Matt Steenbeke (left) and his crew at VacMan Air Duct Cleaning
Matt Steenbeke and his wife, Carrie started VacMan in Granger, Indiana back in 1995. Matt had been in the heating and cooling business for a while, and worked part time with duct cleaning. They sensed that they needed a change. Matt said,”the Lord really moved us to want to start our own company so we could make raising our four kids a priority, to be honest with you.” They started with just the two of them working the business… Matt was running a Pringle Power Vac truck he had purchased from the old Pringle in Walla Walla, Washington, and Carrie was manning the phones and helping with scheduling. 23 years later, they have a fleet of three trucks and a portable unit. One truck is that old Pringle that they have carefully maintained over the years. The other two trucks are American Caddy Vacs.
Matt remembers, “In 2012, that’s when we bought our first American Caddy Vac. I had met Mac (Mac Mattoon, Owner of American Caddy Vac) and had been searching for some better equipment, a way to make the business a little more profitable and my work a little easier on me, so we bought our first Caddy Vac. We do all kinds of work but residential is our main emphasis. We are passionate about providing cleaner, healthier, safer air for people and we do that through air duct and dryer vent cleaning. So our main focus is residential. The rest is commercial and industrial. We also have some portable equipment for some of the commercial work we do.”
“I wish I had another Caddy Vac right now because we’re really busy and it would be helpful to have another one of these trucks that I trust a little bit more… they’re just, definitely dependable, they make my vacuuming easier because of the way it’s set up, the amount of tools and hoses I can run, I don’t have to take tools on and off to facilitate different types of cleaning. On my American Caddy Vacs, I have everything I need to do 99 percent of the work that needs to be done, so I don’t have guys needing to run back to the shop to pick up something.”
When asked what makes American Caddy Vacs the best choice, Matt replies, “They’re sweet looking work horses! Here in upper Indiana in the South Bend area, we have a lot of salt on the roads just because we have a lot of freezing and thawing. That salt just eats my trucks up. So my latest Caddy Vac I bought was Mac’s first all stainless steel Caddy Vac and we feel like it’s going to be a great benefit for us. Maintenance-wise, it’s so much easier. With my other cleaners there’s a lot of maintenance involved. They aren’t designed with thought for the maintenance technician that has to keep it running… so that’s one of the reasons I bought a Caddy Vac and then bought another one. It’s because they are reliable, dependable. When I need to do routine maintenance, it doesn’t take the whole day away from our normal work where we could be making money. The maintenance is much simpler and there is simply much less maintenance required, too.”
Matt’s favorite feature on his latest American Caddy Vac is the optional Quincy 370 Compressor. “My first Caddy Vac had the standard Quincy 340, but this time I went with the 370 and at certain times it really helps me. I can have three guys working at the same time instead of just two and at times that can make a huge difference in efficiency and productivity. You never want to sacrifice quality for speed, so it’s great to have that extra capacity so you can give the customer speed and quality. It’s always great to have more power.”
Matt also buys some of his tools from American Caddy Vac. “I order their big stiff rods for cleaning my trunk lines… he has a skinny 5-whip head that I use for flexible duct work, and that’s the best go-to tool that I use for flex-duct. I have his Dyna-Probe on both of our Caddy Vacs and I’ve never had to replace them. And I really enjoy their reverse ball… it’s a head that we use for flex-duct that’s really big, and I use it for multiple applications because the way it’s set up with 13 jets it’s able to move larger debris for me a lot quicker… so I definitely use that tool on a regular basis. I’m sure I use other tools from the as well, but those are tools that I buy from them specifically because the quality is just so much better. And I’ve bought a lot of tools from a lot of suppliers, just ask my wife! If I find a new tool I usually buy it!”
Like most American Caddy Vac customers, Matt really appreciates the knowledge, expertise, and willingness to help when he calls with a question. “I’ve called them for service issues in the past. Whenever I call they always take care of every issue. That’s one of the things I love about Mac and Steve and the Caddy Vac team… they stand behind their products and their trucks and if I have an issue a year down the road they are there to help and walk me through it. And they are always ready to help. I have Mac’s cell phone number on my phone. If I’m trying to find a better way to approach a job, I’ll give him a call and he’s always willing to answer his cell phone and we’ve talked over a lot of situations. He’s helped train me that way, and also at DCN training sessions we’ve been able to ask him questions and we’ve learned from him that way as well. You know, in business we deal with a lot of different people, and sometimes you just run across people who share your same view, the same values, about really standing behind your work. People who stand by their word, people who do whatever it takes to make it right.”
“I have about 20 competitors in our close region. Most of them are just running portables, and porta-brush systems, you name it. One competitor has a Pringle and two others have Biltwells, which I almost bought but I’m really glad I changed my mind. The American Caddy Vac is such a quality unit, with all the work Mac puts into them… they have so much storage and they run so much smoother. I’m able to store just the right equipment in the right spot. That’s because Mac runs these trucks in his own air duct cleaning business (B&F PowerVac in Lewiston, Idaho), and he knows how everything works and the most efficient way to design them. The first Caddy Vac I bought, I just told him, “Mac, make me truck that you would make for yourself”. Now, the second one, I did make a few changes, because, you know, everything he did was spot on, but there are a couple of things everyone does different… that’s what I love about Mac… he’s willing to customize anything for you so I had him change a few things.”
Matt concluded, “I have recommended and will continue to recommend American Caddy Vac and I’m looking forward to the time when I can go out and pick up my next unit!”
