Originally, there was some question as to whether former Porta Kleen Director of Sales Mike Sokol’s position would be refilled following his retirement, but current Director of Sales Dan Runner’s qualifications were so strong that the position was re-opened specifically for him. He was promoted in January.
“It’s been a process since Sokol left. It was kicked around. Do we need a director of sales; do we not need one? We kind of did need one,” said Division Manager Keith Egloff. “So, the position was not really there, but created because of who Dan is. I think his super-ultra competitiveness; it drives him. No matter who’s sitting across the table he wants to win their respect. He’s definitely a go-getter.”
Egloff said Runner started in 2016 in logistics and excelled there before going into sanitation, where he again excelled. He then entered the hydroexcavation side with bigger ticket items. “He’s a relationship guy, that’s what’s made his success—internally and externally,” Egloff said. “It’s Dan’s presence, he gets respect from people for who he is.”
Egloff said Runner drove a good part of the hydroexcavation business, especially in the Columbus area. “He’s added countless customers and the relationships he’s built has just blown everything up,” Egloff said.
“Dan’s always been extremely talented, hardworking and focused,” said Porta Kleen President Adam Black. “What I’ve always liked about him is he’s so knowledgeable about the operations of the business that he would always cross-sell sanitation and hydroexcavation; he was able to offer whichever service worked best for the customer. I’m looking forward to working with Dan in the future as we expand and grow the business even further.”
“I think that we’re positioned as a company to do a lot of great things in the next five years, this year, ten years. I’m just excited to be an important piece of that puzzle,” Runner said. “Our main goal is make sure that we’re building our brand regionally and nationally; to be deliberate about the customers we want to do business with and find the ones with whom we want to have long-lasting partnerships.”
Runner is currently building his sales team from two members to six, adding sales representatives in Louisville, Cincinnati, Piqua and Columbus. “I think it’s important to have one person to lead the charge and essentially be the head coach of the team, as opposed to a bunch of point guards out there shooting,” he said. “You have to have somebody to get the game plan together. I thought it was needed. The people above me recognized it and had the confidence that I could push that agenda.”
A major goal of Runner’s is to change the perception that sales is its own independent department. He believes every member of the company is responsible for sales in some manner. “We have to be able to drive that mentality home to the entire group whether it’s the managers, customer service folks, the route drivers or vac truck operators,” he said. “They’re all selling for Porta Kleen or PKX in what they do or by being out in the community. They have a role in the sales of our business whether their job description says it or not.”
Runner said although he’s technically director of sales for Porta Kleen and PKX, he anticipates crossover with the MPW sales team on future projects. “I’m looking forward to working with everyone at MPW just to find out what works well with them and find out how we can team up to solve problems together,” he said. “That’s all we are. We’re just problem solvers on the job site. To be able to leverage MPW to help solve some of those problems is incredibly valuable.”