Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Bodine Services

Bodine at 50. According to the Small Business Administration, 627,200 new businesses started in 2008. That sounds like a big number until you consider the next statistic; 595,600 closed and 43,546 declared bankruptcy. Of the new businesses, it is estimated that more than 50% will not be around in four years and some even suggest the number of failures in the first few years is more like 80%.

We don't know how many prior new businesses will still be around in 50 years, but obviously the number is going to be very small. In April of 1960, Dick Bodine left his place of employment to start Bodine Sewer, Inc., It was a dream and a vision backed up by hard work and a dedication to customers that set Bodine on this journey that so few businesses get so far.

Bodine Services has a story that truly exemplifies the American Dream. Dick Bodine started this company 50 years ago with an old truck and a $20 down payment on a $125 industrial vacuum tank. He had five young boys to feed and was working two jobs to make ends meet. With hard work and the will to succeed, he led Bodine Services to become an industry leader, providing essential services and creating jobs throughout the Midwest.

Today, Bodine Services has locations in Decatur, Peoria (IL), Springfield (IL), Evansville (IN) and Clinton (IA). Bodine serves industrial and municipal clients with a broad range of services including high-pressure water blasting, industrial vacuuming, tank cleaning, line jetting, 24/7 emergency spill response, and waste transportation and disposal.

With a fleet of over 200 licensed vehicles and a trained staff of registered professional engineers (PE), certified hazardous material managers (CHMM), OSHA 40-hour-trained technicians and certified safety professionals (CSP), Bodine has a proven record of service and safety.

On the occasion of the anniversary of 50 years in business, we are grateful to the many customers who trust us every day to work in their plants and are grateful to the many dedicated people who work for us now, and have in the past. The commitment we have made to the regions we serve and the communities we live and work in, is as strong as ever and our desire to grow and continue to promote “The Bodine Way” is alive and well.

Dick and Dorothy Bodine were presented this restored 1959 Ford pickup by their boys on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. The truck is similar to the original one Dick started with and the tank in the back is the original unit he purchased with a $20 down payment in 1960.

This is where it all started. The tank pictured below was purchased on April 19, 1960 (as indicated on the hand written receipt shown at left) by Dick Bodine for $145.00. A down payment of $20 held it until the balance was paid the following day. Dick ingeniously utilized the exhaust manifold to pull a vacuum on the tank as the truck ran down the road from job to job. Once at the work site, the vacuum pressure in the tank was used to pump septic tanks or grease pits.

This early industrial Vacuum Truck greatly increased the productivity on serious cleaning jobs for Bodine clients. It could do the work of several hand laborers and in the process reduced the possibility of injury to the field crew.	The original Bodine shop was a converted goat barn. The red block was used to raise the roof so a vehicle could be pulled in for maintenance. Prior to this, Mr. Bodine worked on equipment outside in the hot and cold, rain or shine. On one occasion, he crawled under a truck to work on the rear end and it was so cold his overalls froze to the ground. That makes even a goat barn look good.
	These early-generation pump trucks date to the late 1960’s. They were added to the Bodine fleet as the business grew in response to excellent service, a willingness to respond quickly at all hours day or night and a dedication to doing business the right way… we now call it “The Bodine Way.”

With five boys in the family, Bodine Sewer started with a home-grown work force.	Gary Bodine worked in the business and later ran his own company. Gary lost an unfortunate battle with cancer in 1998.
This 1989 Guzzler Vacuum Truck was "State-of-the-Art" at the time and was featured in Nashville, TN at the Environmental Cleaning Expo trade show.	Bodine's capabilities have grown broad over the years. A track hoe excavates impacted soil from a roadside spill. Our Emergency Responders handle around 200 incidents per year.
Bodine believes our greatest asset is our people. We strive to equip them with the best equipment in the field. The early-generation combination machine above has been replaced with a more modern version.	As a way to thank employees and their families for their hard work, Bodine hosts an "Appreciation Day" each summer at each location. It may be a picnic, trip to a water park or local baseball game. Employees and their families enjoy food, activities and prizes. A beautiful Bodine watch is presented to employees reaching the 10 and 20 year employment anniversaries.

Growth continued over the decades of the 1970’s and 1980’s. “The Bodine Way” was catching on and as the industrial-manufacturing and grain-milling base grew in the Midwest, so did the need for industrial cleaning services.

Bodine responded to this need by adding equipment and diversifying the service offering. An underground
excavation division was established to install municipal and commercial water and sewer lines, and a crane rental division was also an operating unit of the company.

In 1988, Bodine Environmental Services was founded by Jack and Mike Bodine. This was done in response to client requests for services stemming from an ever-challenging regulatory environment. Companies were looking for expertise related to compliance with OSHA, EPA and DOT regulations.

Bodine Environmental Services offers Environmental Contracting, Environmental Consulting, Emergency
Response and Waste Transportation and Disposal Services. With offices in Decatur and Springfield, we are an Illinois EPA Emergency Response Contractor and an Illinois EPA and Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management Remediation Contractor.

Bodine has always placed a major emphasis on health and safety of employees and co-workers. When a device could not be found to stop a flexible water lance from unexpectedly backing out of a tube causing injury to workers, Bodine developed their own and now holds a US Patent on the device. Pictured above is the device which is used in conjunction with a Turtle Skin suit, giving the operator the best protection available.

A desire for continuous improvement in safety performance led Bodine in 2010 to open a centralized safety training facility. New hiring and ongoing training is conducted in Decatur, IL where participants get hands-on experience with Vacuum, Water Blasting, Lock-Out-Tag-Out and Confined Space Entry. Additionally, skills training on aerial lift and forklift operation are a part of the program. Participants are issued OSHA 10-hour cards along with First Aid and CPR certification.

High pressure water blasting has gained a firm foothold in industrial cleaning applications. Bodine has invested heavily over the last several years in high-horsepower, high-flow pumps. The typical unit like the one pictured, is truck mounted with a 525-600 hp pump able to deliver over 160-gallons per minute (gpm) at a maximum pressure of 10,000 psi. Using nitrogen splitters, up to 4 guns or lances can be driven by one pump.

A fleet of stainless steel vacuum tank trucks typically transfer up to 5,000 gallons of liquid waste from a generator site to a TSDF (Transfer, Storage and Disposal Facility). A “Belly Pump” can pressurize the tank allowing material to be quickly pressured into or off of the tank. Bodine is certified to manage both hazardous and non-haz wastes.

Presently Bodine’s Decatur location is home to Bodine Services of Decatur established in April of 1960 and Bodine Environmental Services established in March of 1988. Situated on 9 acres in a park-like setting, the facility has over 75,000 square feet of heated building under roof, allowing for indoor storage of equipment so it is ready to mobilize to a client site regardless of weather conditions. Being able to respond quickly is part of “The Bodine Way.”

Bodine Services of Peoria, IL - August 2005	Bodine Services of Evansville, IN - August 2005
Bodine Services of Clinton - October 2007	Bodine Environmental Services (Satellite Office) Springfield, IL - January 2009

Dick and Dorothy Bodine with sons Pat, Jack, Mike and Dick on the occasion of Dorothy’s 90th birthday.

At Bodine, while we reflect positively on the past, our focus is to the future. As we begin a sixth decade in business, we are working continuously to improve key metrics including safety performance, training, equipment innovation, technology, equipment maintenance, response time and overall client satisfaction.

We refer to the key drivers of the business as “The Bodine Way,” and intend to continue to grow existing and new locations utilizing the same core principals that Dick Bodine established in the early days of the business. Again we wish to thank our outstanding clients for their business and dedicated employees and their families for the efforts they make to help Bodine serve its clients.