A few months ago, a previously unknown disease surfaced in North America — Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Experts have since connected SARS transmission with poor hygiene, and prevention with proper sanitation. Building service contractors in Singapore, Taiwan, Toronto and other hard-hit areas are busy cleaning up to stay ahead of the infection.

In areas that haven’t seen a lot of SARS, cleaning is largely business-as-usual, interrupted by an occasional budget cut. But, in his “Business Builder” column, John Walker makes the case for waging a war on the more mundane, but perhaps more lethal, infectious agents found in everyday workplaces, public gathering spots and hospitals, just as the United States conducts its ongoing battle against terrorism.

His analogy may seem a bit jarring at first, but it’s a convincing argument — statistically, Americans stand a much greater chance of getting sick or dying from a hospital-borne infection than they do from terrorism or war.

In the battle, BSCs can play an important role, not only by offering top-notch cleaning but by educating their customers and the public about the importance of sanitation.


In order to protect the public health, contractors will need to find good partners throughout the supply chain. One such resource is your sanitary-supply distributor. Our “BSC Guide To Distributors” can help you find one who meets your needs and shares your vision.

We first put out this guide, in a partnership with the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), last year. Since then, many readers have found it to be a valuable resource for locating a supplier.

Even if you’re completely satisfied with your current distributor, talking to others about health, safety or business issues can be an enlightening experience. One opportunity for such networking is the ISSA convention and trade show, Oct. 14 -17, in Chicago. Contracting Profits is once again partnering with ISSA to bring BSCs a full day of educational seminars, featuring long-time magazine contributors Walker and Dannette Young, as well as some new faces. Of course, there will be time to chat with distributors, as well — to learn from them or to buy from them.


For those of you wondering what happened to our annual Buyer’s Guide, don’t despair. We’ve moved the Guide online, so point your browser to www.cleanlink.com/buyersguide, where you can search by manufacturer, brand or category. This way, we can update the information and you can locate the resources you need much more quickly.




POSTED ON: 6/1/2003