Kyle Voss and Chad Riddersen can’t stop themselves from talking about entrepreneurship whenever they gather for family barbecues. Despite working in very different fields, the brothers-in-law had both tasted success: Voss as a former professional football player and Marine Corps officer turned roofing business owner, Riddersen as a marketing agency owner and serial entrepreneur.
“We knew that we would be talking about business ideas for the rest of our lives, so I felt like we might as well do something together,” says Riddersen.
However, septic pumping only entered the conversation in 2024 as Voss planned his exit from the rapidly changing roofing industry to start something new.
“I was driving down the street in my neighborhood when a septic truck caught my eye. I started looking into the industry and that led me down a rabbit hole,” says Voss.
What started as a “what if” over backyard brisket became serious dinner table discussions about operating a septic pumping company in and around Austin, Texas, and launching a septic franchise opportunity. Uniting Voss’ understanding of systems and processes and Riddersen’s marketing savvy, the two began a six-month deep dive into the industry.
Hit the ground running
Their homework quickly paid off. EPIC Septic is already one of the larger septic service providers in Austin after one year of operating. For Voss and Riddersen, EPIC Septic is more than a septic pumping business. It’s a mission. The brothers-in-law have laid the groundwork to train the next generation of septic talent and franchise their business across the country.
“It’s like a rocket ship that we sometimes have to throttle back because we’re growing so fast,” says Riddersen. “It’s a good problem to have.”
EPIC Septic’s early success is credited to its business’s identity just as much as the hard work they put in. “When we were creating the brand identity for EPIC, Kyle inspired a lot of it,” says Riddersen. “The font is G.I. Joe-themed. That’s where the comic book vibe comes from. Kyle also has an insane amount of energy, so there’s an energy drink component in the color scheme.”
And their military branding isn’t just for show. The two structured their business plan to be a resource and opportunity for veterans in an industry that is due for a new class of talent.
Somewhere to land
Transitioning from military duty to civilian life is notoriously difficult. Veterans often struggle to find where they fit into society once they leave the service.
“When I left the Marines as an artillery officer five years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” says Voss.
Fortunately, a friend offered Voss a sales job at a home remodeling business as a chance to learn new skills and find his way after military service. “I went in there and lit the world on fire,” says Voss. “I learned home remodeling and became a manager. It gave me the ambition to become an entrepreneur.”
Some veterans aren’t as lucky. Seeing an opportunity to give back, Voss and Riddersen established the EPIC Veterans Initiative during the formation of EPIC Septic.
“EPIC Veterans Initiative is for people like me who are coming out of service,” says Voss. “Whether they’re with us for four months or four years, this is a place where veterans can receive job training, career progression and a community of like-minded people. Plus, veterans do well in commercial and residential services.”
Voss and Riddersen see huge potential for veterans to backfill the massive retirement wave the septic industry is experiencing. “Kyle represents the new era of service-based industry entrepreneurship,” adds Riddersen. “We want to see these opportunities open up for people like him across the country.”
EPIC Operator Program
Like most pumpers, EPIC Septic aims to grow. During Voss and Riddersen’s six months of research, they noticed that the franchising model had not caught on in the septic pumping industry like it had in drain cleaning and plumbing. The two saw this as the best path to structure EPIC Septic’s future growth and offer a franchise model that pumpers would find attractive.
“This is a capital-intensive business. Few people have the cash to buy a $200,000 septic truck. Chad and I wondered, ‘How can we dramatically reduce the startup cost to make this business accessible to hardworking, ambitious people?’” explains Voss.
EPIC Septic’s EPIC Operator Program provides a path for anyone that either has an existing septic company or is new to the industry to run a business under the EPIC Septic brand.
“It’s a franchise model without the heavy up-front cost,” says Riddersen. “It blew my mind that many other service-based franchises require an extraordinary financial investment. We want to attract the best talent, not the richest talent.”
The program gives operators:
- A branded truck
- Bookkeeping services
- A marketing toolkit
- A business playbook
- Ongoing support
As business picks up, the program is designed to add trucks, hire teams and expand into new territories.
Word of mouth
Recognizing the power of community, EPIC Septic also established a referral network called the EPIC Trade Partner Program. Plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians and even real estate agents can come together here virtually to trade referrals relating to septic services and needs.
“A lot of times we show up to a pumpout job or repair, and it turns out to be a plumbing issue,” says Voss. “So we host and cultivate this network to best serve our customers.”
The program pays out for referrals and enables partners to white- label or co-brand services as they need. This network benefits everyone involved, as it enables members to provide services to their customers that they could not offer before.
Technology forward
Being new to the industry, EPIC Septic wanted to be ready for anything. After shopping around, they purchased the 2025 Mack MD6 to kick off their pumping business.
“Mack has been an amazing partner in our success,” says Riddersen, “I recently learned my great grandfather was a Mack truck mechanic in the early 1900s, so EPIC and Mack truly feels like a match made in heaven.”
The truck is equipped with a vacuum pump (National Vacuum Equipment), a jetter (custom built) and a 2,000-gallon tank (American Tank Company).
“We wanted our first truck to be like a Swiss Army knife,” says Voss.
The variability of the Central Texas market means EPIC Septic has to be ready for a wide range of septic needs including some system installation work. When working on more urban sites with smaller footprints and more constraints, they typically install the MicroFAST systems by BioMicrobics. In the more rural environments with larger properties and less red tape, they tend to use NuWater Wastewater Treatment System by EnviroFlo. For septic repairs and replacement jobs, EPIC Septic relies on TUF-TITE risers, lids, effluent filters and adapter rings. And for effluent and grinder pumps they install and repair a range of products including Liberty Pumps, Goulds and Pro-Pump.
In addition to the typical tools of the trade, Voss and Riddersen have integrated cutting-edge technology into every aspect of their business. “We built this company with automation at the forefront,” says Riddersen.
Voss adds that they would eventually like to have 100% of their administrative tasks done automatically. “We use an AI back-office product (Jobber) for that,” he says.
As artificial intelligence impacts the white-collar workforce, the two see a bright future in septic pumping as a trade that can’t be done away by computers.
“This industry is, in many ways, AI-proof,” says Riddersen. “If you’re looking for a lucrative, recessionproof industry to be a part of that’s going to be around for the rest of your career, septic is certainly one that you could hang your hat on.”
From Texas to the world
With their first year behind them, Voss and Riddersen plan to keep growing their business vertically and horizontally. They’re currently scouting new people for their training, referral and franchising programs with the goal of becoming an all-in-one septic service company nationwide.
“From pumping, we want to expand our onsite installations and services offerings,” says Voss. “In the next couple years, we plan to be in every major Texas market: Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. From there, we have ambitions to go national.”
To deepen its commitment to veterans, EPIC Septic is also working on becoming a preferred employer with SkillBridge, a veteran transitioning program funded by the Department of Defense.
“It’s a very stringent process to become a SkillBridge employer,” explains Voss. “But we want to give veterans the option to come out of service and make a living.”
Beyond their own goals, the two brothers-in-law want to change the perception the public has about the septic industry and how business is conducted. “Elevating the industry’s perception means being able to charge higher prices,” says Voss. “We’re trying to pioneer something different that will help everybody in the septic industry, so it’s not a race to the bottom. A rising tide lifts all boats.”
