We’ve ushered out the 2010s, a decade of great change in the world of decentralized wastewater treatment, and are embarking on a new period with new challenges in the decade ahead.
We wave goodbye to a decade that saw growing urgency over protecting our water resources and the environment in general.
We learned a whole lot more about pollution of sensitive coastal waterways and the negative impact of blue-green algae. The technology doers in the wastewater industry took us further away from conventional tank and drainfield septic systems in a growing number of regions beset by issues of development and population density.
Onsite installing contractors faced many challenges on the business front. The decade started with a long, slow economic recovery following a recession that hit close to home, starting with an implosion of the real estate market. Many of you had to trim your staffs just to survive, then as the economy rallied, you were cautious about adding employees for fear your workload wouldn’t support them. A health insurance catastrophe gripped small-business owners for years, and we still don’t know where that situation is headed.
As we head into the 2020s, a new optimism is taking hold, though we recognize there will be many challenges ahead. Generally installers continue to see business rallying, with more orders for replacement and new-construction systems on the horizon. State and county health departments are focusing more on required inspections and maintenance of systems, which should lead to a steady stream of upgrades of septic systems that are well past their due date. New technologies are taking hold that will efficiently treat wastewater on smaller lots, opening up more land for development.
As Onsite Installer starts its 16th year of publication, I have some “pie in the sky” wishes for installers in 2020 and beyond. My hope is that:
Greater profitability allows you to provide improved employee benefits.
Sometimes construction-related trades can lag behind the rest of the employment world in providing competitive benefits for workers. These jobs are sometimes seen by applicants more as transient positions than as the entryway to long-term careers. But that doesn’t jive with the fact that you’d give your eyeteeth for a few seasoned technicians with knowledge of the onsite industry. What would another crew of workers who can hit the ground running mean to your company? A lot, I know. So as you get busier, work to lure more good prospective workers who will stick with the industry for decades to come. As you build on the bottom line, I hope you can start to support a health insurance program for your employees. And a retirement plan, at least a matching 401(k) program. How about flexible scheduling, weekends off, paid uniforms, a wellness program and more paid days off? Give more to your workers and they will give more back to you in effort.
Worker safety improves to the point where nobody in our industry is severely injured or killed on the job.
The goal of every installer is to send the crew out and bring them back safely at the end of every day. Making it happen takes some planning and attention to a safety program. Start by having your trucks stocked with the right safety equipment: gloves, hard hats, reflective vests, eyewear and tools to ease strains on hardworking bodies. Keep shoring boxes handy for when you’re working in deep excavations. Start each day with a tailgate meeting including an important safety reminder. Encourage your crew to make safety suggestions, and reward workers who bring unsafe conditions to your attention. Shoot for a year of no missed days due to worker injury. For my part, I want to go through 2020 without seeing an OSHA violation in a photo submitted to the magazine.
You don’t have an equipment breakdown at the worst possible moment.
Losing control of your busy work calendar is only one idled excavator away. Start 2020 by building an equipment maintenance list so you avoid things like broken belts and leaky hydraulic hoses at the most inopportune time. Pay close attention to manufacturers’ recommended service intervals and remain vigilant about routine inspections, particularly as equipment ages. If you rely on a few pieces of equipment for jobs every week, think about how many hours are on the clock or years you’ve been pushing those machines and then plan for replacement. Aim to sell machines before they saddle you with frequent and expensive repairs to keep going.
Your revenue beats payroll and expenses every month of the year.
Slow seasons seem to be a thing of the past for many installing contractors. Even in northern regions, I routinely hear about busy companies pushing projects into the holiday season and then looking to resume as soon as possible in the spring. But you still have to strive to find ways to keep your most valuable employees working — and generating revenue — 12 months a year. That may mean working on your marketing to keep customers thinking about projects in the winter and spring seasons. In areas where weather forces you to slow down, look for new ways to keep money coming in and your people working. Your business will be healthier and more prosperous if you can avoid having months where expenses top revenues.
No holiday celebrations are interrupted by an emergency call.
Wouldn’t you love to make it through those busy holiday weeks without a call about a tank alarm going off or wastewater surfacing in the drainfield? Pushing routine maintenance may be the answer. Continually market inspection and maintenance services to your customers. Send out mailers, make phone calls and post on social media offering preventive visits ahead of those periods when you typically get emergency calls. When you install a system, offer favorable terms to customers who will buy into routine inspection and filter cleaning. If you don’t already have an employee focused on maintenance, consider dedicating resources in that area. Do all of these things and you may be able to sit back and enjoy an afternoon of football after that big holiday feast.
You find the time to offer your expertise to a charitable cause.
There are so many ways for installers to contribute their time and treasure to worthy community projects and less-fortunate people. Think of the good you can do by donating a few days a year to moving dirt and installing or repairing an onsite system for a charity. Perhaps a homeless shelter, food bank or church needs excavation work done or an onsite system fixed. You have the unique skills to contribute to the improvement of your community. It’s great to hear about individual installers or state onsite trade associations working on Habitat for Humanity home builds. While typical volunteers on these projects can quickly learn to frame a house or shingle a roof, your special knowledge of decentralized wastewater makes your contribution so valuable. When you can, donate your services. It will reflect well on your business locally and on the wastewater industry globally.
You enjoy health and happiness throughout the year.
We all know someone in the industry who suffered from serious illness or passed away over the past decade. It’s good to take a moment to reflect on and pay tribute to those we’ve lost. And it’s time to remember that good health is the most important ingredient in a happy and successful life. I wish you the best as you move forward doing valued onsite installing work. Be sure to balance your busy work life and time spent enjoying life with family and friends.
