James Consolo, Diamond Sani of Brooklyn Heights, Ohio
James Consolo was an entrepreneur at an early age. At 17, he began a small trucking company in the Cleveland area. Some five years later, at the ripe old age of 22, he started the first portable restroom company in the city, Red Heads. (The name is interesting, and perhaps since “heads” refers to restrooms in military jargon, these wooden units were painted red? If anyone knows, please let PSAI know.)
In 1966, Revco Inc. – most known for the Revco Drug Store Chain – bought Red Heads. James Consolo became vice president and general manager of Revco’s Diamond Sanitation Inc. Revco also purchased Waco Scaffolding in another departure from the core business.
James wasted no time after the acquisition in advancing his efforts to enact legislation for portable sanitation. In an Oct. 17, 1967, article from The Akron Beacon Journal, James is shown with a model of a “red head” (portable restroom) as part of his presentation to the local planning committee to “consider legislation which would govern use at construction sites.”
In 1969, he was promoted to president of two of Revco’s subsidiaries. First, as the president of Diamond Trailer, which specialized in providing mobile hauling and trash trailers to various construction industries. He was also named president of Waco Scaffolding. Later, he was named president of Diamond Engineered Space, a third Revco subsidiary. Clearly, James Consolo was seen as a strong leader, and this quality enabled him to manage multiple businesses.
James was a valuable member of the PSAI board due to his knowledge of the construction industry and exceptional managerial skills. His desire to seek legislation to establish standards for the use of portable restrooms in both construction and special events was invaluable for the new upstart PSAI.
M.C. Nottingham, M.C. Nottingham Companies of Irwindale, California
Mark C. Nottingham is one of the earliest founders of the portable sanitation industry, working from the 1940s forward. The Sanitarian Magazine from July-August 1949 provides his life story along with his company’s entry into this new industry:
“Born in 1906, he started working with his father in the sewage disposal business in 1922. In speaking with his father about a career, his father’s thoughts were:
“‘Regardless of how times got, there were a few necessities of life – food, clothing, transportation and sanitation. He advised [Mark] to pick out a job no one else liked to do, specialize in it, and be the best in that particular field. He talked at length about the importance of sewage disposal and sanitation and said it was a field most people kept away from.’” (This was very sound advice from over 100 years ago!)
In 1923, according to this article, Mark was taken in as a partner by his father, and the company began operating as C.C. Nottingham & Son. The next year the company developed the “Hygi-Sept” a precast concrete septic tank that revolutionized the industry.
In 1930, Mark bought out his father and changed the name to M.C. Nottingham Co.
In 1937, he and his company became charter members of the National Association of Sanitarians — known today as NEHA (National Environmental Health Association).
In World War II, the company did sanitation work in the western U.S. “installing and repairing septic tanks, sewer plants and mainline sewers for U.S. Army Camps and draining fields.”
“Just recently (July/August 1949) Mr Nottingham has developed a new type of chemical toilet.” M.C. Nottingham Co. was one of the earliest portable restroom companies.
(It should be noted that according to previous PSAI history articles, Pacific Sanitary, also California-based, is thought to be the first portable restroom company as they provided service to shipbuilder Henry Kaiser during WWII. All of these early units had steps to enter due to the fact that the base was on top of a 55-gallon drum laid on its side and cut with an opening to position under the toilet seat.)
Mark Nottingham continued to innovate and to provide service throughout Southern California in the 1950s and 1960s. His joining the PSAI board in 1971 brought experience and historical knowledge to the new organization.
Mark Nottingham was both a charter member of NEHA in 1937 and the PSAI in 1971.
Part 4 of this series can be found here. Part 6, “Meet PSAI Charter Board Members Bill Stratton and Frank Van Balen,” will be published on June 11.
