Bill Stratton, ABC Service Company of San Antonio, Texas
Bill Stratton founded ABC Service Company in San Antonio in 1958 and was a charter PSAI board member in 1971. While true, this does not begin to describe the amazing life of this individual.
He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II and served as a bomber pilot and instructor. After the war, he continued his aeronautical studies and achieved top qualifications as a flight instructor. He served as a contract pilot for the U.S. Defense Department and in 1958 he was the chief pilot for an oil company.
Later that year, Bill started ABC Service Company along with his uncle Richard Stratton. With his military background and desire for organization and accuracy, the company became known for excellent customer service.
In 1961, Bill was once again asked to serve his country. He accepted the position of serving as a pilot for fellow Texan — and vice president of the United States — Lyndon B. Johnson! He accepted the position and began piloting what was then commonly referred to as “Air Force One-Half,” a smaller aircraft dedicated to trips by the vice president.
He served until 1963 when LBJ unexpectedly became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
When Bill returned to full-time ownership at ABC Service, the company continued to grow as the construction of both residential neighborhoods and city skyscrapers expanded.
As a charter board member, Bill offered his organization and managerial skills to the group. (He actually managed a small local airport in his area, too.) In 1974, he served as vice president under President Paul Levine. Bill was also a leading member of the Texas Portable Sanitation Association, an affiliated chapter of the PSAI.
Bill retired from ABC Service in 1988, but he did not retire from aviation. He founded the International Liaison Pilots Association, which collected and shared information about small single-engine planes that many pilots had flown in WWII. He also founded the Alamo Liaison Squadron. In his spare time, he and his wife travelled to various places around the world.
Frank Van Balen, Virginia Fiberglass of Roanoke, Virginia
Frank Van Balen served as an advisor to the charter PSAI board based on his years of experience as a manufacturer and his relationships with various portable restroom companies throughout the U.S.
He shared his story of founding Virginia Fiberglass Products in an article in the Winston-Salem Journal from Aug. 15, 1976. This article encapsulates the industry knowledge that he shared as a board member in those early days. According to this piece:
“Originally a salesman from Buffalo, New York, Frank was operating a molding shop in Roanoke (in 1964) when a man from Richmond stopped in and asked whether Van Balen could make some outhouses. ‘I thought that he was nutty and threw him out.’ But the potential customer persisted, Van Balen made 100 units for him and stored the molds in front of his shop.
Then a man from Hagerstown spied the molds. … ‘It suddenly dawned on me that there was a market out there. I loaded an outhouse on a pickup truck and started calling on portable restroom dealers.”
Another article, from The Roanoke Times (Oct. 10, 1971), remarks on Frank’s company’s growth. “In 1966, he moved his business to a local industrial park and ‘volume increased 60% annually.’ In September 1971, he moved the company again to a larger facility where production will double and ‘expected sales are $800,000 for this year.’ His total number of employees is now 32.”
Here is a snapshot of the price structure in 1971, from the same article: “Sanitary units, sold at $215 apiece to a network of dealers, are rented from $35 to $50 per month to contractors. Produced in white, red, green, blue or yellow, they’re shipped by truck as far as Arizona and Florida.” (In 2026 dollars, the units would cost the equivalent of $1,751 and rent would be between $280 and $400 per month.)
Frank took this industry experience and customer contacts with him as he joined the PSAI. He had traveled extensively up to that point and was familiar with many portable restroom companies that were all potential PSAI members. His future travels also served as recruitment opportunities for the association.
It should be mentioned that in 1972, Frank was first approached by the young entrepreneur Fred Edwards, who was inquiring about possibly starting a portable restroom company in Germany. Frank spoke with him from a manufacturing perspective and then referred him to Able Industries to speak with Al and Stanford Freedman.
In 1987, Frank was recognized as the Small Business Person of the Year for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He continued to operate Virginia Fiberglass Products — now known as VFP Inc. — until his passing in 2013. This represented a nearly 50-year career serving our industry.
Historical sidenote: As the PSAI grew in its early years, the Aug. 15, 1976, issue of the Winston-Salem Journal gave an enlightening snapshot of the industry at that time:
“650 companies renting about 150,000 units and two dozen manufacturers stocking these companies. It is big business— $100 million annually. And it is a necessary business — portable toilets are used 5.5 billion times per year.”
The article goes on to list companies in the industry: Jiffy John, SaniJohn, Johnny On The Spot, Don’s Johns, Johnny Matic, Ar-John, Honey Pot, Ecology Can, A-1, Sani-Kan, Pee Wee, Monogram and Satellite “to mention but a few.”
Final thoughts
These are the stories behind the charter PSAI board. This amazing group of individuals came together to form a team that spawned an association that is now 55 years old and international in scope. We owe all these people a debt of gratitude for their hard work, insight, vision and love of our industry.
A special thank you to Earl Braxton! A charter board member, he has shared valuable and interesting information with me during several conversations about the PSAI. Thank you.
Part 5 of the "Meet PSAI Charter Board Members" series can be found here.
