For Doug Wilton, owner of Wilton Sanitation in Flesherton, Ontario, the decision to attend the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show is a slam dunk. He’s traveled to the trade show for 25 of the last 30 years and always leaves with information about a new product that will benefit the business.

“It takes a lot to keep me away from the WWETT Show,” he says. “For networking, learning new things, meeting suppliers and learning about or buying new equipment, it’s the best thing ever. I always leave with a really good feeling and knowledge of something I didn’t know anything about. Whether it’s learning about a chemical product, a pressure washer or a new approach to marketing, the information I can collect seems to be endless.”

Wilton notes that networking opportunities are also important, and simply getting away from daily business allows that to happen.

“It’s worth it alone for the opportunity to chat with other haulers,” he says. “I’m more likely to see Laurie Robillard, who works for Georgian Bay Sanitation, at the WWETT Show than in Ontario, even though she’s located just two hours from here. It’s a great chance to catch up with Canadian pumpers, as well as my associates from the U.S.”

Discovering new products

Two very different products he first encountered at the WWETT Show have made a big difference for his company. The first is CRO dispatching and logistics software, and the second is Wally Fresh-Ex, a vacuum truck odor neutralizer by Vacutrux.

He was introduced to the CRO software suite at the 2018 show and adopted it for his business shortly after.

“It’s routing and dispatch software I can apply to all of my businesses, from pumping and portable restroom rental and service to roll-off bin rentals,” Wilton says. “It provides accurate, real-time GPS information for my vehicles and rentals, married to Google Maps. It’s so accurate that you can literally plot the exact location of a portable restroom unit or roll-off bin using GPS. It’s working out really well for me.”

He chose the odor neutralizer device as an option on his 2019 Western Star, a Vacutrux show truck that appeared on display at the 2019 WWETT Show. The chromed-up vehicle features a 4,325-gallon steel tank and Wallenstein pump.

“The device is located beside the pump and injects an odor neutralizing chemical into the airflow from a small reservoir,” Wilton says. “It doesn’t mask the odor with another scent. You literally can’t smell anything while you’re pumping. You can turn the unit off and on with a valve, so you’re only using the neutralizing chemical when you need to.”

This year, he attended WWETT with his son, Scott, who he hopes will one day take over the business.

“It’s a family-run business,” Wilton says. “And attending WWETT is a part of our business tradition.”