As the nation tries to make sense of the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Centers in New York and decimated the Pentagon in Washington, people are wondering what will happen next. Distributors and manufacturers in the jan/san industry have a unique role to play in the massive clean-up.

John Garfinkel, executive director of the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) helped establish the ISSA Foundation Red Cross Fund just after the tragic events occurred. The fund started off with donations from members of ISSA totaling $50,000. “Since we started the fund, another $30,000 has been donated, which brings our new total to $80,000 in relief,” says Garfinkel.

Distributors and manufacturers have banded together in an effort to provide cleaning supplies for the city of New York, but the American Red Cross has asked business owners to hold off for now, saying the need of the hour is monetary assistance.

“We’ve been in contact with the American Red Cross and offered to provide assistance by donating cleaning supplies, but they feel that there are other needs such as safety equipment, medical supplies and financial aid which are more crucial at this time,” says Garfinkel.

Most of the disaster clean-up in Washington is being done with government funding, but they are counting on business and industry to bear a large portion of the work, he explains.

Scott Jarden of Bullen Products, Philadelphia, and David Holtzman of TEC Products Co., Inc., Carteret, N.J., are two men who are prepared to do whatever is asked of the cleaning supply industry.

Bullen Products has stocked trucks with commodities and heavy-duty cleaning supplies to aid in the clean-up, but is awaiting the signal from the American Red Cross to send supplies. “I’m doing what I can to organize materials to be sent to New York,” says Jarden. “At this point we’re being told to wait.”

Likewise, Holtzman has set up one of TEC Products’ warehouses as a drop-off for incoming cleaning machinery and supplies. “We’re about six miles away from the site of the disaster,” says Holtzman. “They’re working through 100 million pounds of rubble right now, so regular cleaning supplies aren’t going to work.”

“We will use our warehouse as a drop-off so that the Red Cross doesn’t get a bunch of supplies they don’t need,” he says. Once officials have decided exactly what is required in terms of cleaning aid, an e-mail will be sent to all ISSA members who then will be able to send supplies to the TEC Products warehouse in New Jersey.

Holtzman said that already some supplies have been requested and more will soon be in demand. “I just had a call asking for 25,000 boxes of facial tissue that we are going to send over,” he says.

“Right now the work has been heavy in the excavation of the fallen buildings, so what is needed is materials for the workers,” says Garfinkel. “They’re not at the stage where cleaning supplies are really necessary.”

Sanyo Corp. of America is a sanitary supply company that is located a few miles from where the World Trade Center towers once stood in New York. Hirohito Nakamura, sales and marketing manager for the company, said that Sanyo donated many surgical masks for emergency technicians, firemen and police officers to use.

Jon Scoles, president of the New Jersey Sanitary Supply Association (NJSSA), the largest U.S. regional association, is working closely with northeast business owners like Jarden and Holtzman to plan the New York relief effort. Like the rest of the ISSA, Scoles says that the NJSSA is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to help in the massive clean-up in New York.

“The Red Cross will let us know when they need supplies, at which point we will mobilize our membership for that purpose,” says Scoles.

At a recent board meeting, the NJSSA voted to give $10,000 to the American Red Cross. “Our feeling was that they needed funds immediately to help disaster victims in general.”

In Baltimore, Stone Care International Inc., a manufacturer of cleaning products for stone and tile surfaces, teamed with a local radio station to raise $17,500. They auctioned off two final game tickets for Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles, autographed by all-star Cal Ripken.

Prophet 21, Yardley, Pa., and more than 125 of its software solutions employees made a donation of $27,000 to the American Red Cross Relief Fund. The company began with a $5,000 donation, but the giving increased when employees voted to contribute part of their October 1 paychecks.

“In addition to our financial support, we are supporting our nation by working harder than ever,” said Prophet 21 president Chuck Boyle.

The relief effort has not been limited to East Coast distributors. Companies like ALTO U.S. Inc., Chesterfield, Mo., are sending supplies to the disaster sites. ALTO shipped two truckloads of cleaning equipment to its service branch in Carlstadt, N.J.

Tom Roos, president of SouthSan Sales and Marketing, Durham, N.C., has seen jan/san distributors and manufacturers contribute to disaster relief in the past.

“When the Mississippi River flooded or when Hurricane Floyd destroyed 3/4 of North Carolina, we helped in the clean-up and rallied together,” he says. “In the past, as an industry, we’ve always united and responded to a problem.”

Once again, the paper and cleaning supply industry will be called upon to contribute to disaster relief. Garfinkel feels that the efforts of business owners will greatly appreciated. “This thing will last quite awhile and people’s lives have been changed,” he says. “I believe we’ll work to make things better.”

Manufacturers and distributors who are interested in donating cleaning supplies should contact Bill Balek at (847)982-0800.

— Alex Runner

Operation Clean Sweep Provides Local-Level Aid

Operation Clean Sweep 2001, an annual clean-up in local communities performed by sanitary supply associations nationwide, took on a special meaning in light of the recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Distributors from throughout the United States donated products and time as a way to give back to their communities.

Three of six associations held Clean Sweep as scheduled. The effort of the Southeast Wisconsin Sanitary Supply Association (SEWSSA) was considered a huge success. “We had the largest number of people that we’ve ever had,” said Gene Traudt, president of SEWSSA and owner of ChemClean Inc., Milwaukee. Fifty-three participants cleaned three floors of the Hope House, a settlement providing shelter, food and health care for homeless families.

In addition, the Greater Chicago Sanitary Supply Association successfully cleaned the Circle Rock Prep School, a family shelter and school for troubled children. Kevin Ervin, president of Dee Janitorial Supply Inc., Chicago, said 30 people helped in the cleaning.

The Georgia Sanitary Supply Association decided to postpone its Clean Sweep efforts one week so that more people could attend. Tom Weyland of Murray/Weyland/ Walsh Inc., Atlanta, led a dedicated group of about 20 business owners in cleaning the The Shepherd’s Inn, a men’s homeless shelter in Atlanta. Weyland is developing a program to train the men to be professional custodians.

The Carolina Sanitary Supply Association cleaned Walker Girls Home in Rock Hill, S.C. The shelter serves as a home for troubled and abused girls.
Because of its proximity to the World Trade Center tragedy, The New Jersey Sanitary Supply Association (NJSSA) elected to instead focus its efforts on aid to victims, said John Scoles, president of the NJSSA. “Too many of our participants were either indirectly or directly affected by the tragedies, so we thought it was best to hold off on Clean Sweep,” he says.

Likewise, the Southern California Sanitary Supply Association decided to postpone its clean-up. “In Los Angeles, a lot of people were shutting down businesses. We were all just in shock,” says Jeff Roberts, head of SCSSA.

“We held a board meeting and decided it would be a great thing to do, but that we needed to give people some time to feel comfortable,” he says. “Now, we have more volunteers because people are feeling like they want to unite and help out the communities.”

“I think that attitude in the nation is that people just want to reach out to their neighbors,” said Roberts. “Clean Sweep is a great way for people to do something that makes a difference.”

— Alex Runner

Tissue Maker Files for Bankruptcy

American Tissue Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y., the fourth largest manufacturer of tissue and towels in the United States, has declared bankruptcy and is seeking Chapter 11 protection.

President/CEO Mehdi Gabayzadeh said the cause for the decision is rooted in the nation’s economic slowdown.

“Filing for Chapter 11 reorganization is necessary to enable us to immediately address our liquidity and debt restructuring problems,” said Gabayzadeh.

Filing for Chapter 11 allows the company to reorganize so that payments can be made to the creditors but operations are able to continue, according to the Moran Group, a bankruptcy law firm in Mt. View, Calif.

“Chapter 11 is probably the most flexible of all chapters, and as such, it is the hardest to generalize about,” says Cathleen Moran, senior attorney with the firm. “Its flexibility makes it generally more expensive to the debtor.”

Moran adds that because Chapter 11 gives great freedom to the creditors, the debtor has a difficult road ahead. Often, companies can’t recover from the sustained financial losses. “The rate of successful Chapter 11 reorganizations is depressingly low, sometimes estimated at 10 percent or less,” she says.
But Chapter 11 will give American Tissue Inc., a chance to breathe again. “We’re continuing to operate as before,” says senior vice president of trade relations Kurt Goldschmidt. “We haven’t had to delay anything, and now we have a fresh start internally.”

Ashcroft Vows to Increase Chemical Transport Security; New Restrictions Likely

Stating that there is “a clear and present danger to Americans today,” attorney general John Ashcroft recently exhorted Washington lawmakers to make regulations more stringent for transport of chemical materials.

The FBI has detained several individuals who fraudulently obtained truck licenses permitting them to carry hazardous materials, and Ashcroft asserted that these individuals may be directly linked to the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Congress questioned whether Ashcroft’s request would infringe on the rights of small businesses who cannot afford excessive restrictions. They also said that too many regulations would give the federal government more authority than the Constitution warrants.

“Intelligence information available to the FBI indicates a potential for additional terrorist incidents,” the attorney general told Congress.

Distributors in the jan/san industry who ship chemical materials regularly may have a more difficult time attaining licensing in the future, but Ashcroft claims that greater security against possible abuse of the trucking and shipping industries will be worth the limitations.

News Makers

Cleaning.Management.Services., recently held its cleaning trade fair in Germany. There were 312 exhibitors in attendance from 17 countries, making it the largest turnout at any fair ever in Germany for the building cleaning and service sector.

President Bush has approved a 2002 budget hike of up to $51 million for tolerance fees and $25 million for registration fees for the regulation of pesticides and toxic substances. The figure represents a substantial increase in overall pesticide fees.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) supervisors are urging chemical plant managers to tighten security in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Unger Enterprises, Bridgeport, Conn., has updated its logo to better reflect its customer-focused philosophy.

Viking Injector, Nesquehoning, Pa., a manufacturer of heavy-duty chemical dispensers, recently reengineered the One-Ounce Hand Pump. The hand pump is now designed to dispense one ounce of non-chlorinated detergent.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Bunzl Distribution Inc., St. Louis, Mo., has acquired Melissa Sales Corp., a redistributor in Catano, Puerto Rico. Melissa Sales Corp. had sales in excess of $9 million in 2000 and serves customers throughout the Caribbean. Bunzl said that the move is to further expanding its North American outsourcing services business.




POSTED ON: 10/1/2001