Industry Says Goodbye To A Leader
When Arthur C. “Art” Barraclough, CBSE, passed away suddenly May 14, he left a void not only with his family and at the helm of his own company, Cross Gate Services Inc. in Brentwood, Tenn., but with the cleaning industry as a whole.

He left behind a wife, Marge Barraclough, as well as eight children, 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“We’re adjusting, but it’s been difficult,” says Marge Barraclough, also Cross Gate’s treasurer. “He was so loved by everyone.”

Steve Southard, formerly the company’s executive vice president, has taken over his father’s position as president. The business is continuing to run smoothly, Marge Barraclough adds.

Barraclough also was president-elect of the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI), and was slated to take over the presidency next year.

“Art Barraclough was one of the finest individuals I've known during my 30 years with BSCAI,” says the association’s executive vice president, Carol Dean. “For all of the years I've worked with him, he was a person of his own convictions, afraid of no one and nothing, and able to hone in rapidly on the bottom line of any situation. He was a true leader who will be greatly missed by all of us at BSCAI.”

Greg Littlefield of Professional Facilities Management, Inc. in Montgomery, Ala. was appointed by the current president and approved by the BSCAI board at its June 22 meeting as the new president-elect.

ISSA Announces BSC Seminars
The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) has announced the seminars for building service contractors and other cleaning professionals at its ISSA/Interclean 2004 convention Nov. 17 in New Orleans. Speakers and topics include:

•  Raising Standards – The Next 10 Years by Dave Frank
•  The Power of Effective Leadership by Dr. Joachim de Posada
•  Facility Asset Preservation: Best Practices for Saving Millions of Dollars
•  The New Rules of Selling: Are You Good Enough to Get Better? by Jim Pancero
•  Justifying Your Staff Levels by Jim Peduto, CBSE
•  Surviving as an Entrepreneur in the Commercial Cleaning Industry by Todd Hopkins, CBSE (see related coverage on p. 16)
• Making ‘Change’ Work for You by Michael D. Van Splinter
• Pro Athletes Have an Off-Season... Why not You? by Walter Bond

North American Cleaning Equipment of Toronto has changed its name to NaceCare Solutions. Its new tag line is Clarity in Cleaning.

Products available through NaceCare Solutions include pressure washers, floor- and carpet-care equipment — both riding and walk-behind models — washroom cleaning equipment, and upright and backpack vacuums.


AmKing Bedford, N.H., manufacturers of all-in-one mopping systems, announces a new strategic alliance with O’Dell Corp., manufacturers of wet and dry mops, floor-care products, brushes and brooms. Under the agreement, O’Dell will begin marketing AmKing’s MopKing Junior throughout most of the United States.


The Dial Corp., Scottsdale, Ariz., has announced a partnership with Technical Concepts LLC, Mundelein, Ill. This strategic alliance will leverage Dial’s soap products with the emerging technology of touch-free soap dispensing.

Dial began production of the Technical Concepts soap refill in April 2004 using co-branded liquid soaps in three varieties: Dial Antimicrobial, Pure & Natural, and Lotion Soap with Moisturizers.


Two cleaning-industry veterans were recently featured in Chicago-area media. Michael Schaffer, president of Chicago-based Tornado Industries, recently appeared on the WBBM-AM radio station to talk about the industry, including its size, growth, economic stability, and its future .

On the print side, Bob Robinson Sr., founder and president of Kaivac Inc. in Hamilton, Ohio, appeared in a Chicago Tribune column called “My Biggest Mistake.” In this column, Robinson discussed an injury suffered by a janitor because of a Kaivac machine malfunction. The custodian did recover; the company developed a safety system for its machines, and no other problems have since been reported.

BSC Pens Business Book
Ron Piscatelli, president of Global Building Management in San Diego, and author of “Coffee Break Wisdom on Starting a Successful Business” and the Italian cookbook, “Pasta FaZool for the Soul,” has written his third book, “Jump Into Janitorial.” The book covers the details of starting a janitorial company and how to net up to six figures.

“Jump Into Janitorial” can be a great asset to those who currently work for a cleaning company and have the desire to strike out on their own, but may not fully realize all the intricacies of running a business. For example, the book’s strongest argument is that a building service contractor must know his limits and when not to surpass them.

“Jump Into Janitorial” is published by Author House and will be will be available at bookstores and Amazon.com in late July.

Study: Mold Linked To Asthma, Not Other Ailments
The Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, recently released a new study confirming the long-held belief that mold can cause asthma and other respiratory problems. However, the study also stated that a host of other illnesses, which are often attributed to mold and mildew, are probably not caused by the problematic fungus.

The Institute was able to find sufficient evidence that certain respiratory problems, including symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, are associated with exposure to mold and damp conditions. The Institute also discovered that hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a rare respiratory illness, is also associated with mold exposure.

The Institute of the members called for development of guidelines for preventing indoor dampness, adding that the guidelines must be adopted and promoted nationally. Building codes and regulations were also singled out as major culprits. Members of the panel said that codes and regulations need to modified and updated to reflect current mold problems.

H2E Honors Ashkin
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), based in Lebanon, N.H., has added Stephen Ashkin, president of the Ashkin Group and a Contracting Profits columnist, to its honorary Champions program.

H2E represents 2,704 facilities, including 847 hospitals, 1,447 clinics, 101 nursing homes, and 309 other types of facilities. The association helps health-care facilities improve their environmental performance as well as achieve some of H2E’s national goals, which include:

• Eliminating mercury-containing waste from health-care facility waste streams by 2005

• Reducing the overall volume of waste by one-third by 2005 and by half by 2010

• Minimizing the use of bioaccumulative chemicals and products, toxic substances, and other hazardous chemicals

“Steve has been a proponent of environmentally friendly cleaning for years, conducting hundreds of training sessions, presentations, and consultations throughout the country and writing prolifically on the subject,” says Sarah O’Brien, Champion program coordinator. “We look forward to his contribution in further helping health care facilities ‘green’ their operations.”

“I’m very proud to be added to H2E’s Champions program,” says Ashkin. “The list includes many premier businesses and organizations working to build a healthier environment.”




POSTED ON: 7/1/2004