Former TV producer roars in toilet business

By Kenneth Kwama

Few would think of a toilet as a business opportunity, but for Moses Nderitu, the managing director of Excloosive, a company that has made a name by providing toilets for outdoor activities, the future is toilet.

The company has been engaged in the provision of portable toilets for use in functions and boasts a large fleet of mobile toilet, hand wash facilities, as well as support vehicles.

Its flagship facility, Excloosive Trailer Unit, has been used in a number of presidential functions, is a self-contained luxury unit designed to operate independently of water, sewer or power supply.

"It is also highly mobile, user friendly and easy to service. The unit is spacious, is air-conditioned and can accommodate up to 1,000 uses (300 people in a 10 hour function)," says Nderitu.

Nderitu started the company about six years ago. The former television producer spotted a future in the portable toilet business after seeing prototypes during a visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2004.

Although the idea was already in the country, it had not caught public attention by then.

Nderitu thought toilets had potential of becoming a great business if properly marketed as basic need of those attending outdoor activities like weddings, sports and similar activities.

Fire burning

He started the company in 2004. Today, the firm relies on its relationship with outdoor activities to keep the fire burning.

The Excloosive brand has since grown big, and has been used in special events like Safaricom 7s rugby tournament, Stanchart Marathon and a number of presidential functions.

"People talk about the bad economy, but the beat goes on from our prospective. The kind of business that we run is a bit unique. People have to subscribe to it whether the economy is bad or not," says Nderitu.

He says the toilet business usually hit its peak in December during which it becomes difficult for clients who hadn’t booked by October.

"December is a busy period for us because so many outdoor activities take part," says Nderitu adding that the only time business went down for them was during and shortly after the post-election violence.

To stay in business, the firm has made sure there are portable toilets for every need and budget. It has three types of toilets classified as standard, which has basic facilities, middle-class and luxury bathrooms that resemble corporate hospitality suites. In total, Excloosive has 80 portable toilets, including three units for the handicapped.

Nderitu says today, the success of outdoor events depends largely on the availability of portable toilets.

"You can have the best food, but if you don’t have an adequate number of portable toilets, or if they are not properly serviced, that bad experience is what people will remember," he says.

The company is planning to expand its core business from being a mobile toilet provider to a total sanitation solutions provider, by entering the septic evacuation business and domestic and commercial waste water treatment business and also provide toilet management services.

The ambition also includes growing the firm from its current status as small enterprise to a medium sized firm by 2015. Medium sized companies are classified as firms with an annual turnover of Sh70 to Sh500 million.

Sense of dignity

Although the portable toilet business has been growing, Nderitu feels there is more room for expansion, especially if the construction industry can start treating workers with dignity while they are on site by providing sanitation facilities.

"It doesn’t have to be from my company. Sometimes I feel bad when passing near a site where construction is being done. It’s sad that the people who own or manage such constructions don’t think much about toilet needs of their workers," says Nderitu.