Manufacturer Helps White House Clean Up

The White House has recently purchased two unusual floor care machines to help keep the 200-year-old home of the President clean and shinny.

May 31, 2004 -- The White House has recently purchased two unusual floor care machines to help keep the
200-year-old home of the President clean and shinny. One of the floor care machines will be used in a private kitchen, used exclusively by the President Bush and the First Family. The other machine will be used to clean the many fountains on the White House grounds.

Kitchen Machine Sold
For the kitchen, which sports an industrial, cream-colored epoxy floor with several counters and islands, the White House maintenance crew was looking for a machine that is:

    Light
    Easy to maneuver
    Ergonomic for operation in confined area
    Able to strip and polish
    Compact but powerful.

The machine the White House ultimately purchased was a cylindrical, automatic scrubber/dryer.

Unlike a traditional round buffer, cylindrical machines are square and have two brushes rotating at more than 1,000 rotations per minute to deep clean and polish floors.

I showed them how to operate the machine and its many features, says Bryan Cope, the manufacturers rep who handled the sale, "but, ultimately, the machine sold itself.

White House Plumber Calls the Next Day
Pleased by the sale, Cope was a bit surprised to get another call from the Presidents quarters the very next day,from the White House plumber. He had seen me demonstrate the cylindrical machine and he was looking for a machine that could clean the ceramic floor tiles found in many of the White House fountains, Cope explains.

The fountains are very old and delicate. The plumber wanted a machine that was small but powerful, very light, easy to maneuver, and safe enough to not mar the sides of the priceless structures.

I introduced them to a smaller version of the cylindrical machine they had just purchased the day before, Cope says. This model features handle that turns a full 90 degrees, allowing the operator to work in any direction, which makes it easier to clean the base of the fountain floors. They also liked the fact it had a completely collapsible handle, making it easy to transport.

(Photo: http://www.alturasolutions.com/br_vario_by_tornado_industries.htm)

A Lasting Memory
Selling to the White House is quite an experience, says Cope. At the end of the day, the staff gave Cope a bag filled with gifts and goodies. This was definitely a sale I will long remember.

About Tornado
Tornado Industries has been designing and engineering quality cleaning equipment for more than 75 years. The company has a long history of developing innovative products and applying the latest technology to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve safety. Tornado prides itself on always being on the cutting edge of floor care cleaning solutions.

Tornado Industries, Inc.
7401 West Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60706
Phone: 800-Vacuums (800-822-8867) Fax: 708-867-6968
Chicago Phone: 708-867-5100
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Tornado Company Backgrounder:
http://www.alturasolutions.com/tornadocompanybackgrounder.htm