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1. Northwest Redworms, Camas, Wash.
Sidestepping the expense of paying benefits and salaries to hundreds of employees, Doug Knippel compensates his workers with post-consumer food waste (see "Cabinetmaker hits pay dirt with worms"). His worker bees are actually red worms, nature's perfect composter. This business is also "green," but we had to pick it as our Grungiest because, well, the photos tell the whole story.
2. PetTastics, Fayetteville, N.C.
Scooping poop for a living may not seem like a dream job, but Peter Hannon Jr. likes it just fine. "This is the kind of job I always needed to have. I can't sit at a desk. I have to be out." Hannon walks his clients' dogs if they need it and also drives a pet taxi. "It started with the poop," he said. "Most people aren't going to want to clean up . . . poop." He has insurance designed for pet businesses and sanitizes his poop-clearing equipment between jobs. "There's nothing to it," he said. "For the most part, the poop I get to is dried up and has lost its smell."
3. Dinosaur Recovery Bureau, Shelby Township, Mich.
This business is based on the fact that kids love dinosaurs, but it's literally based in the dirt. Using the methods and techniques that paleontologists have used for years, John Ribbing teaches kids how to dig up dinosaur bones. He visits schools, parties, scouting events, camps, parks and resorts -- wherever there are kids who want to learn more about dinosaurs. He's constantly shaking the dust off of old bones and his clothes.
4. Cool Bug Stuff, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Seth Prezant does educational bug shows for schools and provides information and bug-related products via an online store. Planning his son's fifth birthday party, he did a great deal of bug research and caught many bugs (some even caught him). The birthday bug show was a hit, and a bug business was born. Prezant's Web site includes bug products, bug facts, a bug forum and even bug recipes.
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5. Pond Hill Farm, Harbor Springs, Mich.
Sharon Spencer's family-owned farm loves visitors, but you'd better wear your boots. Kids can feed the cows, pigs, sheep, goats, roosters and geese. The Squash Rocket is a giant slingshot used to hurl squash out into the fields. But it was the pig feeding that qualified this business as a slam-dunk for the Grungiest category. Add to that the Pond Hill Farm market, where you can buy homegrown organic produce fertilized with . . . you guessed it!
6. Coldsweep, Mountain Green, Utah
Randell Heath's Coldsweep uses dry ice made from recycled CO2 to clean surfaces. The company goes places you wouldn't, such as into hydroelectric generators, gas turbines and boilers, printing presses, fire-damaged structures and refineries. It also removes lead-based paint. The work sometimes gets so grungy that workers throw clothes and equipment away at the end of the day.
7. L & K Cleaning Services, Brookfield, Wis.
Laura and Ken Gallo's janitorial service specializes in cleaning commercial and industrial facilities in southern Wisconsin using mainly Green Seal Certified chemicals and equipment. Though the products and methods are clean and green, there's no getting around the grunginess of janitorial work. The company also offers general office cleaning, as well as care for tile, carpet and specialty floor coverings.
8. Hi Lo Tree Service & Stump Grinding, Seattle
Tree service and stump grinding fit in the Grungiest category quite nicely. Steven Smothermon proclaims on his Web site's home page, "Not trying to get rich, just trying to make a living."
9. Tbosna.com, Burnsville, Minn.
In the spirit of Seattle's post-grunge-rock culture, Vernes and Veldan Velagic's T-shirt company gets down and dirty with its silk-screened messages. Responding to a perceived absence of stylish and message-conscious T-shirts for young people, the owners launched Tbosna.com with a focus on self-expression and identity.
10. KB Promotions, Winston-Salem, N.C.
At first glance, a promotions company doesn't seem especially grungy. But when you consider that Bruce and Kathleen Sawicki's promotions are all related to auto racing, complete with the oil, grease and grime that come with hours spent underneath the chassis and in the pits, it's as grungy as it gets.
Published Nov. 5, 2007
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