Operating a portable restroom business and servicing clients in a wide-open 125-mile radius in southeast North Dakota sets D&B Portables up for a hectic summer that can go by without any downtime. With just a couple of employees, owners Don and Bonnie Larson have solved that problem by finding fun with their work.
“Events are mini vacations,” says Bonnie Larson of the many contracts they serve surrounding their home base in Sanborn, North Dakota.
Though the majority of their portable restrooms business is related to highway and building construction, demand for class reunions and events is growing. Many contracts are for small community celebrations and they participate when they can. The Larsons supported their small community when they donated restrooms free for the dedication of the town’s Veterans Park and at the annual Fourth of July parade.
Other events are bigger, and their favorite “getaway” for the summer is a Native American powwow. “We really love doing it,” Bonnie Larson says. Between pumping and cleaning 40 restrooms daily at 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., the Larsons take time to watch the event and go through the museum.
“We’ve learned a lot about powwows,” Larson says. “(American Indian participants are) excited to share their knowledge.”
She admits that the summer schedule gets very hectic and long when you own and operate a portable restroom business. So it’s important to enjoy a little downtime whenever you can and make the most of it. In addition to working the many events, the Larsons enjoy spending free time with their adult children and grandkids.
Read more about D&B Portables in the March issue of Portable Restroom Operator.
