Port-A-Potties In High Demand Amid Boston’s Building Boom

New England’s construction boom is creating a playing field where companies are competing to be No. 1 in the business of No. 2.

Boston’s wave of construction sites across the city has kept the port-a-potty industry flush with new demand, and the market is rushing to keep its head above water from all the new orders. New suppliers are entering the field and existing companies are expanding to fight for market share in Boston’s game of thrones, the Boston Globe reports.

Woburn-based Throne Depot started 10 years ago with 26 port-a-potties. The company has since increased its commode roster to 2,100, with 500 units being purchased in the last year. Flush Services of North Reading has been equally awash with new business.

“This last year, we had to buy at least 150 toilets [some months] just to meet demand,” Flush Services Director of Events Parker Ganassin told the Globe. “We’ve grown to the point where we probably need a new building.”

Callahan Construction Managers Chief Operations Officer Doug Morrison told the Globe he guessed there were 10 to 15 port-a-potty companies in the region, and many have only started in the last few years. The Boston Planning & Development Agency lists over 100 construction projects in the city, and 42 are active with construction. Labor regulations recommend one toilet for every 20 workers, and some larger construction sites require as many as 500 units.

“Any time there’s a gathering of an outdoor workforce, there’s certain basic things about nature that you cannot change,” United States Services Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Asit Goel said to the Globe. “And demand has been very good for our products and services.”

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Boston Newsletters
Related Stories

How Long Island Projects Can Cut Through Red Tape And Community Opposition To Cross The Finish Line

Boston Property Owners Raise Alarms About Cost Of Electric-Building Push

Clarion Under Contract To Sell 18-Story Seaport Office Tower

Boca Raton's New Leaders Throwing 'All Kinds Of Curveballs' At Developers

How A New Financing Model Helps Spur More Mixed-Income Housing

Law Firm Relocating To South Station Tower: The Boston Deal Sheet

NYC Stops Construction On Another Office-To-Residential Conversion As Inspectors Descend On Job Sites

Boston Waterfront Property Planned For Hotel Project Put Up For Sale

BioMed Hands Boston Lab, Office Property To Lender

Blackstone's Industrial Arm Sells Revere Warehouse For $45M

The Crown Estate Unveils Nearly 170K SF Of West End Redevelopment

Affordable Housing Developer Plans $63M Newton Project: The Boston Deal Sheet