For Tommy McGraw, a former U.S. Marine and local law enforcement officer with a keen interest in business, renting out a few portable restroom trailers was supposed to be a side gig. But less than two years from its launch, McGraw Event Pros has exploded into a full-scale portable restroom operation built on a reputation for client care and service.

Trying his hand at real estate and property rental in the Charleston, South Carolina area, McGraw was intrigued in 2019 by an ad on Craigslist offering a pair of three-station UltraLav restroom trailers.

“I rented those out once a month to festivals and weddings and had other companies service them,” he recalls. “I soon realized there was a good opportunity in luxury restroom trailers in the Charleston area, which was underserved.”

Introduced to Bridget Lundberg, a 30-year sales and marketing veteran of the portable sanitation industry, McGraw hired her and launched McGraw Event Pros in early 2022. By the summer of 2023, the company employed eight people and ramped up its inventory to take on new business.

Today, the company owns 360 portable restrooms from Armal, PolyJohn and Satellite Industries, including 15 ADA units. Its 11 portable restroom trailers include: five from Lang Specialty Trailers, ranging from four to nine stations; three from Satellite — a three, six, and 10 station; two three-station trailers from Forest River; and a four-station trailer from a manufacturer now out of business. The company also offers 30 hand-wash stations from Satellite and PolyJohn.

They’re serviced by four trucks all with Masport pumps. A 2022 Ford F-550 features an 800-gallon waste/400-gallon freshwater stainless steel tank built by Best Enterprises. The others feature aluminum tanks: a 2021 Ford F-450 with a 350-gallon waste/100-gallon freshwater slide-in unit from Imperial Industries; a 2022 International with a 900-gallon waste/400-gallon freshwater tank from Imperial Industries; and a 2022 Ram 5500 with 500-gallon waste/300-gallon freshwater tank built by FlowMark. The company expects to order three additional trucks with slide-in tanks in 2023.

Transport trailers include two 16-unit haulers from Liquid Waste Industries, and a 10-unit and 16-unit from F.M. Manufacturing.

The company serves the Charleston area, as well as Georgia, through Savannah and Brunswick, with about 60% of the business in events, film work, emergency services and disaster recovery. The other 40% involves longer-term clients in construction, quarries, industrial applications and warehousing businesses.

EXPLORE FIVE ISSUES THAT AFFECT TOMMY’S PORTABLE SANITATION BUSINESS:

1. DEVELOPING CHARACTER IN THE U.S. MARINES

“I owe all my success, personally and professionally, to what was instilled in me in the U.S. Marine Corps,” McGraw says. “At the end of the day, it all comes back to self-discipline, integrity and service — doing the right thing. Doing what you need to do, even though you don’t always feel like it.”

That philosophy extends to taking care of company equipment: “In the Marines, you’re cleaning your weapon because your weapon’s going to save your life. Then you’re taking care of all your nonessential gear and last but not least, you’re taking care of your body. Equipment we use in this business isn’t cheap and getting the full value from it involves keeping it impeccably clean and maintaining and servicing it to high standards.”

2. SELECTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB

McGraw doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all equipment philosophy and likes to order a range of products from different suppliers to assess their pros and cons.

“All of the manufacturers have great products and they all have things that they could probably improve on if they’re used in a particular situation,” he says. “I might like a restroom trailer design, but if I find that the waste tank is smaller on those units, I will use them for VIP service at an event, instead of general admission. We also use particular portable restroom manufacturers for construction. We like to try these different products, so that we can determine who’s going to be our best partner for a particular application and clientele moving forward.”

One of McGraw’s favorite pieces of equipment is an AVANT 528 articulating loader.

“A skid-steer doesn’t maneuver in the most efficient manner,” he says. “It also has tracks that tear up people’s grass. The AVANT 528 has turf tires and can turn in extremely tight spaces. We don’t have to drive our trucks and trailers through fields to serve a festival anymore. We park in a safe location and then use only one guy and that loader to move 50 or 60 toilets. It’s saved us a ton of time and a ton of muscle.”

3. HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

McGraw credits sales manager Bridget Lundberg for helping him understand the market opportunities in the area.

“She explained the potential for a company founded on excellent service,” he says. “We don’t look at ourselves as being in the restroom business, we’re in the hospitality industry.”

In the earliest days of the company, McGraw delivered restrooms and provided service, but he soon stepped back and now employs five drivers. “I’m never going to ask any of my people to do something that I would not do or have not done,” he says. “Even now, if I get a call at midnight, I’m the one who will get in the truck to follow up.”

Most of the company’s employees are referrals. McGraw believes in paying competitive salaries, but also works to ensure employees feel valued. That begins with giving them the training and tools they need to be successful.

“Having a solid employee team behind me has allowed me to focus on new sales ideas, brainstorm new opportunities and work with our equipment manufacturers to move the business forward,” McGraw says.

4. BEING A PROBLEM-SOLVER FOR CLIENTS

Film and television contracts for productions such as HBO’s series The Righteous Gemstones and Netflix’s Outer Banks require the company to work in situations with a lot of moving parts.

“In these complex environments, we want to make our clients’ lives as easy as possible,” McGraw says. “They should talk with us once and never again have to worry about restrooms or trailers. But if we see an opportunity to take anything else off their plate, I want to be the first one to try and solve their problem, even if it isn’t our forte.”

The company has provided garden hose, floor mats, traffic cones, roll carts and cable trays to film clients. McGraw even carries light towers if the production requires extra illumination.

“I believe there’s a difference between a customer and a client,” he says.  “A customer is a sale. A client is a long-term relationship and a chance to demonstrate the value we create. We might not see that financial return immediately, but we’re going to see that return in the relationship over the long haul.”

5. THE VALUE OF ATTENDING TRADE SHOWS

Members of the McGraw Event Pros staff regularly attend the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show.

“It’s almost overwhelming,” says McGraw. “You feel like a kid going to Disney World. You find new business opportunities, and new ways to expand and grow. It’s a ton of fun to get up there to see the new products, and where the industry as a whole is heading. It also gives us an opportunity to see our sales reps and to talk with them about what’s going on, and even look for advice on how to use some of their products better.”

While the company has previously sent only members of the management team to the show, McGraw is looking to send drivers as well.

“They normally see portable sanitation from the working level,” he says. “We’d like them to see the newest technology and equipment and get their minds jogging so that they come home with new ideas that will make us more efficient, make us better as a team and help us grow.”