THE TEAM
For their biggest event weekend of the year, Brian and Molly Fagan, owners of Scotty’s Potty’s in Port Huron, Mich., depend on family, friends, and occasional part-time help. The team returning in 2011 to cover three big event venues over one week included Brian’s sister, Judy Allen; his father, Don Fagan; his daughters Sara and Lindsey, and his cousin Pete Paulus. On Molly’s side of the family, helping were nephew Max Roeske, uncle Dick Engelgau and friends John Downing, Dena Garcia, David Garcia, Tom Hickman, Matt Allen and Brent Woolman. Working July 18-26, many in the crew have helped the Fagans for seven or eight years.
COMPANY HISTORY
The Fagans purchased Scotty’s in 1999, with construction companies as the primary customer. They’ve grown to more than 300 units from Satellite Industries, Five Peaks, PolyPortables and Olympia Fiberglass Industries. One Comfort Elite restroom trailer is from Wells Cargo.
The customer base includes special events, golf courses, parks, and a five-year contract with Port Huron to handle municipal restroom service, including activities around The Blue Water Fest, the Rotary International Day Parade, the Port Huron Yacht Club, all taking place along with the Bayview Mackinac sailboat race (dubbed the 2011 Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race, sponsored by the Detroit-based Bayview Yacht Club). Scotty’s does not contract with the Bayview Yacht Club, however participants may take advantage of the facilities provided by Port Huron.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
In 2003 Molly Fagan gave a presentation to the city, pointing out her company could provide a hand sanitizer in each unit at no extra charge, that all their units are a standard green color, and that they are a local company. She promised a high standard of cleanliness, and the city officials listened.
“We now have the contract to provide restroom service for the city,’’ she says. “My job is to provide and service their 26 restrooms every day of the week for nine months, as well as any extra activities.”
The July events are bundled together in a four-day celebration known as “boat night.” Scotty’s had been providing a few units during these activities at a Port Huron Yacht Club party. Fagan says initially they were bringing in about 15 restrooms. An annual contract with the yacht club has continued, and the numbers increased. For The Blue Water Fest, they provide restrooms in strategic locations.
In 2006, Scotty’s was contracted to place restrooms for the Rotary Club parade held in conjunction with boat night. The working relationship has continued.
THE MAIN EVENT
On July 20, the 2011 Rotary International Day Parade kicked off four days of activities. The Blue Water Fest in Port Huron commenced July 21, offering views of the sailboats, a festival of music, food, 50 bands and a carnival. The Port Huron Yacht Club, located along the shores of the Black River, gears up for a fundraising party. Along with portable restrooms from Scotty’s, the yacht club brings in temporary fencing and two large tents. As many as 3,500 people are at the club over two days.
The 2011 Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race started in Port Huron July 23. In a longstanding tradition, 215 sailboats left Port Huron for Mackinac Island, Mich., covering more than 200 miles. Even after the boats left port, festivities continued and culminated with the Parade of Lights in Port Huron.
All told, an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 guests visited the city.
BY THE NUMBERS
For their contract with the City of Port Huron, Scotty’s brought in 74 units in addition to the 26 Satellite and Olympia units contracted most of the year. The stock included 66 units from Satellite and a variety of standard and ADA-compatible units from PolyPortables and Five Peaks. At the yacht club, they delivered 36 Satellite units, as well as an ADA unit, hand sanitizer station and urinal unit from PolyPortables. For the Rotary Club parade, they dropped six Satellite units, later used in town.
Units for Port Huron were placed in groups of 15 or more, a number of them situated at the marina for use by sailboat racers. They also were strategically placed in designated areas close to restaurants, taverns and other gathering spots. At the yacht club, units were in small clusters, including the two entrances.
LET’S ROLL
Work started on Monday and Tuesday before the events, when the Fagans and crew began washing and stocking restrooms that had just returned from a weekend at another site. On Wednesday, Molly did her usual rounds servicing the 26 restrooms in the city. The same morning, she and eight others started loading and delivering units.
For transport they used a 2000 Ford F-550 outfitted with a 500-gallon waste/200-gallon freshwater steel tank and Conde pump built out by Brian Fagan. The flat tank configuration of the truck allows transport of two ADA units or six standard restrooms. Molly’s truck is a 1999 Ford F-350 with a 350-gallon waste/150-gallon freshwater aluminum slide-in unit (builder no longer in business). Also in use was a third truck, a 1999 Ford F-350 with a 300-gallon waste/100-gallon freshwater stainless steel tank and Masport pump from Marsh Industrial.
They use two 12-unit transport trailers from McKee Technologies and another small trailer that holds eight units. Using all the equipment, they can deliver 38 units at a time. These jobs required three complete delivery cycles.
The men are primarily on Brian’s team and do the loading and de-livery, while Molly’s team makes certain the units are ready for the crowds. Scotty’s 2-acre yard is on the outskirts of the township of Port Huron, and a short drive from each event.
KEEPING IT CLEAN
On Thursday morning, the parade restrooms were pumped, cleaned and situated according to the plans with the city for The Blue Water Fest. Thursday night is family night and heavily attended. On Friday morning at 8 a.m., the three service trucks made rounds, pumping all units and restocking water and paper products. The restroom holding tanks were recharged with Blue Works and Water Works deodorizers from PolyPortables, and products from J & J Chemical Co. This takes six workers about three hours.
Waste was hauled 50 miles to the Mount Clemens wastewater treatment plant for disposal.
At 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Scotty’s was back at the yacht club to remove all the units, which needed to be pumped, loaded and gone before the tents and temporary fencing were collected and before yacht club members came to clean and dismantle their equipment. To assist, they brought in Maggie’s Septic Tank Cleaning, Lexington, Mich.
“At the yacht club, Maggie’s pumped and we loaded,” Molly Fagan says. “Then we went to all restrooms in the city and Maggie’s pumped and we went right behind and cleaned and stocked, getting ready for all those people. We have to do it all early.” They wrapped up by 10 a.m.
Festivities continued in town throughout the day and into Saturday night.
Brian Fagan, owner of Scottie’s Potty’s, and technician Max Roeske service a bank of Five Peaks restrooms at The Blue Water Fest in Port Huron.herself available at all times via cellphone during the events to handle emergencies. One reward for Scotty’s is the positive feedback they receive from users who see their logo on the restrooms. These prominent events get the company’s name out in front of many potential new customers, and quality service is what prompts festival users to call Scotty’s when they need to rent a restroom.
