Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION MAY 12, 2021 Page 6 Continued on page 7 Women Leaders of the PSAI…continued from page 5 Saukville is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Arnold's had been founded in 1958 as a septic tank company. Tammy related to PRO Magazine in October 2013, that at the time of purchase, they owned "15 portable restrooms and one pump truck, employed one worker and relied almost completely on revenue from pumping local septic tanks." Through her leadership and marketing savvy, the portable restroom business at Arnold's grew tremendously through the years. Tammy employed an extremely successful radio advertising campaign in the early 1990s and then developed effective social media messaging as that technology evolved. Tammy also became involved in the PSAI and served on several committees. She was elected to the Board in the early 2000s. By 2006, Arnold's portable restroom and restroom trailer rental business had grown to the point that she and her husband created two separate companies: Arnold's Environmental Services for portable restrooms and Arnold's Sanitation Technologies for septic tank pumping. Tammy worked and earned certification as a woman-owned business, which was yet another effective strategy that she could employ. Tammy did all this hard work in re-organizing her company while also serving on the Executive Board of the PSAI as Vice-President. On a personal note, I was serving on the Board during that period, and I can attest to the dedication and commitment that Tammy had to the PSAI while her company was undergoing these significant changes at that same time. In 2011, Tammy founded Zuzu Pedals, initially a bicycle rental shop which was located in Port Washington, a few miles from Saukville. She told Pumper Magazine in January 2014, that she saw this as "a seasonal side job and began with 12 bikes to rent." Similar to starting at Arnold's with 15 portable restrooms, Tammy, once again, began to creatively market the Zuzu Pedals business as well. Here is the inspiration and the example that Tammy Thompson-Oreskovic sets for the rest of us in our businesses. In that same Pumper Magazine article from January 2014 it was recorded that Tammy "works seven days a week, starting her day at Arnold's, where she oversees a staff of managers. She ends her day at Zuzu." Tammy goes on to share a key point for everyone to consider, "My forte is marketing. Your marketing and customer service have to be your primary focus. Once you figure out how to make that work, you can apply that skill to any industry." Karen Holm—Second Female President 2006-2007, 2016-2017 An effective, successful, and kind person who is a role model to many— that is my assessment of Karen Holm. She is simply a wonderful person and, yes, Karen Holm is a role model for me as well. Growing up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Karen became involved in the portable toilet business at the age of 18. She learned about our industry through her father-in-law, Alan Holm, and his ownership of Aquazyme Midwest in the 1970s. According to Karen, it was then referred to as the "honey wagon business." She continues, "My question at the time was, what does the portable toilet business have to do with bees, honey, or wagons?" Karen Holm

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