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GREEN LATRINE COMPETITIVE MARKET INFLUENCER
SEATTLE, WA
When we met with Will Niccolls 5½ years ago for the April 2019 Business Spotlight, he had been in operation for only about 3½ years. With his innovative plans for Green Latrine and his highly advanced strategic market management model, it is fair to say that he was in the process of revolutionizing the Seattle market and that in this past half-decade, he has done it.
It’s a monumental feat, even with his Master’s of Organizational Leadership, but for the brilliant and amiable Niccolls, it was nearly predictable. His 2024 marketing messaging declares Green Latrine as the best choice in Seattle “for all your Porta Potty needs,” and he mentions that it’s a family business and very highly rated in Seattle! All true enough and nothing unusual in any of that. But, wait till you see what IS unique about his proven ability literally to manage the very way competition works in his market.
His 2024 marketing messaging declares Green Latrine as the best choice in Seattle “for all your Porta Potty needs,” and he mentions that it’s a family business and very highly rated in Seattle!
That may seem patently impossible at first look because his business is not the biggest Seattle player in the portable restroom rental market. Others are much larger. But, that’s what makes the story fascinating! How can he be doing that?
HOW NICCOLLS CAME TO RESHAPE THE SEATTLE MARKET
From Academic to Entrepreneur: Will explained in our first interview back in 2019 that he earned his Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership with the assumption that he would be working in a large corporation in the leadership of some part of the organization. He said, “That's what I got my MA to do.”
continued on page 10
As we discussed in the 2019 article, Niccolls’ green initiative in his startup was a very bold choice for sharing corporate responsibility and for bringing a marketing methodology to the field that benefits Green Latrine (GL) and its customer companies. But, Will Niccolls has been doing something else, something extraordinary in leadership of the fiercely competitive Seattle market.
But, beyond the fundamental influence of Will Niccolls’ advanced broadscale leadership skills on the Seattle target consumer market for his company’s services, he quickly launched an unprecedented regional market management strategy. He began helping other small operators, bolstering their businesses, and mentoring their owners on an ongoing basis! First one, and then two, and then three of his competitors!
He then merged these collaborations into a network of small operators consolidated to offset the power of the two largest competitors in the area (which are both huge national vendors). This move by the Green Latrine leadership is arguably the most forward-
The Niccolls children have been around the business during summer seasonal events. Every summer, they spend time out in the truck with Dad.
thinking approach to market disruption in any industry in the United States.
UNIQUE FAMILY BUSINESS IN SEATTLE
At the time that Will and Kyleen Niccolls started the business, their daughter was in early elementary school and their son was a toddler. Their daughter started high school this week and their son started 7th grade. Both kids play a lot of soccer. Their son plays all sports. (The kids wear the GL merchandise to school. Pretty adorable.)
The Niccolls children have been around the business during summer seasonal events. Every summer, they spend time out in the truck with Dad. They understand all the aspects of the delivery process, and at night they come back to the shop with him and help with tasks.
Will sees important benefits for his kids’ development in being exposed to the family business. He reflects on the contrast with more typical lifestyles for youths, “Today’s youth culture is head down and facing your phones. This work is tangible, hands-on, visible, real, not virtual. It’s not some Zoom meeting. It’s a lucky facet for us as parents.”
continued on page 12
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So, yes, Will Niccolls is a classically normal businessman with a classically normal family life. He expected to spend his career in a position of straightforward corporate management. But, he did not envision himself transforming a competitive market by forming a veritable bloc of local competitors working together to challenge the big industry players — the same kinds of corporations he might have opted to represent instead — and to win together as a unified competitive market force. GREEN LATRINE INTRODUCES GREEN PORTABLE TOILET RENTALS
By the time of our 2019 interview with Will, the Green revolution had been sweeping through the consumer market in the United States, affecting many, perhaps most, industries. But, as is still the case today, even some of the biggest companies are just now slowly getting around to making moves to go green, or at least a little greener. But, Green Latrine was green
before the startup, hence the name.
Back in 2019, Green Latrine started out providing green benefits, which was, as we noted in the original article, “rare” in portable restrooms. A big benefit for customers was the ability for them to offer the green portable restroom option, in turn, via Green Latrine, to their own environmentally concerned customers. Today, it’s fair to say that many more portable toilet rental businesses are offering green(ish) operations for customers’ peace of mind.
But, per our previously printed observation Will Nichols was “a pioneer in the industry when he started GL 9 years ago, virtually standing alone as a green portable restroom business. The Green Latrine concept was groundbreaking.
His position on the situation for his green service in 2019 was, “...it's a neat element. I'm really proud of it, and we do have some green-conscious clients. But, so far, typically, price has driven more business for us than the green priority.”
EARLY PRICING DILEMMA
Will shared this key information with ALW in 2019 about the transformation of his thinking from the time he started his business in 2015 and our meeting in 2019. “When I first started, I felt like I should do whatever it took on pricing to get a client. So, I was playing the pricing game — matching prices, deeply discounting, etc., and really devaluing my own product. I came to realize that by doing that, I was saying to prospective customers and to myself that I wasn't worth my own price. At some point, I thought, "Take pride in yourself man!"
Now, as the years have gone by, I tell prospects, I'm not the lowest-priced service in town, but we have
continued on page 14
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amazing service. In fact, customers are stunned at how amazing our service actually is. As time went by, I learned to let new business go, if I don't believe the client will pay a reasonable price.”
WEB MARKETING IN-HOUSE AT GREEN LATRINE
Today, Will reflects on his experience as an owner in this difficult business. “The only way to succeed in this industry is just to work. A lot of operators think that just means toilets, trucks, and operations processes. You can have the fanciest trucks and best equipment, but if you aren’t really working all aspects of the business, you’re leaving money on the
There are 3 other competitors in the area, and we share jobs. We will pass work to each other. We’ve shared employees. We have a family member of one of the other competitors working with us.
table. For me, it’s been about getting away from what I’m comfortable with and undertaking new things to make the most of the business.
So, I’ve been training in online marketing schools, reading books, etc. I’ve learned how to use SEO, PayPer-Click, Google Ads, Google My Business, and other ways of increasing sales. For SEO, we pay a monthly monitoring fee to SEMrush, and we use CallRail to see where inbound calls originate.
I’ve done 80 % of the web work myself, and I’ve got a marketing contract worker who has done the other 20 %, under my instructions. It’s such a key component of this industry. We’ve both been building our skills and have advanced the company’s web presence together.
GREEN LATRINE CHANGES COMPETITIVE MODE IN CROWDED SEATTLE MARKET
There are 3 other competitors in the area, and we share jobs. We will pass work to each other. We’ve shared employees. We have a family member of one of the other competitors working with us. In a market like Seattle, the big guys are so big that though there’s a ton of market share for everybody,
continued on page 16
we couldn’t possibly grow fast enough to meet those national brands on our own.
Competing with them is a lot easier when working with our smaller competitors. For example, if we don’t have a luxury trailer available, we’ll frequently rent one from a competitor to provide for our customers. So, we’ll just serve as a reseller of one of our fellow provider’s services in the market. EXPLOSIVE
GROWTH OF GREEN LATRINE
Our summer employee count is about 35, plus myself. We have a Director of Operations, Scott Turner. He’s a driver of our success. My schedule is pretty seasonally dependent. In the summer, it’s all trucks and toilets, and in winter, I’m mostly in the office. Scott and Jesus have been with us since the beginning when we started hiring 6 years ago. Multiple other employees have been with us 3, 4, or 5 years. Employee longevity has been the key to our success.
We did pick up hugely during COVID. We were very busy during that time. People were looking for the sanitation benefits we offer. We had handwashing stations when the big national brands didn’t, so we were better able to respond to the local builders when the government reopened construction as an essential service. There was a huge spike in web traffic, about a 1,000% increase. (Amazon, Microsoft, and others here in Seattle underwent huge growth, exponential growth, in some cases during COVID. There was also an increase in residential construction during that time.)
At this point, we figure we can handle it if we grow above 30% to 40% it really hurts. It takes a toll on our team, our equipment gets stretched, our trucks are overused, and we run out of toilets on weekends. A
growth rate of 20% per year in revenues, year over year, as we’ve been growing, works well for us.
In 2019, we probably had 500 portable toilet units. Today, we have about 3,000 portable toilet units, around 400-500 handwashing stations, other equipment, pump and tank trucks, delivery trucks and trailers, service vehicles, other vehicles, a crane tower unit and a crane lift kit (with precision delivery
continued on page 18
scheduling), and other work assets. We’re now a $5million company.
SCALING GREEN LATRINE IN SEATTLE
As Will explained in 2019, “There are national and huge regional portable restroom companies here. Breaking into a really well established portable toilet market has really been an education. It’s been all by word of mouth and people who’ve become friends of the business “evangelizing for Green Latrine. They introduce Will to event producers and others who need their services.”
As Will reported in 2019, “Our growth has been phenomenal year to year. Sales tripled one year and quadrupled another. We've been extremely fortunate. We really focus on the service. We provide really good stock and high-quality deodorizing.” Due to this high quality of rental products and services, today, in 2024, Will Niccolls’ Green Latrine has
“One customer we worked with who became a friend shared with me that when his company got the bids for the work we did, they had gotten three bids..."
thousands of rental units, a fleet of trucks, and a big team of drivers and administrative staff.
The traffic flow to Green Latrine services continues today, at the same high rate as Will assessed in 2019, “Our phone rings pretty consistently with a lot of repeat business and the occasional new business. With new projects from current customers, we're lucky to be able to maintain the steady flow of business that we have without any marketing.”
WILL NICCOLLS LEADS SEATTLE MARKET COMPETITIVE REORGANIZATION
Here’s the impressive story Will originally shared with us about elevating a peer competitor and the portable restroom rental industry as a whole. He mentioned this only as a peripheral detail until we started asking more questions about this fascinating habit he had demonstrated in the Seattle market. It was one of helping peers and appreciating business owners' roles in protecting the image of the industry beyond just providing good quality rental products and service:
“One customer we worked with who became a friend shared with me that when his company got the bids for the work we did, they had gotten three bids. There was a higher priced bid than mine. There
continued on page 20
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was mine, which was about ten % less, and there was a third bid that was about 35 % less than mine.
I called the latter competitor and told him, your bid was 35 % lower than mine and even lower compared to the highest bid, vs. a more normal ten or fifteen % below. That's leaving a lot of money on the table unnecessarily. But, it's also concerning to prospective customers. The customer in this case ended up coming with me because they were concerned that the bid you offered was too low to deliver quality.”
The competitor took it well, and I'm glad I made that call to help that person. We had a nice conversation. He had actually been in the business longer than I had. Since then, I've had the same conversation with two other competitors. I believe in the power of the industry. All of us in it need to do our part to preserve it, for our own, and everyone's best interests.
For example, there's a very large portable restroom
company here in town that I've seen invest in the industry. I want to be a guy who engages in growing and improving the image of the portable toilet industry.”
CULTURE OF QUALITY COMMITMENT AND INNOVATION
As we observed in 2019, “Green Latrine's unique 10-point Clean Guarantee is another industry ground-breaker. We've seen such guarantees across the portable toilet business and a number of other industries. But, this quality checklist for customers appears to us to be a fresh concept in the U.S. American portable restroom market.”
When we originally asked Will about the inspiration for the idea and his motivation for promoting it as the centerpiece of his service policy, it seemed to be, for him, just a practical matter for optimum health protection. Today, in 2024, he has married that concept to his philosophy on how to retain top talent for his business.
“The quality of the people we bring in and that spirit, that culture of the community working together to grow something, sharing the success, is really attractive to people. For employees to be a part of that is essential for them. They want to have a purpose they believe in. Growth only for the purpose of increasing a business owner’s wealth is not very appealing to people.
For us, investment in salaries, supplies, and equipment to make it a better place to work involves good compensation, including a strong benefits package, and meaningful giveaways. Employees receive fully-paid medical coverage after an initial period. We pay $30 per hour for some drivers.
We have a sizable team, including a manager, a CSR sales team manager who takes inbound calls and does Receivables, a couple of outbound sales reps, and a dispatcher, (for a total of 5 workers in the office, plus the operations director Scott, and me.
We also have several managers in the field, about 25 drivers, and 2 guys who work as provisioners. They handle the dump runs to a sewer plant and service some of the tank truck systems.
We outsource repairs to a diesel mechanic. Our pressure washing team is from a second-chance nonprofit employment resource. They wash trucks, toilets, and other equipment, and they make sure the trucks are fully stocked and operational.
In 2019, Will explained, “You do have to be willing to share some of the wealth. We provide a competitive salary, but we also want to give our employees positive experiences.” So, the company gives gifts, tokens of appreciation, lunches, and dinners to celebrate success. We have a Christmas party. We try to make things fun for the guys and do things that other companies may not do to show respect and appreciation for loyal employees.
ADVICE FOR INDUSTRY NEWCOMERS FROM WILL NICHOLS
An important management basic in the industry is attending relevant association meetings. For us, those include the American Rental Association, the Portable Sanitation Association International, and several others. You’ll learn, and you’ll meet other portable toilet rental business owners from all over the country. Read all the relevant magazines to understand what others in the business are doing to succeed. I’m still a rookie after 9 years! I want to continue learning.
continued on page 22
Further, Will’s valuative philosophy, as he explained in 2019, still applies, “The experience of doing this for a few years has given me time to build the confidence to price my services at the level that I'm worth. At the start, I didn't do myself any favors with my rock-bottom pricing. I've since had to drag those early customers with me through rate increases while trying to maintain good relationships with them. There shouldn't be any gouging with prices, but there shouldn't be rock-bottom, no-margin prices either.
As an industry, we should respect ourselves, which means fair pricing and delivering amazing service. Remember that fair customers are willing to pay a fair price for really good service. So, it makes no sense for
someone to race to the bottom, slashing prices.”
The takeaways from Will Niccolls in 2019 and 2024 are still ideally aligned with the best general business management training principles: always keep learning, commit to consistent quality, price fairly, and collaborate with everyone with whom you can find opportunities to benefit mutually. That’s the kind of advice for success that we would expect to receive from an industry thought leader like Will Niccolls, and he continues to deliver.
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PRODUCT WA TCH
IN THE NEWS
ASSOCIA TION NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS & EVENTS FOR PORTABLE RESTROOM RENTAL BUSINESS OPERATORS
ASSOCIA TION INSIDER
SPOTLIGHT INDEX
Many new entrepreneurs come to the portable restroom rental industry without established peer contacts to turn to for information, advice, referrals, and other important support. Of course, the startup years are the most challenging, so that’s the period when new business owners most need to be able to reach knowledgeable people who’ve been through the same experience.
Below is a list of some trusted industry organizations and upcoming learning and networking events that provide significant opportunities for portable restroom rental business owners to engage with peers and find other critical resources for success.
HOW TO ESTABLISH PEER RELATIONSHIPS IN THE PORTABLE RESTROOM RENTAL INDUSTRY
It can seem awkward approaching busy people, especially competitors, to ask for help. However, experienced operators have already learned that this is a field of savvy professionals who very well understand the mutual benefits of helping each other. They also recognize the many ways that doing so elevates the industry, making it a better place for customers to trust quality and for you and all restroom rental service providers to spend your business career.
The best way to meet these enlightened and helpful professionals is to visit some organizations and
attend some events like those listed below. These resources for peer engagement have all been created for your benefit as a member of your industry.
PORTABLE RESTROOM RENTAL INDUSTRY EVENTS
Here are just some of the organizations, equipment, and supply showcase events, training events, and other resources strongly promoting peer engagement in the industry:
WWETT Show
January 24-27, 2024 — Indianapolis, Indiana
This is the world’s largest wastewater and environmental service event for industry professionals. The event features include presentations by expert speakers and over 600 industry exhibitors in the expo hall. See the event information webpage for details on activities, fees, and links to many outstanding industry training courses.
...helpful organizations for meeting other restroom rental business operators, participating in discussions, asking questions, and establishing mutual-support relationships
PSAI International Summit for Portable Sanitation
November 5-7, 2024 — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The summit event features expert keynote speakers presenting on the current state of the global industry, roundtable discussions, and top-quality training seminars. See the event information webpage for details on activities and fees.
PSAI Nuts & Bolts Educational Conference
Feb. 3-5, 2025 — Scottsdale, Arizona
This conference focuses on delivering the industry’s best educational essentials for quality operations management in the portable toilet rental business. The event creators also emphasize their goal of providing exceptional networking opportunities to business owners. See the event information webpage for details on activities and links to information on fees.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR PEER ENGAGEMENT
These are very helpful organizations for meeting other restroom rental business operators, participating in discussions, asking questions, and continued on page 26
PRODUCT WA TCH
ASSOCIA TION NEWS
IN THE NEWS
If you’re a new business owner in the industry without established peer support, you’ve undoubtedly already had a moment, or maybe a thousand of those, when you wished you could just contact someone for advice on an HR issue, unit cleaning product, service process, equipment repair, marketing question, etc.
(with over 8k members). Pick up useful tips, general information, and specific advice in these peer engagement communities — and offer your own ideas when you’re ready.
Local, State, and Federal Job Boards
ASSOCIA TION INSIDER
SPOTLIGHT INDEX
establishing mutual-support relationships with other individuals and peer groups:
Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI)
This global industry organization offers a wide range of events and training opportunities to share information and provide worker and management levels of industry-specific education for professionals in the portable sanitation field. See the PSAI member directory to search for a company that can help you with information on providing service for particular needs.
Facebook Groups, LinkedIn, and Other Social Media
Some online social groups can be very helpful for exchanging ideas and information and advice with other portable restroom rental business owners. For example, visit the Facebook groups Septic Tank Pumper Trucks / PUMPER NATION (with over 18k members) and the Portable Toilet Network PTN
Local cities and counties often post on their government website job boards for contractors to provide essential services. For example, during public emergencies like cleanup and rehab projects after natural disasters, or for infrastructure restoration or revitalization programs, and other long-term government-funded construction contracts. You’re sure to meet peers on large government job sites. You can start with this Deltek site to search their big list of federal government contracts for portable toilet services bids. (Deltek is a G2 recognized leader in its ERP services field.)
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS
BENEFIT SMALL BUSINESSES
If you’re a new business owner in the industry without established peer support, you’ve undoubtedly already had a moment, or maybe a thousand of those, when you wished you could just contact someone for advice on an HR issue, unit cleaning product, service process, equipment repair, marketing question, etc. Having a peer who welcomes your call can make all the difference at times like those.
Further, so much is continually changing in this modern industry, like evolving equipment features, cleaning products, maintenance methods, trailer delivery processes, industry IT platforms, web tools, Google SERP parameters, advanced GPS tracking systems, and so much more. Attending organization
meetings, trade shows, seminars, other special events, and peer group meetings, offer great opportunities to connect with people who are at various stages of the same journey you are on.
Through such resources, you can obtain a vast wealth of information about industry advancements, best practices, diversifying revenue channels, enhancing your rental products and services, and much more. You can learn the most practical solutions for overcoming common and unique challenges.
You can also have more fun running your business and strategically working toward your goals, all by developing one or more key peer relationships for mutual support. Beyond that, you’ll also find
satisfaction in helping others and find that you’ll have more time, not less, and save, not spend more, by participating with mutually supportive individual peers and/or groups.
That’s due to all the time, energy, and money you can save by getting prompt help to resolve problems better, faster, and cheaper on your own. Even further, you’ll ultimately discover the deeply rewarding experience of becoming a recognized expert in your field and a significant contributor to the elevated future of your industry.
THE GEAR BOX: FALL MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST FOR PORTABLE RESTROOM CONTRACTORS:
Preparing Your Fleet for a Busy Season
As the weather cools and the fall season approaches, portable restroom contractors face increased demand for their services. From outdoor events to construction sites — the need for clean and functional restrooms grows. Making sure that your fleet is well-prepared for the busy fall season is key to running a smooth operation. Taking the time to complete a thorough maintenance checklist can prevent downtime, reduce unexpected repairs and keep your business running efficiently.
1. INSPECT AND CLEAN YOUR PORTABLE RESTROOMS
Before sending portable restrooms out for fall jobs, it’s critical to inspect each unit carefully. Start by thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all restrooms. Pay close attention to any signs of wear or damage, such as cracks in the walls, broken seats or malfunctioning doors. Cold weather can worsen these issues, so addressing them early is important. Units with cracked walls or damaged parts can lead to bigger problems as temperatures drop, so replacing these components or scheduling repairs promptly will keep them functioning properly throughout the season. Regular inspections will help maintain high hygiene standards, ensuring a positive customer experience.
2. PUMP AND SERVICE TRUCKS
Your trucks are the backbone of your business, and they need to be in top shape before heading into a busy season. Start by conducting full mechanical inspections of your fleet. Check the continued on page 30
brakes, tires, oil and other fluids to make sure everything is running smoothly. This is also an excellent time to inspect your pumping equipment. Pumps, hoses and tanks should be in good working order and free of leaks or blockages. Breakdowns on the job can cause delays and result in missed opportunities, so catching any issues early is vital. Finally, stock each truck with necessary supplies like hand sanitizer, deodorizers and other maintenance items.
3. WINTERIZE ALL EQUIPMENT AND RESTROOMS IF NEEDED
If you operate in an area where temperatures dip during the fall and winter, winterizing your restrooms and equipment is an integral part of your fall maintenance. Start by draining and replacing fluids in your trucks and equipment where needed. Add anti-freeze agents to portable restroom units to prevent freezing and damage to internal parts, such as tanks and pipes. This simple step can save you from costly repairs later in the season. It’s also wise to check heaters — if applicable — in your trucks and storage facilities to confirm they’re in good condition for colder months.
4. INVENTORY AND SUPPLIES: STOCK UP!
To avoid unnecessary delays, you should keep your inventory stocked at all times. Check that you have enough toilet paper, hand sanitizer and deodorizer to meet the demands of the upcoming season. It’s also a good idea to restock cleaning supplies and chemicals used to maintain portable restrooms. Depending on how busy your fall season tends to be, consider buying these supplies in bulk to ensure you won’t run out at a critical time.
Being well-prepared will help your business stay organized and ready for any new contracts that come your way.
5. SAFETY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Safety is always a top priority in the portable restroom industry, especially when transporting and setting up units. Fall maintenance is the perfect time to review your safety protocols with your team. Make sure all trucks and equipment meet current regulatory standards for road safety. This includes checking lights, signals and other features that are required for transporting your units legally and safely. Also, double-check that your portable restrooms comply with health and sanitation regulations. Meeting these standards protects your business and provides your customers with confidence that your units are safe and sanitary.
STAY AHEAD OF FALL CHALLENGES BY MAINTAINING YOUR PORTABLE RESTROOMS
Regular maintenance and proactive preparation keep your portable restroom fleet running smoothly during the fall season. From inspecting and repairing restrooms to performing mechanical checks on trucks, addressing minor issues now can save time and money later. By following this fall maintenance checklist, you can head into the season fully prepared, confident that your fleet is ready to meet the growing demand. For more tips on keeping your equipment running smoothly, subscribe to American Liquid Waste Magazine today!
HOW TO REDUCE FATBERGS IN SEWER SYSTEMS
Fatbergs, a true enemy of urban plumbing, are monstrous masses consisting primarily of nonflushable household and personal items found in the underbelly of urban sewer systems. These elements combine to create a solid, concrete-like mass that can grow over the course of years to dangerous proportions, obstructing pipes and leading to substantial sewage overflows. These pose a major public health risk along with the potential destruction of sewer infrastructure. The Vactor team is committed to helping protect the underbelly of cities and keeping the public safe by creating an educational guide on how to reduce fatbergs in sewer systems. Three of those necessary ways are listed below.
1.
REGULAR SEWER MAINTENANCE
Since fatbergs can quietly grow to monumental proportions, utility crews must patrol and inspect sewer lines. If a fatberg is found, specialized machinery, such as high-pressure water jets on Vactor trucks, can be used to break them apart.
2. CITY REGULATIONS
City regulations also play an important part. By
& GREASE WIPES ORGANICS DRUGS TEETH
enforcing the sizing and maintenance of grease traps, especially in high-output establishments like restaurants, municipalities can curtail the flow of fats, oils, and grease into the sewage system, weakening the foundations upon which fatbergs heave themselves.
3. PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS
Regular maintenance of fatbergs includes educational initiatives to enlighten the public about the consequences of improper waste disposal. The more the public is aware of which household and personal items wreak havoc on sewage systems, the lower the risk of fatbergs becoming so dangerously large that they pose a serious risk on public health and severe damage to sewer infrastructure.
A combination of education, regulations, and infrastructure maintenance is the key to protecting the environment, public health, and keeping sewers flowing freely. Vactor’s comprehensive guide includes even more information on the consequences of fatbergs in sewer systems and a list of the specific items that contribute to the growth of these formidable obstructions.
Vactor specializes in developing the proper equipment to break up and eliminate fatbergs in sewer systems along with keeping workers safe during the extraction process. Visit Vactor.com to learn more.
PRODUCT WA TCH
IN THE NEWS
ASSOCIA TION NEWS
BALANCING SUPPLY AND DEMAND: EFFICIENT INVENTORY PRACTICES
ASSOCIA TION INSIDER
Have you ever gone to the warehouse thinking there’s plenty of inventory to go around for a gig, only to find almost none left? This is what happens when supply and demand are out of sync.
SPOTLIGHT INDEX
Your entire operation is at risk when supply and demand are out of sync. When you understock, you tend to miss deadlines and have dissatisfied clients, which is bad for your business’s reputation. Overstocking can also be a problem. It drains cash flow, increases maintenance costs and clogs up valuable yard space.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this piece, we share highly effective strategies to help you streamline your operation and keep your business thriving — no matter the demand. Here’s how you can create an effective inventory system.
HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
1. Create Tiered Inventory Systems
TInstead of keeping a uniform inventory, consider breaking your inventory into tiers based on usage frequency and seasonality. For instance:
• Tier 2: Seasonal/Medium Use: Items that are only in demand during certain times of the year (festival units, specialty trailers, etc.) should have a predictive stocking approach. Use historical data and event schedules to adjust inventory accordingly.
• Tier 3: Low Use/Backup: Rarely used items should be strategically minimized but remain accessible. Consider partnering with a secondary supplier who can provide these in emergencies rather than holding costly excess inventory.
2. Build Strategic Vendor Relationships
Establishing strong relationships with your suppliers allows you to set up flexible supply arrangements. This means having agreements in place that allow for fast scaling up or down of orders without significant cost penalties. Building these relationships can lead to benefits like priority delivery or access to inventory even when there’s a shortage in the industry.
• Tier 1: High Demand/High Use: These are your bread-and-butter items—standard portable restrooms, common parts and chemicals. Keep this stock on hand in larger quantities, using realtime inventory systems to monitor it closely.
Train your staff to always be ahead of the curve with regular check-ups and servicing.
3. Adopt a Preventative Maintenance Culture
When your restrooms and sewer equipment are well-maintained, you’re not caught off-guard by sudden breakdowns or having to dip into your inventory unexpectedly. Train your staff to always be ahead of the curve with regular check-ups and servicing. This extends equipment life, reduces downtime and prevents unnecessary inventory spikes due to emergency replacements.
4. Incorporate Rental Pools or Cooperative Networks
This might be a bit more unconventional, but joining or creating a cooperative network with other local or regional contractors can be a gamechanger. In such a network, multiple companies agree to share resources during times of peak demand, reducing the need for each company to carry its own redundant inventory. Instead of buying units that sit idle during off-peak times, you can rely on your network to bridge gaps in supply.
5. Revolve Your Marketing Around Your Capacity
Many contractors overextend themselves during peak seasons and lose potential long-term clients
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by underdelivering. Create marketing strategies that revolve around your capacity, so you’re not scrambling to meet an unexpected demand spike. It’s better to grow steadily than to make promises you can’t deliver on. This means communicating transparently with clients about availability, setting limits and being clear about your operational bandwidth.
IN THE NEWS
6. Leverage a Buyback or Resell Program
7. Train Employees to be Eyes on the Ground
ASSOCIA TION NEWS
Your field employees are your first line of defense when it comes to supply management. Train them to provide detailed feedback on units, parts and materials during each site visit. They should report back on wear and tear, customer usage trends and potential upcoming needs. This will help you predict shifts in demand and manage inventory accordingly.
ASSOCIA TION INSIDER
STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME: MASTER SUPPLY, DEMAND AND INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
SPOTLIGHT INDEX
For larger items like trailers or luxury restroom units, consider implementing a buyback program where customers have the option to sell the units back to you after a certain period. You can then refurbish and resell or re-rent them at a lower cost. This reduces waste, allows you to keep your inventory flowing and reduces upfront costs for clients.
Mastering supply and demand is key to staying competitive and profitable in portable restroom business. That why everyday solutions might not put you where you want to be: top of the pile. It’s easier to come out on top when you use multi-tier
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inventory systems and train your workers to have a keen eye.
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IN THE NEWS
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