Tuesday 2 June 2009

The Green Marketing Machine: Two Window Cleaning Companies



Men in Kilts Just Voted Greenest Business: Richmond, BC, Men in Kilts CEO Brent Hohlweg says "At Men in Kilts doing the right thing really can be affordable, convenient and have a huge positive environmental impact! We've invested heavily in clean technology that allows us to provide free GREEN ESTIMATES in under 5 minutes by phone and present our prices including current insurance and worksafe papers right up front for your protection."
Brent goes on to say that "no other company servicing the Lower Mainland in Vancouver for the Window Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning and Pressure Washing business has any technology that even comes close to our eco friendly efforts. Usually when you call a service company they dispatch an estimator to your home and that single act puts in motion some significant environmental concerns. If the estimator is eliminated or reduced we all win as one less truck gets put on the road! The gas alone for one average service truck to be dispatched for an estimate releases hundreds of pounds of CO2 into the environment every year."
Men in Kilts proudly has also become the first company in our industry to be using Bullfrog Power, Canada’s 100% green electricity provider, offering our office energy with a 100% low-impact renewable electricity choice. Bullfrog Power’s green electricity comes exclusively from wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its 'EcoLogo' program, instead of from carbon-intensive sources like coal and natural gas or from higher impact hydro facilities. As a Bullfrog Power customer Men in Kilts is helping enable new green generation facilities to be built in Canada.
Men in Kilts also only uses all natural cleaning solutions that are 100% biodegradable, and all fleet operations are 'Climate Friendly' by Offsetters. In fact Brent notes that "Men in Kilts has gone so far as to even ensure that the office network is using Green Low Energy technology" by D-link Green Products.
Brent finished by saying that everyone at Men in Kilts is "humbled and proud that in our fragmented industry of Window Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning and Pressure Washing in Vancouver's Lower Mainland we have been able to take a leading GREEN COMMITMENT in our industry and be voted the GREENEST BUSINESS by our customers".

Men in Kilts Profile:
Men in Kilts was started in 2002 by Nic Brand with $500 and a rusty old Honda. In 2006 Brent Hohlweg and Nic Brand partnered to rebrand and start the process of franchising development. Men in Kilts has grown to a million dollar operation and featured in many prominent articles including The Vancouver Sun. Men in Kilts is currently on the cusp of franchising across North America and recently was awarded the 2008 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. Men in Kilts is truly Vancouver's Premier Window Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning and Pressure Washing company...They love the freedom of kilts, so please use extreme caution and No Peeking!

Also see here.


London Window Cleaning Company Ncpm247 has made a huge investment in new vehicles to ensure it stays ahead of the pack. Ncpm247, London’s No1 window cleaning service has just received an order for 10 Mercedes A190’s and 10 Citroen Picasso’s, specially-equipped for cleaning windows in London for both residential and commercial clients.
The Mercedes A190s will be used for low level easy access window cleaning contracts mostly in and around Central London areas with the Picasso’s which have been specially equipped with pure water technology being used for higher access window cleaning contracts and residential clients.
The eye catching and unusual signage on the new vehicles has been designed by Motormode who also worked for the BBC show “Top Gear” and should ensure that the quirky looking fleet will soon become a common feature in and around London town.
Andrew B, Central London team supervisor commented: “At Ncpm247 we work by the ethos of ‘service, service, service’ This investment of top-of-the-range Mercedes A190’s and Citroen Picasso’s to replace older vehicles will improve the safety, security and reliability of our service and is another sign of Ncpm247’s commitment to its Customers”.
Ncpm247, which this year celebrates 24 years in business, has a network of 100 window cleaners, employs more than 200 people and operates a fleet of 35 vehicles. In recent months the company has also enjoyed a number of significant contract wins, invested over £15000 in IT systems and continues with its investment of opening of new branches across London.
Nathan Colwell Director of Ncpm247 “Next year we are planning on launching a small Central London fleet of fully electric vans as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon foot print in the City”

Watch the wizard of window cleaning (2:22)!

1 comment:

Kevin Dubrosky said...

Thats very interesting.

Its too bad that their unusual scottish-style branding has nothing to do with what has become their "angle" in the marketplace.

I guess it was an afterthought.

I wonder if they might have done much better starting from scratch with an eco-friendly company name instead.

Good for them, though.

Cool idea, and approach.

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