Porta Kleen’s maintenance team, drivers, and field technicians pulled together to keep equipment in top condition through a relentless 2025 schedule. From music festivals to disaster relief efforts, the team had little to no downtime, moving seamlessly from one demanding event to the next. The key to their success was a combination of teamwork, adaptability, and a newly improved approach to field maintenance.

With most of the fleet still deployed across America—the team had no time to bring units back to Lancaster, Ohio for thorough servicing before they were needed for other events. Instead, drivers, maintenance staff, and seasonal employees worked together to clean and repair units on-site, hauling water in and relying on generators.

Every member of the Porta Kleen team played a role in ensuring equipment was ready to go. A new approach to field maintenance—one that allowed repairs to happen in real-time rather than waiting for equipment to return to headquarters—was critical to turning equipment around.

An innovative piece of that approach was the mobile garage, a fully stocked repair trailer that allowed major fixes to be made on-site. Service Technician Mike Halcon was instrumental in managing this system, ensuring that teams in the field had access to the parts and materials they needed to maintain operations.

“They kind of had the idea to do more of an event trailer,” Halcon said. “It has basically enough stuff to rebuild an entire trailer if you need to, and then some. Now, whatever we need, I pretty much have on board right then.”

The mobile garage made an immediate impact, especially during the fast-paced disaster response effort. Halcon worked around the clock to ensure the fleet was fully equipped before it moved. “It was a rush. It was some of the fastest-paced stuff I’ve had to do in a long time. We needed the equipment now, not tomorrow—now. But it worked out.”

Even beyond hurricane response, the mobile garage helped keep events running smoothly, allowing Halcon to fix everything from broken water heaters to malfunctioning toilets on the spot.

This shift toward proactive, in-the-field maintenance—combined with the dedication of the entire Porta Kleen team—ensured that the company could handle back-to-back deployments without missing a beat.

While equipment still returns to headquarters for more extensive servicing, the ability to fix and maintain trailers on-site has transformed Porta Kleen’s efficiency. “We’re ahead of the game now,” Godenschwager said. “Instead of waiting until the end of the season to address issues, we’re fixing things in real time, minimizing downtime.”

As Porta Kleen looks ahead, the company plans to continue refining and expanding its field maintenance strategy, particularly on the East Coast. “We’re at the beginning stages right now, and we’re feeling it out,” Godenschwager said. “You don’t want to put both feet in the water at once.”

With a dedicated maintenance team, skilled drivers, and a growing field repair program, the Porta Kleen crew has proven it can handle even the most demanding seasons. Whether responding to festivals, disasters, or other major events, the company has built a system that keeps its fleet moving and ready for whatever comes next.