Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/599004
Page 13 PSAI Industry Retrospective - the 90s Since the founding of the Andy Gump Award, the "giants" of the PSAI have received this honor: 2011 Michael McCarthy; Mr John of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2010 Lee Sola; S & B Porta-Bowl Restrooms, Inc., Aurora, Colorado 2009 Flay Anthony, Jr.; Porta-Jon of the Piedmont, Gastonia, North Carolina 2008 Steve McDonald; Sanitation Journal, Lemoore, California 2007 Ed Cooper; PolyJohn Enterprises Corp., Whiting, Indiana 2006 Mike Holm; United Site Services, Inc., Miami, Florida 2005 Ron and Gladys Bird; Ameri-Can Engineering, Argos, Indiana 2004 Ned Carpenter; Porta-Jon of the Piedmont, Gastonia, North Carolina 2003 Mike Pauling; Biffs, Inc., Shakopee, Minnesota 2002 Dick and Mary Macialek; Center Penn Services, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 2001 Peter Booth; Loo Hire UK, Sheffield, England 2000 Lothar Vermillion; ADCO International GmbH, Ratingen, Germany 1999 Frank Ranson; The Phil Carter System, Inc., Newport News, Virginia 1998 John Taylor; Satellite Industries, Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota 1997 Mark Perry; Northwest Cascade, Inc., Puyallup, Washington 1996 Ed Crafton; PolyPortables, Inc., Dahlonega, Georgia 1995 Fred Cutler; Sr., Sani-Hut Company, Inc., Reno, Nevada 1994 George Harding; PolyJohn Enterprises Corp., Whiting, Indiana 1993 Clyde Sansom; Synergy World, St. Louis, Missouri Barry states that "I had the privilege of working 34 years with my Dad and I am proud that his values and his legacy live on in the Award named in his honor." EVOLUTION OF SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT By the early 1990s, aer 35 years of invention, innovation, and perfection portable restrooms were much more commonplace than ever before and the marketplace was in need of additional product offerings. A brief recession in the early 90s, allowed operators seek to diversify product offerings in order to maintain their business goals. RESTROOM TRAILERS Restroom Trailers began to develop in the early 1990s and Ron and Gladys Bird were on the cutting edge of this new market. ese industry pioneers began making restroom trailers in 1987 in Rochester, Indiana. According to Ron, "ere was only one other manufacturer at the time and that was Olympia. ey made fiberglass portable restrooms and had expanded into this new trailer market. I did not know much about them at the time." We have all heard the expression "It's a small world," however; this coincidence takes this phrase to the extreme. Ron says that "I will never forget when Gladys and I met Bill Adams from Olympia for the first time. It was at the Pumper Show in Nashville and aer we exchanged pleasantries, we began to discuss where we were from. Bill Adams, unbelievably, lived five doors down from us in Rochester, Indiana! Imagine, the only two restroom trailer manufacturers in the whole United States, were neighbors, and did not know it. THAT is a small world." Ron and Gladys' company, Ameri-Can, led the way in early innovation of this new product. From steel trailers at the beginning of the decade, by 1999, vinyl board and other lightweight materials were standard. The initial restroom trailers had pine oil and creosote linings in the holding tanks which, while effective, were eventually deemed "environmentally unfriendly by the EPA and we immediately changed to plastics," says Ron. Every trailer had air-conditioning and heat as standard components. Ameri-Can produced their first shower trailer in the early 1990s as well. How did the Birds develop the ideas for the comfort, design, and innovation of their restroom trailers? In a "PSAI in Action," exclusive, Ron finally tells all. "Gladys and I would visit the restrooms in the finest hotels that we could find. Luxury, comfort, innovation, and first-class accommodations were what we were striving for and where better to observe and to take note?"