24/7 equipment for a 24/7 generator maintenance business

People count on Alex Hochstein. He’s factory-trained on generator and engine repair — a rare combination of skills for one person. At his business Amarillo Industrial Mobile Maintenance (AIMM), he is essentially on call 24/7 to maintain and repair standby generators for customers ranging from hospitals and nursing homes to pig farms and dairies. His ability to provide service to his customers could quite literally mean the difference between life and death in some situations.

Hochstein is always available to work on generators, but when the weather gets bad, that’s when he gets really busy. Snowstorms, hard freezes, flash floods and other weather events mean it’s go-time for standby generators in Hochstein’s service area, which spans from the northern panhandle into parts of Kansas and Colorado. Last year, winter storm Uri caused catastrophic blackouts across Texas, with more than 69% of Texans losing power. Hochstein rose to the challenge and worked for 48 hours straight to ensure his customers had power.

Someone this dedicated to his customers’ needs must have equipment he can rely on. That’s why Hochstein has trusted equipment from Sage Oil Vac for nearly 20 years. Hochstein’s relationship with Sage Oil Vac started in the early 2000s when he rented a service lube skid. He loved how it worked, so he keeps coming back as his business grows and his mobile lube equipment needs grow alongside it. He bought his first lube skid seven or eight years ago, and upgraded to a 380 PM Trailer last spring.

Generator maintenance equipment built for the job

With his 380 PM, Hochstein can work nonstop all day without worrying about having to transfer oil or stop for refills. With longer hoses in different sizes and increased tank capacities, the 380 PM makes Hochstein’s job easier. “I plan to use my trailer until I retire. But if my workload increases, I won’t think twice about purchasing another one,” Hochstein said.

In addition to being happy with all the equipment he’s gotten from Sage Oil Vac, Hochstein is more than satisfied with his relationship with the company and the service he’s received. “We’ve had a great relationship over the years. Sage Oil Vac has helped immensely with my business routine,” he said. “I’ve been happy with the process and the whole flow of things when I’ve bought their equipment.”

Customized for maximum efficiency in emergencies

In addition to the standard five hoses that come on his lube trailer, Hochstein added a 20-foot wrapped hose to onload oil with a ball valve that is permanently connected to the fresh oil tank with a camlock. He also added a fourth reel to keep his offload hose handy. He’s gone through 26 drums of oil in less than six months, so these customizations to his 380 PM make it work even better for his business.

Hochstein also gets a lot of use out of the filter stinger, Used Filter Receptacle^TM (UFR) and digital preset meter. The filter stinger attachment makes the filter-draining process easier and cleaner than ever before with its ability to suction out used oil directly into the used oil tank. Once the filter is removed, Hochstein places it in the Sage-invented UFR. The UFR provides a secure and leakproof holding tank for the used filter to drain what little fluid is left. It connects to a used fluid tank so he can easily vacuum oil that may drain from the discarded filter.

The digital preset meter lets Hochstein see how much oil is in the equipment tank and set the amount needed to fill the tank. Hochstein said, “It all works great and has really sped up the pace of things.”

When it comes to having the right equipment to serve his customers, Hochstein said he’d never consider anything but Sage Oil Vac. “Reliability has been phenomenal and the pumpless system is the kicker.”