Inventors will tell you that sometimes, their best ideas come when their mind is actively engaged in something else entirely. Not surprisingly, it’s a rather common phenomenon among pumpers walking the aisles of the annual Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International. While examining the latest and greatest in tools and equipment for their current specialties, pumpers often find something more; something to help them reach more deeply into their markets, to diversify services or to open doors to new revenue streams.
It’s the proverbial “Aha!” moment, when a cost moves from the expense column into the investment column in these professionals’ mental ledgers. Chances are, their businesses are never the same after that moment. Ideas tend to quickly explode into a surge of information gathering, return-on-investment calculations, and, ultimately, a purchase.
With more than a half-century in business, Musson Brothers Inc. of Rhinelander, Wis., has seen its share of new technology come and go. Some was good, a lot of it passed into oblivion with little notice, but the company has always paid attention. Committing to early adoption of new technologies is a proud tradition for Musson.
In the 1940s, it was the appearance of ready-mix concrete that caused excitement, and Musson Brothers was quick to use the new material on its jobsites. The company developed a nose for industry news, and makes it a habit to seek out innovations at the Pumper & Cleaner Expo. Now, as the grading company evolves from offering simple, open-cut sewer and water lines to constructing buried, enclosed lines, it turns to the constant parade of innovative products on display at the Expo.
“Our boss, Tim Musson, had met with a lateral launching company, who talked with him about the coming need for reduction in water and sanitary sewer line inflow and infiltration to meet EPA standards,” explains Musson’s project manager, Pat Wunsch. “He could see there would soon be a market for pipe re-lining, so we came to the 2007 Expo to buy re-lining and lateral launching equipment. Tim ended up picking up that technology at this year’s show.” This is how the company diversified from simple installation to broader inspection and repair services.
Stuart Andersen was impressed by a high-pressure, waterjetting machine on display at the 2006 Pumper & Cleaner Expo. According to his wife and co-owner of Andersen Sewer Services, Kobi Andersen, it was just one more sign that recent mulling over whether or not to get into jetting was something they should take seriously. “So he attended a few Education Day sessions,” she explains, “to learn exactly what to look for, and what he might be getting himself into.
“What he learned was that if he was going to be serious about jetting, he probably wanted to consider also adding a camera inspection unit,” she adds. The two go hand-in-hand, the camera helping not just to identify and diagnose problem spots, but also to verify that the problem has indeed been fixed by the jetting activity.
In the end, “he ended up getting a camera tractor that he hadn’t planned on buying,” she says. Within a year, the rig had more than paid for itself by enabling the company to service large municipal lines that required inspection, and which he wouldn’t have been qualified to service without the camera.
“Oh, definitely, going to the Pumper show made a big difference in launching this business,” says Doug Saunders, co-owner with his wife of Royal Flush Ltd. portable restroom service near Virginia Beach. “Without going there, I wouldn’t have known about the need for portables in our area, but almost nothing about how to go about starting the business or what equipment to buy. I’ve been going for years, and it’s amazing what there is to know about this business.”
Saunders has only been in the portables business since delivering his first unit early this year. Full time, he’s the assistant superintendent of sewer collections for the city of Virginia Beach. “I already knew the sewer business, so it wasn’t that much of a stretch to portable restrooms,” he says. “But at the Expo, I learned that the equestrian crowd, that’s my main market here, would demand upscale individual units and a nice party trailer for an upgrade.
“So the show helped me invest in the right inventory. I started with 14 red, white and blue Aspen units from Five Peaks Technology, five of which have sinks. At this year’s show, I bought a Wells Cargo Comfort Elite III trailer, and just added a Five Peaks’ Matterhorn ADA unit. And I learned about it all at the Pumper show, even though that’s not why I was originally there.”
