ABM Industries, a leading provider of comprehensive international facility solutions, was approached by a grocery client that was switching the floors in their stores from vinyl composition tile (VCT) to polished concrete. Unfortunately, the stores’ cleaning staff were not trained in proper polished concrete floor maintenance or equipment. Over time, the floors lost their shine and began to deteriorate. The distinctness of image (DOI) numbers, which measure floor shine, had also dipped into the 20s, well below the standard of 80 the stores were required to maintain.
The grocer needed a refresh to return the floors to their post-remodel shine, but was concerned about closing stores during business hours. To avoid dry grinding and the interruption of noise and dust, it needed a solution that could be done completely wet.
“DOI numbers were crucial, and we had some readings as low as 5 and 10,” said Brian Terrana, director of operations, ABM Industries. “Achieving high DOI in such a large space while minimizing downtime meant we needed a unique solution.”
ABM approached Ameripolish to evaluate its completely wet SmartFloor™ Refinement and Maintenance systems.
The Ameripolish SmartFloor pads used in the system feature innovative patented composite resin abrasive technology that grinds and restores floors. The patented Universal Blade Holder slides onto a machine’s existing blade, and SmartFloor system abrasives can be attached via a Velcro™ lining. The system also features SmartFloor Refinement System GPR Series Abrasives that can be used with a company’s existing planetary systems.
ABM has deployed the system in 15 stores and seen a multitude of benefits, including:
- Efficiency Gains: Within a seven-hour window, ABM can completely restore 20,000 square feet of concrete floors using Ameripolish’s SmartFloor Refinement system, compared to only 5,000 square feet in the same timeframe with a dry competitive system.
- High-Shine Flooring: DOI scores that were once as low as 5 and 10 are now scoring in the upper 80s and mid-90s.
- Lower Equipment Costs: Ameripolish’s pads last up to four times longer than competitive pads—ABM can order fewer pads and cover more square feet per pad.
- Improved Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): Thanks to Ameripolish’s wet system, dust won’t impact guests like traditional dry systems.
- Easy Maintenance: Once the floors are refined, ABM can easily train the customer’s cleaning and maintenance teams in the proper use of equipment.
- Next-Level Service: Ameripolish works closely with ABM to ensure its products are at peak performance.
