Edited from Dick Stahura, Sr., Think Clean®
It wasn’t a hot topic among conveyor operators back then, because most people adopted a “comes with the territory” attitude, as if conveyors were just inherently dirty. Many of them didn’t fully comprehend the costs of that attitude, or how "durt" could harm their operations. Most people didn’t have any idea that a cleaner operation would be safer and more productive. Very few understood that components, such as belt cleaners and sealing devices, would actually pay for themselves over time by reducing maintenance, downtime, and risk.
Edwin H. Peterson had an idea of doing a non-promotional film to educate engineers and end users about the issues. He understood the importance of educating prospective customers on how even an expensive hardware solution could result in long-term savings and improved profitability.
He engaged the services of a professional filmmaker – the talented and respected Bob Swanson – investing $200,000 during a period when that sum represented a large percentage of our sales for an entire year. Ed sent Mr. Swanson and Dick Stahura, Sr. around the world (literally) to capture footage at conveyor sites handling all sorts of cargo and collecting visual examples of the problems created by fugitive material.
It was important to develop a message that would help convince conveyor design engineers that carryback issues could and should be addressed. Components to control “durt” should be built into their systems as original equipment. It was a huge challenge, suggesting that conveyors be engineered with greater emphasis on operating expenses & safety and less focus on the lowest possible construction cost. It needed be communicated in a way that wouldn’t be offensive to the highly skilled and experienced people designing modern conveyor systems.
It was Dick Stahura’s insight that a storyline revolving around a chaotic event that resulted from poor planning be used. The scene was of two farmers transporting a load of chickens, using a method somewhat inadequate for the journey.
And that’s how Durt, the Movie was born.