Oil Vac Idea Moved From Farm Shop To Global Sales

Oil Vac Idea Moved From Farm Shop To Global Sales FARM SHOP Tools 29-3-6 Getting a good idea is the easy part. Making it work is another thing. And getting it on the market and making money of it is the hardest of all. But that's what Gary Sage has managed to do with his "OIL VAC" machine that he first came up with in the 1980's. (First featured in FARM SHOW's Vol. 18, No. 2). At the time, Sage had just moved to Texas from Iowa. He quickly grew tired of changing oil on his 17 irrigation pump engines that ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for five months straight. His idea was to make a large vacuum-powered oil changer that would speed up the process. Today his machine is used in shops, factories, construction sites, and military bases around the world. It's also used to run mobile oil change businesses. An air compressor is used to vacuum hot oil out of the oil pan as fast as 10 gpm and then pump fresh oil back in. Sage now markets 21 different machines with tanks ranging in size from 5 gal. to 250 gal. Trailers that hold more than 1,000 gal. can be custom ordered. Systems can be set up with separate tanks for used and new oil, multiple fluid tanks and even air-powered grease guns. Prices vary by size and option. The Sage OIL VAC 30070 sells for $1,299. It includes a trailer with a 60-gal tank, a vacuum hose and air compressor plus all the fittings needed. Launching the business wasn't easy. Sage credits his son Aaron and son-in-law Phil for helping develop a well-structured business plan. He also credits a program funded by the U.S. Commerce Dept. called Incubator. It offers hands-on startup advice from people with business experience. "Two men in the program locally helped us get started, even renting us a building at a lower lease rate that was stair stepped over three years," says Sage. "I strongly urge everyone to take advantage of the program." Careful cost accounting is key. The company has all of its books on computer so they can track costs, wages, inventory and work orders. Financing is through a local bank, and so far the family has been able to retain 100 percent ownership. Starting out, the world didn't exactly beat a path to Sage's door. When word got out, first neighbors and then others asked him to build an OIL VAC for them. "I got my first patent on the OIL VAC in 1993 and started manufacturing them on the farm during winter months," recalls Sage. "We were written up in FARM SHOW about 11 years ago, and that helped get us started." Once patents were in hand, after an expensive 3-year process, Sage started getting more serious about marketing. He began going to farm shows and soon was selling units in Kan., Colo., Texas and Okla. Within three years, he was turning down orders in order to get his fieldwork done. It was time to choose between full-time production and farming. "In 2001, my wife and I made the very hard decision to quit farming and move the business to Amarillo," says Sage. Making the shift to full-time production required a shift in thinking as well. Sage credits his son and son-in-law for thinking big picture, expanding the product line and developing a multiple-year business plan. "We stuck to it no matter what our sales were at the time," says Sage. "It has proven to be a good road map to follow and has resulted in steady growth of the company." Today, Sage is selling a lot of systems to the U.S. military. Ag sales have fallen from 90 percent of their business to 10 percent as business in other segments has taken off. All parts except the tanks are made at the factory, and quality control is very strict. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gary Sage, Sage Oil Vac, Inc., P.O. Box 51680, Amarillo, Texas 79159 (ph 806 372-7559 or 877 645-8227; website: www. sageoilvac .com).

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