This is aimed at the "new generation" ruggies who are have set up mini plants.
Sorry if I don't meet all your qualifications, I don't think anyone considers me "New Generation" But I have set up a couple of mini plant set ups.
I appreciate the feedback of my large plant friends, but I'm looking to know what the former "always on location guys" who are moving in the in plant direction are using.
1981 Anchorage, AK Started with just a truck mount and already had drying racks from the water damage side of the buisness,( Maybe a few out there remember we used to pull flooded carpets to dry them, before On-location drying became first a fad then the norm).Started out doing Syns and Karastans by just wanding both sides using LST,
or scrubbing Chem Spec Ori rug shampoo, rinsing with TM and then hang drying. Real ori and things we didn't know we would ship to Seattle to Fuzzy Wuzzeys, Ace Cartozians, Emmanuels or D.A. Burns.
1987 when I went to work for Claude, all rugs were being taken to Seattle, I started doing Syns and Karastans in house, Larger ones drying flat on the shop floor, small ones hung where ever. We now rotery scrubed with a LST or a Neautral shampoo and then rinsed with the truck mount, All others went to Seattle.
1992 I saw an ad in an ICS Mag. where a Hild portable rug duster and grate were for sale in the Spokane area. Richard Karician just installed a new Moore system, Duster, wringer and towers. We negoceated over 3 months before I bought my Miss Hildy, (Richard said I was 1 of just a few calls and the only one interested in paying more than $500 for it. We built a special Dry room with 10 poles pinned for rugs, elec. hoist, thermostaticly and humidity controled atmophere. and would clean almost anything. Started using the boosters and buffers along withe the neut. shampoos, used acid shampoos as well followed by an acid rince with the TM
We moved to another location in 1999 so we removed our dry room and rebuilt in the new location. We used many different Brands of solutions, Pro Chem, Chem Spec, Master Blend, Bridgepoint, we bought from all, we liked to try all
Took the plant down in 2010 when we moved and downsized. My drying racks, elec hoist are loaded and straped to a metal wheeled cart, The dusting grid and Miss Hildy could be placed on top and are looking for a new owner and home.
I'd also like to know who taught you how to enter this field,
Dr Edgar P York was my first exposier and he taught me that there were only a few secrets to learn and master to clean almost anything. He also introduced me to Keith Williams and Keiths LST, Keith took me in his Lab and showed me how to make colors bleed and and what to do so they wouldn't bleed on ori rugs. Bob Hughes of Chemspec (Got to see Bob and son Jim when they came to Alaska on their fishing trips. Lee Pemberton when he was on his Nation wide tour with Pro Chems new and improved juices. Bob Behmer from Fuzzy Wuzzys, Joyce and Thea Sands from Emmanuels, Bob Pace from Ace Cortosian/Prefered Chem. Ascar's Rug class, Both Ellen and Aaron. Ernie David on how to correct dye bleeding. Aarons rug class, and D.A. Burns, I consider Bryan O'Halek and many of the above mentioned close and personal friends.
what equipment you are using, and how its been working out for you, or if its not, for that matter.
Like mention earlier, I built my own tower/rug pole system with elec hoist system. Miss Hildy and her 10x13 grate handled our dusting. We had a 17 swing machine with carpet brush, a cimex scrubber, an argonaut machine. Till we closed the mini plant down our system worked great for our needs. Plus my ace in the hole was D.A. Burns. My Julie was always there for me for repairs of any kind. When we got over loaded and or behind we would just run them aprx 75 miles thru t r a f f i c and pick them up a week later.
Infact, we now process all except syn this way. we just schedule the time to go to Seattle.
We pick up and deliver all our clients rugs ant they know we take the utmost care of them and have had I client say "If I had know you were taking them to Seattle, I would have done that myself.
My rates are higher than Seattles and with the 30-50% discount recieved from the big guys it makes it profitable for both them and me and our client still gets door to door service and an excelant job.
Jim, I hope any of my ramblings will help you in any way, Helens and my Best to Lee, You and yours John