It's A Wrap: NJSSA, CSSA And Can Clean Trade Shows

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Spring 2006 has been jam-packed with regional association shows, and according to organizers, the trend this year is quality over quantity.

The New Jersey Sanitary Supply Association’s (NJSSA) Supply Line 2006 was held May 3-4 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The biannual show drew 55 new exhibitors for a total of 176 exhibiting companies. Overall attendance was up from 1,429 in 2004 to 1,580 in 2006.

Serious buyers were prevalent at the show, according to Patricia Koziol, executive director of NJSSA: advanced and on-site buyer registration was up by over 20 percent from 2004.

Hundreds of NJSSA members attended the President’s Reception and Annual Membership Meeting on May 2. At the meeting, NJSSA president Fred Schimanski presented Norman Leibowitz of Norshel Industries, Croydon, Pa., with the 2006 Bob Stader Lifetime Achievement Award.

In other regional association news, the second annual Georgia Sanitary Supply Association (GSSA), held May 16 at the Georgia International Convention Center, Atlanta, in partnership with the Georgia chapter of the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA), was a great success, according to Doris Jefferson, executive director of GSSA.

There were 41 booths; manufacturers, distributors and manufacturers reps were all allowed to exhibit.

At press time, GSSA was still tallying the final attendance number, but Jefferson said it was well over 100. “We are really thrilled with the numbers that we had,” she said. “Most exhibitors that I talked with said that they made some real quality contacts and most of them say they would rather have some real quality contacts than have half a dozen people just dropping by.”

The Canadian Sanitation Supply Association’s (CSSA) trade show, Can Clean 2006, was held April 26-27 at the National Trade Centre at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario. The show hosted the most exhibitors the association has ever had at Can Clean (138), though total attendance — at 3,088 — was down by about 92 people from Can Clean 2005’s attendance.

CSSA’s executive director, Diane Gosling, said this slight decrease in attendance was a “drop in the bucket,” as there were still more than 3,000 attendees, many of whom were serious shoppers.

W.W. Grainger Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., has named James Ryan president. The company also promoted Kevin Peters to senior vice president of supply chain, and Deb Oler to vice president of sales.

Kelsan, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based distributor, recently recognized Mark Plemons, senior territory manager for Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Winchester, Va., as its 2006 Top Partner Vendor for the Year for the second consecutive year. This was the first time anyone has received the award two years in a row.

Robert Storey, a member of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co.’s board of directors since 1988, has retired. He retired upon reaching what is considered the board’s usual retirement age of 70.

Enviro-Solutions, Peterborough, Ontario, has hired Jennifer Meek as the company’s customer service representative.

The Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) elected three industry executives to its board of directors: Mark Allen, president and CEO of the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), Falls Church, Va.; Andre Lacy, chairman and CEO of LDI Ltd., Indianapolis; and Trish Lilly, executive director of the Association for High Technology Distribution, Philadelphia.

Clark National Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill., has promoted several key executives to new senior management positions: Eric Peabody, executive vice president of Clark National Inc.; Mike Sengstock, corporate vice president-sales and marketing; Chris Healy, corporate vice president-purchasing; Kurt Miller, president of Clark Consolidated Inc. The company also hired Mark Sengstock as director of information technology.

Scott Brown has been promoted to national sales manager for Betco Corp.

The board of directors for Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., has elected Douglas M. Baker Jr., the company’s president and CEO as president of the board. John J. Zillmer will also join the board, while current directors Leslie S. Miller, Jerry A. Grundhofer and Kasper Rorsted were re-elected to three-year terms.

Waxie Sanitary Supply, San Diego, recently promoted several employees. The following people have been promoted to new positions: Jeff Roberts, executive vice president-California; Clint Hunter, executive vice president-Intermountain; Mike Dolan, general manager-Ontario and Los Angeles; Alice Sawaya, general manager-Santa Ana, Calif.; Craig McDaniel, general manager-Utah and Idaho; Bob Gattis, general manager-Arizona; Jim Fischer, vice president-corporate and strategic account development; Kristi Parnell, vice president-human resources; Eric Frei, regional sales manager-Arizona; Brent Taylor, regional sales manager-Salt Lake City; Rob Wullenwaber, regional sales manager-Livermore, Calif.; Alisa Konsulian, regional sales manager, Los Angeles; Mike Gould, sales manager-Santa Ana, Calif.; Rick Jones, sales manager, Ontario, Calif.; Reid Call, sales manager-Northern Utah and Idaho.

COMPANY NOTES

AmSan, Chicago, recently held its fourth annual business meeting and awards ceremony. The 2005 Supplier Awards went to:

Pace setter Awards: Impact Products, Toledo, Ohio; Covalence Plastics, Minneapolis; and Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Winchester, Va.

The Supplier Representative of the Year: Dean DeCarlo, GOJO Industries, Akron, Ohio; AmSan Supplier of the Year: GOJO Industries.

Microfiber Solutions, San Diego, has relocated to larger facilities, thereby increasing its corporate office space as well as its warehouse facilities.

At the beginning of June, 4th Generation Systems, Barrington, Ill., launched its “Driving Sales Beyond” institute curriculum — a nine-month-long sales enhancement program, which 5,000 distributor salespeople have already been trained in.

OMNOVA Solutions, Fairlawn, Ohio, named Archway Sales, St. Louis, as a distributor of its floor care chemicals.

Quaker City Paper Co., York, Pa., a jan/san distributor, is celebrating its 60-year anniversary in 2006.

U.S. Products, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, has named Buck Newell Synergy Sales, Boca Raton, Fla., as its “Rep Group of the Year.”

Activant Prophet 21, Yardley, Pa., recently announced that the number of wholesale distributors that have selected Activant Prophet 21 to run their businesses has surpassed 850.

Eco Concepts Inc., Miami, recently opened a new North American Research and Development facility in Las Vegas.

Waterless Co., Vista, Calif., a manufacturer of Waterless No-Flush urinals, is celebrating its 15th anniversary.

AquaStar, Paramount, Calif., a developer of microfiber technology, has announced its sponsorship of the Green Seal Green Cleaning Services Standard.

Network Services Co., Mt. Prospect, Ill., announced recently that INPACS, an organization of independent distributors in 19 European countries, has become a member of Network. Last year, the two organizations formed a strategic alliance; the membership will serve to strengthen the bond between the two.

Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., was ranked 20th on Business Ethics magazine’s list of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2006. The list has been released since 2000, and Ecolab is one of 16 companies to make the list all 7 years.

The American Red Cross recently presented Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Winchester, Va., with The Circle of Humanitarians Award for the assistance the company supplied in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Beckson Industrial Products, Guilford, Conn., is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The United Group, Monroe, La., recently announced that NASSCO Inc., New Berlin, Wis., earned the company’s “Member of the Year” designation, and Papercraft, the redistribution division of Bunzl USA Inc., St. Louis, received “Supplier of the Year” status, based on performance in 2005.