Demand for Steve Bishop’s portable sanitation services in Ulster, Pa., has mushroomed along with the Marcellus Shale natural gas play. You can learn all about Bishop and his diverse family business in our November Contractor Profile store in GOMC.
While he’s not complaining about a dramatic spike in business, the unexpectedly rapid growth has spawned a host of challenges for the owner of Bishop’s Full-Time Portables. “At times, it’s hard to keep up,” Bishop tells writer Ken Wysocky. “You think you’re caught up, and then something happens and you’re right back behind again. But that’s business. It’s all a great opportunity.”
Bishop runs a local hardware store in his hometown, Bishop’s True Value Plus Mini Mart. He also maintains 450 portable restrooms, 20 restroom trailers and 10 related service vehicles to keep pace with demand. Much of the company’s restroom inventory supports crews at construction sites for drilling pads and pipelines. The rest stands at construction sites for things such as motels, mini-marts, restaurants and bars associated with the influx of gas rig workers.
In addition to the nuts and bolts of Bishop’s business, he shares his strategy for retaining good workers in a competitive hiring environment. This is news you can use if you find your company competing for and trying to hang onto the best employees.
