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A Year in the Life - Meet Gena Boggero (Part Three)
Year in the Life: Part III
By: Carol Brzozowski
This is the third installment in a year-long series
titled “Year in the Life,” featuring an in-depth
look at a portable sanitation operation.
This month, Sanitation Journal interviews
Donnell Jones, one of the key employees in the
operation of Boggero’s Services in Greenwood,
Carolina, as well as co-worker Reggie Wharton.
We also catch up with third-generation owner
Gena Boggero to see how her business plans for
the year are taking shape in the first quarter.
By: Carol Brzozowski
This is the third installment in a year-long series
titled “Year in the Life,” featuring an in-depth
look at a portable sanitation operation.
This month, Sanitation Journal interviews
Donnell Jones, one of the key employees in the
operation of Boggero’s Services in Greenwood,
Carolina, as well as co-worker Reggie Wharton.
We also catch up with third-generation owner
Gena Boggero to see how her business plans for
the year are taking shape in the first quarter.
Ask a portable sanitation operator to name his or her top three
challenges and chances are hiring and retaining employees will
be among them.
Complaints abound about employees who sleep or take care of
other personal matters while on the job, steal, treat customers
rudely, mistreat equipment…the list goes on and on.
But successful company owners will be the first to concede that
they could not have prospered without the help of exemplary
employees. Gena Boggero, president of Boggero’s Services,
points out there’s a very high turnover rate in the portable
restroom business.
Although Boggero’s Services is a three-generation family
business with family members pitching in to help Boggero, the
two full-time employees are not members of the family. In the
age of corporate anonymity, Boggero’s employees, Reggie
Wharton and Donnell Jones - who possesses no familial ties to
the company - play an integral part in how the company’s run
and where it’s headed.
challenges and chances are hiring and retaining employees will
be among them.
Complaints abound about employees who sleep or take care of
other personal matters while on the job, steal, treat customers
rudely, mistreat equipment…the list goes on and on.
But successful company owners will be the first to concede that
they could not have prospered without the help of exemplary
employees. Gena Boggero, president of Boggero’s Services,
points out there’s a very high turnover rate in the portable
restroom business.
Although Boggero’s Services is a three-generation family
business with family members pitching in to help Boggero, the
two full-time employees are not members of the family. In the
age of corporate anonymity, Boggero’s employees, Reggie
Wharton and Donnell Jones - who possesses no familial ties to
the company - play an integral part in how the company’s run
and where it’s headed.
In hiring employees in an industry known for its constant turnover, Boggero first seeks reliability.
“I don’t need somebody who walks out of Harvard Business School,” she says. “But at the same time, I need
somebody who I can trust to leave by themselves. I just can’t hold their hands all the time.”
Attendance is another important factor, Boggero says.
“If they’re not here, I can’t do work and in this line of work, that’s a hard thing to do,” she says.
Boggero’s employees perform many tasks that – while they may be associated with human waste – are not part
of the typical job description of a portable sanitation worker.
Case in point: Boggero’s baby daughter had a particularly volatile eruption in her diaper last month. It took two
people to clean up the mess: Boggero and Wharton. It’s not uncommon for either employee to help out with the
baby when needed.
Boggero is grooming Jones, who has become her ‘right-hand man’ and who has indicated to her that he’d like
to retire from the company.
“Being a business owner and at the same time having the situation I had last year (when her grandfather,
company founder Nadell Boggero died last year a few weeks before her daughter Lilly was born) makes me
realize one person really can’t do it all,” Boggero says. “You really need to have somebody you can rely on.”
Even on days when family demands aren’t as much in the forefront, Boggero has to tend to the books and the
customers.
“My days are really stretched as far as trying to find the time to check on customers, so it makes it a lot easier
to have someone you can trust - someone who knows exactly what you expect,” she says.
“Even then, I still go behind (Jones) just to make sure, because everybody has a bad day and one bad day can
lose a very valuable customer,” she adds. “But so far, we haven’t had any complaints about Donnell. He’s been
doing an excellent job. It’s really important to have somebody who you can trust.”
Jones had previously operated a forklift in a warehouse before coming to work for Boggero’s in June 2007. His
job is to service and repair the units.
The transition from working in a warehouse to working in liquid waste meant that sometimes Jones is teased by
others for what he does.
“I just laugh it off,” he says.
Jones knows what it’s like to work for a large company and he didn’t care for the politics. The company was
headquartered out of state, so there was very little rapport between management and employees.
Jones saw the writing on the wall when a change of management occurred, with the new management bringing
in new employees and working to rid the company of the old employees.
“I got out of there before they got to me,” he says.
The advantage of working for a family business is that he is treated like a family member, Jones says, adding, “I
love it. I‘m never made to feel different because I’m not part of the family.”
Jones has enjoyed the training Boggero’s offers and is looking forward to taking on more responsibilities.
“I like what I do,” he says. “The people here are really nice. I like Gena.”
He finds the customers to be delightful.
“I have good customers,” he says. “I can go on site and we talk and laugh. I don’t have any trouble from my
customers.”
Sometimes there are some competitors who want to get Boggero’s customers to switch companies, Jones notes.
“There’s no way they would,” he says. “We treat our customers like we want to be treated.”
Jones is aware that the economy being the way it is means tough times for the portable sanitation industry. That
hasn’t scared Jones into seeking work in another industry.
“I told Gena I’ll work for them until they run me off,” he says.
Jones has no problems with Boggero’s random job checks.
“On every job, you have somebody who checks on you,” he points out. “They are my boss people, so I don’t
think nothing about that.”
Gena Boggero is the company’s strongest point, Jones says.
“If you do a good job here, they let you know and I think that means more to anybody than anything,” Jones
says.
As for the future, Jones sees the company expanding.
“I want to be a part of it,” he adds. “Everything Gena is throwing at me, I’m taking it.”
Wharton had worked in landscaping and portable sanitation prior to starting work at Boggero’s eight months
ago. His job is to service the portable sanitation units, clean them, and inspect and repair them.
He says he likes working at Boggero’s; although it’s a small company, there’s always plenty of work to be
done, Wharton says. He says he is happy enough that he wouldn’t consider working elsewhere.
He doesn’t mind Boggero’s random checks, recognizing them as her way of ensuring quality.
Wharton hopes to see the company grow with more portable sanitation units and customers. He sees his role in
keeping the portable sanitation units clean and inspected for damage as ensuring the company’s success.
Maintaining clean units is the company’s greatest strength, Wharton says.
As for the customers, “You have some bad days and some good days - you have to deal with that,” Wharton
says.
Boggero does not foresee hiring another employee this year, instead filling in as needed with part-time work
from her husband’s colleagues at the fire department.
In the meantime, Boggero is wrapping up the first quarter of the year. Her biggest challenge has been juggling
work and baby.
“People should buy stock in McDonald’s and Starbucks because I’m living off of coffee right now,” Boggero
quips, adding that for Christmas, she got lots of gift certificates to Starbucks.
“It’s working out good, but to be completely honest, there are days where I just really don’t want to get out of
bed,” she says. “I want to sleep in so bad, but I know that she’s depending on this business to be successful as
far as her own future, so therefore you just make yourself get up.”
Making judgments about the first quarter is difficult in the portable sanitation business because for most
business owners throughout the country, the winter months are a slow period anyway. What makes it more
difficult to assess is the impact of the economy on this typical slow period.
“Special events aren’t rolling around yet. Construction is down, but we’ve been very fortunate - we haven’t
suffered any major losses. We’ve actually been about 30 or 40 units above what we are normally doing this time
of the year,” says Boggero, adding that she confesses to a touch of nervousness over the housing market
slowdown.
Boggero says she recently made what she considers one of the most important purchases of her business of
late: a toilet paper re-roller.
“We’ve got so many rolls of unused paper and you just can’t find anything to do with it; there’s only so much
toilet paper I can take home and use myself,” she says. “We have been looking for a toilet paper roller now for
years. Daddy saw one back several years ago and was telling me about it. This has been a two-year search in
progress.”
It’s always been vexing: what to do with all of the unused toilet paper, as many portable sanitation service
operators always put out fresh rolls with servicing.
“I’m excited about it,” says Boggero. “It doesn’t take much to make me happy.”
Aside from the acquisition of the toilet paper re-roller, Boggero is busying herself during the winter months by
giving her company’s units a fresh look for the season.
“We’ve got about 20 units that we’re pulling the old cabana off and putting new cabanas on,” she says. “We’re
pulling all of our old units off the line and detailing them.”
Boggero has picked up a half dozen new customers in the past two months. In so doing, she found the
McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge Reports (http://fwdodge.com) to be helpful; the others came from positive
referrals.
Fuel costs are causing Boggero to seriously consider a rate hike, although she’s trying to hold off until the end
of the year. Her company is overdue for one, she concedes, having not raised rates in seven years. Customers
she depends on are offered a 10 percent discount.
“Of course we are dependent on all of our customers,” says Boggero. “But the ones we know are going to be
faithful are given a 10 percent discount so if we do make the rate increase, they aren’t suffering as much as
some of our ‘come in and go out’ customers from Virginia who we see for a week or two or we’ll never see or
hear from again.”
At the start of the year, Boggero had figured on purchasing a new service truck and a pumper truck. She has
scaled down her wish list by looking to get a pick-up truck to convert to a service truck, but even that purchase
is on hold.
Her goal to reach 200 units by the end of this year is short by about 46 now. Currently, she is readying about 50
units for summertime use; any yard expansion will be dependent upon how the season goes.
Part 1 in a "Year in the Life"
Part 2 in a "Year in the Life"
Part 4 in a "Year in the Life"
Part 5 in a "Year in the Life"
“I don’t need somebody who walks out of Harvard Business School,” she says. “But at the same time, I need
somebody who I can trust to leave by themselves. I just can’t hold their hands all the time.”
Attendance is another important factor, Boggero says.
“If they’re not here, I can’t do work and in this line of work, that’s a hard thing to do,” she says.
Boggero’s employees perform many tasks that – while they may be associated with human waste – are not part
of the typical job description of a portable sanitation worker.
Case in point: Boggero’s baby daughter had a particularly volatile eruption in her diaper last month. It took two
people to clean up the mess: Boggero and Wharton. It’s not uncommon for either employee to help out with the
baby when needed.
Boggero is grooming Jones, who has become her ‘right-hand man’ and who has indicated to her that he’d like
to retire from the company.
“Being a business owner and at the same time having the situation I had last year (when her grandfather,
company founder Nadell Boggero died last year a few weeks before her daughter Lilly was born) makes me
realize one person really can’t do it all,” Boggero says. “You really need to have somebody you can rely on.”
Even on days when family demands aren’t as much in the forefront, Boggero has to tend to the books and the
customers.
“My days are really stretched as far as trying to find the time to check on customers, so it makes it a lot easier
to have someone you can trust - someone who knows exactly what you expect,” she says.
“Even then, I still go behind (Jones) just to make sure, because everybody has a bad day and one bad day can
lose a very valuable customer,” she adds. “But so far, we haven’t had any complaints about Donnell. He’s been
doing an excellent job. It’s really important to have somebody who you can trust.”
Jones had previously operated a forklift in a warehouse before coming to work for Boggero’s in June 2007. His
job is to service and repair the units.
The transition from working in a warehouse to working in liquid waste meant that sometimes Jones is teased by
others for what he does.
“I just laugh it off,” he says.
Jones knows what it’s like to work for a large company and he didn’t care for the politics. The company was
headquartered out of state, so there was very little rapport between management and employees.
Jones saw the writing on the wall when a change of management occurred, with the new management bringing
in new employees and working to rid the company of the old employees.
“I got out of there before they got to me,” he says.
The advantage of working for a family business is that he is treated like a family member, Jones says, adding, “I
love it. I‘m never made to feel different because I’m not part of the family.”
Jones has enjoyed the training Boggero’s offers and is looking forward to taking on more responsibilities.
“I like what I do,” he says. “The people here are really nice. I like Gena.”
He finds the customers to be delightful.
“I have good customers,” he says. “I can go on site and we talk and laugh. I don’t have any trouble from my
customers.”
Sometimes there are some competitors who want to get Boggero’s customers to switch companies, Jones notes.
“There’s no way they would,” he says. “We treat our customers like we want to be treated.”
Jones is aware that the economy being the way it is means tough times for the portable sanitation industry. That
hasn’t scared Jones into seeking work in another industry.
“I told Gena I’ll work for them until they run me off,” he says.
Jones has no problems with Boggero’s random job checks.
“On every job, you have somebody who checks on you,” he points out. “They are my boss people, so I don’t
think nothing about that.”
Gena Boggero is the company’s strongest point, Jones says.
“If you do a good job here, they let you know and I think that means more to anybody than anything,” Jones
says.
As for the future, Jones sees the company expanding.
“I want to be a part of it,” he adds. “Everything Gena is throwing at me, I’m taking it.”
Wharton had worked in landscaping and portable sanitation prior to starting work at Boggero’s eight months
ago. His job is to service the portable sanitation units, clean them, and inspect and repair them.
He says he likes working at Boggero’s; although it’s a small company, there’s always plenty of work to be
done, Wharton says. He says he is happy enough that he wouldn’t consider working elsewhere.
He doesn’t mind Boggero’s random checks, recognizing them as her way of ensuring quality.
Wharton hopes to see the company grow with more portable sanitation units and customers. He sees his role in
keeping the portable sanitation units clean and inspected for damage as ensuring the company’s success.
Maintaining clean units is the company’s greatest strength, Wharton says.
As for the customers, “You have some bad days and some good days - you have to deal with that,” Wharton
says.
Boggero does not foresee hiring another employee this year, instead filling in as needed with part-time work
from her husband’s colleagues at the fire department.
In the meantime, Boggero is wrapping up the first quarter of the year. Her biggest challenge has been juggling
work and baby.
“People should buy stock in McDonald’s and Starbucks because I’m living off of coffee right now,” Boggero
quips, adding that for Christmas, she got lots of gift certificates to Starbucks.
“It’s working out good, but to be completely honest, there are days where I just really don’t want to get out of
bed,” she says. “I want to sleep in so bad, but I know that she’s depending on this business to be successful as
far as her own future, so therefore you just make yourself get up.”
Making judgments about the first quarter is difficult in the portable sanitation business because for most
business owners throughout the country, the winter months are a slow period anyway. What makes it more
difficult to assess is the impact of the economy on this typical slow period.
“Special events aren’t rolling around yet. Construction is down, but we’ve been very fortunate - we haven’t
suffered any major losses. We’ve actually been about 30 or 40 units above what we are normally doing this time
of the year,” says Boggero, adding that she confesses to a touch of nervousness over the housing market
slowdown.
Boggero says she recently made what she considers one of the most important purchases of her business of
late: a toilet paper re-roller.
“We’ve got so many rolls of unused paper and you just can’t find anything to do with it; there’s only so much
toilet paper I can take home and use myself,” she says. “We have been looking for a toilet paper roller now for
years. Daddy saw one back several years ago and was telling me about it. This has been a two-year search in
progress.”
It’s always been vexing: what to do with all of the unused toilet paper, as many portable sanitation service
operators always put out fresh rolls with servicing.
“I’m excited about it,” says Boggero. “It doesn’t take much to make me happy.”
Aside from the acquisition of the toilet paper re-roller, Boggero is busying herself during the winter months by
giving her company’s units a fresh look for the season.
“We’ve got about 20 units that we’re pulling the old cabana off and putting new cabanas on,” she says. “We’re
pulling all of our old units off the line and detailing them.”
Boggero has picked up a half dozen new customers in the past two months. In so doing, she found the
McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge Reports (http://fwdodge.com) to be helpful; the others came from positive
referrals.
Fuel costs are causing Boggero to seriously consider a rate hike, although she’s trying to hold off until the end
of the year. Her company is overdue for one, she concedes, having not raised rates in seven years. Customers
she depends on are offered a 10 percent discount.
“Of course we are dependent on all of our customers,” says Boggero. “But the ones we know are going to be
faithful are given a 10 percent discount so if we do make the rate increase, they aren’t suffering as much as
some of our ‘come in and go out’ customers from Virginia who we see for a week or two or we’ll never see or
hear from again.”
At the start of the year, Boggero had figured on purchasing a new service truck and a pumper truck. She has
scaled down her wish list by looking to get a pick-up truck to convert to a service truck, but even that purchase
is on hold.
Her goal to reach 200 units by the end of this year is short by about 46 now. Currently, she is readying about 50
units for summertime use; any yard expansion will be dependent upon how the season goes.
Part 1 in a "Year in the Life"
Part 2 in a "Year in the Life"
Part 4 in a "Year in the Life"
Part 5 in a "Year in the Life"
Serving the American Liquid Waste Industry Since 2002
