“For me, there is nothing better than doing business with really good, ethical people, that I like personally and that sell a quality product. Bottom line, Gary Phillips is at the top of my list as a great person, a great friend—and I wouldn’t build a house without at least pre-piping for his [VACUFLO] system.” - Rick Bernard, President - Bernard Custom Construction
Our Story
Every homeowner who dreads the drudgery of housecleaning needs a hero to turn to when the demons of dust and dirt threaten their happy home. In more than 30,000 homes across the Portland metro area, that household hero is Gary Phillips and his crew of certified installers at Gary’s VACUFLO. Phillips has created an award-winning and record-breaking company by focusing on just one thing—being the best at selling and installing central vacuum systems and accessories.
Becoming the victorious champion of vacuum system sales wasn’t even on the radar screen for Phillips while he pursued a career as an air traffic controller in 1969. That career was grounded in 1981 by the air traffic controllers’ strike. When labor negotiations failed, President Reagan fired the majority of controllers who refused to return to work without contracts—and Phillips found he was suddenly motivated to begin a new career to support his young family.
In 1982 Phillips, a native Oregonian and Hillsboro High alum, began installing VACUFLO systems as a side job in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1987, he returned to the Portland area and restarted this satisfying business from his garage. From those humble beginnings, Phillips has grown his company to more than 50 employees working from the showroom in southeast Portland.
For the last four years Gary’s VACUFLO has garnered national awards and recognition as the leading VACUFLO dealer and the largest volume dealer of central vacuum systems, regardless of brand or kind of system, in the country. Phillips and his company are also consistently honored by various trade organizations like the Vacuum Dealers Trade Association Award in 2004 and the Limited Energy Resource Center Award in 2005.
The mission statement for Gary’s VACUFLO sums up the award-winning sentiment that permeates all parts of the company: “Exceeding expectations at all times.” Record-setting sales and thousands of satisfied customers are proof positive that the corporate mission is right on target.