Industry News

ESSCO announces 15th annual catalog update

Fifteen years ago the small sales team at ESSCO decided to create a catalog for independent vacuum dealers with one goal in mind. That goal was to create the industry standard vacuum cleaner parts and equipment catalog for the industry. Upon completion, the catalog included parts schematics, popular parts sections and equipment for nearly every vacuum cleaner manufactured in an easy to use format. The 600-page catalog was an instant hit with dealers across the country and ESSCO experienced significant growth as a result.

The remaining challenge was to ensure that the catalog would remain current and the growing ESSCO sales team committed to make catalog updates every year. Fifteen annual updates later, at 936 pages, the catalog has truly become the industry standard. The annual updates are an excellent training source for the sales team. Every salesperson at ESSCO is the author of a section of the catalog and as a result of the research it takes to update a manufacturer’s section, ESSCO has a resident expert on every brand of vacuum cleaners manufactured. This year the central vacuum/built-in section of the catalog has been expanded to become a mini-catalog which allows dealers to find compatible attachment sets for existing central systems as well as design complete systems for new installs. ESSCO is now a one-stop shop for all dealer central vacuum needs. The equipment section of the catalog has been expanded this year to encompass the many fine new lines of vacuum cleaners now available at ESSCO.

By 2008 the industry had changed and as more manufacturers began to produce vacuum cleaners and as market conditions demanded more frequent model changes the ESSCO sales team decided that there was a need for another industry resource, and as a result, www.essco.net was born. The Web site was created to address the incredible amount of information available to the industry. Because the Web site is updated constantly, dealers are able to find a schematic for a customer even if the vacuum was made available in the last few days. As of May 2008, the site includes more than 3,500 schematics. A new feature on it this year is the ability for a dealer to look at a schematic, find the part number needed, and type the part number into a box next to the schematic. The dealer will then be able to see pricing and availability of the part instantly in real time and then immediately send the part to an online order. This feature has been a big success with ESSCO customers. Web specials and closeouts are another popular section of the site.

ESSCO’s Web site is only available to independent vacuum dealers. There are no retail sales on the Internet from the Web site. It is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visits to www.essco.net have increased every month since it was introduced and currently there are more than 1,500 visits to the site each day. It has rapidly become a popular destination for independent vacuum dealers across the country.

The ESSCO catalog and Web site access are available free of charge to all independent vacuum dealers. Dealers can call 1-800-321-2664 or simply log on to www.essco.net to request a catalog or Web site access. Dealers who are new to the Web site can call the same toll free number for customer support and training on how to use the Web site.

The 15th annual ESSCO update is free and will be shipped with orders to current ESSCO customers beginning in June. Feel free to call and request a catalog update.

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, June 2008