Panel of Inventors and Innovators at Nexus

[Jim Pemberton]

Jim;

You're a distributor . . .

What new innovations discussed grabbed your attention in the discussion ?

As the individual who interviewed them, I wasn't surprised by the responses, as it was me who crafted the questions based on what I already knew of them each.

To be a bit more clear:

What I was looking for in the discussion was their background, and what drove them to create and improve things for the cleaning industry. There aren't many places in today's world, outside of computer technology, that a person can invent something and have a rapid impact on the industry.

I find them, and those like them I didn't have the ability to talk to, an inspiration.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

So many of the inventors and innovators in our industry had a "missing element" in their personality that limited their potential financial rewards or more.

In many cases the bulk of the money made on their ideas was by others with more business acumen and charisma.

 

[bob vawter]

I ran my Big Red over twenty years and sold it to a guy that was jus starting up....the weak point was not so much the Jabsco bilge pump ..but the Johnson floats in the waste tank...spent a fortune replacing the damn things.....but.....it WAS a monster! If you pulled the impeller outta the Jabsco and turned it around ever so often it would last a long time

 

[hogjowl]

Yes but powered and heated by the trucks engine. Not a true electric unit.

Aren’t you splitting hairs?

 

[Cleanworks]

Not really. When we think of an electric unit, we think of plugging it in somewhere. The only reason the x-drive exists is that they can't run a PTO shaft from the engine so they use an 18,000 watt generator to power an electric drive motor which operates the unit. You re still running your trucks engine which kind of defeats the purpose of having an electric unit. It would be the same if I used a 25 HP engine to power an electric slide in, instead of using that same engine to power the unit directly.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Justin and I replaced the Chevy water pump in my WM van Thursday, a shop would have to charge $500 to do it with the extra stuff involved with the TM. After previous mechanic experience after the new motor we are gun shy of most of them.

I'd guess the GM local wrenches are terrified of our cds style setups.

 

[Nomad74]

Mason would be a good one to fill us in on the ins and outs of the Xdrive. Is he on here, can someone tag him?

 

[Jimmy L]

I paid $850 to have my mechanic do it. Many years ago I would have tackled it but I have too many responsibilities to have a weekend to do it.

What TM had that monster WISCONSIN motor in it?
And why don't make it anymore?

 

[Cleanworks]

I paid $850 to have my mechanic do it. Many years ago I would have tackled it but I have too many responsibilities to have a weekend to do it.

What TM had that monster WISCONSIN motor in it?
And why don't make it anymore?

Steamatic maybe?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

He just came by here to scoop up names for his FB group.

 

[JS41035]

Justin and I replaced the Chevy water pump in my WM van Thursday, a shop would have to charge $500 to do it with the extra stuff involved with the TM. After previous mechanic experience after the new motor we are gun shy of most of them.

I'd guess the GM local wrenches are terrified of our cds style setups.

If I spent 30 minutes extra removing idlers and belts from truckmount portion, I would be surprised. It is silly that a decent mechanic would charge so much to work on a pto van.
I love when I hear a mechanic tell me that the pto system is to blame for a problem. I always ask “ so you understand how the carpet cleaning system works?” If not how can you blame it?
I don’t mind paying a mechanic a 100 bucks an hour. But you better have nicer tools and diagnostic equipment than me. And you better be able to do it faster and better than me.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

...and extender between the pump and clutch fan, the kind of thing the other shop tended to forget.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I paid $850 to have my mechanic do it. Many years ago I would have tackled it but I have too many responsibilities to have a weekend to do it.

What TM had that monster WISCONSIN motor in it?
And why don't make it anymore?

The Prochem 400 had one in the mid 70s

 

[randy]

I used a big red for a year. great, powerful machine, lots of heat. the weak point always seemed to be the transfer pump for the small waste tank. A few tweaks and that would be an awesome machine. When you talk about the pioneers of pto units, I have to mention Joe Rourke who made Aquatech machines and I believe was involved with Cleanco, though my history is a little murky and Jim Miller who made J>E>M machines, starting in the mid 70's.

My first truckmount was a Bates d84, great unit with the exception of the waste tank issue and the weirder than weird poly dome cover. Gene was ahead of the times in the U.S. and behind the times in Germany as the Nazi regime was defeated thirty years prior. His son n law updated their machines and switched to Glocks . They were still making truckmounts in the late 90's with a crew of swastika tattooed guys. They were always very nice and helpful to me but I stayed away from talking politics. One conversation with Gene was enough for anyone. Only Vawter was allowed to accompany him on a drive by on the way to dinner. That I can only imagine, VERY VIVIDLY as it's typical of the stories I heard over the years. Bill Bane once warned me to never be in a car with the guy when I was just starting out with the d-84 and using Bane's chemicals. Gene and Bill were NOT exactly close buddies.

 

[Jimmy L]

I think I would have liked the guy

 

[bob vawter]

After that long ass drive from Mi to Ca to pick up the machine.....I took one look at that plastic dome and was convinced that it would cave in and became a little worried. ...Gene started twitching and flailing his arms around so I figured him as a nutcase from the get......
In order to close the deal he threw in an extra dome.......never had to use it!

Great machine...except for that damn little waste tank with it's flimsy on-off floats

 

[Glynn]

Mike Palmer yes. I don't remember if Ralph was there or not. Clark Seabloom owned the company at the time. Jerry Holman was there from Steam Genie, and Jim Roden never took the stage, so I think it was his sales rep Bud Hoffman.

Mike Palmer and Jerry Holman were, by the way, the nicest gentlemen on the panel, and personally. Both treated me with a lot of kindness, and I remember it still.

Whatever happened to Mike Palmer Jim ?,I realise he sold Hydramaster but did he keep hold of Western Fab ?.

 

[hogjowl]

After that long ass drive from Mi to Ca to pick up the machine.....I took one look at that plastic dome and was convinced that it would cave in and became a little worried. ...Gene started twitching and flailing his arms around so I figured him as a nutcase from the get......
In order to close the deal he threw in an extra dome.......never had to use it!

Great machine...except for that damn little waste tank with it's flimsy on-off floats

Any pics Bawb?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Whatever happened to Mike Palmer Jim ?,I realise he sold Hydramaster but did he keep hold of Western Fab ?.

I don't know. I have lost touch with all of the founders of the company over the years

 

[bob vawter]

Any pics Bawb?

How does one upload Polaroids?

 

[Cleanworks]

Put them in the toaster, then duct the smoke into a usb port on the computer. Should work don't you think?

 

[hogjowl]

Or take a picture with your jitterbug

 

[Jimmy L]

You upload them by bending over and inserting them "Up in there"

 

[Brian H]

Jim,

I am a little late to this post but the headline kind of caught me. I used to work for Steve Hagopian and he told me about being in a group he belonged to in the '70s called the Innovators. He relayed how he prepared a demonstration on specialty stain removal with lots of small samples of carpet fibers, different examples of stains and the ways to remove them. He talked about the chemistry involved in removing the stains and what was needed for the different fibers.

He says it was a waste of time as most cleaners around that time were just looking for a one-size-fits-all solution to stain removal. A lot of people left halfway through his talk and all the handouts, samples and information were left behind.

 

[Mikey P]

He should have just handed out Fels bars...

 

[Brian H]

He should have just handed out Fels bars...

That's not too far off from what he said.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

A master key will open many locks, but sometime you need THE key that fits a special lock.

 

[J Scott W]

Jim,

I am a little late to this post but the headline kind of caught me. I used to work for Steve Hagopian and he told me about being in a group he belonged to in the '70s called the Innovators. He relayed how he prepared a demonstration on specialty stain removal with lots of small samples of carpet fibers, different examples of stains and the ways to remove them. He talked about the chemistry involved in removing the stains and what was needed for the different fibers.

He says it was a waste of time as most cleaners around that time were just looking for a one-size-fits-all solution to stain removal. A lot of people left halfway through his talk and all the handouts, samples and information were left behind.

I was at the Innovators show in Atlanta. I did not walk out. Collected all the samples.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I was at the Innovators show in Atlanta. I did not walk out. Collected all the samples.

And look where he is today....

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I was at the Innovators show in Atlanta. I did not walk out. Collected all the samples.

Me too. April 1982 I think. Howard Johnson's.