Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION MARCH 31, 2021 Page 5 Continued on page 7 Industry Pioneer: Ed Crafton…continued from page 4 After two weeks of "on the job training," Jeremy traveled to Germany and began to visit major cities in the country. Without the widespread use of the internet and all its search capabilities, he relied on the printed business listings in each city—commonly referred to as the "Yellow Pages"—to find portable restroom operators to target for sales calls. This rather basic and time-consuming approach took roughly five weeks. The results, however, were extremely impressive. Jeremy states that, "the company went from one shift to three shifts in the plant and remained at that level." After returning to the US, Ed made the decision for Jeremy to return to Germany two weeks later and to open a permanent office in Wiesbaden, Germany. That office served as Jeremy's base of operations for his work and travels over the next 10 years. During his tenure, PolyPortables also opened additional offices in Europe, Asia, and South America. Jeremy Hawkins describes Ed Crafton as a "gregarious and kind person who cared about the customer as well as the employee." Jeremy adds that Ed "loved joked-telling, which made for a pleasant atmosphere." Values Although the size, scope, and reach of his company expanded, Ed Crafton never lost his principles. As daughter Kathy Crafton told Pumper Magazine in the April 2004 article describing her father's values: "Dad never had any airs. He never saw himself as bigger than anyone else. He was just one of the guys. His customers were his friends, his friends were his customers. He was someone that you could talk to—a regular guy. He was also a fair man. That was one of his guiding principles. He tried to be fair to employees and customers alike." Respect His values earned the respect of competitors as well. Ed Cooper, President of PolyJohn Industries, and partner of George Harding—Ed Crafton's former associate—also spoke very highly of Mr. Crafton. As quoted in the April 2004 Pumper article: "Ed was a true entrepreneur—the kind of guy who went out and got it. He was a good competitor and a lot of fun to do business with and compete against." Insight Steve Finley, a longtime employee of PolyPortables (1999–2016), knew Ed extremely well and has many interesting and insightful stories to share. Steve characterizes Ed as "someone who was sincere and who enjoyed people. He took more enjoyment out of the design and development of the job—that is, he liked to tinker and to invent." Steve is also quick to point out that "Ed was also a practical joker with a keen sense of humor." Ed Crafton also liked to employ people with varied backgrounds as they would bring different experiences and ideas with them. Steve was no exception. He explains, "I had a very successful career in the health care industry before being hired to be a salesperson at a portable restroom manufacturer." Ed encouraged everyone in the company to be creative and to use their previous experiences to their advantage at PolyPortables. Steve Finley Kathy Crafton

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