The Down and Dirty on Cleaning in Virus Season
Industry Report Reveals Burnout Prevalence Among Cleaning Professionals
How Surfactant Use is Expanding in Commercial Cleaning
Clean Buildings Conference
ASSOCIATION NEWS
ISSA recently released its much-anticipated Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS), along with a detailed compliance guide that provides cleaning organizations with the best ways to meet the standard’s requirements.
The CIMS is the first consensus-based management standard for the cleaning industry that sets forth policies, procedures and supporting documentation that are universally recognized as the hallmarks for customer-focused building service contractors (BSCs) and in-house service providers (ISPs).
“The standard provides both building service contractors and in-house service providers with a framework that they can use to manage their business in a more efficient and customer-focused manner,” says Dan Wagner, ISSA Standards Development Manager. “The very existence of the standard, and the eagerness of the industry to adopt its principles, is evidence that the cleaning industry is committed to professionalism and the delivery of quality services, and understands its role in protecting public health.”
Development of CIMS brought together a group of organizations representing more than 100,000 professionals from the cleaning, facilities management and purchasing communities. ISSA encourages distributors, manufacturers and manufacturer representatives to become ISSA Certification Experts (ICE). Wagner says that by becoming a certified ICE, suppliers will be in a better position to understand everyday challenges by their cleaning organization customers.
“It has long been said that knowledge is power,” Wagner says. “And providing distributors with a basic understanding of their customer's business is the first step toward creating a more synergistic and rewarding relationship.”
| ASSOCIATION NEWS Members of the wood and paper products industry in North America have formed the Abundant Forests Alliance (AFA) to share information with consumers and customers about the numerous initiatives the industry takes in order to ensure there will be abundant forests in the future. The AFA promotes the industry’s record on sustainability through education about new technologies, advanced forestry practices and improvements in recycling. The AFA concentrates on preserving the balance between supplying wood and paper products with giving forests time to flourish. Members of the AFA include Anthony Forest Products Company, Green Diamond Resource Company, Gulf States Paper Corporation, International Paper, MeadWestvaco, Monadnock Paper Mills, Plum Creek Timber Company, Temple-Inland and Weyerhaeuser. The NPTA Alliance has announced that the debut of the DistriPakUSA’s trade show — held in conjunction with ISSA/INTERCLEAN® USA in Chicago — was a success.Over 1,000 representatives of the packing industry’s distribution channel, plus an additional crowd of thousands who came over from the ISSA show, visited almost 100 exhibitors. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has launched a Seal of Approval (SOA) program for service providers. The program recognizes service providers that use products or equipment certified by CRI and enables these companies to display the SOA logo on their trucks and/or marketing materials. ISSA recently held its first installment of its “Quick Clips” series, a new program that offers two- to five-minute cleaning industry and business management videos. The free series is broadcast on ISSA-TV. Two new clips will be provided every month. It can be accessed at www.issa.com/quickclips. |
PLAYERS
Continental Commercial Products, St. Louis, recently named Chris Bond director of purchasing. He will handle procurement for the company’s four divisions: Continental, Wilen, Glit-Microton and Disco.
Pro-Link, Canton, Mass., recently appointed Erik Webb regional sales manager for California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.
Robert Robinson, president and founder of Kaivac Inc., Hamilton, Ohio, is one of 40 business trailblazers showcased in “The Success Effect,” a new book by author and career journalist John Eckberg.
The company also recently hired Robert Toews as chief financial officer and general counsel; and John Richter as technical director.
AFFLINK, Tuscaloosa, Ala., appointed two new leaders within the group: Kevin Florence, president of General Paper Goods in Atlanta, Ga., will serve as the board’s chairman; and Tim Wilson, president of Los Angeles-based Ernest Paper Products Inc., will join the board as vice chairman.
Kellermeyer Co., Bowling Green, Ohio, recently promoted Jill Kegler as the company’s president and Greg Kegler to executive vice president and CFO.
Carolina Mop Mfg., Co., Anderson, S.C., recently named Dan Raymond as sales representative for Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.
Spartan Chemical Co., Inc., Maumee, Ohio, announced that Advertising/Marketing Manager, Marygrace Miller, is retiring in January after serving more than 42 years with the company.
Two hires in Spartan’s advertising/ marketing department were made: Vince Ippolito has been appointed manager of product development, and Erica Kurfis is the new assistant advertising manager.
Spartan also promoted MiShell Garver to regional manager for Phoenix.
The RTF Group, Lake Bluff, Ill., has named Jim Clark as division sales manager for Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Southeastern Paper Group, Spartanburg, S.C., has made the following promotions: Sherri Garvin, sales training coordinator; Deana Hansen, team leader; Kasey Biggerstaff, customer service administrative assistant; Rachel Oupasa, sales support representative; and Sharon Pickens, rebate manager in accounting.
Mandi Cash joins the sales department, and Johnny Howard was hired as the direct shipment purchasing agent. Daniel Gregory, Ruth Stokes and Shanna Sikes were hired as representatives in customer service.
Fortune Plastics, Old Saybrook, Conn., recently appointed Dan Martens as manager of national accounts, and Martha Schwarzkopf as a customer service representative. Wayne Eddy was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing.
Bunzl Distribution, St. Louis, recently promoted Mark Sementilli as the company’s executive vice president of global sourcing, and Earl Engelmann as vice president of corporate procurement.
Jim Eastwood, vice president of Puget Safety Equipment Co., a full-line environmental health and safety distributor based in Bellingham, Wash., was recently presented with a 25-year plaque by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) for his service to the safety industry.
Intellibot Robotics LLC recently appointed Ty Taft southeast regional sales rep. He has more than 10 years of technology sales and sales management experience.
Steve Braun a manufacturer’s representative for Braun Sales Associates, Freeland, Md., will represent Enviro-Solutions in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.
COMPANY NOTES
Memphis Chemical & Janitorial Supply Co., Memphis, Tenn., has been named the 2006 U.S. Small Business Administration’s contractor of the year for the state of Tennessee. The award recognizes contractors that work with the SBA's 8(a) BD Program — a business development program created to help small businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.
Enviro-Solutions, Chicago, recently announced that Mesophase Technologies/Unifly, a distributor based in Taiwan, has joined its team. The company also announced the addition of Edmar Cleaning Corp., Woodside, N.Y., as a new U.S. distributor.
Kimberly-Clark, Roswell, Ga., was awarded the Corporate Citizenship Award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center for its international community service.
Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Winchester, Va., recently received the “Editor’s ChoiceBlue Plate Award” from Prep Magazine, for its Wavebrake® Mopping System. The award, which recognizes products and services in the food service business in Kentucky, falls under the new equipment and technology category.
Rubbermaid also recently announced the settlement of an infringement lawsuit against Chickasaw Broom Mfg. and Little Rock Broom Works. The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, accused Chickasaw Broom and Little Rock Broom, both of Little Rock, Ark., of infringing Rubbermaid’s U.S. patents relating to commercial cleaning equipment. Under the terms, the two companies will cease selling the products at issue and agree to pay Rubbermaid an undisclosed settlement.
Deb SBS, South Stanley, N.C., recently presented NISSCO, Dulles, Va., with the 2006 Pandemic Awareness Program award for its responsible and timely response to the threat of a worldwide avian flu pandemic.
Anderson Paper & Packing Co., Ferndale, Wash., has been appointed as a Triple S (SSS®) member-dealer.
Host/Racine Industries, Racine, Wis., recently presented two sales awards to its agents. FNH Associates, Austin, Tex., received the Top Agency Performance award, and Signature Marketing Inc., Springfield, Mo., received the award for outstanding agency performance.
JohnsonDiversey Inc., Sturtevant, Wis., and Virox Technologies Inc., Oakville, Ontario, are recipients of the Business Achievement award presented by the Canadian American Business Council. The award recognized the companies’ collaboration in developing and distributing a safe and environmentally friendly hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant.
SCA Tissue, Neenah, Wis., received the highest mark for the second straight year from the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) environmental performance assessment of Europe’s major tissue manufacturers.
Betco, Toledo, Ohio, recently launched its new brand identity, “The Cleaning Edge,” which will be incorporated on all communications, marketing collateral and packaging. The new tagline is a reflection of Betco’s transition over the past 56 years.
Pro-Link, Canton, Mass., introduced the Pro-Link Green Program, a program that specifically targets green cleaning. The program was developed over the past year through collaboration with several of the industry’s leading experts in green cleaning and training development.
Dryit Carpet Dry Cleaning, Brookfield, Wis., announced that it will begin manufacturing and selling a carpet cleaning machine next spring. The new machine is designed to work with Dryit’s own blend of carpet dry cleaning chemicals. The company designed its own machine because its chemicals clean carpet differently than steam cleaners or other water-based methods.
Affiliated Laboratories (AFFLAB), Tuscaloosa, Ala., expanded its environmentally conscious cleaning program, Green Origin, to include a metal-free floor seal finish and a floor finish and wax remover.
| OBITUARY Industry Pioneer Passes Mike Zimmerman, long-time owner of the Zimmerman Brush Co., Chicago, recently passed away at the age of 95. He regularly worked 15 hour days until his retirement five years ago, when the company was sold says his son, Howard Zimmerman. “My mother, Byrdie, would try to get him to take a break,” says Howard. “He always responded by saying, ‘I’m not working, I’m looking at orders.’ In 80 years, he never considered it work, it was his fun, his joy, his hobby and his greatest pleasure.” When Zimmerman Brush Co. was incorporated in 1924, it was in the bedroom of the family’s apartment. A strong focus on family and friends never left Mike’s heart, according to Howard. “He always said he loved the industry because it was so family-oriented … [he also] said you build a business not by creating customers, but by making friends. Mike was a member of nearly every jan/san organization, including ISSA and the American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA). “He remembered when the shows were held in a small room in a hotel with a few tables,” Howard says. |