Sheaffer International's BOOM Program

Jack Sheaffer had a unique wastewater treatment system that produced no organic sludge, no odor, and was cheaper than conventional systems. He was worried, however, that his business might suffer if a turndown arose in the marketplace. A previous business venture of his had failed when interest rates rose at the end of the 1970s. He wanted a business plan that would insulate him form marketplace shocks and found it with the BOOM program of build, own, operate, and maintain. BOOM put Sheaffer’s company in charge of owning and maintaining the wastewater treatment systems designed by the company. It offered a steady source of income through long term contracts with food processors, municipalities, and the like. A facility built on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in northern Virginia would be BOOM’s first test.