Septic service contractors all have a story to tell, whether it’s about that strange object you found at the bottom of a customer’s holding tank, or the charitable event you provide free service for in your community. 

Paul Naida, general manager of Ready John Environmental Services in Saint John, New Brunswick, is one of those with a story to tell. The 30-year-old company not only provides septic pumping and tank location, but also a host of other professional services, including portable restroom rental services, lateral and mainline video inspection, and has even ventured in the oil and gas utility field, providing handling of contaminated liquids, oil/water separator cleaning and petroleum tank cleaning. 

Naida recently shared some of his insights into the industry, including the challenges his company faces dealing with stringent and always-evolving environmental rules, and also locating quality employees that are willing to make a living in the often-unglamorous wastewater field.  

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

Paul Naida: I would say just being able to solve people's problems. Over the years we’ve become very diverse in the services we offer, which include so much more than septic pumping. 

We do portable toilet rentals, washroom and shower trailer rentals, tank locating, grease trap cleaning, line flushing, washing and thawing, contaminated liquid handling, petroleum tank cleaning, oil/water separator cleaning, manhole and catch basin cleaning, storm and sanitary line flushing, hydroexcavation, mainline and lateral video inspection, and holding tank rentals. Because of all those services, we’re able to help a lot of people. 

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

Naida: Finding people willing to work with human waste is not an easy task. We generally go through three people to find one quality employee. Once they are on board, fair wages, respect, and the challenges and changes of the job seem to keep employees engaged and willing to stick around. 

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

Naida: As tighter environmental rules come into place, I see only a greater need for the services that we provide. Those environmental rules are a big reason why we have diversified the services that we offer. 

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

Naida: We’d definitely be looking to diversify even more. Dry vacuum loaders and high-pressure equipment would allow us to enter into the industrial cleaning market. 

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