Ken Howard always looked forward to retirement. Then in 1997, after 28 years of running a trash-hauling business in South Carolina’s Upcountry, he sold out and it was time to relax and enjoy life.
But retirement wasn’t exactly what Howard expected.
“I got a bit bored after six months and couldn’t goof off or play that much golf,’’ Howard recalls. “I guess my daddy raised me to work. I’m definitely a workaholic.’’
So work he did. After his brief dalliance with a life of leisure, Howard turned from collecting solid waste to liquid waste, buying a small septic service business – Dr. Flush, in Greer, S.C. Opening shop with a single vacuum truck and a plan to capitalize on a growing regional economy, Howard acquired three smaller pumping businesses – now operating out of one location – and involves family members in the management of a burgeoning operation.
And a busy workload demands efficient and reliable equipment. The most recent vacuum truck, a 2014 Petebilt, was built out by Lely Manufacturing.
“Doing what I did might not be for everybody,’’ Howard says today. But all’s well that … well, doesn’t end. “I’m 67 now and still going strong.’’
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