Septic service contractors all have a story to tell, whether it’s about that peculiar object you found at the bottom of a customer’s holding tank, or the charitable event you provide free service for in your community. This exclusive online Pumper feature gives you a chance to tell your story, in your words, in a Q-and-A format that reaches beyond the confines of your business.  

Marc Hamilton, the owner of Stranders Sanitary Service LLC of Lodi, Wis., is one of those with a story to tell. The 28-year-old company that provides septic pumping and portable restroom rental services was a family-owned business until Hamilton stepped in to purchase it in late 2011. 

Hamilton shared some of his insights into the industry, including the results he enjoys most in his line of work, and his philosophy for making sure valuable employees take pride in the job and the company they work for. 

  

Pumper: What is your favorite aspect of operating your business? 

Marc Hamilton: Being able to assist people when they have sewage coming into their house, and we can get their lives back to normal. When that happens, people thank you, and you can really tell that they mean it. 

Pumper: What is your approach to finding (and keeping) quality employees? 

Hamilton: Treating them like I would like to be treated, and then treat them even nicer. Employees are by far our most valuable asset, and without their dedication and expertise, the company would fail. 

Pumper: How do you see the industry changing in the next decade?  

Hamilton: I see it changing mainly in the area of waste removal. At Stranders we try and utilize as much land application as possible to reduce our costs, and we are starting to compete with the large agricultural farms for this land to spread waste on. Many wastewater treatment plants will not accept septic waste, and our cost to transport it to the only one that does will drive the costs up. This extra driving raises our costs, and reduces our daily outputs. Neither is a good thing for this business. 

 

Pumper: If you had an unlimited operating budget, what new equipment would you buy, and why? 

Hamilton: Trucks and more trucks. You can always use more trucks to alleviate downtime and the constant grind to keep them running. The issue comes up mainly with our portable restroom trucks. We also have two pump trucks, but if one goes down, we can get by for a couple days without one. We have three restroom trucks and three routes a day, so when one of those trucks goes down, we scramble. 

Pumper: What is the biggest misconception about your line of work? 

Hamilton: The biggest misconception is that septage haulers are not regulated. People have no idea the amount of tracking that is involved with each load of waste; from the time it goes into our truck, to the end of the year reports. 

If you’d like to see your company featured in Reader Pipelines on www.pumper.com, email craig.mandli@colepublishing.com.