Proud to be Locally Owned and Operated.
Kerkstra has been serving West Michigan for over 30 years. We’re not a franchise or owned by a corporation headquartered somewhere that’s never heard of Holland, Hudsonville, or Michigan’s Lakeshore. We’re a locally owned and operated business run by people who live here, work here, and genuinely care about the communities we serve.
How we got here
Kerkstra has been a fixture in West Michigan’s portable sanitation industry for over 30 years. In 2020, Brian Knoper took ownership of the company right as the world was turning upside down. Most people wouldn’t have chosen that moment to buy a business. Brian did, and he hasn’t looked back.
What drew Brian to Kerkstra wasn’t just a business opportunity. It was a chance to build something meaningful in the community he grew up in. He brought a background in financial services and insurance, a sharp operational mind, and a genuine belief that the portable restroom industry deserves to be done with excellence.
Since then, Kerkstra has grown significantly. We’ve expanded our fleet, added vacuum restroom technology offered by only a handful of companies worldwide, and built a reputation that extends well beyond West Michigan. Brian consults with festival planners across the country and has led restroom deployments from Ohio to Texas to Colorado. But no matter how far the work takes us, home base is always right here.
the people
behind the porta-potties
A business is only as good as the people running it, and Kerkstra is lucky to have some of the best. Our team includes crew members who have been with Kerkstra for decades. We are proud to have a team full of people who know this industry, know this community, and take real pride in the work they do every day.
Every person on our team understands that we’re not just dropping off a unit. We’re showing up for someone’s wedding, harvest season, construction deadline, or emergency. That responsibility is not taken lightly.
We're Your Neighbors, Not a Call Center
There’s a version of this industry where you place an order online, a truck shows up from who-knows-where, and you hope for the best. That’s not Kerkstra.
When you work with us, you’re working with people who know West Michigan. We know the festival season. We know the construction boom along the Lakeshore. We know what Michigan winters do to an outdoor event plan. We know our customers by name, and a lot of them have been with us for years.
We’re not trying to be the biggest portable restroom company in the country. We’re trying to be the best one in West Michigan, and the one our community can count on when it matters.
A Few Things
We Take Seriously Around Here
Clean units aren't optional
Every unit we rent leaves our facility stocked, sanitized, and ready. We’d be embarrassed to deliver anything less.
Long-term relationships beat one-time transactions
The details matter
From bilingual signage to documented service records to a spill chart that’s actually posted, we sweat the small stuff so our customers don’t have to. Compliance isn’t a checkbox for us. It’s part of the job.
Community isn't a buzzword
We sponsor local events, support local organizations, and put our energy back into the place we call home. West Michigan has been good to Kerkstra, and we try to return the favor.
Featured In
Kerkstra’s work and Brian’s approach to the industry have been recognized in leading publications:
Let's Work
Together
Whether you’re a long-time customer or brand new to Kerkstra, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to talk through your project, get a quote, or just ask a question. We’re pretty easy to get ahold of — and yes, we do talk about porta-potties for a living, and we love every minute of it.