'Undercover Boss' Recap: 'Synagro'

[Undercover Boss - Season 2 Episode 19]

With 860 employees and 34 states, Synagro is America's largest waste-treatment company. It is led by President and CEO Bill Massa. The company's main goal is waste-water treatment (aka toilet water). Massa has been the president for only one year. Bill explains that they turn the waste water into a solid and use it for crop fertilization and for energy.

Bill explains that he came from a Brooklyn middle class family and paid his way through college by joining the Navy. He held several positions in the biochemical area before working for Synagro. He wants to clean up the world after polluting it for years. Bill explains that the previous administration of Synagro had bad business practices. He was hoping that in the few months that he's been working, he can change the direction of the company.

At home, Bill's wife thought it was a bit embarrassing to have a husband that worked in the waste industry. I'd be less embarrassed because he's not only the president and CEO, but he would never have to even get near waste on a normal situation. Bill thought the company started to stagnate because of the previous administration; he wanted to use this experience to find out what was working and what wasn't.

In a slight variation to our normal "Who would be a better worker" reality show, this episode used the concept of a person who wanted to go environmentally friendly after working for years at a chemical plant. Bill was given the name "Paul Stonebridge" and headed to Knoxville, Tenn.

Job 1 - Wastewater Treatment Plant - Centrifuge Operation - Bill met with Cindy and admitted that he had no clue what to do. She explained how the machines were separating the solids from the liquids. She was the only person working in the plant. The two had to get samples and started running across the empty stairs. Bill had to get a cake sample. He thought that the job was icky. They ran to the holding tank and stared at a big hair mess, Bill had to pour more samples into a bottle. Cindy then brought in the truck and explained that they were called "S*** Haulers" and she started with hauling the trucks. Cindy had to run and check the cake again; then they dealt with more trucks

Cindy mentioned her grandson and family in between truck hauls. After moving the truck, the two got a drink and chatted. Cindy was once a stay at home mother, but her youngest daughter got a brain tumor and they had to go to St. Jude's Hospital. Cindy had tears of joy when her daughter was doing well. As quickly as they started talking, they immediately had to go back to work and clean up. Cindy still smoked, but was trying to cut back.

Job 2 - Treatment Plant - Lagoon - Bill met Melvin and Melvin explained that their task was to clean out the lagoon with a hull pump and then load the muck into the trailer truck which fit 4,000 gallons. When Bill was given the opportunity to run one of the machines, he struggled with the motor and accidentally stopped the machine. The two decided to try the bulldozers first, but before they went into the lagoon Melvin showed Bill video of an alligator they caught. The two started to push the liquids and solids around so that everything was flowing correctly.

The two talked about how speed and efficiency was important for Melvin's job. Bill had to clean the windows of the bulldozer but got an opportunity to push the bulldozer by himself. Melvin pointed out that there were no breaks, but the two managed to get a water break. Melvin noted that he brought water bottles himself and at some job points there weren't any porta-potties and the closest bathroom was miles away. He's convinced that he spent 90 percent away from home. He complained that there was no vision coverage on the job.

Job 3 - Back Water Treatment Plant - Maintenance - Bill met with Krista, the Pelletizer Operator. She explained that they do maintenance of the centrifuge. She grabbed a few scrapers and headed to the centrifuge. The two had to clean all the buildup. Bill and Krista started grabbing random items and pulled out a tampon applicator, which was blurred out. The two then scrapped the caking off of a machine to make sure that everything was in working condition. As an aside, Krista pointed out that she used this product for her local gardening; she believed that it was one of the best products.

At the drier, the two checked the screeners for cleanup. The two grabbed large dry lumps of hair and other particles. Krista explained that she had two sons (12 and 13) at home. During the break, Krista explained that she was the only woman working at the plant. At the office, Krista didn't even have a recycling can. She explained that she worked from 6 to 6 and worked major holidays. She explained that her sons loved football and they loved the Ravens. She joked around about how her sons thought she worked at the "Poopy Palace."

Job 4 - Treatment Plant - Sparta, Tenn. - Billy met with Rich and the two got changed to clean out a different version of the waste-water tanks, this time instead of out in a lagoon, in a large holding tank. Rich announced that they would be going into the bio-solids storage tank. He looked down, felt a bit disturbed, but headed in. He realized how thick the area was. They had the hose and had to make figure-eight shapes with the water to clear up all the sludge on the bottom of the tank. They joked about how anyone couldn't wipe their face if they got sweaty. Rich mentioned that the pay wasn't bad, but he traveled a lot; he's four hours away from his family. Rich was turning 28, but had no plans because of work.

The four workers went to "evaluate Paul" but found out that Paul was just an act. Bill explained to all four that he was the CEO and they were all shocked. Unlike most companies, I doubt that anyone would know who Bill was, let alone realize that there was an administration change in the past year.

For Krista, Bill appreciated her eye to detail. He was touched by the story of her sons, so he got them tickets to the Raven's home games. If the Ravens made the Super Bowl, they'd get tickets to see that as well. Bill appreciated Melvin's hard work, so he decided to fix the water bottle/porta-potty issue. He's also adding a vision plan to the company's health care plan. He also decided to give Melvin a vacation of his wife's choosing. For Rich, he was a bit disappointed about not getting to stay. He decided to give Rich some Skype-like technology to help. He wanted to give Rich a big birthday party. If I were Rich, I'd rather had taken the traditional $5,000, vacation, or season football tickets.

As for Cindy, Bill loved her passion. He had to reprimand her about her smoking; he extended his hand in help and explained that the company would cover any quit smoking materials they would use. Bill got her grandson a $5,000 college fund. He also decided to give a $10,000 donation in Cindy's name to St. Jude.

Bill had his meeting where he showed the highlights of his trip. He was proud to be the president after all his experiences.

Epilogue: Melvin and his wife are going to Hawaii. Cindy is going to night school. The Ravens are probably not going to get to the Super Bowl. Rich decided to stay with Synagro.