THE TEAM
Partners Pat Flynn and Jeff Grubbs own Superior-Speedie Portable Services Inc. in Akron, Ohio. Grubbs’ wife, Shelly, is the secretary-treasurer of the business. While Grubbs oversees an associated plumbing business, Flynn manages Superior’s five route drivers, three pickup and delivery people, and one yard worker. Teresa Hammitt handles billing, routing and phones. The staff was spread thin during the week of the G-20 Summit, as they also provided services for the Yankee Peddler Festival arts and crafts fair, the Road Runner Akron Marathon and a local festival. But six members of the team worked on the G-20, including Flynn and Grubbs.
COMPANY HISTORY
Six years ago, Grubbs decided to add a portable restroom division to his plumbing business. “There was not a portable sanitation company in Akron of any size, and he thought it would be a good fit,” says Flynn. Grubbs called his company Superior Portables and added “Speedie” to the name when he purchased a business of that name four years ago. Flynn was in advertising at the time, and Grubbs brought him in to help with marketing. When the business grew to the point that Grubbs could no longer manage both entities, the two men formed a partnership, and Flynn took over management of the portable restroom business. The company currently has 1,400 units.
Their business took on a whole new dimension when the Ohio National Guard contacted them in 2008 asking if they had shower trailers. They didn’t, but subleased some from JAG Mobile Solutions and eventually bought two.
