The feature profiles in this issue of Cleaner reflect an entrepreneurial spirit, a willingness to evolve, and the value of a fresh start.

Environmental Pipe Cleaning of Richmond, Va., reflects all of these business virtues. The firm has seen more than its share of changes and challenges over the past five decades, but all of it has created a model for infrastructure rehabilitation and maintenance services that make the company a sought-after vendor for many high-profile clients.

Mindset, or more simply put, a major attitude adjustment in regard to how business should be done and how clients should be treated, has allowed the small family business to become one of the Washington, D.C., area's premier infrastructure problem solvers.

When Samantha Hawes took over the business from her father in 1990, she looked at the industry from a woman's perspective. She impressed upon her new hires how clients felt when they showed up at their homes or businesses; how their appearance, attitude and demeanor made them feel; and how that client's perception could just as easily lead to more business or destroy the firm's hard work and reputation. By evolving, and changing their approach and attitude toward clients, the technicians became one of the most powerful advertising and marketing tools the company possessed.

Five years later, Environmental Pipe Cleaning was ready to take the business to the next level. The firm began to see more opportunities in the area of pipeline rehabilitation. CIPP and pipe bursting offered great potential, and despite the resistance of some crew members, the company pushed forward into new technology with a desire to be part of the industry's evolution.

When the recent recession brought economic challenges to their door, Samantha and her husband, Dave, pushed forward with a concentrated customer outreach program. They kept a positive attitude, and eventually the projects started coming in again. It was a fresh start for a company that had already been in business for more than 40 years, and business has been nonstop ever since.

Mr. Rooter of Tri-Cities, the other contractor profiled in this issue, has also shown a willingness to evolve with the advent of new technologies. Investing in the latest plumbing and rooter equipment has given the company an edge over its competition. The company was the first in the area to have cameras installed on its trucks, and today, it's the only company in the region equipped to do pipe bursting and residential pipe lining.

The company's entrepreneurial spirit also shines through in its outlook on the future. Owners Dan and Shaylin King see great opportunity to grow their commercial business by creating a division dedicated strictly to commercial customers, particularly restaurants. They plan to hire a sales manager to call on commercial accounts and set up more preventive maintenance programs with regularly scheduled drain cleanings to avoid emergencies and downtime.

They also believe the future of the plumbing industry will be in-home water treatment, and part of their own evolution involves building a water treatment division for selling and installing water filters, conditioners and softeners.

I hope Environmental Pipe Cleaning and Mr. Rooter of Tri-Cities can provide you some inspiration, and I hope you'll take advantage of another opportunity to see the evolution of this industry on display: the 2013 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo.

The Expo will be held Feb. 25-28 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. It's a chance for you to network with peers and manufacturers, and find the special piece of equipment that can improve your existing services or give you a fresh start on a new course. Visit www.pumpershow.com to learn more about it.

Enjoy this month's issue.