HOT SPRINGS -- Roxanne Garrett had no intention of becoming an expert in wheel washing.
The president of Hot Springs-based Innovative Equipment Solutions simply wanted to find a way to keep the dirt and sediment at construction sites from spilling out onto public roads. Innovative Equipment Solutions is a part of Garrett Cos., which also includes Garrett Excavation and Arkansas Aggregates.
Garrett Cos. shopped around for solutions and, after being dissatisfied with the quality of the options, decided to address the wheel-washing problem on its own.
"We decided if there's going to be an American-made, robust wheel wash, we were going to have to see about making it ourselves," Garrett said. "That's what started leading us to what we were doing."
Innovative Equipment Solutions has since carved out a prominent spot in what she described as a "niche market." Its Neptune line of wash solutions has been manufactured in Hot Springs since 2005 in a 30,000-square-foot plant. Innovative Equipment Solutions now produces a wide range of products shipped to customers across the United States and beyond, reaching countries like Chile, Australia and Morocco.
What began as its own search for a solution has grown into a company that does about $5 million in sales annually. The results have exceeded Garrett's expectations, but she attributed the success to continually finding wash solutions in construction, mining, landfills and other industries.
"People come to us and say, 'Can you wash this?' We go, 'Probably,'" Garrett said.
Garrett said the need for wheel washing in construction evolved because of the enforcement of stormwater regulations, which were put in place more than a decade ago by the Environmental Protection Agency through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
Dirt, debris and chemicals tracked from construction sites onto public roads can run into water sources and contribute to the erosion of stream banks. Polluted stormwater runoff also can harm fish and other wildlife.
Construction site operators are required to control their stormwater discharges, according to the EPA's website. Katherine Benenati, public outreach and assistance division chief with the Arkansas Development of Environmental Quality, said the goal of the permit program is getting companies to prevent runoff pollution.
Permits in Arkansas require a "stabilized construction entrance/exit and/or tire washing to prevent off-site tracking and dust generation," and the removal of off-site accumulations of sediment. Failure to comply can result in fines. According to Benenati, the maximum fine for a violation is $10,000 a day under the state agency's penalty policy.
Garrett said that when Garrett Cos. was researching the options, it found many solutions that were made overseas and weren't durable enough to meet American standards.
"We're a little more aggressive and harder on our equipment," Garrett said.
That's when Gilbert Garrett, Roxanne Garrett's husband and chief executive officer of Innovative Equipment Solutions, considered making their own in Hot Springs.
"I said, 'you've got my total cooperation, provided we never manufacture because that's not my thing," Roxanne Garrett said. "Well, here we are 30,000 square feet later manufacturing.
"But you know what? To control quality you have to do it yourself. It can't be just about the cost."
The company's automated wheel washing system consists of steel platforms, wide enough for a truck or other heavy-duty equipment, and nozzles that spray tires with a high volume, low pressure wash. Water conservation is key, so the system includes a closed-loop water recycling and solid separation tank to ensure a continual supply.
Production manager Greg Diehl said it takes about a week to build a platform, which is then sent off to be galvanized. The platform returns a week later and, during that time, workers build the water recycling tanks. The entire process takes about 2½ weeks before a system is shipped.
"You're very proud to be a part of something that could be seen all over the world," Diehl said.
The wheel wash systems, which can be permanent or portable, aren't limited to construction sites. The Metro Waste Authority in Iowa and Bi-County Solid Waste in Tennessee have Neptune wheel wash systems at their landfills.
Jeff Dworek, director of operations at the Metro Waste Authority, said it has proven to be an effective method in helping the landfill reduce its footprint.
"We really pride ourselves on being a good neighbor, and one of those things is making sure we have as little impact to our neighbors and anything outside of our facility as possible," Dworek said. "Some of that is tracking mud out onto the road as vehicles leave the facilities.
"They provide unique services and solve unique problems in a cost-effective manner," he said of Garrett Cos.
Garrett said it's part of Innovative Equipment Solutions' policy to constantly look for new ideas, leading to a growing number of products that provide solutions for a variety of needs.
The Virginia Department of Transportation contacted the company looking for a way to prevent the sodium chloride spread on roads during winter storms from deteriorating the undercarriages of their vehicles. Innovative Equipment Solutions developed an undercarriage wash to solve the problem.
Innovative Equipment Solutions also developed a system specifically designed to remove bitumen from trucks working in Canada's oil sands. There are wash systems designed to limit the spread of noxious weeds and invasive species. Garrett said there's a growing market in the poultry industry, where disinfecting systems are used to combat diseases like avian flu.
One of the company's most recent shipments went to Cambodia. Neptune products also are in place in the largest landfill in Venezuela and in copper mines in Chile.
Nationally, wheel wash systems were used for construction projects at Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles, Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, according to Innovative Equipment Solutions.
"It's encouraging to see a homegrown Arkansas manufacturer find new markets not only in the U.S. but also around the world," Arkansas Economic Development Commission spokesman Scott Hardin said in an email. "This is a good example of a company successfully competing in today's global economy."
Garrett understands few have heard of wheel washing systems. In fact, she often jokes that it's "as dull as it sounds" after explaining the process. But she believes Innovative Equipment Solutions has developed a "good name" since stepping into the industry.
"This has taken us a lot of different ways, and because we built ourselves and we manufacture here, we get those kind of calls," Garrett said. "It's been an interesting progression on how we've traveled."
SundayMonday Business on 11/22/2015