DECEMBER 25, 2008 Issue
Business Spotlight
A-1 Vacuum Solutions—Answers for Everyone’s Vacuum Needs
Story by Sam Calhoun
One product that is not being affected greatly by the current economic downturn is the vacuum cleaner. Jerry Cook, owner of A-1 Vacuum Solutions and Mountain Central Vacuum, is boasting a 70 percent increase in business in 2008 compared to 2007, and the customer activity is evident—people bustle in and out of his store daily, requesting parts and service and checking out new vacuums from top manufacturers.
The activity makes sense—most every home has a vacuum, and most of those vacuums are what Cook calls “throw away vacuums,” or cheap vacuums that break often and negatively affect air quality. Customers won’t find any “throw away vacuums” at A-1 Vacuum Solutions, only vacuums that have met and passed Cook’s high personal standards and are known internationally as top-quality machines that actually clean the air as they clean floors. Once customers use a top-quality vacuum, they hardly ever go back, said Cook.
“We basically have a solution for everyone’s vacuum needs,” said Cook. “We focus on high-end, high-quality products.”
Cook’s store, located at 244-A Shadowline Drive in Boone, is filled with bags, filters, belts, motors, brush rolls and accessories for dozens of makes and models of high-end vacuums. On display are dozens of vacuums—upright and canister—from companies Cook stands behind 100 percent, including Miele, Sebo, Riccar and Oreck. Cook’s favorite vacuum company is Germany-based Miele, the world’s largest family-owned appliance company. Miele vacuums provide “the best cleaning and best HEPA filtration on the market,” said Cook. “The air comes out cleaner than it goes in.” Cook also sells air purifiers, including the IQ Air, and home heating units, as well as operates Mountain Central Vacuum.
Cook has lived in North Carolina all his life and attended high school in McDowell County. For the past 30 years, Cook has made a home in Newland. During his first decade in the High Country, Cook worked in the wholesale florist supply business.
After leaving the floral business, Cook worked in the wholesale food business for 13 years, traveling all over the Southeast on deliveries. When he tired of the food business, Cook started looking into selling Electrolux products. Around that time, another company bought Electrolux and prices skyrocketed. Cook didn’t like the price hike, so he began looking into starting a central vacuum business. He found a leading company in the central vacuum business, Galaxie Central Vacuum Systems, and traveled to its home base in Massachusetts to learn more. He liked what he found and came back to the High Country five years ago ready to open Mountain Central Vacuum.
Business was lean the first few years, but Cook stayed at it, adding new customers every month. Cook often met customers who asked him where they could get their upright vacuum fixed or where they could purchase a new one.
“I saw the need for a vacuum store—there was no place in Boone to buy and service quality vacuums,” said Cook.
Having found a new niche, Cook opened A-1 Vacuum Solutions in January 2007. He runs the store with the help of his daughter-in-law Tabitha. Cook is usually at the store two days a week and devotes four days each week to service calls, installations and sales for Mountain Central Vacuum.
“What sets us apart from other stores—other than the fact that we are the only one in this area—is the added service work we do and we carry better products than the big box stores who carry those throw away vacuums,” said Cook.
Cook carries enough parts to fix most any vacuum, but he will special order parts for vacuums if he doesn’t have the right part in stock. Cook will not, however, fix a “throw away vacuum” if it is not in the owner’s best interest, especially the cheap vacuums that come to him with dust covering their exterior.
“When you get a machine that gets dusty on the outside, you’re not cleaning anything. You need something to capture that dirt and clean your air,” said Cook. “In this store, our main focus is on air quality.”
Cook reads books, newsletters and articles on the vacuum industry daily, staying up on current trends and marketing techniques. He also travels to vacuum industry meetings annually. This year, Cook is heading to Las Vegas, Nev. for a meeting.
“We always point people in the right direction if we can. We try and educate people in so many ways,” said Cook. “We concentrate on giving good customer service and we go above and beyond what other installers do; we do extra. I’m not cheap, but I don’t do cheap work.”
Cook does all the repair, installation and sales work for A-1 Vacuum Solutions and Mountain Central Vacuum. He has installed central vacuum systems in $200,000 homes up to $4 million homes across the High Country, helping improve air quality and clean spaces for second homeowners, third homeowners, locals and businesses.
In the future, Cook dreams of opening a store that sells only Miele products—washers, dryers, refrigerators, vacuums, coffeemakers and other appliances. Just like his two current businesses, “the store will be all about healthy living,” said Cook.
A-1 Vacuum Solutions is located at 244-A Shadowline Drive in Boone. The store is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed Sunday. For more information, call 828-264-1515.
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