During most of the year, you’re engaged in physical labor, all day, every day. There are routes to be run, equipment to maintain and not enough hours in the day to get everything done. Then the winter hits, and there’s more time for the mental labor necessary to keep your company up to date and running smoothly.
This is the time you can chart a course for the future, learn new tricks and techniques to improve efficiency throughout the year, and invest in education that will pay dividends next week, next year and for the next generation of owners of your business. One of those wintertime investments should be attending industry trade events, and one of those events is the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show, coming up Feb. 17-20 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
For 40 years, the WWETT Show, formerly called the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo, has been a vital touch point for wastewater professionals. WWETT week is considered many things to many portable sanitation contractors. It is a place for networking with friends and forging new long-term relationships with peers in the industry. It’s a shopping spree where companies enjoy an annual face-to-face visit with their trusted vendors and plan to stock up on supplies such as chemicals, accessories and equipment replacement parts. It is where you kick tires, literally, looking for that next great vacuum truck.
The WWETT Show is the largest annual exhibit of equipment and services for the environmental services industries, including portable sanitation. And outside of the exhibit hall, it offers dozens of education and training opportunities every day, spanning the convention center and inside the nearby Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts.
I have attended the last 15 Pumper & Cleaner/WWETT Show events, going back to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Change is constant for the WWETT Show, and I am ready to make a few suggestions about how you can spend your valuable — and often too-limited — time in Indy. If you can accomplish only a few of these goals for the show, I’m sure you’ll bring back plenty of benefits to your portable sanitation business:
Find out what’s new in standard portable restrooms
All of the portable restroom manufacturers will have extensive displays of their products on hand in Indy. So it will be a quick and easy task to visit each company’s booth and meet with a seasoned representative who knows the products inside out. Quiz them on the aspects of the units that matter most to you in your individual business environment. What parts have a tendency to wear out and need replacement most often? What features do your customers tell you they want to see in a restroom they rent? Look at details like the design of springs and hinges, the sturdiness of the skid bases and the methods used to secure panels for durability. Are the units easy to handle with well-thought-out ergonomics and functional grab handles? Think about whether you want to bring a new type of restroom into your inventory or choose an alternative color for the units you use.
Perform your own restroom trailer shootout
Restroom trailers are growing in popularity and being requested by more customers, both commercial and industrial clients, as well as for small events and outdoor weddings. They also represent a huge investment for a growing portable sanitation company. It is getting more difficult to say yes to customers every time without having a few trailers in your yard. All that said, the WWETT Show is the perfect opportunity to compare the growing number of restroom trailers being offered by manufacturers.
Start by putting a list together of the most important criteria for your first or newest restroom trailer addition. Give this some serious thought, and compile the list before you arrive in Indy. When you get to the show, map out the trailer manufacturers you want to visit. If you brought the whole crew, be sure to get their impressions of every unit that rates serious consideration. You could even take your criteria list and have each member of your team rate each unit on a scale of 1-5 for each of the must-have features. Narrow the field and visit each display again. Talk to the vendors and get their insights on your needs. Now you should feel more confident about pulling the trigger on a new trailer.
Hang out awhile with your favorite truck and tank supplier
It’s one thing to have a brief catch-up with a representative of the company you usually hire to build your trucks. They will certainly give you great information about trends in the vacuum truck industry and specifically about technical details of their products. But if you linger in the booth for an hour and talk to other PROs who trust the same truck builder, you’ll learn a lot of ideas about the best ways to spec a truck for the portable sanitation industry. This type of networking at a trade show can be a game-changer for your company. Learning just a few new tips about where to place a hose hanger or tool rack can save your drivers a great deal of time and frustration over the course of a year. Comparing notes on tank size, pump brands and cubic-feet-per-minute output could lead you to try another accessory that works out well for you. Who knows, a chance encounter with another PRO who uses similar equipment could lead to a mutually beneficial professional relationship for years to come.
HITTING THE BOOKS
I’ve reviewed the full seminar schedule for the WWETT Show with the portable restroom contractor in mind and have the following suggestions for how to spend your time in the classroom. The talks are spread throughout the four-day event, so you can knock off a few every day between the time you spend wearing out your shoes in the exhibit hall. Mark these on your calendar:
MONDAY, FEB. 17
• PSAI New Service Tech Training for Portable Sanitation Professionals
Speaker Karleen Kos, executive director of the Portable Sanitation Association International, shares the newly revised basic training course for technicians that covers transportation and logistics, cleaning and maintaining equipment, health safety, and professional excellence. Kos is backed up by a panel of experts; this is the perfect opportunity to get your new drivers valuable training and show them everything the industry has to offer.
TUESDAY, FEB. 18
• Putting Your Best Face Forward on Facebook in the Portable Sanitation Industry
As owner of Crossroads Portables in Belding, Michigan, presenter Andrea Booker knows what it’s like to keep up with social media for her company while also running service routes all day. And her perspective is just what is needed by busy PROs. Attendees will leave with an action plan for social media, and Booker promises to help you get more impact from your social media posts and generate more sales through platforms like Facebook.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19
• Hard Won Knowledge; Small-Business Guidance From Practical Experience
Jim Aanderud, consultant and former wastewater-related contracting company owner will discuss several topics aimed at building your business. They include leadership, hiring workers, training programs, and purchasing new equipment and planning for equipment replacement.
• Preparing for Extremes in Portable Sanitation
Supported by a panel of experts, Kos returns with an interesting presentation on handling the extreme conditions you may find in the portable sanitation industry. Among the situations you may encounter are servicing units in extreme cold or hot temperatures and securing units in windy conditions. The group will discuss steps to create a hazard preparedness plan and provide portable sanitation during a natural disaster.
• Business Exit Strategies: Selling Your Company on Your Terms
Financial expert A. Rhodes Wilson will discuss the best way to sell or leave your small business. He will share advice on strategies to get the best price for your business while also developing favorable payment terms for the buyer. He will talk about deciding when you want to sell the business and how to identify different paths to exit.
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