A company called Big Ass Fans clearly has a sense of humor. But when it comes to the health and comfort of its employees, the manufacturer takes things very seriously. Which is why, when it came to the bathrooms of Big Ass Fans’ 80,000-square-foot headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, only one bathroom fixture made sense: TOTO’s bestselling WASHLET.
“It started as a simple equity gesture,” explains Big Ass Fans’ design manager Margaret Schwartz. “Our CEO, Carey Smith, had WASHLET at home and wanted to offer that to his employees. Smith felt that he couldn’t expect the employees to do anything he wouldn’t do, and that principle extends to the toilets.”
It was a strong vote of confidence for TOTO’s signature product, which boasts a heated seat, front and rear bidet cleansing options, automated bowl cleaning utilizing electrolyzed water and a dryer. Over 40 million of these models have been sold to date, in markets including almost every building type in Japan and high-end hospitality properties in glamorous destinations such as Hawaii and San Francisco. WASHLET units can be found in the bathrooms of easily googleable tech companies in Mountain View, California and of the Porsche showrooms of Atlanta where, notes TOTO’s president of operations and e-commerce Bill Strang, “the customers understand that not only will you get the best car seat, but also the best toilet seat, to sit on.”
What makes them the best? The S300e and S350e models are just 4 inches high and fit both elongated and round-front toilets, which means they can be used most anywhere. “It can spray in different ways for men and women,” Strang explains, “one for both men and women in the back and for women in the front since there are anatomical differences being addressed.” And its pre-misting function aids waste elimination 80 percent better than a standard dry bowl: Electrolyzed water mists the bowl once every eight hours to keep it far cleaner than regular toilets, remaining ready for use at almost any time.
The focus on hygiene is much appreciated in Big Ass Fans’ warehouse. “The fact that our employees consume several hundreds of pounds of fruit each week,” due to the company’s policy of free fruit and coffee, notes Schwartz, “makes WASHLET that much more appreciated and used, as you might imagine.”
Big Ass Fans, meanwhile, are reciprocally used in TOTO’s Atlanta warehouse. The collaboration began, in fact, when Big Ass Fans came to check out the installation. “When folks come in to visit our factory,” Strang says, “they test-drive our product. And once you use it, you really remember it.” The synergy makes sense, as both the fans and WASHLET take innovative approaches to the ordinary but essential aspects of employee health and comfort. After all, Strang notes, “When it’s 105 degrees outside, humidity is at 99 percent, and you have a big warehouse where workers are assembling and shipping products, you can really feel the distinct difference the fans provide. They are experiential products.”
Experiencing WASHLET entails sprays with cycling movements and massages of aerated water with adjustable temperature and volume, along with five variable temperature settings for the seat. There’s even a wireless remote control and automatic air deodorizer. The luxurious specifications don’t come at heavy costs for the environment either, as WASHLET is far more responsible than other systems. Ewater+ is created from existing supplies on the site and returns to its natural state in just two hours.
The use of electrolyzed water reduces the need for harsh chemical cleansers, helping to keep the water table clean. And logically, WASHLET saves trees by eliminating or reducing the use of toilet paper. No wonder then, that TOTO is the only plumbing manufacturer honored as Water Efficiency leader by the Environmental Protection Agency. “You might think, toilets and fans, what more mundane products could you have?” Strang says. “But we have solutions that consumers find compelling. We’re really speaking to first adopters here.”
Big Ass Fans couldn’t agree more. “Of all the green building techniques and air movement innovations we implement,” Schwartz says, “the product that often gets people talking is in the bathroom. It’s part of the larger idea we refer to as ‘Live Life Big Ass.’”
