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Coffee Break with Carol
| By Carol Brzozowski |
In the October installment of ‘Coffee Break with Carol’, I speak with Lee
Sola, who with his wife Connie owns Super Bowl Portable Restrooms in
Denver, Colorado. If his name sounds familiar, it could be for one of many
reasons: Sola was named Sanitation Journal’s “Person of the Year” last
year. Sola’s also garnered publicity for his company’s role in servicing the
2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His company placed 85 special
event restrooms at the 2005 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Without a
doubt, Sola is an Olympian portable restroom operator.
“I’ve been in this industry for 35 years,” says Sola. “ I love this industry.
We’ve got a lot of great progress ahead of us. Working with the
manufacturers and developing product that are going to take us into the
21st century is critical to all of our companies moving ahead.”
I picked Sola’s brains one afternoon – many people have and he’s
generously shared from his immense body of industry knowledge.
Sola, who with his wife Connie owns Super Bowl Portable Restrooms in
Denver, Colorado. If his name sounds familiar, it could be for one of many
reasons: Sola was named Sanitation Journal’s “Person of the Year” last
year. Sola’s also garnered publicity for his company’s role in servicing the
2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His company placed 85 special
event restrooms at the 2005 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Without a
doubt, Sola is an Olympian portable restroom operator.
“I’ve been in this industry for 35 years,” says Sola. “ I love this industry.
We’ve got a lot of great progress ahead of us. Working with the
manufacturers and developing product that are going to take us into the
21st century is critical to all of our companies moving ahead.”
I picked Sola’s brains one afternoon – many people have and he’s
generously shared from his immense body of industry knowledge.
| Lee & Connie Sola |
Q: When is it time to invest in a new portable sanitation unit?
A: Throughout our company’s history, we’ve planned our growth 12 months in advance.
When we’re sitting down in the fall of this year, we’re looking at what we expect the next year
to be like. We purchase units based on our growth and also to replace any units we feel need
to be replaced. In some instances, we bought units we didn’t feel were up to our standards. We’
ll sell those units in the marketplace and replace them with other units.
Q: There are so many choices out there. What do you have to take into consideration when
making that choice?
A: We look for units we feel will give us the longest life. Now, we’re only buying double-wall
units. We won’t buy any more single wall units. Nothing against the single-wall unit, but we
want a unit we’re going to get 25 to 30 years out of with a minimal investment as to replacement
and repair.
Q: What should be the price range when purchasing a unit? You’ve been known to say in
reality, it doesn’t matter if you pay $500 to $700 for a unit.
A: Price does matter: if I pay $1,500 rather than $700, our pricing is going to have to reflect that. Our customers bear that
pricing. The way we look at it is we’re making a long-term investment. So for us to buy a $350 unit versus a $600 unit – that
is not the difference to us. The difference is this: Will this $600 unit last for the period of time we’re looking at – 25 to 30
years with that minimal investment? We believe that a stronger unit - which is obviously going to cost us more money - will
do that for us as opposed to a cheaper unit that we may have to pay almost the entire price of the unit to repair and replace.
If we pay $350, we look at it as we may have to pay $350 again and only get 12 to 15 years out of that unit.
Q: What is one thing that portable restroom operators overlook when they’re buying units?
A: A lot of them don’t look at it as long-term. They look at it as ‘Let me get the cheapest unit I can.’ The mentality is it’s a
throw-away: ‘If I can get seven years out of them, I can keep my prices down in an area where people are charging more
money.’ I think that’s absolutely the wrong way to look at it. To me, the unit is an investment in what we’re offering the
customer out there in the field. What does the customer see? How easy is it for our drivers to clean? Can our drivers go in
there, wash down the inside of the unit and clean the walls and provide a very clean environment for the end-user? Those
are the aspects only a better, well-made unit is going to provide you. My problem is some of these people are so short-
sighted that they’re only looking at a dollar figure and they’re doing it because they want to keep their prices low. The
prices should be based on what it costs to provide the service, not necessary what the unit cost you.
Q: In buying a variety of units – construction, special events, VIPs – what are the essential features you want and what are
some features that you don’t necessarily need?
A: Our essential feature is ease of cleanliness. We don’t want a unit with a lot of nooks and crannies that’s going to take a
driver 10 minutes to clean. We want a unit that a driver can service well in a five-minute time span. That is critical to us. The
second feature is, can one person deliver this unit safely without any back injuries and any Worker’s Compensation-related
injuries where he can easily handle this unit off of a truck and not have any issues where we have to have two people
handling each one of the units. When it comes to special events units, we look for strength and durability in particular. The
special events units are jostled around so much and that takes a toll on a unit. There's a lot of loading and unloading of the
units. There's a tendency for the parts to get loosened up. The cheaper units are not as well-constructed.
Q: Address the issue of maintenance considerations when buying a unit.
A: When we look at maintenance on a unit, we want one that’s easy for the service driver to do minor repairs out in the
field. If we’re constantly replacing screens, door springs, nuts or bolts or something that continuously falls out of the unit,
then obviously that unit is not one that will fit into our structure. If the unit’s in such a condition that the driver does not
have the time to make the necessary repairs, then that unit has to be brought to the shop. In that case, every part of the unit
has to be re-usable. We don’t throw away walls because of graffiti; we would only replace a wall if it was absolutely
irreparable in that the clamp or whatever it was cannot be repaired. Same thing with roofs: we don’t look at the roof and say,
‘Can we get 10 or 12 years out of it?’ We want a roof that’s going to give us 15 to 20 years before it has to be replaced. We’
re looking for longevity with repair parts. We want a unit that’s easy to repair in the field and not costly once it comes into
the shop. I don’t want to put in more than $100 to $150 into a unit over a long period of time.
Q: Talk about how essential it is to listen to what your customers are asking for. For instance, the manufacturing of baby-
changing stations is the result of women seeking places to change their babies’ diapers.
A: To listen to your customers is essential. If you look at where we’re at today, we’ve still got a drop-tank unit that has
been the basic design for the last 30 or 40 years. We have to take our customers’ demands and thoughts into consideration.
When I look at the industry and the lack of acceptance of our product by a large portion of our population, the only way
we’re going to gain additional acceptance is to find out what those people are thinking. What is the problem? In some
cases, these people have never used a portable restroom, but they have this connotation in their mind of a dirty
environment and that’s where we have to convince them. The more aesthetically appealing the unit is from the outside, the
more apt they are to at least use it, although they may have never used it in the past. And hopefully we as service operators
can provide such a clean environment for them that they won’t hesitate to use them in the future and they will have a good
experience. I’ve been in the business for 35 years and I look at the acceptance we have today. Our industry has grown
exponentially over the last several years because of the products we are putting out. When I started, we had wooden units
with a 55-gallon drum cut in half. That was the tank, which continually rotted. It was a steel barrel, so it would rot out on the
bottom and rust, so you can imagine the effluent laying around. The wooden unit was not an appealing thing for a woman
to go into. I look at the new units we have today. We’re making tremendous strides as an association, but I think we have a
long way to go. It will happen if we keep our minds about us and move into the future with a better product and a better
service environment.
Q: Address the importance of a good portable sanitation-vendor relationship.
A: It goes both ways. We have to develop a good rapport with our vendors for them to be able to look to the future and
give us a product that is going to be amenable to the end user, our customer, and also long-term improvement in the
product. Look at the High Tech II (manufactured by Synergy World) that just came out. I’m not trying to pick out any
particular vendor, but that’s the kind of thing will really help this industry. We’ve got to develop a product that our
customers can use into the future, is easier for us to work with and can generate more profits. That’s where I think the
industry needs to hit. It’s a two-way street, because we can help those vendors develop products through our knowledge
in the field about what our customers are requiring. Then they can also bounce ideas off of us, as in ‘What do you think
about this technology?’ You really have to develop a strong working relationship with your vendors. To us, there are three
things that make our business successful: our employees, our customers and our vendors. Not one of those is more
important than the other. They all three have to work in conjunction for us to be successful.
Q: What do you see as the future of the industry? What kinds of features do you foresee will be in future units?
A: What I would like is that at some point in time, every unit is a flushing unit with a sink inside. A freshwater flush would
be ideal. We’re seeing a high demand in our area for upgraded units. People are demanding they have someplace to clean
their hands. We’ve added hand gel sanitizers to every one of our units, whether it’s a special occasion or not and even if it
has a sink in it. We’re adding additional services for the cleanliness of the end-user, our customer. I see the industry
headed to a more European-style unit. We’re providing a flushing mechanism. We’re providing the water. When a woman
looks down into it, she doesn’t look down into a drop tank. There is some kind of mechanism to keep the effluent in the
tank from the seat occupant and there’s also a sink inside where they can wash their hands. In order to achieve that, we
need to look at larger-space units. That’s going to change the industry. If you look at the footprint that the unit has right
now – the 4 ft. x 4 ft. drop tank unit – if we go to a unit that’s 5 ft. x 5 ft. or something similar to that, it’s going to change the
entire structure we have being able to haul units on the back of our trucks, on trailers, on flatbeds. In retrospect, if you look
back on where the industry was and where we’re headed, if we can command a higher price for what we’re doing and put
out a cleaner environment, then it’s going to help all of our businesses.
Q: The environment is at the forefront these days, yet little is said of the industry’s role in it. Talk about the role that the
portable sanitation industry plays in cleaning up our environment and keeping it clean.
A: I look at the hundreds of thousands of portable restrooms that are out working today. I always tell people if we all
banded together and picked every single one of those units up tomorrow – picked them up in our trucks, put them in our
yards and just parked them – can you imagine the lead story on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX news tomorrow night? All of a
sudden, not only did all of these portable restroom operators pick up their stuff, but the additional need for treated water
now to flush all of these restrooms because all of these people on these construction sites, at these parks and recreation
facilities, at these outdoor concerts – those people are still going to have to go to the bathroom. They have to go
somewhere. One of our units with a five-to-10-gallon charge can handle 125 to 150 uses. When you have even the little
flush toilets at one gallon per flush – you have a five- or 10-gallon charge in one of our units versus 150 gallons of
freshwater being back into the system to be treated again. If you multiplied that by the hundreds of thousands of units out
there, we are responding to a severe environmental need in America today. I don’t think we get the credit we need to have
for the amount of water we are saving the environment. It’s not just water on the street; it’s treated water. That’s becoming
more and more of a problem for these municipalities. They cannot get the money to build water treatment facilities fast
enough. Can you imagine overwhelming the system with the waste that would be flushed where the portable restrooms are
not? The additional flush would overwhelm the treatment plants. Treated water would become more expensive because
there’s a limited supply of that. We’re providing a huge environmental impact to the country. I think sometimes people don’
t realize how valuable portable restrooms are when it comes to that water issue.
pricing. The way we look at it is we’re making a long-term investment. So for us to buy a $350 unit versus a $600 unit – that
is not the difference to us. The difference is this: Will this $600 unit last for the period of time we’re looking at – 25 to 30
years with that minimal investment? We believe that a stronger unit - which is obviously going to cost us more money - will
do that for us as opposed to a cheaper unit that we may have to pay almost the entire price of the unit to repair and replace.
If we pay $350, we look at it as we may have to pay $350 again and only get 12 to 15 years out of that unit.
Q: What is one thing that portable restroom operators overlook when they’re buying units?
A: A lot of them don’t look at it as long-term. They look at it as ‘Let me get the cheapest unit I can.’ The mentality is it’s a
throw-away: ‘If I can get seven years out of them, I can keep my prices down in an area where people are charging more
money.’ I think that’s absolutely the wrong way to look at it. To me, the unit is an investment in what we’re offering the
customer out there in the field. What does the customer see? How easy is it for our drivers to clean? Can our drivers go in
there, wash down the inside of the unit and clean the walls and provide a very clean environment for the end-user? Those
are the aspects only a better, well-made unit is going to provide you. My problem is some of these people are so short-
sighted that they’re only looking at a dollar figure and they’re doing it because they want to keep their prices low. The
prices should be based on what it costs to provide the service, not necessary what the unit cost you.
Q: In buying a variety of units – construction, special events, VIPs – what are the essential features you want and what are
some features that you don’t necessarily need?
A: Our essential feature is ease of cleanliness. We don’t want a unit with a lot of nooks and crannies that’s going to take a
driver 10 minutes to clean. We want a unit that a driver can service well in a five-minute time span. That is critical to us. The
second feature is, can one person deliver this unit safely without any back injuries and any Worker’s Compensation-related
injuries where he can easily handle this unit off of a truck and not have any issues where we have to have two people
handling each one of the units. When it comes to special events units, we look for strength and durability in particular. The
special events units are jostled around so much and that takes a toll on a unit. There's a lot of loading and unloading of the
units. There's a tendency for the parts to get loosened up. The cheaper units are not as well-constructed.
Q: Address the issue of maintenance considerations when buying a unit.
A: When we look at maintenance on a unit, we want one that’s easy for the service driver to do minor repairs out in the
field. If we’re constantly replacing screens, door springs, nuts or bolts or something that continuously falls out of the unit,
then obviously that unit is not one that will fit into our structure. If the unit’s in such a condition that the driver does not
have the time to make the necessary repairs, then that unit has to be brought to the shop. In that case, every part of the unit
has to be re-usable. We don’t throw away walls because of graffiti; we would only replace a wall if it was absolutely
irreparable in that the clamp or whatever it was cannot be repaired. Same thing with roofs: we don’t look at the roof and say,
‘Can we get 10 or 12 years out of it?’ We want a roof that’s going to give us 15 to 20 years before it has to be replaced. We’
re looking for longevity with repair parts. We want a unit that’s easy to repair in the field and not costly once it comes into
the shop. I don’t want to put in more than $100 to $150 into a unit over a long period of time.
Q: Talk about how essential it is to listen to what your customers are asking for. For instance, the manufacturing of baby-
changing stations is the result of women seeking places to change their babies’ diapers.
A: To listen to your customers is essential. If you look at where we’re at today, we’ve still got a drop-tank unit that has
been the basic design for the last 30 or 40 years. We have to take our customers’ demands and thoughts into consideration.
When I look at the industry and the lack of acceptance of our product by a large portion of our population, the only way
we’re going to gain additional acceptance is to find out what those people are thinking. What is the problem? In some
cases, these people have never used a portable restroom, but they have this connotation in their mind of a dirty
environment and that’s where we have to convince them. The more aesthetically appealing the unit is from the outside, the
more apt they are to at least use it, although they may have never used it in the past. And hopefully we as service operators
can provide such a clean environment for them that they won’t hesitate to use them in the future and they will have a good
experience. I’ve been in the business for 35 years and I look at the acceptance we have today. Our industry has grown
exponentially over the last several years because of the products we are putting out. When I started, we had wooden units
with a 55-gallon drum cut in half. That was the tank, which continually rotted. It was a steel barrel, so it would rot out on the
bottom and rust, so you can imagine the effluent laying around. The wooden unit was not an appealing thing for a woman
to go into. I look at the new units we have today. We’re making tremendous strides as an association, but I think we have a
long way to go. It will happen if we keep our minds about us and move into the future with a better product and a better
service environment.
Q: Address the importance of a good portable sanitation-vendor relationship.
A: It goes both ways. We have to develop a good rapport with our vendors for them to be able to look to the future and
give us a product that is going to be amenable to the end user, our customer, and also long-term improvement in the
product. Look at the High Tech II (manufactured by Synergy World) that just came out. I’m not trying to pick out any
particular vendor, but that’s the kind of thing will really help this industry. We’ve got to develop a product that our
customers can use into the future, is easier for us to work with and can generate more profits. That’s where I think the
industry needs to hit. It’s a two-way street, because we can help those vendors develop products through our knowledge
in the field about what our customers are requiring. Then they can also bounce ideas off of us, as in ‘What do you think
about this technology?’ You really have to develop a strong working relationship with your vendors. To us, there are three
things that make our business successful: our employees, our customers and our vendors. Not one of those is more
important than the other. They all three have to work in conjunction for us to be successful.
Q: What do you see as the future of the industry? What kinds of features do you foresee will be in future units?
A: What I would like is that at some point in time, every unit is a flushing unit with a sink inside. A freshwater flush would
be ideal. We’re seeing a high demand in our area for upgraded units. People are demanding they have someplace to clean
their hands. We’ve added hand gel sanitizers to every one of our units, whether it’s a special occasion or not and even if it
has a sink in it. We’re adding additional services for the cleanliness of the end-user, our customer. I see the industry
headed to a more European-style unit. We’re providing a flushing mechanism. We’re providing the water. When a woman
looks down into it, she doesn’t look down into a drop tank. There is some kind of mechanism to keep the effluent in the
tank from the seat occupant and there’s also a sink inside where they can wash their hands. In order to achieve that, we
need to look at larger-space units. That’s going to change the industry. If you look at the footprint that the unit has right
now – the 4 ft. x 4 ft. drop tank unit – if we go to a unit that’s 5 ft. x 5 ft. or something similar to that, it’s going to change the
entire structure we have being able to haul units on the back of our trucks, on trailers, on flatbeds. In retrospect, if you look
back on where the industry was and where we’re headed, if we can command a higher price for what we’re doing and put
out a cleaner environment, then it’s going to help all of our businesses.
Q: The environment is at the forefront these days, yet little is said of the industry’s role in it. Talk about the role that the
portable sanitation industry plays in cleaning up our environment and keeping it clean.
A: I look at the hundreds of thousands of portable restrooms that are out working today. I always tell people if we all
banded together and picked every single one of those units up tomorrow – picked them up in our trucks, put them in our
yards and just parked them – can you imagine the lead story on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX news tomorrow night? All of a
sudden, not only did all of these portable restroom operators pick up their stuff, but the additional need for treated water
now to flush all of these restrooms because all of these people on these construction sites, at these parks and recreation
facilities, at these outdoor concerts – those people are still going to have to go to the bathroom. They have to go
somewhere. One of our units with a five-to-10-gallon charge can handle 125 to 150 uses. When you have even the little
flush toilets at one gallon per flush – you have a five- or 10-gallon charge in one of our units versus 150 gallons of
freshwater being back into the system to be treated again. If you multiplied that by the hundreds of thousands of units out
there, we are responding to a severe environmental need in America today. I don’t think we get the credit we need to have
for the amount of water we are saving the environment. It’s not just water on the street; it’s treated water. That’s becoming
more and more of a problem for these municipalities. They cannot get the money to build water treatment facilities fast
enough. Can you imagine overwhelming the system with the waste that would be flushed where the portable restrooms are
not? The additional flush would overwhelm the treatment plants. Treated water would become more expensive because
there’s a limited supply of that. We’re providing a huge environmental impact to the country. I think sometimes people don’
t realize how valuable portable restrooms are when it comes to that water issue.
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Serving the American Liquid Waste Industry Since 2002