Nick Grey of Gtech & the AirRam
January 2014, The new AirRam vacuum cleaner from Gtech is definitely a great match of elegance and technology. The new floor care product of British company which has been just launched in the American market surprised us with lightweight, ergonomic design. It has no bag, no cylinder, no hoses, and no cord. With those features in mind it still outperform other cordless vacuum cleaners making a perfect vacuum for “limited accessory” on-location use and also main building use.
To start, we had a chance to test out the product. As with a lot of products announced at CES, we were taking a careful look at the technology and use model of the vacuum. We were extremely pleased that the product, not only looked like the images on the box, but performed as stated. One of the keys to the technology, in addition to the cleaning power, is the energy performance of the vacuum.
Gtech AirRAM Cordless
Traditionally, vacuum cleaners suck dirt through long, narrow tubes and spin it around. These models clean by using brute force. They often require more than 2,000 watts of electricity to move dirt through to the collection chamber. The AirRAM does not use these energy consuming tubes, bags, or cyclones, rather it has an innovative design to collect and compress dirt into neat bales with only 100 watts of power. This translates to an over 95% lower energy and operating cost for an AirRAM vacuum vs other traditional models. The Gtech uses a new lithium-ion battery that is part of a new Fully Utilized Efficient Lithium system (F.U.E.L.) which allows the the AirRAM to perform at full capacity until the battery is completely depleted.
The unit was light, recharged easily, was simple to empty, quiet and did an excellent job of vacuuming both floors and carpets. The unit is very maneuverable and easy to use around furniture. Unlike “robot vacuums” on the market, this unit did not terrorize any house pets, and the run time of the unit was more than long enough to clean a typical room. This is rare in the “high power” use battery products like a vacuum.
Following our product trial, we had a 1:1 discussion with CEO and Founder Nick Grey, of Gtech (Grey Technology), I agree with his contention that vacuuming has never been an easy task. He wanted to build a vacuum cleaner that anyone can operate. It is targeted for use from people from 2 years old to 102 years old, but his real motivation was for building it a device for his 83 years old mother. She was complaining a lot about vacuuming and expressed her opinion about existing devices are too heavy, too clumsy, that she can’t carry them upstairs, and that they are unsuitable for her – stated Nick. His company wanted to create the a very efficient version of the Gtech AirRam vacuum cleaner; and it should be lightweight, easy to push, easy to move around, and of course, now a days, had to be cordless – without dragging a charging cable. He thought that we should be able to vacuum the home while talking on the phone or watching tv.
Nick was armed not just with the passion but with the credentials as well. “I did not want to go to the university, I did not really enjoy academic stages, I wanted to get a job and get into the active engineering and I did that at a vacuum cleaner manufacturer. I really enjoyed the technical environment of working there. A few years later, I was head of the department.”
Initially he wanted to change vacuum cleaners because they had been designed the same way for over hundred years, since when the first vacuum cleaner was developed. There were some small changes in components but basically they used the same methods like hundred years ago – according to Nick.
But working for the company was not suitable solution for him. He resigned his position as Head of Product Development at the vacuum manufacturer and with few saving went his own way. “When I was a boy I always dreamt of running my own company. I was not sure what it going to be. Running a company is not easy task. It is always a challenge but it is quiet rewarding. My first 4 years were quite easy but the middle four years were difficult: there was a downturn when things when things were difficult. Next four years I built quite a skilled, talented management team. Running a business is a rollercoaster” – he admitted.
Gtech was founded in 2001 with a clear vision to create the best loved cordless floor – care and garden products in the world. Since the company’s formation and those early days the company has sold 22 million products in 19 countries and became a recognized expert in the field of cordless innovation, and as the fastest growing floor care brand in the United Kingdom by value in 2012, according to findings by global research specialists GfK. In 2012 Gtech was incorporated in the US.
Gtech CEO Nick Grey summarized “It was a pure accident that I worked at a vacuum cleaner manufacturer, but I did and I am glad I did.” There are no doubts that American consumers will love his invention, the AirRAM vacuum cleaner, just as the rest of the world has embraced the product.
