In 2005, Pumper profiled Dan Hilgart Sr. and his Grafton, Wisconsin-based business, Wisconsin Pump & Sump. Now, 10 years later, the family business is still thriving. The company still primarily pumps septic tanks and holding tanks, but a few other things have changed.

Business: Wisconsin Pump & Sump, Grafton, Wisconsin
Owners: Dan Hilgart Sr. and Dan Hilgart Jr. (D.J.)
Years in business: 30
Employees: 3

Do you still have the same three trucks with large-capacity vacuum tanks?
We downsized to two 5,000-gallon vacuum trucks. We have a 2006 and 2007 Mack CT713. They both have stainless steel tanks and Battioni vacuum pumps.

In 2005, D.J. was a POWTS inspector and was handling real estate inspections – how much of that does he still do?
He handles all of it. He’s licensed by the state of Wisconsin to do it, and it’s an advantage. There are probably only three local companies that do it, and a lot of Realtors work with us because of it.

Tell us more about your family joining the business.
A good friend of mine started the business in ’85 and I bought half of it from him in ’88 and started with him. He retired in 2002, and I bought him out. My son started with us right out of high school. My grandson, Justen, joined the business in February of 2013.
Justen has been riding in the truck with me from the time he was 3 years old. I would pick him up at 3K and 4K because his father was killed in a car accident and his mom couldn’t really afford daycare at the time. When he got out of high school he came to me, and it just happened to be perfect timing. He’s almost like a son to me rather than a grandson because we’ve been very close.

There were five local competitors in 2005. Are they still in business?
There are probably more like six or seven competitors in the area now. A couple of them are a little smaller where they just have septic trucks. It’s a competitive area.

Is competition still your biggest challenge?
Probably, but at the same time we’ve gotten to the point where about 80 percent of our business is repeat. It’s the kind of business where if people call you and like you they’re going to stick with you as long as you provide quality service.   

What has changed the most since since you were last featured in Pumper?
We are doing some minor repair work related to septic and holding that we never used to do. Day to day, not a lot has changed, but the marketing end of it and the technology end of it has definitely changed. We’ve been able to take advantage of it and stay ahead of the curve.

What’s your favorite piece of quipment?
Our trucks are our most valuable pieces of equipment, and they’re our bread and butter, if you will. We try to stay as efficient with them as possible and take good care of them.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve encountered?
It’s always a challenge when we pump The Bog, a well-known local golf course. We can’t go out in the middle of the summer because they’re busy. We have to go across two greens, and we try to go in there before snow comes. We want everything to be frozen so that we don’t do any damage with the trucks. We usually take both trucks, and it’s a huge setup. We pump 13,000 gallons of septic out of it.

D.J., what have you learned working with your father?
Just following his lead has been the key for me. Learning how he goes about his business every day and sticking to a routine and not making things more difficult than they need to be. He’s a simple, honest guy who works hard every day, and that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from him.

Dan Sr., what have you learned from your son?
I tried to teach my son everything I can, and now it’s getting to the point where he’s teaching me, especially with technology. He’s just going to the next level, and he’ll continue to do that as I get closer and closer to retirement. People tell me how professional he is and how nice he is; he’s got a great attitude and he’s friendly. I hear that all the time from people, and I’m very proud of that.

What do you predict for the future of the industry and Wisconsin Pump & Sump?
All the townships are getting smaller as the villages grow. They get bigger and bigger, move outward, and add sewer and water, which means we lose customers. However, we’ll always gain some because farmers sell land and it seems like there’s as much going out into the country as there is coming into the city.
A lot of times I wonder what it’ll be like 10 years from now. I think it’ll be similar to what it is today. I think the outlook is still bright.