Battery Powered Backpack Vacuum Saves Time, Money

Everything is cordless today. From phones to computers, it’s convenient to be untethered.

The same is true when vacuuming. Battery-powered backpack models eliminate wasted time searching for outlets, create a safer environment without cords to trip over and easily clean hard-to-reach places, such as elevators and stairwells.

For years vacuum manufacturers hesitated to bring battery-powered backpacks to the market, waiting instead for batteries to become lighter and have longer run times. Now, technology has caught up to demand and building service contractors and in-house custodial departments are discovering the advantages of this equipment firsthand.

Here, three end users explain what factors are driving them to buy battery-powered backpack vacuums. Jan/san distributors can use these case studies to help educate their customers on the benefits of battery backpack equipment.

Rechargeable Vacuum Leads To Company Growth

When two young men founded Southeastern Janitorial, a BSC in Charleston, South Carolina, less than three years ago, they knew emerging technology was key to their success. From their active social media presence, to streamlining online work order systems and cordless vacuums, they embrace technology and the benefits it brings both to their clients and to their business.

“There’s a lot of competition out there and anything that makes us look better than the next is something we want to do,” says Brandon Schneider, who along with Chris Abel co-founded the company.

Schneider says some janitorial companies hesitate to invest in equipment, but Southeastern tries to put the best tools in its employees’ hands.

“Backpack vacuums are one of the major ways that we are differentiating ourselves,” says Schneider. “You see some crews walk in with upright models and it looks like they’re back in the 1960s.”

A couple of years ago, Schneider says backpacks were a “wow factor,” but recently many cleaning companies, especially larger ones, have switched to the machines. Southeastern finds the backpacks are more efficient than uprights because they’re easier to handle in tight areas such as under desks, around chair legs and in stairwells. Now, the leading technology is battery backpacks.

Schneider says rechargeable vacuums save time and, therefore, money.

“It saves us about 45 minutes to an hour of vacuuming time per 100,000 square feet,” says Schneider.

While more expensive than traditional backpack vacuums, battery models can pay for themselves in seven to eight months because of the significant labor savings, says Schneider.

In a few short years, Southeastern has grown into four states — South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana — and now cleans approximately 7 million square feet on a nightly basis. The majority of their business is in commercial and medical office buildings, as well as arenas and industrial spaces.

“We have structured the company for growth and are really starting to concentrate on expanding our markets this year,” says Schneider, who adds one ingredient to that growth is using backpack vacuums.

In the future, Schneider believes backpack vacuums will weigh less and carry extended battery-life, further enhancing the company’s productivity.
“The technology’s there and it’s much better than it was a year ago,” says Schneider. “So I see in the next couple years us buying much more of those than we do already.”