The next VDTA/SDTA Convention & Show will be in
New Orleans, LA
February 27 - 29, 2012
at the Ernest Morial Convention Center

Steam Makes Comeback

Gruene born out of frustration

In recent years hard floors are replacing carpet in more and more homes. Styles change, and with more and more allergy concerns, the game is changing too. While good vacuums are obvious, replacing the mop and bucket hasn’t been much of an interest to dealers, and it should be.

Steam was dead a few years ago forcing major companies to discontinue units. Infomercials were gone. (Remember the Steam Buggy?)

No real loss for dealers, they were mainly a mass merchant item. So what happened? This thing called the Green Revolution rolled in. It’s here to stay.

The green attitude is about fewer chemicals, waste, and emissions. The idea of chemical-free steam cleaning has made a tremendous comeback. So much, that old mass merchant units were made over and brought back. But for the vacuum dealer, the old problems remained.

Ralph Baccus answered this new demand with Gruene Steam. He said, “All the units out there were either too cheap, or didn’t work well. I was frustrated. So, I set out to make a better quality unit that dealers could get behind and profit from.”

Baccus demanded instant steam to get rid of boiler wait time, a clamp on pad system giving options on recycling, and a convertible hand steamer engine.

“Gruene came about so that dealers can sell a higher end steam unit they believe in and feel good about. So far, the response has been tremendous,” Baccus said.

For more information on Gruene, visit www.gruenesteam.com, or call 1-800-727-7129.

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, August 2009