Saniflo’s salesforce is traveling the USA to train plumber-installers!

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into in-person training and product demonstrations in the plumbing and HVAC industries.

Saniflo vans have been hitting the road every year since 2007. But due to the pandemic in 2020 and into 2021, these efforts were necessarily brought to a halt. While quite the adjustment at first, Saniflo’s salesforce successfully transitioned to Zoom calls and conducted as much e-learning and e-training as possible.

But the fact remains, plumbing is a hands-on trade, and contractors especially prefer face-to-face training. Therefore, Saniflo’s salesforce made it a priority to get back to shaking hands and conducting in-person training via the Saniflo vans, because that is the key to truly understanding the value of Saniflo products.At the same time, the company encouraged installers to take advantage of the library of product video learning on the website. Finally, sales managers hosted events with different state PHCC organizations to keep customers entertained, trained and engaged.

Fully functional systems on-board

The training vans are particularly effective, because Saniflo products aren’t what customers typically find in a supply house showroom or counter display. The van makes believers in Saniflo products, because trainees can see firsthand how Saniflo’s “above-floor” plumbing systems work.

Unlike traditional plumbing, Saniflo systems can be installed virtually anywhere. These modern macerator and grinder toilet systems and drain pumps are installed above the floor, not below. As a result, there’s no need to dig or bust through concrete to install drainage.

Instead of routing wastewater through underground pipelines, drainage is sent through the macerator, grinder or drain pump and then pumped under pressure through small-diameter piping vertically and horizontally to a sewer or a septic tank. The systems require no special maintenance, and the products not only can be concealed behind the toilet, beneath a sink or inside a cabinet, but also hidden behind a wall.

The systems installed on the Saniflo vans are fully functional, so trainees get to see products in action. This enables them to truly understand how reliably Saniflo systems work and how they favorably compare with more conventional drainage systems, such as sewage ejector pumps.

Depending on the model, a Saniflo van contains three to six working products. All are professionally plumbed to local codes, as they would be in the field. Located in the back of the vehicle, the products are installed completely to scale.

The setup demonstrates how versatile Saniflo products are. To put it into perspective, you can ride around in a truck with a fully functioning bathroom inside of it.

How a van’s plumbing is set up

• Depending on the model, the Saniflo van contains a fully operational Sanibest Pro with an elongated toilet bowl, a Saniaccess 3 with a round toilet bowl, and a Saniswift with a laundry sink.

• The required power outlet and water connection are located on the side of the van.

• Each of the three systems’ water supplies come from a 50-gallon tank equipped with a supply pump. Filled with freshwater via a garden hose and a spigot, the water tank holds enough water for a half to a full day, depending on how many demos must be completed. The water either comes through a faucet or a toilet, as it normally would in a house. There are also fill valves on the water lines.

• The discharge pipes run up and around the perimeter of the van. The waste is pumped into another holding tank, since it may not tie into a city sewer.

• Shutoff valves to empty the tanks are located on the side of the van towards the bottom.

With three vans on the road serving the Midwest, Northeast, and the West Coast, Saniflo’s on-the-road program routinely involves a mix of contractor and wholesaler training. Plumber apprentices learn how to install systems, while distributor sales personnel pick up critical product knowledge to better understand what they are selling. The Saniflo van provides a unique way to meet the two groups’ educational needs.

Counter days or product-knowledge events

Saniflo hosts counter days at supply house locations to assist in sales and training efforts. Providing a breakfast or lunch that usually includes a local delicacy, Saniflo presents hands-on training to sales teams and installing contractors.

Whether it’s a quick training event involving wholesaler staff, or a visit to a larger contractor or mechanical engineer at a brick and mortar location, the Saniflo van delivers in-depth instruction on exactly how the products work.

Saniflo also offers lunch-and-learns that are a little more intimate and group-focused, usually involving a longer training session before the meal is served. Conducting such meetings is either the local Saniflo sales agent or a regional manager — preferably both.

North in the summer, South in the winter

Saniflo regional managers usually deliver the Saniflo van to its next stop, whether East, Midwest, or West. With a set schedule, the reps or regional managers travel one of three, predetermined routes throughout the year.

The three routes are scheduled by the season. Since water is necessarily involved and it’s an outdoor demo, the weather must be warm enough to avoid the risk of frozen pipes and uncomfortable attendees. Therefore, the Saniflo vans travel north in the summer and down south in the winter.

Based on the van’s expected arrival, Saniflo agents usually schedule specific stops at various locations, whether a supply house or even trade show events happening when the van is in the area. If a location can accommodate the vehicle with access to the required power, the Saniflo van will make a training stop.

Find a Saniflo van near you

The Saniflo van locations roughly correspond to different reps’ territories. Agents and regional sales managers schedule appearances day by day, week by week. Here is a general overview of where the Saniflo vans will be located for the remainder of 2021:

Van 2

• August 2 – 27: Illinois, Missouri

• August 27 – October 22: Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia

• October 25 – November 19: Tennessee and Arkansas

• November 19 – December 31: Texas

Van 3

• August 2 – 20: New Jersey / New York

• August 24 – September 17: New England

• September 20 – October 15: New York State ​​

If you are interested in attending an upcoming Saniflo van training, contact Saniflo at (732) 305-2200.

SANIFLO SALES TEAM TRAVELS USA TO TRAIN PROFESSIONALS!

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ABOUT SANIFLO
SFA SANIFLO U.S.A. – whose parent company originated macerating plumbing technology — offers a complete line of waste and drainage pumping systems for residential and commercial applications. Saniflo developed its innovative, “above-floor plumbing” technology more than a half-century ago and has led its commercialization worldwide. Today, the company markets macerating technology through 24 subsidiaries in 50 countries and has sold more than seven million units worldwide since 1958. Saniflo markets through independent sales agents throughout North America, and the product line is currently available at distributor and dealer locations throughout the United States and Canada.

For more information, contact Saniflo at 1-800-571-8191. Or visit the Saniflo website at saniflo.com.

For editorial assistance, including photography, contact John O’Reilly c/o GreenHouse Digital + PR: 815-469-9100 or [email protected].