| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Nick Grey |
| Headquarters | , UK |
Key people | Nick Grey (Managing director) |
| Products | Vacuum cleaners, floor sweepers, grass trimmers, hedge trimmers, branch cutters |
| Owner | Nick Grey |
Number of employees | 43 (2013) |
| Website | gtech.co.uk |
Grey Technology (Gtech) is an independent British design company which specialises in cordless home and garden appliances such as vacuum cleaners, floor sweepers and grass trimmers.
The company employs 43 people, and has been entirely self-funded since inception.[1] It operates from Worcestershire, the county in which it was founded, with headquarters in the small hamlet of Spetchley.
History
editGtech founder Nick Grey worked from his home in Worcestershire, UK to develop the SW01, the world’s first cordless powered sweeper. It was launched in Britain under the Gtech brand in 2002, and to date, it has sold more than 22 million units worldwide.[2]
The AirRAM cordless vacuum cleaner was introduced in April 2012. According to Gtech, the AirRAM picks up more dirt and uses less electricity than a number of mains vacuums.[3]
The AirRAM is notable for its low running costs, its lightweight, bagless design, and additional features such as calorie-counting AirRam PC software.[3] It has been reviewed in Which?[4], Wired[5], and Dork Adore[6].
Today, Gtech products are available in major UK high street stores such as Argos, House of Fraser, John Lewis, Currys and Debenhams - and online from retailers like Amazon.
Products
editFloor sweepers
editGtech’s first floor sweeper, the SW01, was designed by Nick Grey in his own home. He created the sweeper to get round the problem of the cumbersome nature and high power consumption of traditional vacuums available at the time.[1]
The company’s next floor sweeper, the SW02, went on to be its best-selling model to date. Grey refined the design of the SW01, adding a more powerful 7.2V motor, and improving its efficiency – giving the SW02 has a charged run-time of 60 minutes, enough to clean three average-sized UK homes. Key to its design are rod-mounted bristles, which effectively sweep up dirt into an internal compartment without using noisy suction motors. Its low profile design makes it easier to clean in tight corners and under furniture.[7]
The SW22 premium model has a more powerful motor, and a claimed run time of two hours.[8]
Vacuum cleaners
editGtech’s upright, cordless vacuum cleaners are bagless and lightweight, which the company claims makes them easy to empty and operate.[9] The AirRAM, Gtech’s cordless vacuum, doesn’t use long tubes and bags or canisters like most vacuum cleaners. It maximises efficiency by moving dirt and dust across a very short distance within the head of the unit, and minimises weight and bulkiness by compressing the vacuumed matter into easily-removable ‘bales’. The company claims that the AirRAM outperforms a number of mains and cordless powered vacuum cleaners and has a run time of 40 minutes due to its fast-charging lithium-ion battery. Gtech also claims that the running costs of its 100W vacuum cleaner is as little as 1/20th of the cost of a number of traditional vacuums, based on 20 minutes use per day.[3]
Gtech also sells the HV04 Handheld Germguard vacuum cleaner which operates cordlessly, and comes with three interchangeable heads.[10]
Media coverage and awards
editGtech’s latest (as of April 2013) vacuum cleaner, the AirRAM, has received positive reviews from a number of notable British newspapers and consumer magazines.
In its April 28, 2012 edition, the Daily Mail awarded the AirRAM ten out of ten, praising its suction power and the potential savings in electricity costs.[11] The vacuum also received praise from The Daily Telegraph[12] and The Sunday Times.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b "How I made it: Nick Grey, Founder of Gtech". The Sunday Times. 2011-01-16. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
- ^ "Gtech is looking to solve the Chinese puzzle". The Daily Telegraph. 2010-10-11. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
- ^ a b c Gtech AirRAM product information
- ^ Which.co.uk AirRAM review
- ^ Wired.co.uk:Geekdad tests the Gtech AirRAM
- ^ DorkAdore.com:Battery-powered vacuum cleaner Gtech AirRAM Review
- ^ Gtech SW02 product information
- ^ Gtech SW20 product information
- ^ Gtech vacuum information page
- ^ Gtech HV04 product information
- ^ "Is this the best vacuum cleaner ever? It's cordless, bagless, light as a feather and recharges like your mobile phone. So how does it match up to the competition?". Daily Mail Online. 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
- ^ "Battery-powered vacuum takes on rivals". The Daily Telegraph. 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
- ^ "Vacuuming no longer sucks with the USB cleaner". The Sunday Times. 2012-04-29. Retrieved 2013-04-17.