PSAI CERTIFICATION OUTSIDE THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
The PSAI Certification Program began in 1992 and since that time over 2,500 route service technicians from North, Central, and South America have been successfully trained on the best practices in our industry.
There have been two training and certification classes held outside the continental United States. The first was held in 1994 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the early days of this program. The first truly “International Certification Program” was held in 2012 in Cali, Colombia and exceeded all expectations.
In March 2026 at the PSAI EDGE Summit, the next International Certification Program will be offered and, as one involved in the planning of this historic event, the technology involved and the ease of translation will be amazing!
Here is an overview of these monumental educational events:
1994 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
BACKGROUND – PSAI
As the PSAI continued to grow in the 1990s, the Association began to further establish its international presence. After American-born, Fred Edwards – the “international founder of our industry” – began Dixi in Germany in 1973 and then later served as PSAI President in 1985–86, international membership and International meetings became focus items.
In 1992, a PSAI Board Meeting was held in Germany with a similar meeting planned for London in 1996. PSAI International Board Members in 1994 included Victor Grostern of Ontario, Canada and Lothar Vermillion of ADCO Toi Toi Dixi from Ratingen, Germany. PSAI Membership was at 450 Member Companies in April 1994 with a year-end goal of 470 Member Companies.
PSAI Certification – only 2 years old in 1994 – was beginning to grow and to expand. Ron Inman, PSAI Board Treasurer, served as Certification Board Chairman and was instrumental in establishing this important and much-needed program.
BACKGROUND – PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico has been a US territory since 1898. The country has commonwealth status and its citizens were granted US citizenship in 1917. Portable sanitation was introduced into Puerto Rico sometime in the late 1960s to early 1970s.
In fact, the June–July 1974 issue of the “PSA News & Views” Newsletter has notice of a company, CABANAS SANITARIAS in Carolina, Puerto Rico, as being in need of a “chemical supplier” from within the relatively new PSAI. In April 1980, SANITARY SERVICES, also from Carolina, Puerto Rico joined the PSAI. By the time of this meeting in 1994, the portable sanitation industry was well-established in this part of the world.
THE EVENT
Several local companies helped to plan, to promote, and to conduct this “first of it’s kind meeting” that focused on the new PSAI Certification Program. Nestor Rodriquez of Helco Sales, Inc. acted as host and tour guide. A-1 Portable Toilet Service contributed their time in planning the event, as did Intaco Corporation.
Here are excerpts from the May 1994 “PSA in Action” Newsletter covering this event:
An Interesting aside concerning INTACO …
Early records show that INTACO was in business at least as early as 1969 in Puerto Rico. The company established four other locations in Central America – Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.
- INTACO – Puerto Rico became a PSAI Member in 1985 and was actively involved in this 1994 event.
- INTACO – Panama shows as being a PSAI Member in 1998.
- INTACO – Ecuador shows as being a PSAI Member in 2006.
(Further research is needed to establish the duration of these memberships.)
Today the company is no longer in portable sanitation but has a strong presence in the manufacturing and marketing of mortars, epoxies, waterproofing agents, and other related products for the construction industry.
CERTIFICATION
A Certification Class was held and the first service technicians from Puerto Rico took the training, testing, and were later officially certified after their exams were graded.
At the Board Meeting on May 6, 1994, the following report was given by the Certification Board Chair, Ron Inman, and recorded in the Board Minutes:
“The first certification program given by an operator was done this year in Minneapolis with 27 attendees. There is another one planned in May in the northwest. There will be about 6 done in Puerto Rico and some were done in Chicago. There is an unofficial goal of doing 200 certifications in 1994.”
Further in the Minutes – always looking to the future – “the PSAI office purchased a computer program that can translate text into Spanish. If that is successful, a French and German version may be purchased.” Given the technology in 1994, this was an innovative approach to expanding this 2-year old PSAI Certification Program to an international level.
This event was extremely successful and furthered the PSAI’s objectives of increasing International Certification and Membership. Here are some photos of the PSAI Board at this historic event:
PSAI Board Members share a well-deserved break.
On the front right of this picture is Ron Inman. He played a key role in the early days of Certification. Ron went on to serve as PSAI President in 1995–96. In 2025, he celebrated 50 years in the industry!
PSAI Pres Mike Pauling and wife, Diana.
Owners of Biff’s in Shakopee, Minnesota. Mike was a strong leader who promoted new and innovative ideas for the PSAI.
Lothar Vermillion – Toi Toi Dixi – ADCO.
Based in Ratingen, Germany, Lothar attended virtually all PSAI Events and Board Meetings during his record 18 years on the PSAI Board.
2012 CALI, COLOMBIA
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As a part of the Portable Sanitation Association International’s 40th Anniversary Celebration Year of 2011–2012, an International Board Meeting and Certification Training was held in Cali, Colombia. With themes of “Raising the Standards in Our Industry” and concentrating on the word “International” in our name, this was an appropriate way to achieve these goals and to set standards for the future.
We were truly an international association with 700 member companies representing 46 countries throughout the world. James Elliot of Ellco Rentals in Barbados had just finished his 2010–2011 term as the First International President of the PSAI. There were 3 International Board Members – James Elliot, Rajeev Kher from India, and our host for this meeting, Carlos Robles of Bamocol in Cali, Colombia.
Carlos was an outstanding host and this meeting would not have been nearly the success without the dedication and hard work of Carlos and his wife Maria in planning and hosting this event. They worked with the PSAI staff for some 18 months to make this event a reality. The attendees were also treated to an interesting and informative site visit to Bamocol.
Carlos Robles – Bamocol
As far as Portable Sanitation Association International Certification, coincidentally 2012 marked the 20th Anniversary of the PSAI Certification Program. The Certification Class was made up of 39 attendees from 19 companies representing Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Panama.
Glenda Anthony (namesake of the Volunteer of the Year Award with her husband, Flay) definitely earned this honor by working with several teachers at her school in Gastonia, NC to translate the Certification Exam into Spanish only a month before this event. The Training Manual had previously been translated by PSAI volunteers in the Fall of 2011.
Along with an outstanding Spanish interpreter, I had the privilege of teaching this class. With only a few slides of generic equipment photos, the training class ran some 90 minutes past the usual 3-hour time slot due to the English-Spanish translation process.
In addition to Certification, we had a very important Open Board Meeting to discuss the Portable Sanitation Association International’s short-term and long-term objectives as the prior month, we had lost of our Executive Director of some 20 years. At that time there was discussion about canceling this Cali Event altogether as a result of this situation. Fortunately the event went on and the Board experienced an atmosphere of international support and commitment.
After such a successful event, I remember telling fellow Members that my thought was that during that week the “SA” in the “PSAI” stood for SOUTH AMERICA.
Here are the pages from the “PSAI in Action” Newsletter from May/June 2012 that covered this event:
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2026 PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO
On March 3rd, 2026, another international certification training class will be held in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
With training videos and Spanish translation, this will be the most efficient and informative Certification Class ever conducted.
- Training delivered directly in Spanish
- Tailored from a historically US – specific course to address best practices applicable in most parts of the world
- Based on the most current industry best practices and processes
Of course, the Portable Sanitation Association International continues to offer the online, on-demand Basic Service Technician Training (BSTT) that is US specific.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The PSAI Certification Program has evolved and improved through the years. I have been honored to serve as Co-Chair of the Certification Commission since 2014 and I foresee this Program dramatically increasing the annual number of Certifications due to it’s new online availability.