Pressure Clean, which will shortly celebrate its 50th anniversary, is moving from the Crawley base that has been its home for the past ten years to a new home in Uckfield, East Sussex.
Manager Gary Fielding explained that the premises in Bell Lane offered Pressure Clean more scope to create the optimum workspace in which to welcome customers, provide flexible workshop space and display its comprehensive range of pressure washers, industrial vacuums, sweepers and other cleaning equipment.
That range has now been expanded with the addition of a choice of sweepers, a ride-on machine from Karcher and a push machine made by Nilfisk. “There are a number of on-farm applications for sweepers, from barns to potato stores, and we have had a number of enquiries since we added them to the range,” Gary commented.
The company has built up an enviable reputation over the past few decades for its commitment to supplying each individual customer with the machine that is exactly right for them.
Gary recalled that he once drove from Crawley to Sevenoaks to demonstrate one particular Nilfisk pressure washer. “He was impressed with the demo, but while I was there I realised that he had a three-phase supply to the farm,” he said.
“I persuaded him to let me show him the extra power he would get from a three-phase model, drove from Sevenoaks to Crawley and back and gave him a side-by-side comparison. He was amazed at the difference and bought the three-phase machine on the spot.”
Going the extra mile – or several miles in this case – is what has helped cement Pressure Clean’s reputation amongst farmers as a customer-focused company with one goal; to make sure the farmer or landowner ends up with the right machine, not the one the dealer wants to sell them.
“I talk to the customer to find out what they are planning to use it for and then suggest the right machine for the job, or take it out to show them. If I’m going out to a farm, I usually take two or three machines to give the user a choice, but I don’t sell anyone something they don’t need and I never oversell,” Gary stressed.
The business has long focused on machines from renowned manufacturers Nilfisk, MAC and Karcher and offers the full range of hot and cold fill machines and a choice of electric or diesel motors.
Pressure Clean supplies, services and repairs a range of cleaning equipment and has three engineers, two of them out on the road providing a mobile service and a third based in the workshop. The service is comprehensive and cost effective, while Pressure Clean’s fixed-price maintenance agreements allow customers to avoid unexpected bills.
The company was also kept busy earlier this year when the coronavirus-inspired lockdown saw furloughed domestic customers asking for their pressure washers to be serviced so that they could keep themselves busy cleaning their patios and garden furniture.
“Like most businesses we were hit by the downturn in the economy, but we worked through the crisis, took all the necessary precautions and continued to look after our customers,” Gary said. “The new premises are also designed with clients in mind as they are more adaptable to our needs. East Sussex is also a busy farming area, so we will be close to an important customer base.”
Having recently introduced industrial vacuums from Nilfisk to Pressure Clean’s range, Gary has now added sweepers to the products on offer.
Karcher’s KM 85/50 R Bp is a battery powered ride-on model that is compact but well-specced, combining good ergonomics with an easy to use, twin-tank, waste collection system. Its 1000W motor and dual scraper makes it ideal for effectively cleaning barns, workshops, warehouses and similar areas.
The Nilfisk SW-750 is a walk-behind, rechargeable machine that boasts low operating costs along with impressive build quality and reliability. It is also very quiet, allowing it to be used in areas where people are working without causing disturbance.
“We have seen a lot of interest in our new sweepers since we added them to our range,” explained Gary. “There is a broad range of applications for these machines, from cleaning small business premises created from former farm buildings as part of a diversified business to dusty environments such as potato or grain stores.”
Another new line that will be available from the Uckfield premises is the slightly more affordable but still reliable Viper range of floor cleaning machines, which includes commercial vacuums and scrubber dryers. “This is a competitively priced range that will widen choice for our customers,” said Gary.
While the new products have broadened the company’s offer, pressure washers are still at the heart of Pressure Clean’s business, with dairy farmers in particular queueing up for the Karcher HD 7/12–4M, a cold water static machine that is wall mountable and ideal for parlour use.
Other models that are currently in demand are the Nilfisk MH 4M, a mid-range hot water-fill washer that combines efficiency with manoeuvrability, and the MH 3C model from the same stable, a compact, cold water, high pressure model that is ideal for general use.
