I’ve heard it many times in my two years as editor of Cleaner: the people are what make this industry. It’s apparent every February at the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo, and it comes through in the pages of this magazine every month. I’ve met a lot of great people, some of whom I’ve written about and some who have simply shown the generosity to reach out and talk, explain their place in the industry and what the magazine means to them.
Mike Williams from Just Drains in Philadelphia immediately comes to mind, as does Baron Van Burems from No Clogg Sewer & Drain in Pasadena, Calif. This year I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Goldade, his wife, Sarah, and his young daughter at the Expo. We talked for a while and I eventually followed up with him to do a feature story on his business, Sewer Duck of Aberdeen, S.D. That story, Quest to be the Best, appears in this issue.
Goldade, in his words, has been cleaning sewer and drain lines since he was just a pup. His dad formed the business, and Jeff bought him out and took over at just 19 years old.
As I mentioned, I’ve met a lot of great people and had a hand in putting together some really good stories about the people of this industry, but reading through the Sewer Duck story for the first time I was really struck by the wonderful honesty, earnestness and perspective Jeff has. It’s fun to edit stories like this. It’s fun to read them, and it’s very satisfying to be able to work with people of that caliber and to share their stories with the rest of the industry.
The Roto-Rooter of Syracuse (Bauer Plumbing) profile in this issue is another great example of true professionals forming the backbone of the industry. While it’s a franchise – the oldest Roto-Rooter in the country, in fact – Bauer Plumbing began 125 years ago and has been a family business ever since. The industry is filled with so many great family businesses, and few have a longer or more proud tradition than Bauer Plumbing.
It’s not just about family businesses, however. I got a call last week from a gentleman in Middletown, Ohio, wanting to talk about the magazine and his business. He’s been cleaning drains for a long time, but only jumped in full time a few years ago. He told me about his business and the kinds of jobs he typically tackles in his one-man operation. He also talked about Cleaner, and how reading the magazine has given him a lot of insight and helped him build his business. But what I was most struck by was how he described his life story and how he came to be in the business. It was more than most people would tell someone they were talking to for the first time. I appreciated his story and the fact that he felt comfortable explaining it all to me, due in part to his connection with the magazine.
So, while you certainly need to know what to consider when purchasing a CCTV van, as Jim Aanderud discusses in this issue, and how to prepare for the unexpected, covered in this month’s Better Business column, it really is the people who make this industry and this magazine.
Enjoy this month’s issue.
