Cleaner puts inventor on stairway to heaven

Innovation is alive and thriving in Hawke's Bay, with the latest invention sure to escalate a local businessman to new heights.

Graeden Chittock from New Look Escalators has invented a highly effective escalator cleaner and is fielding inquiries from as far away as Great Britain.

The device, which Mr Chittock simply titled the Escalator Cleaning Tool, was inspired by commercial cleaning experiences in Auckland where he found imported technology expensive and ineffective.

"The only machine that cleaned the top and front of the escalator steps would cost almost $100,000 after all the accessories were added," he said.

The owner-operator said that price was too much for small operators in New Zealand, the cleaning results were dismal and there was not enough demand for escalator cleaning to warrant that investment.

The innovator said he decided to have a go at inventing his own cleaning tool, just as a hobby.

"Eventually I came up with a spray and suction device that uses turbulence and a vortex to draw away the cleaning liquid and with it grime and dirt. It's like a cleaning tornado," he said.

The Napier man said the real intelligence of his design was the machine's ability to control the cleaning liquid, so it doesn't ruin the electronics of the escalator being cleaned. The prototype cost only $4,000 and was manufactured by a local engineering firm.

Mr Chittock said even a harsh job would only take his invention about five hours, less than half the time of the imported product, so these efficiencies make him competitive.

The invention had a provisional patent while it was still in the testing phase and New Look Escalators used it for contracts from Christchurch to Auckland.

New Look recently gained the cleaning contract for Hawke's Bay's newest (and only) escalator in the newly-opened Farmers store in Hastings.

Store manager Tammy Kupa was impressed with the polished finish that Mr Chittock's invention gave to the store's two escalators

"It works wonders. We saw it in action when he came and cleaned before our big opening and we were amazed at how it worked," Ms Kupa said.

Mr Chittock said the great client feedback was what was driving the enquiries from Australia and Britain.

Despite the growing demand for his cleaning tool, the inventor is committed to staying in Napier.

"Ideally I want to manufacture the tools here and partner with cleaning businesses worldwide under franchise agreements," Mr Chittock said. He said Hawke's Bay engineers were strong on precision and quality, whilst always maintaining good value for money.