Fruitland Vacuum Pumps are known for their iconic blue ex-terior, but another color made waves at the company’s Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo 2014 booth – green. That’s green as in Fruitland GREEN, its brand-new, 100 percent biodegradable vacuum pump oil, designed to eliminate the chance of contaminating the air, water or ground.

“The main reason we came out with this product is it’s what our customers wanted,” says Keith Myers, sales manager for Fruitland. “We’ve had customers in the oilfield, environment, industry, septic service and grease services continuously ask if we have an environmentally friendly oil available. Now we do.”

The product is unique to the Fruitland brand, specifically designed for use in Fruitland vacuum pumps, although according to Myers, testing continues on other pump brands. The viscosity of the oil maintains stability across extreme temperature ranges.

“This product is just as effective as typical vacuum pump oil, but with the huge bonus of being biodegradable and safe for the environment,” says Myers. “The formulation is nontoxic, is easy to use, and completely safe for operators.”

Fruitland had been planning to roll out the new GREEN oil at the 2014 Expo for some time. “The 2013 show was where we really bounced the idea off of our customers, and decided a product like this was really needed in the industry,” says Myers. “The oil was tested internally in our shop for seven months, then field tested for three more months. The response was overwhelmingly positive.”

The product also created a buzz at the Expo. Myers says he talked to many Fruitland customers who were excited about the possibility of using biodegradable oil in their units.

“Not only is it a selling point for us, it’s an idea that our customers can pass along to their customers, too,” he says. “In an era where people are increasingly conscientious of the footprint they’re leaving on the environment, a septic pumper or drain cleaner being able to tell a customer that the oil they use in their unit is safe for the environment is a great selling point.”

Not only were Fruitland’s customers excited by the innovation, so were other Expo attendees, many of which had never used Fruitland pumps. The allure of running environmentally friendly vacuum pump units had many attendees considering a switch.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we picked up new customers by having this product at the Expo,” says Myers. “Talking about the GREEN oil was actually a terrific conversation starter with attendees. That gave us a great opportunity to talk with them about our vacuum pump options, and what they can do for their rigs and their business. The GREEN oil definitely helped us pick up several converts.”

As for the oil, Myers says attendees were pulling out their wallets and trying to buy the company’s display bottles on the spot. “Those weren’t for sale, but if they were, I could have sold them a hundred times over,” Myers says. “We are in the process of finalizing our packaging and in what distribution the product will come in, and we’ll be following up with everyone who expressed interest at the Expo. Anyone interested can call to place an order.”

Fruitland’s technicians are already hard at work to roll out several new products for the 2015 WWETT Show (formerly the Pumper & Cleaner Expo International). “We’re working on some industrial blowers, which will be a completely new market for Fruitland, and also a blower for the dry bulk market,” Myers says. “We’re excited to enter that market, and gauge the reaction at next year’s show. It’s always a great opportunity for us to show our new products and gather feedback for the future. Hopefully we’ll have a product that will create just as much excitement as our GREEN oil.” 800/663-9003; www.fruitlandmanufacturing.com.