Portable Sanitation Association International

PSAI Association Insight, July 21, 2021 I 5 • Olympic Fiberglass (later Olympia Fiberglass). Around the same time, industry pioneer Ed Crafton of PolyPortables, started Olympic Fiberglass Industries in Winamac, Indiana as a manufacturer of "outdoor fiberglass toilet facilities," which included portable restroom units and restroom trailers. After a plant fire on July 28, 1986, Ed and his partner, Ralph Braun, decided to sell the company to plant manager, Bill Adams. An interesting note is that Ralph Braun was confined to a wheelchair and during this early time he developed the first ADA portable restroom unit. In fact, Ralph had previously started a company, Save-A-Step Manufacturing in 1963, that produced several mobility products. He built his first three- wheeled scooter the prior year. In 2006, Ralph adopted the brand name, Braun-Ability for his entire product line. He shared the story of overcoming his handicap in various television, newspaper, and magazine interviews and in 2010 wrote his successful autobiography, Rise Above. (continued on page 6) The Revolution and Evolution of Restroom Trailers (continued from page 3) • Advanced Containment Systems Incorporated (ACSI). It is common in the portable sanitation industry to find successful husband and wife teams, both on the operator and supplier sides of the business. Often these couples began their companies from scratch and they totally and completely understand every aspect of their business. Such is the case with Phil and Susan Dunn from Houston, Texas. Phil owned an outboard boat company in 1984 and, in addition to marine craft, he also became familiar with boat trailers as well. According to Phil, "When I sold my business in 1988, I then became involved in asbestos abatement which was a major issue in the late 1980s with the passage of various Federal Laws." He continues, "There was a need for decontamination areas where personnel could shower and change clothes after working in and around asbestos during the day." Phil and Susan started Advanced Containment Systems Incorporated (ACSI) in 1995 with the objective of providing decontamination trailers to assist those working with asbestos abatement in and around the oil refineries in the Houston Area. Phil attended both Pumper and PSAI shows with the intention of "asking questions and listening to operators Settling the Question: Who Was First—Ameri-Can or Olympic? Ron Bird relates an incredible story as to the answer to this question. According to Ron, "I met Bill Adams with Olympic for the very first time at the Pumper Show one year in the late 1980s. As we began our conversation, we both related that our companies were based in Indiana. We [Ameri-Can] were in Argos, and Olympic was in Rochester. We each shared information about the community in which we lived, and we both started to stare at each other. With each local fact that we shared, we could not believe the coincidences. Finally, we determined that we lived five houses away from each other on the same street in Lake Manitou, Indiana! Now THAT is a coincidence!" The mystery of which company was building trailers at the earliest date may never be known. What can be said with certainty is summed up by Ameri-Can's Ron Bird who said, "I do not know which company was the first trailer manufacturer, but I guarantee that the owner was from Lake Manitou!" (continued on page 6) ACSI's manufacturing floor in Houston, Texas

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