The Long and Short of Things!

    It is fast becoming one of the most challenging topics in the corporate world. It effects decision making such as purchasing, hiring, research and development, production, just to name a few. It affects the mindset of the CEO at the top, down to the 40-hour week laborer, to the part-timers.

    What is it that I am talking about? Of course, it is energy prices. And, it is deja vu all over again from the 1970's.

    So, how am I affected by all of this? As a consultant in the cleaning industry, it is my responsibility to advise my customer with the best situation of how to approach cleaning their company.

    Recently, I received a call from a large company with five locations. Presently, he has all Tennant Scrubbers; the models are 528 and 7400's. Being an internal combustion engine he was using LPG Fuel. The cost presently on a 33 pound tank is about $55.00. So, the question is "cost." How can cost be cut, if at all? There are several things that can be done, but nothing is going to cut cost dramatically in the short term. So let's talk about the short and long term of things.

    In the short term this is what I suggest:

    1. If you scrub every day all five locations you could start a schedule of every other day, skipping a day. This will immediately cost your fuel by half.

    2. Keep your equipment better maintained. Replace squeegees more often, for example. Using a better detergent for a better clean. The object here is to do what it takes to accomplish #1.

    Other than this, there is very little else that can be done. Now, for the long term...It is funny how "the more things change, the more things stay the same." I said earlier, deja vu, and that's actually what it is. It was 1975 as I remember giving advice at that time when fuel was a problem. I said, get rid of your internal combustion equipment and buy electric. The advise, at that time is still sound in today's market. In the 70's there was some very good electric sweeper and scrubbers for its day. I remember the Tennant 86E sweeper and the Tennant 240 EH. The Tennant 240 EH was a basic electric sweeper and an optional scrubbing attachment was available. You could sweep with it and then in about a half hour of conversion it would be a scrubber. It was crude, but it worked.

    Today, you have so many more avenues, but my answer would still be the same, and that is to convert to electric. In the long run, you will accomplish two things:

#1 Cut Cost

#2 Help clean the air/environment

    The electric equipment is much better today and much more efficient. I like these models:

Advance 3800 Scrubber

Tennant 7100, 7200 and 7300 Scrubber

Power Boss TSS65E Sweeper/Scrubber

Power Boss SW62E Sweeper

American Lincoln ATS46 Electric

                              Check em out!

    As always you can reach me at mikec98423@yahoo.com or call at 1-800-346-2319 with any comments or questions.

                                                            Michael R. Creamer