Kaivac has built its reputation by doing something many overlook: transforming the way the world thinks about cleaning. For nearly three decades, the company has disrupted a traditional industry with innovative equipment, bold thinking, and a deep commitment to the people doing the work.
As growth accelerated and internal leadership shifted, Kaivac saw an opportunity to strengthen its marketing foundation. Not just to keep pace, but to support growth strategically.
Building a Marketing Foundation for Scalable Growth
Before hiring a new marketing leader, Kaivac needed clarity around how marketing should function within a fast-growing, sales-driven organization. CMO-OnLoan stepped in to develop the strategic marketing plan, define how success would be measured, and build the structure required to support long-term growth.
Amy Connor, Founder & CEO of CMO-OnLoan, saw both the opportunity and the ambition. “Kaivac is one of those companies where innovation is in the DNA,” she said. “Our role was to help build a marketing system that could support that level of ambition with the right people, structure, and clarity to sustain it.”
CMO-OnLoan worked alongside Kaivac’s leadership team to architect a marketing organization designed for where the company was going, not where it had been. That included defining roles and responsibilities, pressure-testing what capabilities should be built internally versus outsourced, guiding third-party partner selection, creating a structured knowledge transfer from prior leadership, building a KPI dashboard, and establishing reporting structures.
The work extended beyond strategy. CMO-OnLoan helped ensure the plan translated into action, supporting implementation across people, process, and performance.
When Kaivac hired a new Director of Marketing, Jim Pickrel, CMO-OnLoan helped onboard him and guide implementation of the marketing plan.
For Jim, CMO-OnLoan became a stabilizing force during that transition.
“It allowed me to come in and have executive-level strategic support,” Jim said. “The biggest value they delivered was perspective. On our priorities, what not to do, what to focus on versus delegate out. That allowed me to have headspace and velocity.”
Clarifying the Role of Marketing at the Leadership Table
As Kaivac continued to grow, one of the most meaningful shifts wasn’t just structural, it was cultural. Marketing moved from a supporting function to a strategic growth driver.
“Sometimes marketing can be an afterthought at the strategic level,” Jim said. “Having CMO-OnLoan there to establish authority made it easier for me to step into that role and have a seat at the leadership and revenue generation table.”
“The ability for Jim to start fast in a leadership position was critical,” Amy said. “We weren’t just building a plan, we were helping create the conditions for long-term success.”
For Jim, that support created immediate momentum. “CMO-OnLoan gave me the clarity and confidence to make an impact without unnecessary risk,” he said.
Aligning Innovation with a Unified Growth Engine
Today, Kaivac continues to push the boundaries of its category. Not only through product innovation, but through how sales and marketing work together to drive growth.
The company refined its brand positioning around a powerful belief: “We exist to help those who do the work.” That message reflects Kaivac’s commitment to elevating the dignity and impact of janitorial professionals and to connecting cleaning outcomes directly to business value.
“It’s not just about clean floors,” Jim said. “It’s about reducing slip-and-fall accidents. And it’s not just clean bathrooms. It’s brand perception, customer experience, and protecting the reputation of the business. We want to make sure that connection to business impact is always present.”
Looking ahead, Kaivac is focused on further unifying sales and marketing into a single growth engine, blending intent data, demand generation, and closer collaboration across the funnel.
“We’re breaking down the line between sales and marketing,” Jim said. “We’re building a unified front end where we can move fast, support the sales team, and drive growth together.”
For Amy, the journey reflects what’s possible when innovation is matched with intention. “Kaivac’s team is bold, thoughtful, and deeply committed to the people they serve,” she said. “When you combine that kind of culture with a strong marketing foundation, you don’t just support growth. You accelerate it.”
The foundation is in place. The system is working. And the innovation that defines Kaivac now has the marketing structure to match it.
To learn more about Kaivac, visit https://www.kaivac.com/.