Northeast Sanitation Blog

Driving in and around Boston this time of year, you see all of the road construction projects. Driving on routes 128 and 95 are perfect examples. Have you seen all of the portable toilets?

Not only do portable toilets increase the productivity of your workers on site, they also ensure the safety of your workers. Road construction has its own inherent dangers. Reduce those risks with portable toilets. Conveniently placed on both sides of the road where your crews are working, they provide easy access to your men and women on the job.
 
No more down time while workers leave the site to find a restroom. Porta Potties should be included in every proposal to ensure the safety of your workers and the timely completion of jobs.

At NSC Restrooms, all of our portable toilets come with 2 rolls of quality toilet paper, antibacterial hand wash, locking doors, and are well-ventilated.  Holding tanks are also available to accommodate office trailers and/or campers that do not have sewerage or septic systems available.

Contact NSC Restrooms for information on porta potties rentals for you road construction workers.

Do you currently or plan to have a portable office trailer on a construction site and need a portable toilet? What if there were a way to achieve this without the traditional high costs of running water lines and a septic tank? NSC Restrooms has exactly what you need.

We can install our Fresh Water Flushing Mobile Office Trailer in just a few hours. We provide the water supply, the RV toilet, and the waste tank. Once it is installed we service the system once a week from the outside.

• Eliminate the expense of digging and running a temporary water service to the office trailer. No need for the temporary water line and that large concrete waste tank only to abandon the equipment when the job is done. Say goodbye to the days of wasted materials, wasted manpower, associated costs, and the knowledge it would all be left behind when the job is finished.
• Once NSC Restrooms installs a portable office trailer we are able to service the portable toilet from the outside so office functions are never interrupted. During installation we install feed lines to the water supply and waste line to the waste holding tank. As with the supply tank we service the waste holding tank from the outside as well.

If you have a construction site in Boston or surrounds, please contact us today for detailed information on our portable office trailers for rent.

Portable toilets provide an important economic benefit to the construction industry and outdoor events. Portable toilets  save money on construction and other work sites because they save time and reduce labor costs.

Workers are more productive when they don’t have to leave the job site for restroom facilities.  The portable toilets can be easily relocated so they can be conveniently placed near the workers as the project progresses.
 
For outdoor events, portable toilets generate money for the event organizer because guests will stay longer and in turn, spend more money.

There are several models of portable toilets to choose from. We can supply you with a range from basic portable toilets to mid-priced models to flushing portable toilets as well as restroom trailers. We provide a full range of components for portable sanitation such as portable sinks and mobile showers. The difference is the quality. Contact NSC Restrooms today.

There are many facets involved in planning a successful outdoor special event, whether you have 10 or 10,000 guests. When people call for portable toilets, one of the first questions we hear is – how many portable toilets will I need for my event or for my job site? Well it’s not an exact science, but there are some things you need to consider. Here they are:

• How many guests (or workers) do you expect?
• How long will the event (or job) last?
• Will alcohol be served? Events where food and alcohol are served necessitate the need for added restroom facilities.  Also, facilities that include hand washing are important.   
• What is the weather likely to be?
• What level of physical activity is involved?
• Will there be guests with special needs or young children in attendance?  Guests with special needs may require a more accessible portable restroom.  Also, parents with young children may need a larger area within the restroom for easier navigation.

If you are holding a large outdoor event, restrooms should be clearly marked, easy to get to and there should be an adequate number for the amount of guests (or workers).

Here is a chart to help you begin your planning.

This chart is based on a 50/50 mix of men and women with no service for the restrooms during the event.

Finally, you will need to decide on what type of portable toilets you require. The least expensive are the basic models that provide a seated toilet area or a seat and a urinal. If you require an accessible toilet that meets ADA standards, these are also available and will aid in making the restrooms available  for all. ADA portable toilets are also great to use as family restrooms because they provide more space. You can also provide separate portable sinks for hand washing. The luxury option for weddings, charity, corporate, or higher end events are the mobile restrooms, which are air conditioned, have porcelain sinks, a music system and vanities. There are also ADA compliant luxury restroom trailers.

Choosing portable toilets means understanding how many and what type of restrooms you will need. This is determined by the number of people attending the event or working on the job site, as well as how long the units will be needed.

How Irish Dancing Got Started through the use of Portable Toilets.

WEBSITE BUILDS BONDS

At first, McNamara relied on established business contacts — the “golden Rolodex,” as he puts it — and word-of-mouth referrals. But three years ago, he realized the company also required an Internet presence. The current website was revised about a year ago, and he says it’s a continual work in progress.

“In today’s world, people want to know you have a website,” he adds. “Everyone should have one that shows their products and explains what they do. But you also have to deliver on what you say on the website.”

To keep the website interesting, McNamara posts a weekly blog that talks about a wide array of issues, from strategic placement of units on construction sites to how many restrooms a customer might need for a wedding or party.

“We aim for information people can use,” he says. “At the same time, we’re also always looking for creative ideas to have some fun with it, too.

We ask our drivers for ideas, and they’ve come up with topics like how to protect units on site, putting stone pads in front of units when it’s muddy, placement of hand sinks and so on. It’s all aimed at benefitting the end-user.”

IMAGE IS MARKETING, TOO

NSC also emphasizes less subtle forms of marketing, like new, clean and well-maintained trucks; uniformed, clean-cut drivers who are courteous and professional; and use of new technology, such as global positioning systems, which helps improve customer service.

“We purchase anything that makes us more competitive in the marketplace,” he says. “We try to stay ahead of the curve on that because it saves you money in the long run.”

The NCS fleet includes a 2006 Ford LCF with a 350-gallon waste/150-gallon steel tank, made by Best Enterprises Inc.; a 2007 International 4300 with a 1,500-waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress (Progress Tank LLC) tank; a 2008 Hino 268 with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress tank; a 2008 International 4300 with a 750-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater flat steel tank from Crescent Tank Mfg.; two 2010 Hino 268s with Progress aluminum tanks (one 1,150-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater and the other with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater); and a 2007 Ford LCF flatbed truck for deliveries. All of the trucks use Masport Inc. pumps.

NSC also owns 1,100 standard portable restrooms, mostly Integra units from PolyPortables Inc.; 60 handicapped-accessible units (30 made by Satellite Industries Inc. and 30 made by PolyPortables); and two restroom trailers, a 15-footer made by JAG Mobile Solutions Inc. and a 24-footer manufactured by Comforts of Home Services Inc.

The upscale JAG trailer has four 18-inch, flat-screen televisions. Customers who run charity events or weddings often burn their own DVDs with photo slide shows and play them continuously on the TVs.

“We’ve gotten lots of positive feedback about the TVs. I’m not sure it makes us more money, but you know people talk about it,’’ McNamara says. “New equipment is a great marketing tool. We wash and clean trucks every day. We want to create the perception that we’re the best company out there … when people see our trucks, they remember us.”

GPS technology helps improve customer service. NCS uses a system made by Navtrak Inc. that provides detailed information, from how fast technicians drive to the duration of a service call to the exact time the vacuum power on trucks is turned on and off. If a customer questions whether a technician made a service call, NCS can e-mail them a GPS report that proves they did.

If there’s any question at all in a customer’s mind, though, McNamara follows the premise that the customer is always right, which means a technician will go back and re-service the units in question again. Most times, however, the report does the trick, and customers realize later on that, for example, a landscaping crew came on-site unbeknownst to them, which explains why units were full or dirty so soon after being serviced.

by Ken Wysocky

Prompt service, sharp-dressed technicians and keeping promises to customers is the success formula for upstart Massachusetts company Northeast Sanitation Corp.

Back in February 2006, a semi-retired Brian McNamara heard opportunity knocking and wasted no time answering the door — and stepping smack dab into another full-time career. Within five months, Northeast Sanitation Corp. in Sudbury, Mass., morphed from nothing more than an idea into a full-service portable restroom outfit.

Since then, NSC has enjoyed considerable growth, aided by the acquisition of two more portable sanitation businesses. And the decisive McNamara says he expects further expansion and revenue growth.

The key to the company’s quick success? Great employees and a simple but effective business philosophy: Do what you say you’re going to do.

“We don’t mess around,” McNamara says when asked how he took a company from concept to corporation in just five months. “I thought I saw a good opportunity in the marketplace, and so far, it’s proven to be just that.

“Our motto is, ‘The difference is in the details,’ ” he continues. “Whether it’s delivery, service or professionalism, it’s all about how you treat people … that’s what forges relationships. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you can’t, don’t be in business.”

MAN WITH A PLAN

McNamara spent most of his career in heavy civil construction and residential development. Working in New England, where the construction season is short and lousy weather is a fact of life, taught him how to make things happen fast. He eventually went into semi-retirement as a real estate developer. But while building a home in early 2006, a brush with unresponsive portable restroom service spurred his second career.

“They never came when they said they would,” McNamara recalls. “I’d have to call them three or four times to get service. So I started thinking that if they have this much market share and provide this level of service, there’s definitely a niche to be exploited.”

McNamara started by doing research on the Internet to determine the level of competition. Then he learned about the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International —which by chance was being held the following weekend.

“I went to the show, which was a great experience,” he says. “I found out about all the players in the industry, and ended up ordering 120 restrooms.”

By March, NSC was incorporated. And by July, the company was up and running. Growth occurred quickly, thanks to McNamara’s widespread network of construction industry contacts.

Revenues quickly grew. “We’re probably four times bigger now than the year we started,” he says. McNamara says a fundamentally sound business plan was critical to the company’s fast growth. That included forecasting sales revenue and net-profit goals, and asking friends and business associates to “shoot holes” in his business premises.

“I’d recommend that anyone start with a sound business plan,” he notes. “You can’t run blind. You’ve got to have forecasts, then be sure you hit the numbers. It’s not easy, but if you stay focused on your plan — which is your road map to success — you’ll succeed.”

Currently, construction-related rentals generate about 75 percent of the company’s sales revenue; the remaining 25 percent comes from special events. McNamara says his business plan calls for a 70/30 split after five years, so the business is on track. “We have to rely mostly on construction because in this area, there are only so many special events,” he says.

Long term construction projects offer many challenges to the foreman, and winter construction sites offer even greater challenges. Not the least of those challenges is portable restrooms for the workers on the site.  If you are starting a long-term construction project this winter, and plan to have a trailer on-site you will need a sanitation solution.

You can achieve this without running water lines and digging for a temporary septic tank. A Fresh Water Flushing Mobile Office System can be installed in just a few hours and they cut down on the traditional high costs of running lines and digging holes. The water supply is provided, along with the RV toilet and the waste tank. The system is easily installed and maintained weekly.

You can eliminate the expense of digging and running a temporary water service to the job trailer and there is no need for the temporary water line and large concrete waste tank. 

With mobile office trailer equipment, you can alleviate the stress of wasted materials, manpower, and the associated costs that go along with them. 

Not to mention the decrease of down time for your employees by having a restroom facility on-site. Decrease your loss time, costs and stress and increase your comfort and convenience with mobile office trailer restroom units.

If you are planning on using portable restrooms for your construction site, then there are a few important factors you need to take into consideration before you actually get the restrooms delivered. Here are some questions to consider.

How many people will be on site?
There needs to be portable restrooms available for anyone who needs to make use of them, without the units getting clogged and avoiding the long lines that can form while employees wait to use the facilities. Industry standard is 1 portable restroom for 10 workers for a standard work week on a job site. http://www.psai.org/ .  Per the PSAI Usage - Route Units: On a construction site, each weekly serviced toilet unit can accommodate 10 workers (working a single 40-hour shift) ANSI Z4.3-2005.

How often should the portable toilets be serviced?
This answer can vary widely, depending on the type of project you need the restrooms for, how long porta potties are going to be used on site, how many people are around and how often they make use of the restrooms.

What type of portable restrooms do you need?
There are a wide variety of restroom styles, from basic single toilet units to restroom trailers, as well as mobile office trailers for long term construction sites. At short term work sites, single stall units with hand sanitizer may do the job. For construction sites without easy access to water, it is a good idea to inquire about the fresh water flushing mobile office system so that all the necessary sanitary needs are covered without incurring excessive costs.

Will I need insurance?
Yes, when renting portable restrooms from a supplier you should make sure you have public liability insurance. You are responsible for the safety of your employees while they are using the units on your site.