Of the many portable restrooms on display at the 2013 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo last February in Indianapolis, Ind., a purple model about three-quarters the size of a traditional unit grabbed quite a bit of attention. Of course, the multicolored handprints all over the outside of the unit may have helped.
The T.S.F. Company introduced their child-friendly TJ Kid portable restroom to Expo attendees. According to the company’s office manager, Rosie Stitzman, the unit on display at the Expo was a source of constant chatter, especially among booth visitors with small children in tow.
“Having the TJ Kid on the floor was very popular,” says Stitzman. “Even when I walked around the hall, I overheard people saying, ‘Did you see that cute potty with the handprints?’ That was pretty neat to hear.”
Invention of the popular restroom could almost be called an accident. While attending various trade shows across the country, Stitzman began to notice that attendees, especially families and children, gravitated toward the company’s TJ Shorty, a scaled-down version (80-inch height instead of the traditional 90 inches) of their stalwart Tuff Jon III model, designed with a lifting bracket for height-restricted areas and high-rise construction applications.
“The kids thought the smaller restroom was made just for them, but it had the same size bucket on the inside that make using full-size units tough for children,” says Stitzman. “One day in the office I asked [company owner] Bob Schenk how tough it would be to make a ‘kid-friendly’ version with a step. He honestly didn’t want to at first. I think he finally did it just to appease me.”
The model Schenk designed stands 77 inches tall, and features a step stool to give children easier access to the toilet and sink. It is decorated with colorful handprints, so children make no mistake that this special restroom is intended especially for them.
“It was a big hit almost immediately,” says Schenk. “By adding a few of these units to their inventories, PROs show potential customers that they care about the whole family at special events. Its great for birthday parties or other kid-themed events, too.”
In addition to the step stool, the TJ Kid features one-piece EZ Clean polyethylene construction, a spacious interior, 160-pound weight, rust-free hardware, molded air vents to increase air circulation and reduce vandalism, a 60-gallon holding tank, lowered urinal and toilet paper dispenser and a polyethylene skid. Options include a sky heater, 16-gallon hand-wash station, soap dispenser and towel holder. Eleven color options are also available, along with child-themed decor.
“We sold several units at the Expo, including the one on the showroom floor,” says Stitzman. “It definitely kept people talking, and the kids at the show really seemed to love it, which was a lot of fun for us to see. We were all very pleased with the response, and look forward to marketing the TJ Kid to our customers.” 800/843-9286; www.tuff-jon.com.
