February 2008 Table of Contents

Magazine Cover

Features

  • 36Profile: Strength Through Diversity
    Three distinct divisions help Expert Plumbing Service keep a steady flow of business in a competitive market around Chicago.
  • 60Cover Story: Just One Chance
    A contractor in British Columbia believes there is a single opportunity to make a first impression on a customer — and that starts with the service van.
  • 78Tech Perspective: Optimum Cleaning
    A waterblasting equipment maker looks at how standoff distance, traverse speed, rotation speed and other factors affect surface preparation.

Columns

  • 10From the Editor: Avoid the Kitchen Sink
    As you look forward to the 2008 Pumper & Cleaner Expo, remember to make a plan for the show — and to keep it reasonable in scope.
  • 16Safety First: On the Phone, At Risk
    Be mindful of the hazards of route drivers using cell phones and other devices while behind the wheel.
  • 22Money Manager: Tough Customers
    You do have options when faced with a past-due bill for a ‘hard-case’ customer who seems completely unwilling to pay.
  • 28Better Business: It’s Their Ship
    Business owners and employees alike can take lessons from the experience of a U.S. Navy skipper who turned his destroyer into a top-flight outfit.
  • 70Money Machines: Extended Duty
    Drain Doctor Plumbers in central Florida gains high performance and productivity from its fully outfitted Dodge Sprinter cargo van.
  • 86Reader Pipelines: Signing on the Line
    Business owners vouch for the value of contracts as a way to display professionalism and protect both company and customer.
  • 94Tough Job: Sweet Rewards
    A new composite cutting blade and a hydraulic ram enable a California contractor to replace corroded pipes without disrupting a factory’s production line.
  • 106Industry News: News From Around the Industry
    AlturnaMats Acquires Mobile Matts; Perma-Liner Names Dance Southeast Sales Manager; Perma-Liner Names Dance Southeast Sales Manager; Putzmeister Launches New Web Site; and Keffer, Debris Dam Inventor, Killed in Car Crash.