Inside the July 2008 Issue

Features

Overheard Online: The Ideal Vehicle

Contracting professionals share thoughts on service trucks that deliver convenience, efficiency, comfort, and affordable cost

Cover Story: Someone Has to Do It

A-K Underground has found and stuck to a niche in handling difficult, messy cleaning jobs that other contractors walk away from

Special Feature: Sealing the Chimney

Various grouts and sealants help contractors and their customers protect against clear water infiltration in manhole structures

Tech Perspective: Injecting Long Life

Chemical grouting provides simple and cost-effective repair for manhole leaks — if you use the right material and the right installation method.

Profile: Back On Top

An Ohio contractor weathers personal tragedy, an economic slowdown and a limited customer base by diversifying offerings and courting a wider range of clients

Columns

From the Editor: What’s Your Passion?

A new ‘After Hours’ column in Cleaner looks at how contractors mix work with family matters, hobbies, and creative pursuits

Money Machines: No More Ping-Pong

A fleet of specially designed drain-cleaning trucks helps a Pennsylvania contractor keep its technicians productive and serve customers well

Industry News: News From Around the Industry

LMK Receives Patent for No-Dig CIPP Lateral Lining

Better Business: More Than a Bookkeeper

A quality accountant can provide analytical services and sound advice on a variety of issues and decisions that drive success and growth

Reader Pipelines: Life and Death

Contractors and municipal agencies emphasize safety for confined-space entry, trenching, and other potentially dangerous duties their people may face

Safety First: In The Zone

Roadway work zone safety means staying focused and avoiding distractions

After Hours: Fear Gets Lapped

An industry contractor relocates his business and family to help his son pursue a promising career as a stock car race driver

Tough Job: Clean Sweep

A sewer pipe floor-cleaning nozzle enables a New York village to keep its street reconstruction program on schedule

Product Spotlight: A Truck Body Designed for Technician Productivity

Wasting time searching for a part or tool and traveling back to the shop cuts into profits and causes frustration.

Money Manager: 10 Ways to Hurt Your Business

If you want to make life in business tougher than it needs to be, here are ten good prescriptions to try on a regular basis