Getting to know Keith Studebaker..

Mikey P

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I don't know how we've overlooked doing an interview with Keith here for so long..

Keith and I have grown to be pretty good friends over the years so I'll have to play nice with him here as I know I've been pissing him off a bit lately.

Here we go..

  • Which Mytee knock off product are you most proud of?
  • :stir:
  • deep breath....release...
  • Tell us a bit about your father and how he got himself into the carpet cleaning industry?
  • At what age did you get sucked in? and when did the tinkering start?
  • How long, if ever where you just a regular Joe Shmoe owner op carpet cleaner?
  • Please list all the tools you and dear dad are responsible for bringing to market..
  • Are any of them just your designs?
  • Which are you most proud of, really?
  • Which has put the most coin in your pocket?
  • What tool or modification to an existing tool keeps you up at night just itching to be let out?
  • Please explain your last name and it's relationship to the car.
  • What three industry tools have you seen in the last five years and say "Why didn't I think of that"?
  • Will you ever resurrect the Beluga Wand?
  • Your favorite truckmount, pre spray and scrub wand of all time are?
  • How do you really feel about competition? ( don't give me any of the "Oh it just makes me a better person and businessman" malarkey) How do you release your anger when others completely rip your designs off? Target shooting with large caliber hand guns? Punching bag? Kick the dog? Hooch? Yoga? Cuddle on the sofa and watch Gilmore Girls reruns with the family?
  • If Sapphire never came to be, what would you be doing right now?
  • Have you paid off that dinner bill from Sacramento yet?
  • Thanks Bruddah!
 
Last edited:

hogjowl

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You do know, don't you, that the only person here who understands the reasons behind those questions is Mikey?

So, you could just tell us what you're having for dinner and the rest of us would be cool with that.
 

Hoody

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Keith is a class act all the way. When we were in Nashville some of the people had no clue who Keith was and what he has done for the industry. When people made the connection between his father, himself and the products, he was very humble with the attention and now that I think about it he reminds me of Ken Snow. He wouldn't allow the attention to stay on himself for very long before offering sage advice or changing the subject to regular conversation.

I'm pretty sure I got stuffed in a trunk after I caught up with him, Olson, Mikey and Adam Hale(that night was kind of fuzzy) I believe and there wasn't room in the car on the way back to the hotel. Keith bought me a beer or two while we were out so he is certainly okay in my book. :very_drunk:
 

Studebaker

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Studebaker
Tell us a bit about your father and how he got himself into the carpet cleaning industry?
My father, Roy Studebaker, got started in the janitorial field about 1965. In the early 70’s, he developed the Clean Master portable carpet cleaning unit and began to manufacture them. Then he went back into the janitorial and carpet cleaning business until we started Studebaker Enterprises in 1999.
At what age did you get sucked in? and when did the tinkering start?
I believe it was 1970, when I was nine years old. We had a family janitorial business. I worked nights and weekends. My duties were to dump the garbage, clean ashtrays and clean the restrooms. It was a real character builder to clean toilets for guys who smoked, chewed tobacco and drank coffee all day (you can’t imagine).
The tinkering started in 1997, when I was doing a lot of carpets. My father and I were trying to develop a new rotary carpet cleaning system.
How long, if ever where you just a regular Joe Shmoe owner op carpet cleaner?
After working in the family business, I started my own business in late 1979, when I was 18 years old. I started off in janitorial, window cleaning, smoke damage and finally got into carpet cleaning. My first truck mount was a Joe Judge power takeoff and then I went to a Pro-Chem Bruin II that I purchased from (interestingly enough) Dennis Bruders at Preferred Chemical. Then I sold the business in 2001.
Please list all the tools you and dear dad are responsible for bringing to market.
The original Drimaster upholstery tool
Rotary Drimaster
Airpath
Dripod
Upholstery Pro
HOSS 700
VersaClean VC 700
VersaClean VT 1200
These were some ideas we had, but many people helped bring them to life.
Are any of them just your designs?
I had some very definite thoughts on the designs, but it was always a collective collaboration of ideas.
Which are you most proud of, really?
All of them; however, working with Legend Brands has produced the most unique tools that have changed the industry.
Which has put the most coin in your pocket?
Well if people will stop stealing them, I’ll let you know.
What tool or modification to an existing tool keeps you up at night just itching to be let out?
There are so many things in the works….I don’t have time, and really can’t share at this point.
Please explain your last name and its relationship to the car.
That is one of the things I would like to investigate when I have more time.
What three industry tools have you seen in the last five years and say "Why didn't I think of that"?
I really have not seen anything that hits me.
Will you ever resurrect the Beluga Wand?
The Stryker will never be off the chart for me, it’s the one wand that I have on my truck that I use every time I clean a carpet.
Your favorite truckmount, pre spray and scrub wand of all time are?
For me, I like the 570. Pre spray at 11PH and Stryker or Ti wand
How do you really feel about competition? (don’t give me any of the "Oh it just makes me a better person and businessman" malarkey)
Are you talking carpet cleaning, manufacturing, and football? Be a winner but keep your integrity.
How do you release your anger when others completely rip your designs off? Target shooting with large caliber hand guns? Punching bag? Kick the dog? Hooch? Yoga? Cuddle on the sofa and watch Gilmore Girls reruns with the family?
Anger….as those that know me I don’t go there. Anger is not the right word. I do feel disappointed and disgusted that people in this industry would lower themselves to pilfer ideas that are designed by others. Research and deployment requires a huge amount of time and resources. When someone takes a unique idea or product and copies it, the R and D has been completed. And their production costs are nothing. Can you justify getting a cheaper price from someone who steals the product design?
If Sapphire never came to be, what would you be doing right now?
I would still be tinkering with new ideas and running a full time carpet cleaning business.
Have you paid off that dinner bill from Sacramento yet?
Ask my wife and thanks for bringing that up, Brother!
 

Jim Pemberton

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Jim Pemberton
Thank you the story.

More importantly, thank you for the inventions! I can't wait for the next one...or two..or ten?
 
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Lee Stockwell
Keith's a real peach.
Maybe someone could fill me in on what's been copied so I can help
support him with purchases in the future.
Two recent upholstery tools without "jets". Nothing wrong with developing a tool without jets, but not cool to just COPY it, and to add insult to the deed, to claim "unique" benefits.

Airpath, several details.

Hoss, several details, which baffles me because competitors didn't need to copy them.

more...
 
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Charlie Lyman

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One of the things I remember from getting to hang out with Keith was when he picked up another vendors stair tool. He held it like he was cleaning with it, shook his head in disapproval and put it down. I thought, dang, they obviously got that tool wrong.
 

Jim Pemberton

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Jim Pemberton
I'd like to follow him around a show just to watch for his signs of approval and disapproval
 

Desk Jockey

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Yea he picked up an upholstery tool (I won't say which) and without using it said what he thought might be a problem with it.

Later when we ran the units I wanted to try it and see if indeed it had the issues Keith had pointed out. It did. :lol:
 

Ed Valentine

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Ed Valentine
I personally have never met this honorable individual, Keith (to my knowledge) however, I totally agree with his thoughts below:


I do feel disappointed and disgusted that people in this industry would lower themselves to pilfer ideas that are designed by others. Research and deployment requires a huge amount of time and resources. When someone takes a unique idea or product and copies it, the R and D has been completed. And their production costs are nothing. Can you justify getting a cheaper price from someone who steals the product design

Keith, I know "exactly" how that feels.

Great post and the very best always;
Ed Valentine
 

Wandslinger

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He's a very gracious and generous person. He once brought about ten BDCCs to a nice restaurant in Sacramento (Mikefest) and really displayed his generosity through the purchase of vast amount of wine and high end dishes. Money was no object...Good dude!
 

The Great Oz

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bryan
Several years ago I called Keith a block of wood for his in-booth social skills. He got me back with a gift of alcohol that included a lot herbs and spices, two kinds of pepper, hot sauce and, I think, steak sauce. I thought it was just payback, but Keith drank his, and mine. A manly man.


Remember when you guys made fun of me for promoting the original Airpath? Oldies but goodies, still in everyday use.
 
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