Many businesses rely on heavy-duty equipment to carry out their workload day in and day out, and with FloHawks Plumbing and Septic’s line of business, this requirement is no different. The company, which is headquartered in Puyallup, Washington, with multiple locations in Washington state, offers plumbing and drain cleaning, septic tank pumping and all pipe maintenance services for residential and commercial customers.

What started as Northwest Cascade Septic in 1969 evolved into FloHawks Plumbing and Septic by 1983. The company owned one of the first eductor trucks offered and was able to grow the business by offering innovative ways to service customers who required sewer cleaning. Seeing how the market was changing and growing, the company decided to invest more in its sewer cleaning equipment and bought its first Vactor 2112 in 2000. Due to the unit’s functionality and capabilities, FloHawks was able to expand its services and seek out more city, state and public utility contracts to help clean storm systems.   

In 2018, FloHawks knew it was on the verge of needing new equipment to carry out the many types of sewer and draining jobs they were frequently tasked to do. FloHawks planned to purchase an eductor truck from a different company until the company’s president, Carl Liliequist, came across the Vactor 2100i during the Washington Onsite Sewage Association Convention in Washington state. They purchased a Vactor 2100i from Owen Equipment, a Vactor authorized dealer. 

“We noticed the versatility, functions and technology that came equipped with the Vactor 2100i closely aligned with the style of work that we do,” says Thomas Halford, superintendent of FloHawks. 

Knowing that FloHawks needed additional features to ensure they could service their customers to the fullest, JR Inman, FloHawks vice president and general manager, visited the Vactor factory to modify the truck to FloHawks’ specifications. Once the truck was delivered, it was immediately put in the field. 

Halford credits the Vactor IntuiTouch technology found on the Vactor 2100i as improving operator ease and simplicity as well as helping boost efficiency and performance. One of the key features Halford points out is the Multi-Flow control dial that gives you full control of the water system and matches the flow and pressure of the job’s requirements. “You have much more control over water flow and how many gallons you’re pumping out. You don’t have to use a dial or speed of the motor to dial it down — it’s right there on the screen and displays exactly what you’re doing. It gives you better control and there again allows enhanced efficiency,” Halford says. 

According to Halford, the main operator of the Vactor 2100i has enjoyed the ergonomic improvements made with the unit and states the placement of the controls has been advantageous when operating the equipment. “The option of moving the controls in the front is huge because it allows you to focus on the job at hand and view everything on the control panel and still stay out of harm’s way.” 

Halford says that the Vactor 2100i’s reliability has contributed to FloHawks’ overall performance and productivity, especially considering the many hours the equipment is in operation each day. Halford states the Vactor 2100i leaves the yard daily at 8 a.m. and is put to use for the entire day at locations all across the Puget Sound region. And another feature that stands out is the engine is much quieter compared to other equipment on the market. “This has proven to be an added bonus when we are working in residential neighborhoods cleaning storm systems. You’re not upsetting customers — which can cause complications,” Halford says. 

Beyond the equipment itself, Halford states his dedicated team at Owen Equipment has made a positive impact with business operations. Not only does their team provide guidance on the equipment with training, they go above and beyond to ensure making sure their business runs as smoothly as possible. “Our rep visits the yard to see how things are going, asks if assistance is needed and is overall very knowledgeable in the equipment,” Halford says. “They’ll even come to our job sites where we’ve ran into issues with the job itself and have helped come up with solutions.” 

Halford also attributes increased productivity to Owen Equipment and how they’ve been beneficial to overall uptime. “They have an excellent team and continue to expand their parts options, which is huge for us. We can easily go to them for replacement parts to reduce our overall downtime.” 

Halford stresses that it really all comes back to efficiency and ease of use with the Vactor 2100i. “Vactor has thought of different features to help boost performance, like the extended hose reel, where you can just drop it down and control it directly from the IntuiTouch control panel. 

“This equipment outperforms others two to one and really stands out amongst other units on the market. It’s truly a self-sufficient truck that has taken it to the next level.” 

Find out more about FloHawks and Owen Equipment at flohawks.com and owenequipment.com. To learn about the Vactor 2100i and what it can do for your business, visit www.vactor.com/2100i.