Lew Godinho is the operations guru for Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Central Valley, servicing San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties in California. Godinho supports 47 Vanguard franchise owners in the region and connects them with over 200 clients ranging from corporate office complexes to auto dealerships, health care and light manufacturing facilities.

As a part of Vanguard, franchise-owners have access to educational opportunities, business support resources, and Vanguard’s picks for professional equipment, including the Super Coach Pro 6, one of the Next Generation backpack vacuums from ProTeam.

“I have used other backpack vacuums, and now they are out in the garage collecting dust,” says Godinho. “ProTeam makes a superior product. They are heavy duty, dependable, comfortable and an integral component of green cleaning programs.”

Vanguard’s service agreements stress the benefits of green cleaning and improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). According to Godinho, ProTeam equipment gives them an edge over competitors, as clients today are more concerned about healthy IAQ. The Super Coach Pro has Four Level Filtration with a HEPA media filter that captures 99.97 percent of microscopic allergens and asthma triggers down to 0.3 microns in size, sending clean air out of the vacuum’s exhaust. This helps improve the air quality in the building, making it look and feel cleaner.

“Everyday, I get positive feedback from our clients about the overall cleanliness of their facilities, as well as the attention to detail,” says Godinho. “I know our franchise owners are getting superior results — with less effort — by using ProTeam backpacks.”

Prior to 2012, ProTeam backpack vacuums looked very different. Models like the Super CoachVac and Super QuarterVac were cylinder-shaped and tended to sit further away from the body of the user. The Next Generation of backpack vacuums introduced the triangular shape and the new FlexFit articulating harness.

“I liked the old vacuums. As an owner/operator of my own cleaning business, I often had one on my back for up to six hours a night,” says Godinho. “That said, the new design is a great improvement. The harness fits much better, and the unit is more ergonomic. It’s easier to operate in tight spaces, because it sits closer to the body.”

The FlexFit harness was designed to create a secure, body-friendly fit. A pivoting ball joint connects the vacuum to the upper back plate, which responds to back and shoulder movements with three axes of rotation. The waist strap distributes weight more evenly on the hips for better balance. The harness has no padding in the mid back, so air can flow between the user and the vacuum, keeping the operator cool. All of these features add up to a more comfortable harness. This was confirmed by a 2013 study at Auburn University when researchers concluded that 20 percent less pressure is felt on the body with the FlexFit harness versus a standard harness.