Association News

ISSA Announces Attendance Breakdown for Las Vegas Show
The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) recently released the official attendance breakdown for ISSA/INTERCLEAN®-USA 2002. More than 16,500 distributors, manufacturers and end users attended, a total that exceeds the association’s two previous shows (Atlanta in 2000 and Orlando in 2001), and is just shy of Chicago’s record attendance in 1999. The exhibitor total (687) was close to last year’s number, but booth size increased by 5 percent, according to ISSA. The event attracted 4,939 distributors as well as 2,500 other non-manufacturing show attendees. In addition, nearly 4,000 end users (2,297 building service contractors and 1,552 in-house cleaning professionals) were in attendance. Lastly, 5,228 manufacturers, publishers and associate members attended.

SDA Announces Meeting Theme
“Getting Things Done,” is the theme of the Soap & Detergent Association’s (SDA) annual meeting at Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Fla. The association recently announced the theme, saying that it “reflects the mindset of SDA and its membership.” Larry Bossidy, retired Honeywell CEO, and Heloise of Hints from Heloise will be featured speakers at the event.

New IICRC Executive Committee Elected
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) recently elected its 2003 executive committee during its board of directors meeting. The 2003 committee includes: Lee Zimmerman, chairman of the board; Carey Vermeulen and Ruth Travis, vice chairs; Eileen Barkstedt, secretary; and Darrell Paulson, treasurer. Each member has experience and expertise in the cleaning and restoration industry. The IICRC was founded in 1972 and partners with educators in Canada, Great Britain, Australia and the United States to establish cleaning standards.

Company Notes

• Tri-Star Supply Co., Kerrville, Texas, has recently been confirmed as a Triple S member-dealer. Triple S is a nationwide network of 113 sanitary supply distributors.

• Tuway American Group, Troy, Mich., a producer of textile-cleaning products, has announced three additions to its network of independent sales agencies: D.C. Brown Inc.; End Market Concepts and Southwest Disposable Concepts (SWDC). Since 1989, D.C. Brown, Minneapolis, has represented manufacturers in the sanitary maintenance and food service industries. The company will now market Tuway products in Minn., N.D. and South Dakota. End Market Concepts, Woodly, Pa., will market the Tuway line in New York City and northern New Jersey. Finally, SWDC will market to the New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana markets.

• Minuteman International, Addison, Ill., has announced the winners of the 2002 Minuteman “Stars and Stripes” sales promotion. Brett Marshall of All-Type Vacuum & Janitorial, St. Louis, won the grand prize, a cruise for two to a destination of his choice. The first place winner, James Thain of Spectrowax Corp., Brighton, Mass., won a big-screen television.

• Majestic Carpet Solutions, has been accepted as an approved cleaning solution for Collins & Aikman Carpet Mills. Collins & Aikman is part of the Tandus Group.

• Nobles Industries, Holland, Mich., recently received the “Best in Show” award for its booth at the ISSA/INTERCLEAN®-USA 2002 trade show in Las Vegas. The floor care equipment manufacturer’s booth was 40 feet by 50 feet. “We had one of the busiest and highly attended booths in our history,” said Jeff Elenbaas, Nobles marketing manager.

• Steamin’ Demon Sales, Granville, Ohio, recently announced that the company has been renamed and is now the John Downey Company. The manufacturer of carpet extraction systems will keep its headquarters in Granville, and all contact information remains the same.

• Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, has announced that Mario Cantacessi, a career firefighter from Westminster, Calif., has been named the winner of the national “Do You Know a Brawny Man?” contest. Cantacessi’s picture will appear on Brawny® paper towels.

Players

• Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, recently named Lee M. Thomas the company’s president. Thomas will report to A.D. “Pete” Correll, chairman and chief executive officer, who is recovering from recent heart surgery. Thomas will be responsible for several key support staff groups in addition to his role as head of the company’s building products manufacturing and distribution business, according to company representatives.

• Spartan Chemical Co., Inc., Maumee, Ohio, has announced the following promotions: Kyle Brown has been appointed regional manager for the Houston region; Bruce Link is regional manager for St. Louis; Sean Miller has been promoted to regional manager of Buffalo, N.Y.; and Scott Crum is the new regional manager for Pittsburgh.

• Bell Laboratories, Madison, Wis., a manufacturer of rodent control products, has appointed Steve Levy as its CEO. Formerly Bell’s general manager, Levy now oversees all aspects of Bell business, from sales and marketing to product development and research.

• Niles & Associates Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif., has announced that Jim Shaver has joined the company as an executive recruiter. Niles & Associates is a recruiting company in the industrial/personal protective equipment industry.

• Electrolux, Stockholm, has made several organizational changes. Hans Straberg, CEO of the company, has announced that Bengt Andersson and Johan Bygge have been appointed senior executive vice presidents. Bygge is head of a new sector for non-European goods. Andersson will be responsible for both the consumer outdoor products sector and the professional outdoor products sector. In addition, Bob Cook will be head of consumer outdoor products for North America.

• Waxie Sanitary Supply, San Diego, has hired John C. Bielenberg as general manager of the San Francisco division. He will be responsible for the sales, operations and office functions for northern California.

• Carroll Co. Distributor Alliance Group, Garland, Texas, has announced that Norm Sobecki and Sam Morrison have been promoted to group executive vice president positions. In addition, Greg Kerley has been promoted to vice president of marketing.

Company High Notes

Milwaukee Magazine recently named Lakeland Supply, Waukesha, Wis., a distributor of packaging, paper and janitorial supplies, as one of the 20 best places to work in Milwaukee.

Larry Schmidt, founder of the company, is featured as a business owner who “doesn’t hesitate to involve himself in employees’ lives if they ask.” Although his son, Larry Jr., is now the president, the elder Schmidt still takes the company out iceboating on their iceboat, Miss Lakeland, when the weather permits.

“If you’re not smiling and having fun at your job, you’re probably at the wrong place,” says Larry Jr., who runs the company with his brother Vince.

Lakeland employees are encouraged to follow the company’s priorities: God, family, and the company, in that order. The values are reflected in family-friendly policies such as flexible hours and a variety of community-building activities. There are service projects and even employee-catered Friday luncheons. Lakeland employs 25 workers.

Kathy Radtke, an eight-year veteran of the company, told Milwaukee Magazine that executives from the company came to her home and helped her clean up her property when a storm blew down 10 trees. “I’ve never worked for any place like this before!” she said.




POSTED ON: 12/1/2002