Super Sucker truck finds its place in agriculture
Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune The Super Sucker is operated under the business name Desert Vac Services, Inc. Candice Mead and Miguel Filomeno prepare to explain its capabilities at their booth at a Sun Dome Ag Show in Yakima.
Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune The Super Sucker is operated under the business name Desert Vac Services, Inc.
MATTAWA — When Greg and Candice Mead decided to leave Seattle to restart their lives in Mattawa three years ago they kept a truck they dubbed Super Sucker from the business they were leaving behind.
The Meads weren’t sure what they would do with the truck, but they decided to include it among the machinery they rent out of their Desert Rentals business at the Port of Mattawa.
It is now a business entity of its own, operating under the business name Desert Vac Services, Inc.
The Meads opened Desert Rentals in March of 2014. The business did not go gangbusters at the beginning, partially due to the Meads lack of understanding their market.
But they finished 2014 encouraged about their decision. They had a better 2015. In 2016 they opened a second store in Othello, which put them closer to the customers they were serving there and perhaps attracting new ones.
But before they could really get that store going, the Meads had to shut it down. Candice had found a use for Super Sucker, and that part of their business took off.
“A (Mattawa area) grower came in saying he was looking for pumps or some way to clean a (irrigation) pond,” Candice said. She took him outside to Super Sucker and asked, “Will this truck work for you?”
It would, the grower thought, and did. The challenge for the Meads was they had to operate it. As word spread of Super Sucker, demand went up and the Meads could no longer work exclusively in Othello.
“One weekend all five of us (the Meads and three employees) had to work all weekend,” Greg said. “Even though the truck does the majority of the work (pond cleanup) it still involves a lot of labor.”
Candice recalled that in addition to the crew of five, that weekend included contributions from other family members coming over from western Washington.
Super Sucker is officially an eductor truck. It excavates with water and vacuum. The Meads used it for construction work on the West Side.
“It excavates in a non-invasive way,” Greg said. “With water you don’t break underground lines when you run into them.”
The majority of the time Super Sucker was used was to excavate potholes to map out underground lines so that a backhoe could work without breaking them. Now comes the new use.
“The ponds the growers use are usually lined,” Greg said. “Once they’re lined, you can’t take equipment down in there.”
The ponds gather more than just water. Eventually, the source line for the irrigation system is covered in dirt, gravel, weeds and trash.
Super Sucker will remove everything, including rocks, Greg said. When it fills, Greg drives to a designated area and unloads the truck, then returns to resume cleaning the pond.
Super Sucker has been called to Quincy, Yakima and Wenatchee. Its success has the Meads excited. It has expanded business overall. They employ three hard-working, excited people – Humberto and Miguel Filomeno and Catalina Tapia – full time.
“We couldn’t have found better employees,” Greg said. “Most of the time we work for them. They know what they are doing.”
Most importantly, the employees allow Greg and Candice to go out with the truck and trust that business is still being conducted at Desert Rentals.
The Meads may have to add employees in the near future. They are expanding again, but not geographically. This time they will convert half of their building at the Port into Mattawa Tire Center.
The Meads have worked out a franchise deal with the multi-site Tire Center of Yakima. They will feature Cooper Tires, and will offer a service truck for farm and roadside calls.