C&


M Special Report Sustainable - and affordable - cleaning


Neil Nixon reports from Verona,Italy, home of Fimap, where he finds a company dedicated to providing quality cleaning equipment at affordable prices.


The growth and development of Fimap has been startling. Founded in 1988, the compa- ny began developing profes- sional floor cleaning machines for the domestic, and ultimately international, markets. Massimiliano Ruffo, son of the founder,


Massimiliano Ruffo, CEO of Fimap Spa (left) and Kevin Day, UK and Ireland country manager.


Giancarlo, took over the run- ning of the company in 1994, and set about creating the cleaning giant that we know today. By 1999 he had moved into a 2000 square metre facility - today, the new, modern Fimap offices and production facilities extend to over 23,000 square meters.


Massimiliano - known as Max - Ruffo said: “Fimap is a Veneto company, now a national and international leader in the production of professional floor cleaning machines. Our continuous growth and development is largely down to our ability to anticipate market trends, offering innovative machines created to meet all cleaning and hygiene requirements. Fimap is currently present in over 100 countries working closely with a strong network of partners, many of whom were appointed by my father back in the early years of the business.” And it is this investment in partnerships that is behind the


phenomenal growth of the Fimap brand, with a structure of open communication and transparency ensuring the


• are easy for the operators to use.


• help to raise the level of hygiene in the place of use. • are constructed with an eye on product sustainability. As Massimiliano Ruffo said: “In the beginning this vision was just a dream...now our company is an important point of reference for many people.”


The products


Genie B, a compact scrubber dryer.


highest levels of trust, commitment and interaction. Core to the development of the business is the company’s published mission to produce cleaning machines that: • change the method of cleaning, making operations more economical.


Fimap manufactures a huge range of cleaning machines, fulfilling virtually every requirement - far too many for the scope of this article. We’ll look at just two - machines that clearly demon- strate the company’s adher- ence to the aforementioned mission statement: the Genie B, a compact scrubber dryer, and Mr60 B, a micro ride-on launched at Interclean. Genie B is a small walk behind sweeping and scrubbing machine designed to replace manual mopping tasks. It is available in mains or battery-powered versions. Kevin Day, UK and Ireland country manager for the Fimap brand, said: “The new Genie B is the fruit of the SustainableCleaningProject (more later). It is most suitable for cleaning coffee bars, restaurants, wellness centres, gyms, offices, showrooms, schools, laboratories but it is also at home in large premises. It can collect small solid debris and can easily clean around corners and along walls. Thanks to the 180° flexibility of its handle, it can easily get underneath tables and shelving just 35cm from the floor.”


Genie B has been


developed to replace manual cleaning systems. “Thanks to its ergonomics, stress of the spinal column is prevented and comfort and safety are ensured,” continued Kevin Day. “The user is not exposed to any physical stress and the time devoted to cleaning operations is considerably reduced, resulting in 30% higher productivity. In addition to that, hygiene quality is significantly improved: dirt is thoroughly removed in just one pass.” Mr60 B is a new scrubbing machine that has created a brand new market segment - an ultra-compact ride-on machine for the cost of a traditional walk-behind. Kevin Day takes up the story: “Thanks to its features, Mr60 B can be positioned in the professional walk-behind scrubbing machines sector, but with the benefit of being a ride-on. This leads to faster cleaning procedures and less workforce required, ensuring cost savings of up to 40%.” Mr60 B is the result of Fimap’s ‘Affordable Cleaning’ strategy - it is claimed that Mr60 B cleans one square metre of flooring for only one cent.


SustainableCleaningProject


“All our attention and research in recent months has concentrated on the imple-


12 C&M September 2010 mentation of the


SustainableCleaningProject - our innovative project aimed at reducing waste and creat- ing added value in terms of ethics, coherency and sustain- able development,” said Massimiliano Ruffo. “Fimap has always shown itself to be sensitive to the question of respect towards man and the environment and now, thanks to the


SustainableCleaningProject, it intends to revolutionise the ‘way of cleaning’, putting innovation at the basis of all its activities and embracing a policy of savings and sustain- ability. The machines designed and produced by Fimap are the result of an ability to satisfy the needs of its customers while respecting the economic restraints and reducing waste, consumption and costs to a minimum.” Thanks to its


SustainableCleaningProject, innovative systems have been


Mr60 B, a micro ride-on launched at Interclean.


developed to ensure machine sustainability:


• FSS, Fimap Solution Saver - a water and detergent measurement system with micrometric adjustment: the minimum amount of fluid for the best cleaning result with the least environmental impact. Water waste and detergent consumption are reduced by 50%. • FNC, Fimap Noise Canceling - a system to ensure reduced noise. • FES, Fimap Energy Saver - a system which provides 35% lower energy consumption, including the Echo on/off device which stops brushes and water flow when the machine is idle.


Looking forward


The Fimap story is one of considerable success, built on sound business practices and a strong belief in doing things right - for customers, partners and the environment. This philosophy has seen the busi- ness more than double in size during the last four years and there is no sign of this growth relenting.


A keen eye on design, and a desire to improve cleaning practices has led to the launch of some highly innovative equipment. With a highly skilled research and development department and a flat management structure promoting the


implementation of new ideas, Fimap is set to continue on its successful mission to change the way we clean. www.fimap.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20