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.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
When the company started providing shower trailers and restrooms to the military, they became a certified government contractor. This opened the door for a number of military projects including the G-20 Summit, despite being located two hours from the event. They were contacted by the Pennsylvania Air National Guard on behalf of the Army, which found them on the government registered site as a preferred contractor.
THE MAIN EVENT
On Sept. 24 and 25, 2009, hosted by President Obama, leaders from 20 countries representing 85 percent of the world’s economy, attended the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, primarily to discuss global economic conditions. Pittsburgh was chosen as the host site to highlight successful efforts at pulling itself out of an economic slump after it lost the steel industry. It also gave the city a chance to showcase environmental efforts, including the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, one of the largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) certified buildings in the world.
Security was provided by local police, the National Guard and the Coast Guard, all under the command of the Secret Service.
BY THE NUMBERS
National Guard troops who arrived for the Summit were housed in tents at five local armories. Superior-Speedie provided 54 gray Satellite Tufway portable restrooms for them, all with hand sanitizers. The PRO also brought in 10 shower trailers, including eight subleased from JAG, all 32 feet long with four showers and two sinks on each side.
LET’S ROLL
The company wasn’t given much notice for the project. “The National Guard called us probably a week before the shower trailers were needed, saying they might be needing some shower trailers,” says Flynn. They also said they didn’t have funding, and no specifics were given as to how many were needed or when. On Thursday, Sept. 17, they got a call saying 10 trailers were needed by the next day. Thus began a quick scramble to supplement their inventory. They contacted JAG Mobile Solutions, which immediately sent eight trailers from its headquarters in Howe, Ind.
On Friday morning a Superior-Speedie team arrived in Pittsburgh with two shower trailers, as well as 34 portable restrooms, which were hauled by a 2008 Chevy 1-ton stake truck with a 16-unit trailer in tow, and a 2005 Chevy 1-ton stake with a 10-unit trailer in tow. Both of the trailers were from McKee Technologies Inc.
PUTTING OUT FIRES
Most of the shower trailers were hooked up to water and sewer lines, but in one location Superior learned they’d be hooking up to a fire hydrant, which required locating a plumbing supply house for the proper fittings. In addition, they had to make minor repairs to one of the trailers, get eight 40-pound propane tanks filled, and find a local treatment facility that would take the wastewater. The crew worked late into the night, got a hotel room, and finished up the next day.
On Monday, the Army requested one of the shower trailers be moved to a downtown armory, then called on Wednesday saying the armory plumbing went out and 16 portable restrooms were needed immediately. By that time, the Summit was in full swing. Roads were closed, demonstrators were out and security was everywhere. “Bill (Kellar, a Superior-Speedie driver) got lost in downtown Pittsburgh,” says Flynn. “He ran into a road where protesters were coming down one side and police were coming up behind him on the other side. He said he literally felt like he was in the middle of a war.”
KEEPIN’ IT CLEAN
Units and showers were serviced every day, Monday through Saturday. The company kept its service vehicle — a 2006 International built by Abernethy Welding & Repair Inc. with a 1,100-gallon waste/400-gallon freshwater steel tank and a Masport Inc. pump — at one of the armories. Technician Mat Wykoff alternated between driving in everyday and staying over at a hotel.
The company was given an assist by the Army, which provided a cleaning detail for the showers.
WITH FLYING COLORS
Superior-Speedie workers pulled everything out the Monday after the Summit and breathed a sigh of relief. “It was hectic and stressful, but once you get it done, you say, ‘I just cannot believe we did that,’ ” says Flynn.
The contracting officer sent an e-mail praising Superior’s service and professionalism. “They knew it was all last-minute, and they thanked us a thousand times for getting everything done,” Flynn says. Even the troops expressed their appreciation. “They were coming up to Mat telling him what a good job he was doing, and they appreciated it. You’d think they’d have bigger things on their mind.”
