Citing operational support costs and declining customers and profit margins, Tennant Company announced the discontinuation of its Sentinel outdoor vacuum street sweeper and All-Terrain Outdoor Vacuum (ATLV) during its Q3 2019 Earnings Call on October 30th. This slimming of Tennant’s product lines follows a similar discontinuation from Q2 where it dropped the Green Machine sweepersRead More
The Bortek Blog
Electrify Your Cleaning Program
Manufacturers have made substantial improvements to all models in recent years from diesel, propane, gasoline and especially electric sweepers and scrubbers. Cleaning equipment is a very specialized category and electric machines have definite advantages in the proper setting while considering other important application specific requirements to ensure an effective cleaning result. Safety, longevity, ease ofRead More
Why Having Wearable Parts On-Hand is an Absolute Must | Equipment Service
What exactly are “wearables?” Wearables on your machine include things like brooms, brushes, pads, squeegees, belts, filters, oil, casters, etc. Essentially, any part of the machine that contribute to the operation of your machine and tend to wear out over time. Hence the name! These parts wear down in an effort to protect the integrityRead More
What Does “Cleaning” Really Mean | Cleaning, Disinfecting, & Sanitizing
Cleaning vs. Disinfecting vs. Sanitizing At times, when some folks are looking for a cleaning product, terms like “cleaner,” “disinfectant,” and “sanitizer” are used interchangeably– which… well, can be problematic. To help clear up any potential confusion with these terms, we’re here to break things down when it comes to cleaning a surface and howRead More
Sweeper-Scrubber Styles
There are two basic types of cleaning machines which both fall under the definition of “Sweeper-Scrubber”, even though their cleaning methods are quite different. In spite of this difference, manufacturers and distributors of cleaning equipment have taken to grouping them under a single category. Both styles can sweep and scrub, but let’s take a look at what makes them different.
Up to $300K in Silica Dust Control Penalties for VA Contractor
If cancer and lung disease don’t convince you to abide by OSHA’s silica dust control regulations, try $304,130 in fines. That’s what highway construction contractor, Lanford Brothers, may be facing for five alleged violations this year.
Mowing the… floor?
Even if you’re a sweeper/scrubber newbie, thinking of your floors like a lawn in need of mowing can simplify a potentially overwhelming job and purchasing decision into something more familiar and manageable. With the right tools, you may even find that cleaning the floor becomes as therapeutic and satisfying as mowing the lawn is for me.
Social Media for Business
In today’s business world, your website and social media presence has a major impact on consumers buying decisions. We believe it should also be a positive reflection of who you are as a company. At Bortek, we enjoy adding informative content along with our own personal flair!
6 Machines People Mistakenly Call “Zamboni”
What’s that machine called that cleans the floor? Or the road? It’s not a Zamboni, I’ll tell you that.
Sweeping the Moon – Can it be done?
What’s the largest area of dirty ground that’s yet to be cleaned? That’s right, it’s the surface of the moon. It’s a menace, and something needs to be done! Something like… sweeping it up. Could it be done?
American Made: In whole or in part?
Beware of foreign critical components hiding in “American” machines! The US has had a long tradition of dominance in the Cleaning Machine industry. Unfortunately, that has dramatically changed with cheap Chinese imitations of American designs, and machines imported from all over the world.
Why (Not) to Buy Factory Direct
“Factory Direct” is a popular purchasing buzzword with an assumed consumer-friendly connotation. In some industries, it makes sense to attempt to cut costs this way. But when dealing with cleaning equipment, the so-called “middleman” distributor can offer value with which the manufacturer can’t compete.
Planned Maintenance: A Routine Check-Up for Your Cleaning Equipment
You may very well be healthy as an ox, but the goal of these scheduled appointments isn’t always to check on a current ailment, but to get an overall examination to prevent any issues BEFORE they happen! Planned maintenance, sometimes called preventive maintenance, works the same way with your cleaning equipment!
A Company’s Culture and Strategy
Here at the ‘tek, where I’ve worked for what’ll be 20 years on New Year’s Eve 2018, I’ve seen the company’s culture evolve exponentially over the past couple of years. As a company we are trying to capture this thing we’ve created in words. Pretty tricky. Nutshell? Everybody’s nice.
Hand Soap: Does it matter?
Washing your hands is one of the easiest and most well-known methods of preventing the spread of germs. But how much does soap help clean compared to washing with water alone? And what’s with antibacterial soap? Read on, and learn soap works and how to properly wash your hands.
Self-Driving Floor Scrubbers
Long-gone are the days of the broom and dust pan for cleaning warehouses, retail stores, schools, etc. The floor scrubber alleviated a significant amount of time and labor costs and shows significant improvement to the quality of all floors.