Brian Wakefield, owner of B&J Wakefield Services in Waxahachie, Texas, has been installing septic systems since about 2005 in response to customer requests and as a way to supplement his aerobic treatment unit inspection business. He started with a used backhoe, but he eventually switched to excavators and skid-steers, which he loves.

“I got to where I don’t like backhoes,” he says. “They’re too big and bulky. Skid-steers and excavators do so much more.”

As the business grew, so did the staff; and he now has seven technicians working on installations, repairs, pumping and ATU inspections. But Wakefield isn’t one to just sit in an office and issue orders. He feels strongly that he needs to regularly get out in the field and use the equipment himself.

“I’m very gifted and talented at what I do, and I don’t want to lose the capability of doing that and the practice of doing that,” he says. “It’s like riding a bike — if you quit riding that bike you’re going to get shaky at it. Even diagnostics and repairs, you still have to keep that mindset. If you quit doing it, you lose that ability.”

Wakefield admits there’s also a bit of pride involved. “Can I still get that excavator and show the guys I can dig a lot faster than they can and still keep myself practiced enough to prove to them it can be done faster? Yes. I will keep myself doing that as long as I’m capable of doing it.”

But Wakefield says he doesn’t just take over a project. Ultimately he recognizes his job is to pass along his skills and knowledge to the team. “I’m their tech support, so to speak, their backup. When they can’t handle something, I’m the go-to person. I’m hands-on where I need to be. I’m paying my guys to do what they do, but I will go where I need to go and do what work I need to do.”

Read more about B&J Wakefield Services in the March issue of Onsite Installer magazine.