Tim Lucero, New England Region

Tim joined the Nilfisk team in late July and  is already supporting customers in the New England region with their dust and debris challenges. Tim holds a B. S. Degree in Business Administration from SUNY Brockport and has a strong background in Industrial Tool Sales. He was honorably discharged, having served in the USMC and is also a former Empire State Games Gold Medalist in Judo!  Tim resides in New York with his wife and 2 children. Tim can be reached on his cell phone @ 315-416-9213 or by email,  Timothy.Lucero@nilfisk.com

Jason Gaskill, Northwest

Jason joined us in late August and will be supporting the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Jason comes to Nilfisk with an impressive background and is currently pursuing a degree in Operations Management from the Oregon Institute of Technology in Portland. Jason is a lifelong resident of Oregon and takes full advantage of what the Pacific NW has to offer, including mountain biking, camping, kayaking, and hiking. Jason can be reached by phone at 206-683-7720 or email,  Jason.Gaskill@nilfisk.com.

Have you heard what Nilfisk customers are saying about us? Things like, “It has reduced our labor, it has helped us keep the plant clean, it has helped us in the fight to keep the dust down. We’re very happy with it.” or “the best vacs in the world!”

These statements and many more are featured on our new customer testimonial page on our website, www.NilfiskIndustrialVacuums.com. Over the years, we’ve solved thousands of housekeeping challenges, and while we (Nilfisk employees) know we provide a quality vacuum with the expert know-how that far surpasses others, the ultimate compliment is when we hear statements from our customers that prove we’re accomplishing our goals to help manufacturers increase productivity, improve worker health & safety, meet industry guidelines, and produce a high quality product.

So don’t just take our word for it, see what our customers have to say about Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums!

But beware of impost0rs! There are fellow vacuum manufacturers who are “muddying the waters” by making false claims. One example is a company who has been touting their air-operated vacuum cleaners as approved by an OSHA NRTL (nationally recognized testing laboratory) and referring to them as “explosion-proof.” Unfortunately, this simply isn’t possible. At this point in time, only electric equipment can be approved or certified  “explosion-proof” for hazardous environments. There are no recognized product safety standards or organizations  in North America that certify air-operated or pneumatic equipment for use in hazardous locations.

 We’ve also heard companies mislead folks by stating or implying that their equipment is “OSHA Approved” or “OSHA certified.”  OSHA does NOT certify, recommend, or approve any type of equipment.  It is simply their role to develop, regulate and enforce health and safety rules and guidelines in the workplace. 

As a reminder, here is what you SHOULD look for when choosing an EXP vacuum for hazardous locations.

• True explosion-proof/dust ignition-proof vacuums should be engineered from the ground up to prevent combustible dust explosions.
• All parts should be grounded and built from non-sparking materials – from the outer shell to the switches, motor, filters, and accessories
• Manufacturers should be careful of vacuums that are promoted as explosion-proof, but are really only standard models with a few antistatic options added on
• OSHA does NOT certify or approve any vacuum cleaner. Only Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL), such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), has the authority to certify vacuum cleaners as explosion-proof or dust ignition-proof.
• When electricity is unavailable or undesirable, safe pneumatic vacuums are excellent alternatives to electric explosion-proof vacuums
• All pneumatic (air-operated) vacuums are not explosion-proof vacuums
• Safe pneumatic vacuums should be constructed of non-sparking materials, like stainless steel, with ignition-proof parts that meet the highest level of operational safety

Want to know more, visit www.explosionproof-vacuum.com.

Constructed of heavy duty steel and polypropylene, these reliable machines feature solid construction and strong performance at an affordable price. Ideal for collection of powders, liquids, dust and debris, the vacuums are easy to use and maintain, even in the most challenging environments. 

Features and benefits include:

• A manual filter shaker that quickly removes caked on dust from the filter’s surface, maintaining the vacuum’s maximum suction power and improving productivity.
•  A unique release lever lowers the wheeled collection container and acts as a handle for fast and easy disposal of collected debris.
• An optional HEPA filter ensures that 99.995% of particles are retained, down to and including 0.18 microns in size. This exceeds HEPA filter standards.
• For safe collection and easy disposal, the T Series machines are available with a dust bag, safe bag, or Longopac® Collection System, which allows for the collection of material in an “endless” bag that can be filled with the desired quantity, cut, sealed, disposed and immediately restored for a new use.

 The T26, T48 and T63 are compatible with a wide range of Nilfisk CFM attachments and hoses to meet specific application requirements. For more information, visit www.NewNilfiskVacuums.com.

Supplying hamburger buns for the fast food giant McDonalds, the Turano Bakery facility in Orlando, FL must run an exceptional operation in order to bake a quality and consistent product that billions have come to expect.

For nearly half a century, the Turano family has followed European traditions to bake the freshest, highest quality artisan-style breads such as Ciabatta, Focaccia, Hearth-baked Peasant breads, and a variety of rolls. Sharing a favorite family recipe from past generations, they use authentic time honored techniques to ensure exceptional old world flavor in each and every bite. Their extensive line of specialty breads and rolls are delivered fresh daily throughout the Chicagoland area. In addition, Turano Breads can be found across the United States on a frozen basis through food distributors and top national restaurant chains.

The bakery’s state-of-the-art facility, equipped with an automated inspection system and wireless data communications program that allows plant management to adjust the operation as needed, even from home, give Turano the ability to produce approximately 1,100 soft buns a minute, which are then distributed to nearly a thousand McDonalds in the southeast. With such high expectations, there’s no room for error or downtime, even when it comes to maintenance.

According to Jeff Benny, Sanitation Manager, Turano Bakery initially used shop-style vacuums for general cleaning of excess flour that decorates virtually any size baking operation. Unfortunately, these low-cost commercial vacuums frequently overheated, sparked, and broke down, resulting in workers having to take more trips to the dumpster than cleaning their 100,000 sq. ft. facility.  In fact, Jeff estimates they went through 6 to 10 shop-style vacuums in a 1 year period alone.

Fortunately, Jeff was familiar with Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums and his local Florida rep, Rick Stegbauer, from a previous job.  Jeff reached out to Stegbauer, hoping he could visit the plant and assess their needs for a high-quality vacuum that could stand up to their cleaning challenges and not end up in the trash. Stegbauer immediately scheduled a visit to demonstrate several of Nilfisk’s food industry vacuum cleaners. After trying several of them out, Turano settled on the Nilfisk CFM 118, single-phase, portable vacuum cleaner, a favorite in the industry.

“Rick was just great,” said Jeff Benny. “Following the sale, he played an active role in making sure the vacuum was set up right and our staff knew how to use it. He conducted onsite demos and training that really showcased the capabilities of our new investment.”

Since purchasing the Nilfisk vacuum, Jeff is just amazed at how it has transformed cleaning in the plant.

“Our mechanics use it to clean around the Larramore flour reclaimer system, which manages the dusting flour before the buns enter the proof box. Cleaning the Larramore used to be a 2 hour job. Now, it is done in 45 minutes.”

Jeff’s team has also found many other uses for the Nilfisk vacuum, including the packaging area, which now only takes 2 hours to vacuum, compared to the previous method of messy blow down which could take a several hours. He also estimates that overall general cleaning of the facility has decreased from three hours down to an hour and a half in the makeup areas.

With so many quality assurance procedures to implement and daily tasks to complete, Jeff  and the rest of the Turano Orlando team enjoy knowing they don’t have to worry about the vacuum cleaner failing. 

“The Nilfisk CFM 118 fits right into the strict efficiency requirements of this Turano facility,” Jeff remarks. “It’s a dream come true.”

Want to read another Nilfisk CFM 118 success story in the food industry? Check out Curds and Whey: Nilfisk CFM 118 Combats Dusty Whey Powder.

(Jim Brazil Accepts his Award from GM & VP Paul Miller)

Winning the distinguished “Ax” or 2010 Salesman of the Year award was district manager, Jim Brazil, whose territory covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Brazil joined the company in 2005 and has consistently displayed great pride in his job and determination to bring his territory to new heights.  In 2010, Jim did an outstanding job raising awareness amongst manufacturing facilities in his northwest territory about the importance of proper housekeeping and recommending vacuum cleaner solutions to improve worker safety, meet industry regulations and increase productivity. In a very touching acceptance speech, Jim dedicated the award to his late grandmother, a former saleswoman and personal mentor. 

Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums’ legendary Salesman of the Year award is known to employees as the “Order of the Ax,” because of the company’s deep ties to Scandinavian traditions. Nilfisk-Advance, parent company of Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums, originated in Denmark in 1906, and today has facilities on 5 continents. The ax represents the simple, yet technologically-advanced tool the Vikings used to conquer unknown lands. 

During the awards ceremony, other members of the company’s sales force and back-office staff were also honored with Awards of Excellence and include district manager, Scott Boersma; finance director, Gabe DiGiacomo; and application engineer, Rob Decker.

Earlier this month, Occupational Health and Safety magazine awarded Nilfisk CFM and our S3 industrial vacuum cleaner the 2010 best new product of the year in the industrial hygiene category.

Introduced this summer, the S3 industrial vacuum cleaner was one of 42 products in 17 award categories chosen by an independent panel of three highly qualified judges. As explained by Jerry Laws, editor or OH& S, “the New Product of the Year contest recognizes innovation, quality, and excellence in customer service by many leading manufacturers in the safety and health industry.”

Thank you OH&S for this wonderful honor! For more information on the S3, check out www.NewNilfiskVacuums.com!