Prassanna “Marlon” Lewis calls his Long Island business Number 1 Portable Restrooms, so that he is forced to live up to its name.
Lewis launched the portable restroom company in Southampton, New York, in 2023 with a mission to provide new and clean equipment paired with immaculate service to serve a customer base that includes the Hamptons, one of the wealthiest communities in the United States. He credits his rapid growth with keeping his word on service, maintaining fair prices and developing a personal connection with his customers.
LEARNING THE ROPES
Lewis moved from his native Jamaica to the U.S. in 2001 at the age of 24 in search of new opportunities. Following his first job working in a grocery store, he found a new position working for a Long Island portable restroom company in 2010. He was the only employee for the first few years and learned the business from the bottom up — driving, servicing and cleaning.
“I told the boss that I was going to have them keep on buying restroom unit after unit,” he says. “I was the face of the business out there and I helped to drive its success. Building relationships means you have to mingle. I like to talk to people and approach them with a smile. If you ain’t got a smile, you ain’t got nothing.”
His brother, Peter, was hired on as the company’s second employee in 2013.
How did Lewis know he was doing a good job?
“I remember working a contract in Westhampton and a nice, white Mercedes-Benz pulled up near me while I was cleaning,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘What have I done?’ but the driver came over, stretched out her hand, handed me a $100 bill and thanked me for doing such a good job.”
LAUNCHING HIS OWN BUSINESS
Having seen the growth of the business under his care, Lewis decided it was time to start his own enterprise in 2023.
“I wasn’t just ready,” he says. “I was super ready. A lot of people were asking me when I would start my own business. I gave myself the name Number 1 Portable Restrooms because I believe I’m No. 1. But I also gave myself that name because I knew I would do everything in my power to do right by people and live up to that name.”
He received his license to operate on May 25 and made his first portable restroom delivery that evening.
Although the business office of the company is in Southampton, the yard is located about a 30-minute drive southwest in the small town of Wainscott.
STARTING FRESH
Lewis wanted to start big and make a good impression on his clients with all-new equipment. Investing money up front also gave him additional incentive to succeed.
He took delivery of a new 2022 Ford F-550 with four miles on the odometer. It features a Masport pump and a lightweight aluminum tank, allowing him to max out the capacity at 1,100 gallons waste and 400 gallons fresh. The truck was built out by Robinson Vacuum Tanks and features a flip-down tailgate for deliveries.
He ordered 108 PJN3s, three ADA-compliant restrooms and three deluxe Fleet Fresh Flush restrooms from PolyJohn. In addition, PolyJohn supplied 10 holding tanks and two hand-wash stations.
“I also ordered 30 cases of chemical deodorizers and two pallets of toilet paper from Walex Products,” he says. “Enough to hold me to the following year.”
GROWING THE BUSINESS
Lewis leveraged his existing contacts and rapidly expanded his business in the following months within a service area of about a 60-mile radius around home base. About 90% of the business serves construction clients who often work on high-end construction and renovation projects, including one for fashion designer Tom Ford.
“I’ve got contracts that are going on for maybe four, five and six years,” he says. “The construction work leads to event work because people always say that if my construction toilets are as clean as the bathrooms in their own house, then they want to try our VIP service.”
The remaining 10% of contracts are short-term event rentals and rentals to farm and produce stands. His event customers have included Jerry Seinfeld and other celebrities.
Lewis promotes his business via his website, Google, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Business has been so good that Lewis hired his brother, Peter, away from his previous employer in May 2024 to work full time. His brother drives a brand-new 2023 Ram 5500, also from Robinson Vacuum Tanks, and also featuring an aluminum tank (1,100 gallons waste/400 fresh) and Masport pump.
STRESSING SERVICE
Lewis concentrates on timely and efficient service, caring for each unit as though he’s doing it for a family member.
“If you’re not going to keep it exceptionally clean, stay out of this business,” he says.
One of the company’s service routes covers Shelter Island, which requires a $40 round-trip ferry charge.
“One day, my brother had just been to Shelter Island and returned to the office,” he recalls. “Then a client called to get a portable restroom onto the island. It’s easy to tell the client that my brother was just there and we’d be by tomorrow, but I put the toilet on the back of my truck and took it to Shelter Island right away. Don’t put it off. Put your customer first and your business will grow.”
COMMUNICATION
For Lewis, prompt response and communication is a pillar of good business. “When you call a contractor, you shouldn’t get an answering machine,” Lewis says. “People know me and know who is cleaning their bathroom. They can talk to me and text me or message me through WhatsApp anytime and I will respond.”
THE NATURE OF COMPETITION
Another thing that he believes helps his company is not worry about the other guy, but rather focusing on how he can make his own company better. “I don’t compete on price, I compete on service and that competition is with myself,” Lewis says. “I’m building a brand and competing on price is selling off that brand to the lowest bidder. I stay at one price only. If you want quality service, Number 1 is your guy.”
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Among his plans, Lewis hopes to add a VIP restroom trailer to his equipment in 2025.
“I’m building this ship to take over eastern Long Island,” he says. “A lot of guys will build a business up to a few hundred units and then they sell the company. I’m not into that. It’s going to be a family-run business that I pass on from my kids to my grandkids. It’s going to keep going.”
