Staying on top of customer needs is one of the skills Jay and Anita Brendel have used to maintain the successful business they started in 1972. The name, Brendel’s Septic Tank Service, reflects the initial focus of the White Lake, Mich., business.
When the company was featured in Pumper in 2001, about 65 percent of the business was septic-system related, and the remaining 35 percent was in portable sanitation. Twelve years later, those percentages have reversed. Besides more of the Brendels’ signature red restrooms in the 150-mile radius around their base, they also carry a diversified line of restroom and shower trailers to meet the growing needs of their clients.
“We’ve had more demand on the rentals and high-end trailers,” Jay Brendel says. “We still do a lot of septic pumping, but there’s a lot of competition. We started hustling a little more [with rentals], and people are pleased with our service.”
Like every other business owner, plenty of hustling became especially necessary through some challenging economic times in recent years. To stay successful in business – along with hard work and an emphasis on quality service – the Brendels’ never-say-no policy has emerged as a key to success.
BUSINESS SHIFT
“We’ve had to do more with less in the last five years,” Brendel says. “We are out in the field working twice as much to make what we were making.” The economy seems to be moving
forward, however, as business was up about 20 percent in the past year.
Much of that is due to increased rentals for construction, parties and weddings.
“You’ve got to keep growing in this business,” he adds. “You’ve got to be diversified with what you think you can rent.”
Brendel purchased used Advanced Containment Systems, Inc., restroom trailers designed for special events. During the summer they rent regularly to Boy Scout and church camps, retreats, horseshows – and even the Michigan State Fair. He purchased another used ACSI restroom trailer from a company going out of business. It came with a contract for an annual festival in Dearborn Heights, so Brendel’s crew made some upgrades and modifications to make it more upscale. An ACSI shower trailer works great for construction companies doing remodeling work. The Brendels also invested in a high-end ACSI restroom trailer for weddings and private events, and more recently a PolyPortables Boudoir unit and JAG Mobile Solutions Porta-Lisa Unit.
“I’m amazed how much it’s [Porta-Lisa] been used. It’s like a bathroom in your house – a nice unit,” Brendel says. The rental charge for the twostation unit is about one-third the cost of the high-end seven-stall trailers, appealing to customers looking for a reasonably priced trailer that can be used in small spaces.
The Brendels explore the demand for new products thoroughly to make sure new equipment purchases will pay off. “I buy equipment at the [Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International]. I know in my head what I am looking for,” Brendel says. Besides portable sanitation equipment, he recently invested in a Gen-Eye 3 camera by General Pipe Cleaners for
troubleshooting on the septic side of the business.
ON TOP OF THEIR GAME
With 2,300 portable restrooms (and a total equipment list exceeding 3,500 units) the business has the capacity to go after many contracts, large and small.
“We are definitely a lot more aggressive on bidding [events]. We try to do extra, like contracting to clean their facilities along with our restrooms,” Brendel says. Or, if they have units at a festival, and there clearly aren’t enough, employees can quickly deliver more to ensure continuity of good service.
“We have to keep our routes tight because of the price of fuel,” Brendel adds, regarding one of the business’s most recent challenges. “We try to move our routes where there is a truck every third day in that area to save fuel and be competitive.”
GPS in all the trucks helps with efficiency, and drivers understand the Brendels’ emphasis on quality service. Most of the trucks have pressure washers – every restroom is cleaned with soap and water. Brendel makes spot checks to ensure service is up to his standards.
The emphasis on quality also means regular service. If a scheduled day of service changes, for example, office staff calls the customer. Septic customers also appreciate being told if they can expect the technician to arrive in the morning or afternoon.
Staff meetings every Tuesday keep the crew up-to-date on issues or problems. Plus, it’s a time for training, looking at regulations and worker scheduling. The staff is a mix of about 90 percent fulltime and the rest part-time workers. Other than two office staff, all employees are cross-trained for both septic service and portable sanitation work.
EQUIPMENT CORNER
“I like to see red,” Brendel says in explaining his inventory of crimson restrooms and smattering of red vacuum trucks. “I was a fireman, and red is my favorite color. And I have a little red sports car.”
Brendel wanted red restrooms 15 years ago so his business would stand out and attract customers. Among the red units from PolyPortables Inc. are 350 Integra models and 1,900 Standard models (with hand sanitizers in 300 units); two dozen Ambassador and two Boudoir flushable units; two Family Room units with baby-changing stations; two men’s room urinal units and 200 handicap units. To satisfy golf course customers, Brendel purchased eight green PolyPortables restrooms.
He also has 100 white PolyPortables 250-gallon holding tanks. Recently, when he discovered Kentucky Tank offers red 250-gallon tanks, he purchased six and plans to order more.
The service truck fleet includes a 2004 Peterbilt with a 3,600-gallon steel Transway Systems tank and a Fruitland pump; a 2001 Sterling with a 4,200-gallon steel Vacutrux tank with a Wallenstein pump; a 2007 Ford F-750 with a 900-gallon waste/375-gallon freshwater steel flat tank and Masport pump from Lely Manufacturing Inc.; a 2011 Dodge 5500 with a 1,100-gallon waste/400-gallon freshwater aluminum Imperial Industries Inc. tank and Masport pump; a 2004 International 4300 with a 1,000-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress Vactruck tank and Jurop pump; a 2006 International with a 1,100-gallon waste/400-gallon freshwater Best Enterprises stainless steel tank and Wallenstein pump; a 2005 International 4300 with a 1,100-gallon waste/400-gallon freshwater Best stainless steel tank and Wallenstein pump; and a 2001 Ford F-650 with a shop-built 900-gallon waste/600-gallon freshwater steel tank and a Jurop pump.
Finally, they have three 2005 Ford F-550 stake trucks carrying 400-gallon waste/200-gallon freshwater stainless steel Best vacuum units with Wallenstein pumps.
MARKETING UPGRADES
Over 40 years, the company has had to change its approach to marketing along with the changes in its service menu. The technology shift has been dramatic as computers came into the mix.
“Phone books are a thing of the past. We haven’t run an ad in them for two or three years,” Brendel says, explaining that he quit when he noticed a lot of phone books next to mailboxes that were never picked up. He does advertise in online phone books, however, and has had a website for the business for about five years. The site includes information about the company and prices for rentals and septic services.
In addition to good Internet visibility, the business is located on a busy road with 70,000 cars passing daily. The Brendels hope to add a digital message signboard that displays all their services.
They also advertise in local newspapers, and the overall marketing strategy seems to be working.
MAINTAINING QUALITY
Brendel credits his employees for continued success. Besides meeting standards for quality service and a professional image by wearing company uniforms, they watch for opportunities for new customers. When they attend events, for example, they ask for cards from organizers so Brendel can bid on those jobs in the future.
Beyond service, Brendel says he is fussy about maintenance – particularly on his trucks.
“It’s my pet peeve. My trucks are lettered up nice, and I keep them clean. I feel that a successful business needs clean trucks,” he says. Trucks are washed every night, and in the winter a mechanic on staff brings each one into the company’s shop for a thorough inspection. All the steel tanks are painted annually, as well.
Though they pump tanks year round, winter is slower, with more time for vacations and taking care of any necessary maintenance in Brendel’s well-equipped 68- by 120-foot mechanic’s shop. Trucks are stored indoors in a second 48- by 100-foot shop.
FORWARD THINKING
When Pumper last visited with Brendel, his goal was to double the portable restroom inventory. He’s surpassed that goal and sees opportunities to enter new markets with the restroom and shower trailers.
“We’re kind of a one-stop shop,” he says. “If you need water or holding tanks, we try to take care of all of it.” For example, one customer wanted to hold a party “in the middle of nowhere.” Brendel Septic provided them a restroom trailer, 400-gallon water tank, a generator and a pump.
“I’m open to anything,” Brendel admits, and he is willing to travel outside his territory if a customer is interested. He and his crew remain vigilant looking for opportunities – construction sites, events – year round to make contacts with potential customers. “I’ve had more than one person say they see our restrooms everywhere – from Jackson to Ann Arbor to Port Huron and on the expressway all the way to Toledo.”
