PolyPortables Founder Ed
Crafton
Crafton
Ed Crafton is considered to be an industry icon and has received
numerous honors recognizing his contribution to the industry. One of
these honors was to be named in 1996 as the award recipient of the
"MZ Andy Gump Award.
Mr. Edward Crafton,82 died on December 13,2003 following an
extended illness
numerous honors recognizing his contribution to the industry. One of
these honors was to be named in 1996 as the award recipient of the
"MZ Andy Gump Award.
Mr. Edward Crafton,82 died on December 13,2003 following an
extended illness
There are many stories surrounding Ed Crafton’s years in the portable
sanitation industry, but the one that seems to stand out for many people
was when Ed rode the million-dollar carousel horse in the lobby of the
Adams Mark Hotel in St. Louis, MO. Riding that horse symbolized Ed’S
eternal youthfulness, spontaneity, and vast, offbeat sense of humor.
sanitation industry, but the one that seems to stand out for many people
was when Ed rode the million-dollar carousel horse in the lobby of the
Adams Mark Hotel in St. Louis, MO. Riding that horse symbolized Ed’S
eternal youthfulness, spontaneity, and vast, offbeat sense of humor.
These are the two sides of Ed Crafton that stand out to his friends and
colleagues: the jokester and the dedicated, honest businessman, always
willing to help someone succeed. One thing everyone knows for certain, the
portable sanitation industry owes much to Ed Crafton.
When Ed received the Ralph Macchio Lifetime Award in 2000, Wade and
Carolyn Hockaday of Rapid Klean Kan in Roanoke, NC, wrote, “When you
think of portable toilets, you definitely think Ed Crafton. He has done a great
deal for the industry with his inventions and designs for portable toilets”
Edward Crafton was born February 26, 1921, in Greenwood, Indiana. His
father drove a city bus and his mother was a hairdresser. After high school
Ed went to work as a shift supervisor for Allison Aircraft, making engine
parts for the Army Air Corps.
He invented a device that fit on the equipment he worked with that
substantially increased production of the parts he made during his shift (he
took it home with him). Production increased so much, in fact, that he was
investigated by the FBI. During World War 11 he was mandatorily recruited
by the Air Corps and served his time as an aircraft mechanic.
colleagues: the jokester and the dedicated, honest businessman, always
willing to help someone succeed. One thing everyone knows for certain, the
portable sanitation industry owes much to Ed Crafton.
When Ed received the Ralph Macchio Lifetime Award in 2000, Wade and
Carolyn Hockaday of Rapid Klean Kan in Roanoke, NC, wrote, “When you
think of portable toilets, you definitely think Ed Crafton. He has done a great
deal for the industry with his inventions and designs for portable toilets”
Edward Crafton was born February 26, 1921, in Greenwood, Indiana. His
father drove a city bus and his mother was a hairdresser. After high school
Ed went to work as a shift supervisor for Allison Aircraft, making engine
parts for the Army Air Corps.
He invented a device that fit on the equipment he worked with that
substantially increased production of the parts he made during his shift (he
took it home with him). Production increased so much, in fact, that he was
investigated by the FBI. During World War 11 he was mandatorily recruited
by the Air Corps and served his time as an aircraft mechanic.
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Subscribe today and make sure you never miss an issue.
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Ed greeted everyone with a warm handshake and a mischievous twinkle in his eye, usually followed by a funny
story or expression. Frank R. Ranson of the Phil Carter Systems, Inc. Put it this way: “I always knew he liked me
when we met and greeted me with terms like ‘How are you, you old S.O.B.? Or ‘You don’t look any better but you
have a pretty wife.’ Then I knew all was well.” Frank went on to say about Ed, “In all the business dealings I ever
had with Ed. He was a true gentleman, honest and above board.”
story or expression. Frank R. Ranson of the Phil Carter Systems, Inc. Put it this way: “I always knew he liked me
when we met and greeted me with terms like ‘How are you, you old S.O.B.? Or ‘You don’t look any better but you
have a pretty wife.’ Then I knew all was well.” Frank went on to say about Ed, “In all the business dealings I ever
had with Ed. He was a true gentleman, honest and above board.”
Ed married Mitzi Blaize in 1949. After the war, he built homes in the Indianapolis area and was the youngest general
contractor in the city at the time. In 1952 he and MITZI MOVED TO Bradenton, Florida, where they continued to
build homes.
In 1956 Ed and Mitzi started Wellcraft Boats in a two-car garage. The business prospered, but the work took its toll
on Ed. He began to have trouble with his vision, and the doctors told him he was going blind. They sent him to
Mayo Clinic, an internationally-renowned medical facility.
Mitzi jumped in to fill the gaps. Daughter Kathy had come along then, and Mitzi joined the (then) small ranks of
working mothers. Ed’s vision ultimately resolved itself, but Mitzi stayed and became as involved with the business
as Ed was.
During these years, Ed’s innate entrepreneurial spirit urged him into many other businesses, which allowed him to
sell Wellcraft Boats. One of those businesses was portable restrooms. In 1961 a fiberglass salesman told him about
someone making portable restrooms in Florida. Later Ed bought the business. “I though it was a great idea,” Ed
joked. “They were completely round; looked like missiles, and there wasn’t a market for them.”
Traveling up and down the southeast coast, Ed opened up 10 to 15 rental agencies to see if anything could be done
to get the toilets rented. “Back then, we got a dollar a day,” Ed explained with a gleam in his eye. “In some cases, I
think that price is still here.”
We were putting them out as quickly as we could build them, Ed continued. “Along came George Harding, who
suggested we make them out of plastic. I poured a bundle of money into it, but we made a plastic unit. There are
still a few of those around.”
After five or six years Ed came up with the idea for the PolyPortable type unit. He had just completed the tooling
and found someone to manufacture the parts when the building they were in burned to the ground. There wasn’t
any insurance.
Ed and Mitzi drove to Arkansas in search of a good place to put a manufacturing plant, but nothing really seemed to
suit. On the way back they called an old friend who said he had heard of a printing plant that had gone out of
business in Georgia. The building was vacant and they might be able to buy it for a reasonable price. They changed
their route on the way home to go through Dahlonega to look at the facility, and the business is still there today.
“I found out I could make more money leasing units to companies rather than being in the rental business and
competing against my customers,” Ed said. That’s the way it has been for 35 years.
Recalling the early years of the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI), Ed shared that a dealer has
asked him to come to a meeting to start an association in Washington, D.C. “We all threw money into a hat to get it
going,” Ed stated. The (we) Ed referred to was C.W. Harbert, Harvey Heather, Mark Nottingham, Carol Laboarde,
Irv Levine, Stanford Freeman, and Earl Braxton.
Kathy Crafton Duck says above all else her father is a visionary, “a sweet, sweet dreamer.” According to Kathy, Ed’
s approach hasn’t been that of a hard-boiled businessman, striving to enhance the bottom line. That space is filled
with the possibilities and the dreams of people who are his customers and the people who work for him. He used
his vision for all of us. We all got to play in his sandbox, and its been a lot of fun.”
contractor in the city at the time. In 1952 he and MITZI MOVED TO Bradenton, Florida, where they continued to
build homes.
In 1956 Ed and Mitzi started Wellcraft Boats in a two-car garage. The business prospered, but the work took its toll
on Ed. He began to have trouble with his vision, and the doctors told him he was going blind. They sent him to
Mayo Clinic, an internationally-renowned medical facility.
Mitzi jumped in to fill the gaps. Daughter Kathy had come along then, and Mitzi joined the (then) small ranks of
working mothers. Ed’s vision ultimately resolved itself, but Mitzi stayed and became as involved with the business
as Ed was.
During these years, Ed’s innate entrepreneurial spirit urged him into many other businesses, which allowed him to
sell Wellcraft Boats. One of those businesses was portable restrooms. In 1961 a fiberglass salesman told him about
someone making portable restrooms in Florida. Later Ed bought the business. “I though it was a great idea,” Ed
joked. “They were completely round; looked like missiles, and there wasn’t a market for them.”
Traveling up and down the southeast coast, Ed opened up 10 to 15 rental agencies to see if anything could be done
to get the toilets rented. “Back then, we got a dollar a day,” Ed explained with a gleam in his eye. “In some cases, I
think that price is still here.”
We were putting them out as quickly as we could build them, Ed continued. “Along came George Harding, who
suggested we make them out of plastic. I poured a bundle of money into it, but we made a plastic unit. There are
still a few of those around.”
After five or six years Ed came up with the idea for the PolyPortable type unit. He had just completed the tooling
and found someone to manufacture the parts when the building they were in burned to the ground. There wasn’t
any insurance.
Ed and Mitzi drove to Arkansas in search of a good place to put a manufacturing plant, but nothing really seemed to
suit. On the way back they called an old friend who said he had heard of a printing plant that had gone out of
business in Georgia. The building was vacant and they might be able to buy it for a reasonable price. They changed
their route on the way home to go through Dahlonega to look at the facility, and the business is still there today.
“I found out I could make more money leasing units to companies rather than being in the rental business and
competing against my customers,” Ed said. That’s the way it has been for 35 years.
Recalling the early years of the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI), Ed shared that a dealer has
asked him to come to a meeting to start an association in Washington, D.C. “We all threw money into a hat to get it
going,” Ed stated. The (we) Ed referred to was C.W. Harbert, Harvey Heather, Mark Nottingham, Carol Laboarde,
Irv Levine, Stanford Freeman, and Earl Braxton.
Kathy Crafton Duck says above all else her father is a visionary, “a sweet, sweet dreamer.” According to Kathy, Ed’
s approach hasn’t been that of a hard-boiled businessman, striving to enhance the bottom line. That space is filled
with the possibilities and the dreams of people who are his customers and the people who work for him. He used
his vision for all of us. We all got to play in his sandbox, and its been a lot of fun.”
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