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ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION MAY 26, 2021 Page 7 Industry Pioneer: Harvey Heather By Jeff Wigley, Past PSAI President Continued on page 8 H enry Ford once said, "Success does not come by imitation." From the design of a fiberglass portable restroom to replace the existing wooden units of that time to improving the overall professionalism of the portable sanitation industry, Harvey Heather was not an imitator, he was an innovator. Early Life and Career Born on August 8, 1925 in Pasadena, California, Harvey grew up in an area that experienced a very rapid growth in building and industry leading up to World War II. He married his high school sweetheart, Anna Winzenread, on November 5, 1943. As luck would have it, her father Fred Winzenread was involved in the portable toilet business in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles. This area is just five miles from the Long Beach Shipyards where portable restrooms first appeared. In February 1944, Harvey enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He attended Bombardier Training, but the War ended before his deployment. At an early age, Harvey accepted responsibility and hard work, traits that were to benefit him throughout his life. With his family connection in the new portable restroom industry, Harvey began working with the largest company then in the business, Nottingham. He drove a service truck, cleaned the wooden units, and eventually became a salesperson for the company. According to Jed Hulsey, a family member and business associate, Harvey was quoted as saying, "One day I will own the biggest chemical toilet business." Harvey eventually bought his father-in-law's portable restroom company, United Sanitation, and he began to work on accomplishing his dream. He immediately joined the Association of General Contractors and the Building Industry Association to expand his customer base. Harvey grew his business throughout the 1960s, and in 1967 he hired Art Bereuter as his "right hand man" to assist with operations. The "United Sanitation Company" earned a reputation for excellent customer service and for professionalism in this new and expanding industry. Second President of the Portable Sanitation Association At just the second PSAI Convention and Trade Show, held in Las Vegas in November 1972, Harvey Heather succeeded Irvin Juster as President of the new Association. Harvey had been actively involved in the initial organization of the PSA in 1971–72, and his dedication, creativity, and innovation had not gone unrecognized by the Board.