Simon Institute, a non-profit group consisting of end users of the standardized cleaning system (OS1), held the Simon Institute Symposium July 14 through 16 to bring together, educate, and recognize their peers from all over the country.

Each year the symposium hosts the Cleaning Industry Awards Banquet honoring outstanding cleaning organizations. This year, the University of Michigan was awarded the Mark Reimers Cleaning for Health Award for their unflinching dedication to excellence and health in their cleaning program.

The University of Michigan has modeled the philosophies of (OS1) and Janitor University since the 5-year rollout of their cleaning system began in 2009, including the maxim “clean for health first, then appearance.” They have proactively promoted the changes in their operation using a poster campaign and a student-produced online video, “A Short History of the Custodian,” which was awarded a Silver Telly Award last month.

By implementing (OS1), the university overcame budget cuts and shaved 2.1 million dollars off their annual maintenance budget. They improved efficiency, once cleaning 36,000 sq. ft. per custodian, now cleaning 40,000 sq. ft. per custodian as a part of their (OS1) standardized operations. They truly earned the honor of Mark Reimers’ namesake Award.

Reimers’ career in the cleaning industry spanned over 40 years. He joined Larry Shideler at ProTeam®, the Vacuum Company, in 1987 and helped transform the company from an innovative start-up to a major industry-presence. One of the earliest advocates of Cleaning for Health, Reimers helped establish an educational partnership with the American Lung Association to promote better filtration, which continues today. Since his retirement in 2009, Reimers’ legacy of expertise and passion continues to shape the ongoing conversation about the health of the indoor environment.

Previous winners of the Mark Reimers Cleaning for Health Award include the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and The University of Texas-Austin.