It’s a question professional pumpers ask themselves every year: Should I attend the Pumper & Cleaner Expo? The realities of everyday business can get in the way — Who will run the shop while I’m gone? Can I afford to take that much time off? Can I justify the expense of airfare and hotel?
For the pumpers interviewed here, it’s a moot point. They say if you’re serious about your business, Expo attendance isn’t optional. You’re here.
Find out why these dedicated contractors believe so strongly in reserving the time each spring to be part of the industry’s biggest trade show.
“I don’t know how you can be in the business and not be here,” says Nate Gay. “Things are passing you by!
“Everything changes, and coming to the Expo keeps you current with the newest and the latest. My customers expect the latest technology to keep prices down through efficient operation and a high level of service. I rely on what I learn at the show to keep me profitable while fulfilling those expectations.”
Gay tends to place serious equipment orders at the Expo. “I’ve driven four trucks home,” he recalls. “I’ve had years when I spent $150,000 on the show floor.”
He feels confident leaving his shop in the hands of a competent office manager, who keeps orders moving and informs him about unusual developments via cell phone.
“One thing that works well for me is the show’s schedule. I don’t know that I could be here every year if they held it in July. I have a more seasonal business than most, and February is my deadest of the dead, so it’s good for me to be here then.”
Anthony Foster makes a regular annual trek to the Expo, and can’t understand why his competitors don’t. “You don’t come? Good! Stay there, so I can learn more than you,” he says, laughing. “I like when they stay home, so I can be the best in my area.”
Foster finds building vendor relationships the most important aspect of show attendance. He regularly spends about $20,000 on new trucks and large equipment. Sometimes his wife accompanies him, other times she stays home to run the shop while he’s away.
He enjoys the cross-pollination of ideas he experiences with other pumpers at the show, along with being exposed to the industry’s cutting-edge technology. “It’s stimulating,” he says, adding that he takes that excitement back to his island home, where he deploys about 50 units, mostly through government and private contracts.
“You’re losing a lot of money by not coming to the Expo,” says Bryce Harding, who operates the company with his father, Gerry. “You need to keep moving with your competitors, and if you’re not here, they probably are.”
Harding has three things in mind when he arrives at the show each year: education, equipment and networking. He and his dad take turns attending the show, with the other staying home to keep the shop running. Every so often, both will attend with Gerry’s wife and Bryce’s mom, Beth, as a mini family vacation. Then, they’ll either get someone to answer their phones, or have calls forwarded to Beth’s cell phone so they can be handled individually.
Equipment purchasing is a regular activity for the Hardings at the Expo. “We buy around 25 portables each year while we’re here,” Bryce Harding says. “We have about 130 units now. We’ve also purchased three trucks.” He estimates they spend about $12,000 each year on the show floor.
“Whether you’re pumping septic tanks, renting portables, whatever, there’s somebody at the Expo with that experience,’’ says Keith Houk. “Most people are pretty friendly, it’s an open environment, and you’ll be amazed at the information they’re willing to share with you. Whether it’s disposal problems, maintenance or employee issues, you can ask whatever you need to know. And we make a lot of friendships, meeting the same people year after year.
“Networking is the number one reason I come, but I also buy equipment, spending about $3,000 on up each year. We make this a working vacation, doing some shopping while we’re here and enjoying the entertainment. We shut the shop down when we’re gone. Emergencies are covered by someone, but since it’s the same time each year, most of my regular customers are aware I’m gone. We present it to our customers that I’m getting my continuing education. They like that, thinking, ‘Oh, you’re a professional!’ ”
