Call of Doody: Johnny on the Job

CLEANLINESS COUNTS

In recent times, with the onset of COVID-19 across the world and closer to home, cleanliness and sanitation have become a hot-button issue. While other companies have been scrambling to create a cleaner environment for customers, A-1 Rental Inc., Johnny on the Job has been on top of it for the last decade.

Back in 2010, Carrie Kelly and her husband, Jack, stepped up their game by equipping every one of their portable restrooms with hand sanitizers.

But in the 24 years they have been running Johnny on the Job, Carrie said cleanliness is not the only factor that has evolved in the portable toilet business. It turns out, people have gotten pickier about their restrooms, even the portable ones.

“Toilets have gotten more important,” said Carrie. “People are much more likely to rent a portable toilet than they used to be because of the convenience and the cleanliness.”

Johnny on the Job serves the Northeast Kansas area, all the way into Nebraska border, into Kansas City and down to Emporia. If you have attended downtown Topeka festivals, like the Food Truck Festival, Miracle on Kansas Avenue or the car show, you probably have been in a Johnny on the Job toilet.

OPTIONS MATTER

Back in 1997, in Carrie and Jack’s first year in business, there were few options for customers looking to rent a portable restroom. Today, things are different. With options varying in size and degree of luxury, the choice of what toilet to rent for a wedding may now be just as important as the cake.

While much of Johnny on the Job’s business comes from events and weddings, construction sites are another huge part of their customer base. Through the years, Carrie said construction clients have asked for more out of their restrooms, often opting for the larger handicap units in order to get more space.

Some of Johnny on the Job’s portable restrooms are arguably nicer than some permanent fixtures. The “women’s side” of their Ameri-Can portable restroom, for example, has three stalls, two sinks, heat, air conditioning and hot water.

“It feels and looks just like a regular restroom,” Carrie said.

Powering such deluxe accommodations requires big equipment. Each restroom is serviced by trucks with water tanks. More business means more wear and tear on the $100,000 trucks, forcing them to be replaced about every four years.

MINORITY INTEREST

Beyond the cleanliness of
their units, Carrie is proud Johnny on the Job is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) minority interest company, a certification for businesses that are owned and operated by a disadvantaged member of the population, which could be women, minorities, veterans or people with disabilities. Carrie’s 51 percent ownership in the company made Johnny on the Job eligible for this designation.

While her industry that handles No. 2 may not be the No. 1 choice of other entrepreneurs, she experiences the same pros and cons of any other business owner. “It’s always nice to be your own boss,” she said. “But you work harder as an entrepreneur. You can’t just leave business behind at the end of the day. And as part of the larger community, you need to be involved and give back when you can.”