(Please Click on images for larger image)

Jim's Truck towing the 6x10 "B Unit". A peek inside.

During September of '05, I established a "B Unit" Pig Roast Platform.    The B Unit is an enclosed 6'x10" Cargo Trailer containing all of the equipment necessary to do a Basic Pig Roast.  The B Unit is intended to be towed and operated by EPPO staff, while Unit A (with Eddie) is on another, usually bigger job.      But buying equipment was the easy part.  Making a smooth operation out of it is turning out to be a far greater challenge.   The "B Unit" is/was a "start-up" venture, and is only now "coming online".     Here's a  behind-the-scenes closer look at why I established it, it's capabilities, and it's shortcomings: 

Why I established it?   My calendar gets booked up rather quickly.    I could only do one pig roast at a time with my primary apparatus.    On prime summertime weekends, I'm turning away 4 or more clients per weekend.   Rather than continue to turn down so much business, my thought was to establish the "B unit" as a  "Best I Can Do" option.  

How?   The 6'x10' cargo trailer was purposely selected because it was light.   Most of my staffers don't have Heavy Duty 2500 Series Pick Up trucks to tow my big cargo trailers.     By selecting this slim, sleek unit and NOT outfitting it with every imaginable bit of equipment, my staffers with (slightly) smaller towing vehicles can usually transport it.  

Capabilities?      Limited.    The trailer contains One Roaster (show below), all the support gear for a pig roast, to include roaster support gear/consumables, carving and saucing station gear.   Also includes 3 serving tables, 1 carving table, 1 Mobile Dishwashing station, 6 Steamtables, One Dual head Halogen Scene light and some smaller lights, paper goods & plasticware, 4 garbage cans, two EZ-Up style 10x10 Canopies, a pair of fold-up chairs for the crew, and some odd support equipment.   That's it.    No salad bar.    No Corn Pots.  No Onboard Stereo System.  No Grass table Skirts.   No capabilities to do anything other than a simple pig roast....or possibly a small meatfest.       (From my Pig Roast Pricing Page: The "Roasted Pig Only-Done Onsite", The "Small Job" and the "Typical Job").     Basically, you'd hire us for the pig, but YOU provide all other sides and salads...

Shortcomings?    Unfortunately Several;

-Coordination/Staff Availability/Professionalism:   My Biggest problem is that "Unit B Package" is truly difficult to coordinate.   It's already built me into "situations".   There's only a few of my part-time staffers who are capable of running B roasts to my high standards.    The "B Roast Package" requires the availability of these select individuals..and usually their (towing or large) vehicles.    Before I commit the B Unit, I have to check with staff and get back to you...and it's already proving to take "weeks" instead of "days" to make commitments on their behalf.   These coordination delays present to the client as "unprofessional foot dragging", and is simply not how I want to present to clients.     To make matter's worse, the end result might be "Sorry, I can't put it together" as a possible final answer.    The good news is that my current pool of staffers are gaining experience in leaps and bounds, so there's more people capable of pulling B roasts off! 

-Fanciness:  This unit does not carry linen tableskirting or decorative grass skirt tableskirting.    By default, you get plastic tablecloths. 

-Staff.    The "B Unit" will be manned by a pair of staff who I fully trust to run pig roasts without me.    The staff chosen to do B roasts have years of experience with my operation.    (I don't operate with College kids hired just for the summer).   Still, by the very nature of it, the "B Unit" is a training module for EPPO staff, with clients fully aware that "this is the best I can do".     At least for now, if you accept a "B Roast", you're agreeing to be sort of a guinea pig although I have lots of faith in the people I select to do this.    I expect B roasts to run fine, but there's definitely a higher risk that the staff may encounter some "klunkiness".    However, as the B unit runs more, and the B roast leads gain confidence, the smoother it'll go...obviously!

-Distance/Serving Time Restrictions:   For now, B roast packages are only available within 1 hour radius from Denville (Northern NJ), for serving times between 3-6pm.  

-Pricing:   B Roast jobs sometimes *may* be priced $100 higher than A Unit jobs.   This is due to the elevated coordination required to pull off the job, and because I have to pay staffers a higher salary to take on more responsibility.  (I have to pay somebody to be "Eddie" for the day).      Usually there's more fuel used since my B roast leads have to come up from South Jersey.   

Logistical issues?     Remember, I'm on another job that day.    And staffers may not always have towing vehicles.   So to make a "B Roast" happen, sometimes I may have to pre-position the Pig B trailer to your driveway a day or two beforehand, and collect it as soon as possible afterward (Usually Sunday afternoon, maybe Monday after work at the latest).  

Next Step:    Given the current situation, I'm only sporadically offering the B unit.   The last thing I want to do is make commitments I cannot keep, or be unprofessional in any way.   However, there's real advantages to working thru the problems and "Growing pains".       I'm actively working towards developing a "B Team" that is 1.) Trained  2.) Available Regularly 3.) Has the logistical capabilities to run "B" Roasts all summer.  I've even made some new hirings.      It's my goal to re-write this page to remove all the "issues", and simply get B roasts to be a regular part of my operation.     I'm happy to say, we've made some strides in this area.

Oct '07 Update:       The first ever B roast was June '06, run by Jim & Phil in Hohokus.   In Nov '06, I sold my old truck to Kevin, one of my most competent and well trained staffers.   He very successfully performed the second B roast with Rob at the same Hohokus residence..  The third was Weekend of Aug 11th, '07, with Phil & Jason performing the services in Lake Hopatcong, NJ!  And Jim/Rob ran a B roast in Livingston on Oct 13, '07.   We're getting there!!!      Also, to keep the trailer "hot", I frequently use it in A status.   I take it to the farther away, smaller jobs because it's lighter and easier to tow...    And I get the chance to make configuration improvements.