Al Hilde, Satellite Industries of Minneapolis
Al Hilde is a “pioneer of our industry,” and as such, a chapter is dedicated to him in the book PSAI Through the Decades: A History of Portable Sanitation. I was very honored to have Al write the foreword to that book; he passed away the next year.
As the founder of Satellite Industries in 1958, Al was instrumental in growing his company and our industry in the 1960s. As a charter board member of PSA in 1971, he was yet another leader who helped to organize and to establish the association.
In addition to all of Al’s accomplishments as noted in the Book, he was instrumental in developing the PSA logo.
Here is his explanation of the logo that we have proudly identified with for the last 55 years: “The logo of the Portable Sanitation Association symbolizes the deep concern of the association for the preservation and protection of the environment. The arrow points toward a dual concern for the green earth below and the blue sky above. The scene of concern is a field of pure white, representing the contribution of the portable sanitation industry to a clean and unpolluted environment as well as sanitary conditions for the worker.”
One other “historical possibility” is a discussion that Todd Hilde and I have had on several occasions: Al Hilde served our country in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1958. At that time, another soldier and international celebrity, Elvis Presley, had just begun his military service at that same base. Elvis’ platoon leader at that time was a young second lieutenant by the name of William “Bill” Wigley from Rome, Georgia — my father. Todd and I have often wondered, did Al Hilde and Bill Wigley know each other or know of each other? We will never know, but we both hope so! By the way, according to my father, “Elvis was a good soldier.”
Earl Braxton, Porta-John of Utica, Michigan
As of now, Earl Braxton is still involved in our industry at the age of 85! He was 30 years old in 1971 as a charter board member. Those who know Earl describe him as creative, innovative and forward-thinking. These traits were extremely important in forming a new association.
In an April 4, 1984, article in the Fresno Bee, Earl shared a brief history of his company up to that point:
- He was a former accountant who said that “he quit his job out of boredom” and in 1970 purchased a portable restroom company in the Detroit area, Porta-John. He grew the company substantially during the 1970s (hopefully in part due to his participation in the PSAI).
- Famously, or infamously, in 1976, late-night entertainment host Johnny Carson sued Braxton over the use of Porta-John’s tag line of “Here’s Johnny!” which Braxton combined with the phrase “The World’s Foremost Commodian.” Carson claimed “Here’s Johnny!” as an identity slogan since he began on TV in 1957. The case was resolved in 1980, and Braxton dropped the phrase. After Carson died in 2005, Braxton again appealed the ruling, but it was denied.
- He began a new business, Enzymes of America Inc., which collected urine-based proteins from portable restrooms and restroom trailers “for resale to drug companies and universities for chemical production and research.”
Earl Braxton continued to grow and expand his company in both the service and manufacturing sectors of our industry. The company’s list of major events serviced includes:
- 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta with 3,800 units and 42 service trucks
- Woodstock ’99 in Rome, New York
- New Orleans Mardi Gras served for 15 years as the sanitation contractor
- Numerous other special events and even natural disaster services
Earl entered the “internet world” in 1982 after meeting Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple Computers, at US Fest in San Bernardino, California. In a June 20, 2003, article in the Detroit Free Press, Earl shared that “Steve showed me how to run these things while sitting at the keyboard of his Apple G4.” As of 2003, Earl grew the “domain registration” business to over 700 domain names. Today, this business continues to flourish as Porta-John.
It’s easy to see how Earl’s energy and enthusiasm definitely played a role in changing the face of our industry in the early 1970s.
Part 4, “ Meet PSAI Charter Board Members Clarence Henk, Paul Levine and Robert Churchill,” will be published on May 28. Read part 2 here.
