THE TEAM
Russ Gulliford is the owner of Illinois Portable Toilets, part of Gulliford Services, in Urbana, Ill. Merle Metz manages the portable restroom division, which accounts for about a third of the company’s business in addition to septic and plumbing and heating segments. Eight of the 30 employees are in the restroom division. The company dedicated one technician, Jonathan Nicholls, to work full time for the Farm Progress Show, although everyone was involved at some point in loading, unloading, preparation, maintenance, and cleaning.
COMPANY HISTORY
The roots of the business go back two generations to 1939 when Gulliford’s grandfather started a septic business. Gulliford restarted it in 1985, a few years after his grandfather died. In 1987, when a college student asked Gulliford if he could provide restrooms for a frat party, Gulliford quickly bought 12 used fiberglass units and began a new line of work. The business mushroomed and they now have an inventory of about 1,000 units and six vacuum trucks, serving a 110-mile radius.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
The company served the Farm Progress Show for the first time in 2009. They won the bid, but price wasn’t the sole deciding factor for the client, Metz says. “Our reputation preceded us. We were not the lowest bidder,” he says.
THE MAIN EVENT
If you’re in the market for a $500,000 combine or want to check out the latest seed varieties, the Farm Progress Show is the place to do it. The 2009 event marked its 56th year, and organizers call it the largest show of its kind in the nation. From Sept.1-3, 600 exhibitors introduced 250,000 people to all that’s new in the agriculture industry. The 478-acre Decatur, Ill., site is set up like a small town, with campground, vendor area and demonstration fields. It’s not all business, though. Events included a country music concert, lumberjack and tractor pull contests, and an antique equipment display.
