What goes in must come out
December 1st 2008

Textile Cleaning Solutions (TCS) has spent the last three and half years developing its new EMV system. Billed as the machine that will do everything, the system launches in January 2009. Mark Mullane talks exclusively to Gerardine Coyne

Ten years ago Textile Cleaning Solutions (TCS) invented the Texatherm Carpet Cleaning System – a patented process that produces a capillary action to deep wet clean carpets while giving the benefits associated with dry cleaning.However, though the system itself was successful, the problem was that there didn't appear to be a system worldwide that could do hot water extraction, the Texatherm process and hard floor rinsing and cleaning.

"Our clients were saying 'We're carrying a Texatherm system to do commercial work,we're carrying a hot water extraction machine to clean upholstery and carpets and we're carrying wet picks for hard floors.What we really need is a machine that will do everything'", says Mark Mullane TCS director."Hence the idea of the EMV was developed." TCS started work on the EMV just over three and a half years ago on development, tooling and design manufacture."It's been designed totally in the UK with our own people. It's not a copy of anybody's technology,we started from the base up and we've looked at every component part on the machine," says Mullane."We've looked at the offerings out there and we feel the industry has changed very little in thirty years.You have carpet cleaning machines that look better but basically what's inside most of them is the same as it was thirty years ago.You still get a lot of problems with failing pumps, fluid connectors and so on.We decided to dissect every part of extraction and look at each individual component and figure out if we could improve it." TCS believes that the EMV is the first machine worldwide with a fully variable digital control pump system."What that basically means is whether,10' or 200' of hose, the pressure and flow is not affected.

Regardless of programme, the machine will constantly monitor and adjust itself.With other machines you put the hose on and hope for the best." The company claims another first is that the machine uses only one big tank, with the outer walls acting as the recovery tank."With an extraction machine because you need a tank to heat the pads and chemical – you couldn't use the Texatherm process. By designing it this way we can use our pads, the Texatherm process and deliver hot water extraction from one machine." TCS says there has been no compromise on the design and development."It has been developed without cost even being thought about. From day one we simply wanted to build the best performing best quality product we could get out into the market." Mullane's enthusiasm for the machine is evident. His energy is infectious."We're achieving results from one pass of the wand where others are using two, possibly three to match.We're getting dry times of under two hours. But it's the adaptability for a contractor to basically go in with a rotary machine and the EMV to clean anything.

We feel it's the first time we can truly say we've got a system that will clean everything." So why hasn't anyone else come up with this? Mullane admits it is a question he has pondered. "What I find is that companies with very good market share tend to rest on their laurels.That's not just the carpet cleaning industry, but every industry. If everything is rosy and turnover's good they don't really try to break new ground.

"I think it takes someone hungry.We're in our tenth year as a company, so we're relatively new in this industry.We're very maverick in our approach.We will not accept what the industry is telling us, without them proving it to us. If we attend a course,we'll question the perceived wisdom.We're like children;we're asking questions all the time. If we think we can do better,we'll attempt it.As a company we're all about innovation and problem solving."

Don't stop me now Mullane refuses to accept that there are barriers, and his positive attitude is clearly evident, as is his enjoyment of problem solving."I went to a carpet cleaning office not so long ago who had an insurance job on a three piece suite. It had a stain on it and they couldn't get it out so they were going to write it off," he confides."So I said, how about we try this, this and this. I was quite confident we could get it out, but they said,'no, you could damage it'. I said,' if you're going to write it off and pay out the insurance money to buy a new one – is it going to make any difference? What happens if I get the stain out?'And we did get the stain out. And that is our philosophy as a company.We're very hands on.

"We don't bring machines to the market and say 'come on a course and buy products'.We deliver systems;we go out on jobs with clients, on their first jobs we'll go with them and get them up to speed and problem solving.We will never accept,'That can't be done.That can't be cured'. Except in those cases where permanent damage has occurred,we say 'what goes in must come out'." Mullane is very proud of TCS being a British company, and feels the UK doesn't get enough credit for what it produces."I think the UK has taken a lot of knocks.We still have phenomenal expertise,we're a country that's selling our knowledge, but I've had so many people say to me,'Wow, where's the EMV made – Germany?' I find it a personal insult." Mullane is passionate about negative perceptions of British manufacturing, and argues that the UK should still be a major player.

"Given that we taught [the Far East] how to build,why can't we do it now? We're saying, sit up and have a look, because we are going to set the new benchmark for this industry,worldwide."

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