event found an unmatched opportunity to offer their guests the unique comfort and convenience of Imperial’s high-end facilities. Back then, with only three trailers, Garcia made a big impact. Today, more than ten times that

number of Imperial Restrooms’ luxurious trailers are on sites at public and private events in New York, the greater northeast United States, and Florida.

Here, Ed tells the story of how it all began. He talks about Imperial’s growth over the years, and he offers some important insights into the east coast market’s luxury rental space:

continued on page 20 1 8 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

TriFlow 825 ■

■

Straight Tri–Lobe

Ideal for:

Performace: Vacuum up to 18 inHg; Flow up to 4805 cfm

■

Sewer Cleaning

■

Storm Sewers

■

Water Treatment Plants

■

Municipal Water Departments

■

Cleaning & Washing

■

Flexible Options & Installation

■

Coolest Blower Temperatures in it’s Class

■

More Energy Efficient vs. Other Straight Lobe Blowers

www.gardnerdenverproducts.com/moblie ©2019 Gardner Denver. All rights reserved.

w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI C A N LI Q UI D WASTE 19

SPOTLIGHT

INDEX We now provide service up and down the east coast.

We have about 3 dozen trailers, ranging from upscale restrooms to shower trailers with toilets. Most of the trailers are JAG, but we also have some older Wells Cargo and Forest River models.

The Birth of the Imperial Enterprise When I launched the startup more than a decade ago, I had an IT guy, Tom, who helped me start the business.

Originally, I had owned a standard porta potty rental company, and I had started getting a lot of calls for upgraded restroom trailers. So, I started trying to come up with elegant names, and that’s how the Imperial identity was formed.

There was a different website in the beginning. I worked with Steve, our current IT guy, to develop it. My secretary and I started putting together bits and pieces of content for it, based on what people were asking about, and I picked some colors I liked for it.

In 2008, in Pasco County, FL my old partner had a very large septic company. I had gotten off of active duty from the Air Force. I’m a pilot, and I needed a place to fly part time. I started managing his septic company, then I opened the restroom business, and he bought in, and just a couple of years ago I bought him out.

Around 2009 or 2010, we started getting calls for service along the east coast, including up in New York and throughout the northeast. I took a chance and got a business license in New York, and about five years ago I put a full-time person up in New York, rented a yard, and bought a mixed-use house and garage as a base for operations.

Imperial Equipment and Operations Our website is updated about every six months or so, to add information about all the units we have. In fact, it’s due to be updated now, so we offer more than is showing on the site at the moment.

We have Industrial-style, midline, and luxury units for all occasions. In addition, we have ADA units in those ranges, and units that contain showers and toilets in the same trailer. We offer several trailers for use at emergency sites, such as hurricane damage locations and other disaster sites, and we deliver trailers to marinas, sports events, camp grounds, and countless other places. Currently, we have a JAG Mobile Solutions Eight stall shower trailer being built, which we’ll add to our existing selection of models.

It’s being delivered in September.

Imperial mostly services the northeast United States and Florida. We have seven people working out in the field,

including me, and we have two ladies in the office. Our sales rep takes sales calls during normal hours, and we’ve got a manager who helps customers and takes some sales calls. The office takes about 80 percent of those calls, and I take the big calls for sales.

From Air Force to Entrepreneurship My undergrad training was at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. I received a pilot slot, and I became a jet pilot training instructor. I’ve also worked over the years as one of the hurricane hunters. I flew Katrina, Ivan and others. This may be my last hurricane season (2019).

I have a master’s degree in HR management from Troy continued on page 22

2 0 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

REGISTRATION OPENS IN APRIL!

WASHINGTON STATE CONVENTION CENTER SEPTEMBER 8-11, 2019 #PWX2019

Make Plans To Be In Seattle For APWA’s Annual Conference New Technologies

GET MORE INFORMATION pwx.apwa.net

Exciting New Networking Opportunities New Education Formats & Great New Ways to Learn

w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI R I C A N LI Q QUI UI D WASTE 21

SPOTLIGHT

INDEX Imperial Team Building Our staff is excellent. My one New York employee, Steve, has been with me 11 years. My Executive Assistant, Kathy has been here 7 years, and our Manager, Tony has been with us 5 years, and Mirka, who works in the office, has been with us about a year. My wife, Edith helps with the books. We have excellent drivers, and altogether, the entire team does a fantastic job.

We all want to take care of our families. With 401K matching, medical and vacations, everyone can care for their families and feel secure. Take care of the employees, and everything else happens.

But, our number one challenge is still people. One of the biggest difficulties is hiring drivers and keeping them. It takes a lot of time to train them and for them to become well-skilled.

Another challenge is trying to get people to coexist and understand. I try to emphasize how much we affect each other, and how their part makes the business grow, and that harmony is the only way we do this. Otherwise, we can’t work well.

State-of-the-Art Technology-Enabled Systems All of our phone systems are virtual-based. All website generations come in onto the phone. GPS tracks where things continued on page 24

University. When I got off of active duty, I was looking for something to do. My old partner suggested that I come work with him, and he pointed out that I could fly too. I did that for about six years. Now I work full time in the restroom rentals and fly a couple of days per month for the Air Force, keeping my currencies and requisites up, and doing some training lines or a mission, as needed.

I’ll be retiring soon (in October), after 28 years between active duty and the Air Force Reserves, unless I get extended. That’s a possibility, but I’m not sure.

Strategic Growth Plan for Imperial We get most of our business from word of mouth and the internet. I should go out and do sales calls and marketing, but we’re growing at a manageable rate with the amount of business we have coming from website and the internet. It’s a lot for us to handle, as it is.

I don’t’ want to grow too fast or too slow. It’s got to continue to be just right, so we can handle it well. We’ve done thousands of events. With only seven people, we have a lot on our plates. It’s a never-ending pace.

The business plan is to keep expanding to add more locations between New York and Florida. My goal is to be nationwide and, one day, if my kids take it over, to go farther than that.

2 2 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

A.D.C. Septic; Blackstone, MA “The drain fields that

are failing, Septic Drainer allows their 25 markers 5 ea. system to work again.

50 markers $5.25 ea.

It’s almost a miracle $ .00 100 markers 5 ea. w/free labels product that I’ve been experiencing.

Custom vinyl decals $35 each if Every drain field I’ve used it to restore ordering less than 100 Septi-Markers has worked.” Chris Lanoue, A.D.C. Septic Advertise your business, the best value in town!

Septi-Marker $ .50

RCS II, Inc. 1663 Route 9 South, Glens Falls, NY 12803

www.septicdrainer.com • (518) 812-000 Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

2019 August

28 & 29

MACC Convention Center - In MIAMI

8 edition th

EMPOWERING WASTEWATER & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR ALL OF THE AMERICAS! CONNECT with USA, Latin America & the Caribbean...

40 COUNTRIES UNDER ONE ROOF!

EMPOWERING the Liquid Waste & Portable Sanitation industries in ALL of the Americas!

JOIN Vactor, Sewer Equipment, Hi-Vac,

National Truck Center, J&J Chemical, Satellite Industries/Polyportable, Walex, Vac-Con, Super Products, Kaiser Premier, Bucher Municipal, Masport, Polyjohn, Five Peaks, Johnny’s Choice, Thermoform, Elmira Machine, Chandler Equipment and more at the...

FASTEST GROWING SHOW IN THE INDUSTRY in 2017 & 2018!

(305) 412-EXPO mail@TWE19.com

www.TWE19.com

w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI C A N LI Q UI D WASTE 23

SPOTLIGHT

INDEX services to pump out our trailers. We’re licensed to transport waste in both Florida and New York.

are on the sites. Everything is done electronically. After each job is set up, the customer is taken through everything, and receives an explanation of what happens and how, and what to do if there’s a problem, etc.

We have problem solving sheets. We use those as part of the setup, for safety and insurance purposes. All trailers are photographed, showing how they were set up and what they look like when they’re left at the customer’s site.

We’re all driving, setting up, and putting things in place.

Kathy also has all the knowledge of what to do and where.

Our communications system issues calls to staff members in real time, funneling them to the management team. Everyone is adept with issue handling and knows how to escalate to me, as necessary.

Value-Added Services from Imperial We’ve found that a lot of customers really prefer to decorate the restrooms with their own items. So, we’ve moved away from doing much decorating for them as a routine part of the delivery. If a customer asks for it, we provide some décor.

They may want to decorate outside or inside. They can even alter the trailer if they want to, as long as they pay the cost of restoring it to its original design.

Imperial provides an attendant, to stay on-site during a customer’s event, if they want that service. We rent small, quiet-running generators to power the trailers, for customers whose sites don’t have power available where the trailer will be located. The rentals are from one-day to long-term.

We run five trucks. There are tanks on three of them. All the trucks are newer 2017/2018 Dodges and 2018 Fords, except for a 2006 F-350. We don’t need to wait for local septic

Branding for Upscale Niche I have gone the opposite direction from the conventional wisdom on logos, and do not put the logo on my trailers.

Some of the oldest of my construction-grade toilet units still have our logo on them. But, on the luxury units, the exteriors are pristine. None of my advertising is on there. A lot of higher-end customers don’t like logos on there, so I’ve taken that approach.

That has also really helped me when other restroom rental companies need something for their customers and come to me. They naturally don’t want our logos displayed at the events they’re servicing. We’ve got signage that we can stick in ground to identify our company, when we provide use of trailers as donations at events.

We have to work on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Steve, our IT guy, started on that work for us. But, trying to keep it up is very difficult. We definitely need to do more social media work, as a high priority.

Imperial Quality Attention to detail is everything. The smallest thing can cause us problems. I tell the staff that the little things can bite us. Our business is upscale most of the time, weddings and companies’ special events. Focus on quality is the most critical thing to instill in employees. Our customers expect professionalism, and we must be 100 percent at all times.

We’re constantly asking customers what they liked and didn’t like throughout the process, from the proposal, to booking their event, during the event, and afterward. We want to know how they feel that everything went, and we want to make sure they’re satisfied before they leave.

That’s a very different process, of course, then getting continued on page 26

2 4 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI C A N LI Q UI D WASTE 25

SPOTLIGHT people’s actual Google reviews. Customers tell us that they love everything about our products and service, but when it comes time to do the online review, it’s very difficult to motivate busy people to take time to do it.

Potential Future Challenges for Imperial Obviously, the economy is a big, big factor. We started the business in 2008, during the great recession. We’ve been able to grow the business ever since. I don’t see anything else potentially limiting us in the future. Even though more people are coming into the industry, there’s so much work to do, it seems like a very promising future.

Advice for New Market Entrants from Ed Garcia For those people who are looking to come into this business, I’d suggest to just be prepared to be a mobile RV repair person, a wholesaler, and to work closely with your parts distributor. Just get ready for fixing things. You need to be somewhat handy, so be prepared for that.

That’s one of the biggest things that took me by surprise. As a hands-on owner, I’m constantly fixing things to make everything pristine. Because, if things run down, no one’s going to want to rent them. Also, you have to have perseverance. Just be willing to go outside the box and deal with everything that comes along.

2 6 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

INDEX Imperial Impressions Spending time talking to Ed Garcia, we recognize the image of entrepreneurial excellence that always stands out in our industry among the best portable restroom rental business owners and managers. The meticulousness of his quality management process, his diligence in obtaining customer feedback, and intense focus on customer satisfaction stand out from the industry as features of the top tier of providers in terms of service management.

Further, his recognition of the overarching importance of fostering a team culture of mutual support are hallmarks of our strongest industry leaders.

Ed’s open reflections on objectives he’s eager to achieve in building his sales program, and particularly in increasing Imperial’s presence across all the major social platforms are signals of a company very much on the move.

Ed Garcia’s east-coast Imperial Restrooms is certainly a company whose growth we look forward to watching.

Source: www.imperialrestrooms.com sales@imperialrestrooms.com http://www.portabletoiletsandshowers.com/portapottyrestroomtrailer-albany-ny.html

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us

UNEARTHING . �··s1 · --.

--

·1:n

. 5!1,....

The mighty X-Cavator ™ from Vac•Con® provides you the ability to safely excavate around delicate underground utilities with precision and performance never before seen.

w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

n

SINCE 1986

Available with high-performing 3-Stage Fan or PD Blower Customized builds to meet your needs Air Compress or Systems up to 185 CFMwith Air Knife for Air Excavation

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI C A N LI Q UI D WASTE 27

M A R K E T P L A C E : N AT I O N A L

Refrigerator Magnets Work!

Let Us Build Your

MARKETPLACE TIRED ADVERTISING OF

JETTER Specify red & white or black

ICE & SNOW?

Buy my septic tank business in South Carolina. Located 3 Miles from the Atlantic Ocean and most of my work is near Repair: 508-693-2625 theWe beach.

My good name and e reputation, and after 48Corp. years W m General Wire, Ratech, RIDGID, Hathorn ‘e in the business I would like make e your Electric Eel,toGatorCams, Vision Intruders lik retire. I will stay involved look ck or u in the business for at least 30 r and Vivax Inspection Cameras, t y t t Po days after purchase to assist in Porta and Cables Art Proof Locators, CommandtheModules transition. email a photo of your truck!

Price Includes: New & Refurbished Inspection Septic Pump Truck, 8yd Dump Equipment For Truck, 301C John Sale Deere, Trailer, GLOBAL SEPTIC 770-904-2202 F150 Service Truck, Misc. Tools, Rental Equipment Yellow Page Ad Available and Web Site.

HONDA ENGINES

ARAUJO BROS, INC

Portable Toilets Construction and Special Events

FREE

Ask Call Today To Get Started:About Our 48-Hr. Turn sales@stampworks.netAround Time

800-758-2743

Daily & Weekly Rates

All Enquires pleas e contact

Pamela Atherton, President INSPECTION CAMERAS GSBB Services, LLC

®

Most Versatile Jetter On The Market!

THANK YOU

• 35 HP Vanguard On Sale For Only • Remote Control $ • Cleans Drains from 2”-8”+

24,995!

24 995!

Fully loaded! Call for details!

1-800-213-3272

843-535-5712 ARE OUR www.gsbb.biz

DELIVERED PRICE

Diesel Propane Gas $ GX120QX - 4HP 375 $ GX160QX - 5.5HP 375 $ GX200QX - 6.5HP 399 $ GX270QAG - 9HP 579 $ GX390QA - 13HP 599 Specify Red & White or Black

Un contacto en Espanol: llama al:

800.786.9274

866-944-3569

ONLY BUSINESS!

ERICKSON

973-478-0893

Tank & Pump

DYNAMIC REPAIRS 40 Arnot St., Unit 20 Lodi, NJ 07644

dynamiccablerepairs@yahoo.com

509.785.2955

www.dynamicrepairs.net

2 8 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

THANK YOU

W Vi s i t Us Follow Us E CALL FOR UPDATED LIST OF

WE’RE FAMILY.

We’re a family owned business — and have been for over 50 years. This doesn’t mean we’re small or lack vision. And, it sure as heck doesn’t mean we take shortcuts. Rather, being a family owned business means we truly care. It means we are united. It means we have integrity. It means we take pride in our craftmanship — after all, our trucks are our lifeblood. Our custombuilt vacuum trucks are assembled, by our family, with the utmost love and attention to detail.

When it comes to reliability, you can’t beat Transway. We think you deserve some family — Don’t you?

CUSTOM BUILT. DRIVEN BY YOU. 314 Lake Avenue N., Hamilton, ON L8E 3A2 | t: 800-263-4508 | e: sales@transwaysystems.com | www.transwaysystems.com

INDEX Abbott Rubber CO. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 800-852-1855 / pumperhose.com

F.M. Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FC 877-889-2246 / fmmfg.com

PolyJohn Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 800-292-1305 / polyjohn.com

Acro Trailer Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 800-589-5254 / acrotrailer.com

Gapvax.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 888-442-7829

Power Line Industries / Hot Jet USA . . . . . . . . . . . .28 800-213-3272 / hotjetusa.com

American Jetter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 866-944-3569 / americanjetter.com

General Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 generalpump.com

APWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 pwx.apwa.com

GSBB Services, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 843-535-5712 / www.gsbb.biz

Aqua-Zyme Disposal Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 979-245-5656 / aqua-zyme.com

Imperial Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 800-558-2945 / imperialind.com

Armal Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 866-873-7796 / www.armal.biz

J.C. Gury Company Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 800-903-3385 / jcgury.com

Bright Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 800-394-0678 / brightdyes.com

Kuriyama of America, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 847-755-0360 / kuriyama.com

Com Vac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 800-243-7986 / comvacsystems.com

Liberty Financial Grou Inc.l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 800-422-1844 / libertyfg.com

Comforts of Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 877-382-2935 / cohsi.com

MORO USA INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC 866-383-6304 / morousa.com

CoxReels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 800-269-7335 / coxreels.com

NLB Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 800-227-7652 / nlbcorp.com

Dragon Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 NozzTeq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 dragonproductsltd.com 866-620-5915 / nozzteq.com Sig 01 877-783-5538 ALW 01-84 /0908 8/23/08 12:43 PM Page 81 Eljen Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 888-444-1359 / eljen.com

Peterson Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 800-669-1434 / pipeplug.com

The ADS dewatering system is BUILT BY A PUMPING COMPANY FOR PUMPERS and you are welcome to come and watch the 30 yard box being filled in only 2 hours!

Presby Enviromental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 800-473-5298 /presbyenvironmental.com RCS II Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 22 518-812-0000 / septicdrainer.com • Robuschi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 gardnerdenverproducts.com • Stamp Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 800-758-2743 / sales@stampworks.net • The Water Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 305-412-EXPO / TWE19.com Transway Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 800-263-4508 / transwaysystems.com VacCon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 904-493-4969 / vac- con.com Water Cannon Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 14 800-333-WASH(9274) / watercannon.com Westmoor Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 800-367-0972 / westmoorltd.com

Trap e s a e r G e h From T e Garden to th osting g & Comp

-Dewaterin

By using the ADS dewatering system along with our Compost Facility, we have turned our disposal costs into a profitable venture.

Call 979-245-5656 for info!

Financing available www.aqua-zyme.com PO Box 489, Van Vleck, TX 77482 zymme@aqua-zyme.net • us patent #6,364,122 CIRCLE #13 ON READER SERVICE CARD Gapvax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 888-442-7829 • gapvax.com

30 Yd. Dewatering Unit w/Portable Aluminum Walkway Vi s i t Us Follow Us Pik Rite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 800-326-9763 • pikrite.com

A

3 0 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019 Abbott Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 800-852-1855 • pumperhose.com

Draining Down

Introducing: The comfort xlT FEATURES New Large Tank That Holds 60 Gallons Sloped, Smooth Tank Top for Easy Cleaning Available in Static, Recirculating Flush or Fresh Flush (Flushing models have a capacity of 45 gallons)

Fresh Flush with Foot Pump & Accessories

Optional Sink with Static or Recirculating Flush (Standard with Fresh Flush) Flushing Models Available with Hand Flush or Foot Flush Tank Equipped with 5-Gallon Fill Mark for Easy Use Recirculating Flush with Foot Pump

Available With or Without Grab Bars Available With Optional Urinal (When no grab bars are installed)

Contact us for more information and to order.

Static

2500 GASPAR AVE., WHITING, IN 46394 w w w. a mer ica nliquidwa ste.co m

pjALW.com | 800.292.1305

DOWNLOAD OUR GUIDES PJProductGuide.com | PJBuyersGuide.com

J U LY 2 0 1 9 A M E RI C A N LI Q UI D WASTE 31

WHEN RELIABILITY MATTERS

Choose MORO Extensive inventory for quick delivery • Product specialist to answer your questions • Rebuild services available

Flush Kit

PM80A Vacuum Pump

Pump Rebuilds

Keep any brand rotary vane pump in good operating condition with our specially designed flush kit

High performance Kevlar vanes handle daily wear and tear with ease

Extend the life of your pump at a fraction of the cost with a rebuild by our trained technicians

Free Air Capacity: 424 CFM Max. Vacuum: 28" Hg Max. Pressure: 29 psi

And much more!

Call Today! 866-383-6304

Exclusive Distributor

Outside of the US call 636-584-8844 Visit us online at www.morousa.com

One stop shop for all your vacuum truck needs

moro P U M P S

Corporate Office/Warehouse P.O. Box 424 Tel: 636-584-8844 7059 Hwy 47 Hours: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm CST Union, MO 63084 32 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S T E JU LY 2019

Sales/Warehouse 204 Parkway View Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Tel: 412-787-8400 Hours: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm CST

www.morousa.com

Vi s i t Us

Follow Us