Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1188580
WEEKLY EDITION OCTOBER 9, WEEKLY EDITION NOVEMBER 27, 2019 PAGE 4 Lotha r Verm il li on: He Put the " I" i n PSAI By Jeff Wigley, Past President The international portable sanitation industry lost an icon this past week as we learned that Lothar Vermillion of Germany had passed away. Lothar was a longtime, dedicated leader who was extremely active in the PSAI, Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs (BDE – a waste and recycling association) in Germany, and Portable Sanitation Europe (PSE). His adoring wife, Maisie, who accompanied him to numerous functions and meetings throughout the world, survives him. From rural Germany, Lothar was encouraged by his parents to continue the family tradition of working in the postal service. He desired more from life and was employed by a large European car rental agency where he learned about business. Lothar was highly intelligent, and with his business knowledge he identified portable sanitation as an area in which he could excel. During the 1980s, Lothar created the largest portable restroom company in Europe, Dixi. He was an innovative leader, a highly effective communicator, and a visionary within the industry. Lothar was able to lead a company that operated successfully in a multitude of countries with varying cultures, languages, regulations, and currencies. Dixi represented "quality and professionalism" regardless of country, nationality, or geographic location. Lothar first became involved in the then-Portable Sanitation Association (PSA) in the mid to late 1980s. He joined the PSA Board and, according to Ned Carpenter, "Lothar led the group with his keen insights. Remember the old advertisement from the '80s and '90s, where 'When EF Hutton speaks, everyone listens'? This is the way that I felt about Lothar." Among Lothar's many admirable traits were his thoughtfulness and his generous nature. Flay Anthony remembers that at the first PSA Board Meeting after the Fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, Lothar brought a small piece of the Wall and presented it to each Board Member—a simple yet symbolic gesture that showed Lothar's desire for international cooperation. Lothar's involvement, dedication, and vision in helping to grow the PSA in Europe led the PSA Board of Directors at the 20 th Anniversary Board Meeting in Orlando in 1991 to add "International" to the PSA thereby forming the "PSA International." The name was eventually shortened to the PSAI that we know today. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5