Craig Taylor
Infiltrator Water Technologies announces new executive vice president
Infiltrator Water Technologies announced the retirement of Roy Moore and the appointment of Craig Taylor to the role of executive vice president. Moore joined Infiltrator in 1987 and served as CEO from 2005 until Advanced Drainage Systems acquired the company in 2019 and continued his leadership role at Infiltrator until his retirement. Taylor joined Infiltrator in February 2020 as vice president of finance. Before joining Infiltrator, he served in a variety of roles with Stanley Black and Decker from 2003 until 2019, most recently as vice president of finance.
Bjorn Haldorsen promoted to SJE chief executive officer
Bjorn Haldorsen has been promoted to chief executive officer at SJE. He joined SJE in 2022 as president of the Engineered Division. Current CEO, Mike Suter will transition to SJE’s board of directors. Prior to joining SJE, Haldorsen was president of North America at Colson Group, leading its North American business operations. He spent 18 years at Flowserve Corp. and served in various regional and global leadership roles, most recently vice president and general manager for Industrial Pump Operations.
Founder of Satellite Industries, Al Hilde Jr., Passes Away
Al Hilde Jr., a pioneer in the portable sanitation industry as the founder of Satellite Industries, passed away July 28, at his home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was 90.
Following a stint in the U.S. Army, Hilde started Satellite Industries in Plymouth, Minnesota, in 1958 offering service with a handful of wooden restrooms. He grew the business to become a worldwide supplier of portable restrooms, restroom trailers, trucks and other accessories.
Hilde played an important role in starting and supporting the Portable Sanitation Association and received many business accolades during his career. Among them was the Minnesota Governor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Economic Development and TwinWest Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year.
Through his sports activities and time serving in the military, Hilde noted there were never adequate sanitation options for people working or playing in the outdoors. His goal from the start was to offer proper sanitation to those taking part in outdoor activities, he explained in an interview with the Minnesota Historical Society.
“When playing outdoors there were no restrooms. The only real negative about being outdoors was the lack of sanitation,” he said in the historical society interview. “From the beginning, I was driven to put dignity into the business. We always used the term ‘portable restrooms’ and looked at our business in terms of meeting specific business needs of society.”
According to the portable sanitation history book, PSAI Through the Decades, Hilde named his company Satellite because space travel was top of mind as the U.S. entered the space race and sought to put a man on the moon.
In addition to pioneering industry manufacturing, Hilde wanted to help bring greater professionalism to the restroom industry. In 1971, he was elected to the first board of directors of the Portable Sanitation Association, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and is now called the Portable Sanitation Association International.
In 1972, Hilde started producing the lighter and more durable polyethylene restroom units that dominate the industry today. Satellite eventually sold the restroom service side of the business and concentrated on expanding to new manufacturing and distribution locations and offering the company’s products worldwide.
He owned other companies as well, including Satellite Shelters, which manufactures mobile offices and modular buildings. He also started Jackson Hole Aviation and purchased Western Aircraft, which came from Hilde’s love of flying as he logged more than 10,000 hours as a pilot.
Hilde also served as the mayor of Plymouth for five terms, and was president of the Hennepin County League of Municipalities, president of the Minnesota Executives Organization, director of the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as many other civic and philanthropic pursuits. He and his wife, Jayne, made a major contribution to establish the Hilde Performing Arts Center in Plymouth.
According to a remembrance released by Satellite, “Al’s passion for improving global health and continuous innovation is an inspiration to us to this day … He believed that portable toilet service would be an essential service for many to provide dignity, convenience, privacy and moreover to protect public health and the environment.”
Hilde’s son, Todd Hilde, Satellite’s owner and chief executive officer, said of his father, “My dad’s greatest gift to me was teaching me to love Satellite. Satellite was always the center of our family during our upbringing. We talked about Satellite over dinner each night and it was always a big focus of our family.”
Hilde is survived by his wife, three sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held Aug. 15 at Wayzata Community Church in Wayzata, Minnesota.
SSPMA names 2023 scholarship program recipients
The Sump and Sewage Pump Manufacturers Association announced that Lauren Nickel and Caden Fickes have been selected as the recipients of the 2023 SSPMA scholarship program. Nickel and Fickes will receive $2,500 scholarships. Nickel attends Western Kentucky University working toward a degree in computer science with a concentration in scientific/systemic application. Fickes attends Bowling Green State University working toward a degree in Business Administration. The scholarship program is open to students working toward an associate, bachelor’s, master’s degree or appropriate certification/trade associated with wastewater management. Applicants for 2024 may apply online at www.sspma.org beginning Feb. 1, 2024.
Transport Truck Sales launches new tank sales and manufacturing company
Transport Tank Sales of Kansas City, Kansas, was formed in direct relationship to Transport Truck Sales. With more than 50 years of experience in truck and tank sales, repairs and upfitting, the company provides a one-stop shop for all aspects of the septic industry. The company also handles installation. All types of tanks are available, from the bare minimum to completely painted units, and are constructed in steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
Wastequip opens new WRX facility in Southern California
Wastequip opened its newest WRX (pronounced “works”) facility in Jurupa Valley, California. The facility is part of the company’s strategy to expand its parts and service footprint nationwide, providing customers with an all-in-one waste equipment service hub. The Jurupa Valley WRX location offers convenient access to localized parts inventory and pickup. Later this year, the facility will begin offering service for refuse trucks, hoists, tarping systems and related waste equipment.
