ASSOCIATION NEWS
The gurus of green cleaning recently descended on the city of Atlanta as SouthEast LINK Inc., played host to Green Link 2007 on March 1, 2007.

Green Link, Atlanta-based SouthEast LINK’s first green cleaning trade show — marked the company’s first attempt at educating the Atlanta market on the advantages of green cleaning.

With 25 exhibitors and more than 100 attendees from 50 different companies, the show provided a venue for a number of industry experts to share ideas and promote green cleaning practices.

SouthEast LINK president Phillip Consolino, who orchestrated the event, said SouthEast, which adopted green cleaning over two years ago, spent over a year working with green cleaning mainstays to become more educated with the evolving industry and help make the show a success.

“Green Link 2007 was our first attempt to stand tall in the Atlanta market as the industry leader and the response from the attendees was extremely good,” Consolino said.

The feedback was so good that Consolino said talk for Green Link 2008 has already begun.

“We are only at the very beginning of this journey,” Consolino said. “Green cleaning is a worthy new direction that will not only be timely for our regular customers, but it opens doors to meeting new people. [Green cleaning] is taking root and it’s for real. All the distributors who think it’s just a passing fancy better wake up.”


ISSA Opens Registration For CIMS Certification
ISSA recently announced it has opened registration for a pair of workshops aimed at helping manufacturers and distributors become certified experts in its Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS).

Two workshops have been scheduled for 2007: May 9, in Las Vegas and June 26, in Rosemont, Ill. A third workshop is likely to be held in Philadelphia in November. Cost for registration per person is $995 for ISSA members and $1,595 for non-members.

Gaining ISSA Certification Expert (ICE) status provides an industry professional with the necessary information to help cleaning organizations comply with the standard and prepare for CIMS certification.

CIMS offers the supplier community a guide that enhances sales effectiveness and communication throughout all customer segments.


ASSOCIATION NEWS

ISSA, Amsterdam RAI and Polish Cleaning Association (PSC), the organizers of this year’s ISSA/INTERCLEAN Central and Eastern Europe Trade Fair in Warsaw, Poland (June 20-22, 2007), recently announced the show’s three-day conference.

Highlights of the three-day event include a forum devoted to women in the cleaning business, led by leading female entrepreneurs who have succeeded in the U.S. and Polish commercial and residential cleaning markets. There will also be a discussion panel on health with emphasis on key issues such as hospital acquired infections and food hygiene.

Other seminars will focus on cleaning public areas, the latest innovations in cleaning technology and facilities management, and the most important factors to look for in selecting a cleaning company.

A roundtable of major European cleaning associations will discuss the possibility of establishing a Federation for Central and Eastern European, Russian and CIS cleaning associations under the leadership of ISSA.

The Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) recently announced its endorsement of a new report from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) that brings attention to the poor condition of thousands of schools across the country.

The report highlights unhealthy conditions involving mold, air quality problems, temperature extremes, dilapidated classrooms, and infestation by rodents and insects in many public schools in the United States.

The AFT report: “Building Minds, Minding Buildings — Turning Crumbling Schools Into Environments For Learning,” validates the findings of the IAQA, which is regularly involved with indoor air quality-related projects in public schools.



PLAYERS
SCA Tissue, Neenah, Wis., recently appointed Mats Berencreutz president of SCA Tissue Europe. Berencreutz succeeds Ole Terland, who was named senior vice president, corporate research and technology for the SCA Group.

Norshel Industries Inc., Croydon, Pa., recently promoted Howard Durann to national sales manager. Durann, a Norshel employee for 14 years and board trustee for the New Jersey Sanitary Supply Association (NJSSA), most recently covered the northern New Jersey market as an outside representative.

Spartan Chemical Co., Inc., Maumee, Ohio, recently promoted Ryan Leadingham regional manager of the San Francisco region. Spartan also appointed Lynn Robinson advertising administrative assistant; Robert Hurd regional manager for Spartan’s Las Vegas region; William L. Stewart West Coast divisional sales manager; and Nathan Gaubert as a chemist.

Spartan also recently announced, Vince Ippolito, manager of product development, was named the 2007 winner of the ISSA Young Executives Society’s (YES) University of Industrial Distribution (UID) scholarship.

Tom Wirostek has been appointed vice president of marketing for Deb SBS Inc., South Stanley, N.C.

Impact Products LLC, Toledo, Ohio, recently promoted Terry Neal from vice president of marketing to president and COO.

Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, recently appointed Morten Falkenberg head of floor care and small appliances-Europe. Falkenberg succeeds Magnus Yngen, who was appointed head of major appliances-Europe in October 2006.

Intellibot Robotics LLC, Portland, Ore., recently appointed sales veteran Mike Ellis to head its Mid-Atlantic region.

Continental Commercial Products, St. Louis, recently appointed Jeffrey Schiopota vice president of manufacturing for Contico, a division of Continental.

IBS Division of Inteplast Group Ltd., Lolita, Texas, recently appointed Joe Horvath Midwest regional manager of the jan/san business unit.

Consolidated Paper Co., Bronx, N.Y., recently recognized Robert Hennessey for his performance and sales achievements for 2006. Consolidated also announced Myrna Otis recently recorded the highest sales volume ever by a sales associate.

The Malish Corp., Willoughby, Ohio, recently appointed Gordon Overs vice president of operations.

Account manager Kevin Polkinghorn recently received the Account Manager of the Year-National Top Performer award by Veolia Environmental Services, Lombard, Ill.

O’Dell Corp., Ware Shoals, S.C., recently hired three new members to the company’s South Carolina headquarters. Jerry Goldman was named manufacturing manager, Tya Hoteling, manufacturing manager, and Kevin Fain, special projects.

U.S. Products, Couer d’ Alene, Idaho, recently hired Bryan Thomson as the company’s new sales training manager. U.S. Products also named J.J. Yans as Manufacturers Rep Group of the Year for 2006.

NJSSA recently elected its 2007 board of trustees. Fred Schimanski was voted president, Peter Davidson, vice president, Patrick Amato treasurer and Darren Slosberg secretary.

Tennant Co., Minneapolis, recently appointed Don Westman to lead its global operations as vice president, global operations. It also named Karel Huijser as vice president, international.

Tennant also promoted David Meyers to director of global current product engineering and lean services and Lisa Blocher to general manager of North American national accounts.

RDA Advantage recently named its new officers. Chuck Wuttke was named chairman; Wayne Littlefield, vice chairman; Mark Callahan, director; and Phil Sullivan, director.

Kevin Rudd, executive director of NetPak at Network Services Co., Mount Prospect, Ill., was recently appointed chairman of the NPTA Alliance.

Tornado Industries, Chicago, recently announced the hire of three new sales representatives. Tom Clark was named to the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware markets. Jeff Drost was assigned to west Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, and Dennis Sheridan was appointed east Missouri, Iowa and Southern Illinois.

Enviro-Solutions, Peterborough, Ontario, recently announced Curt Olsen, president of Green Source, Phoenix, and Scott Thomson, president of ECO-CLEAN, Portsmouth, N.H., have taken on its line.

National Chemical Laboratories Inc., Philadelphia, recently appointed Juan Henry to regional sales manager in South, Central and West Texas.

Avrum Morrow, founder of Avmor Ltd., Laval, Quebec, was recently named to the Order of Canada. The distinction, the highest honor for a civilian in Canada, is a tribute to Morrow’s achievement in business and his lifetime of dedication to the community.


COMPANY NOTES
Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Winchester, Va., recently received the Editors’ Choice Award for its new High Security Housekeeping Cart at the 91st Annual International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show.

Rubbermaid also received a first place Readers’ Choice Award by Today’s Facility Manager for providing the best products in the maintenance/cleaning products category during 2006.

Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga., recently introduced a 100 percent recycled fiber and chlorine-free SCOTT® brand towel and tissue product as part of the company’s commitment to offering products that meet environmental standards.

Kimberly-Clark also recently issued a new 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid automobile to Edward St. Germaine, a senior engineer from Enviro-Management & Research Inc., Springfield, Va., for being the grand prize winner of the “Get Clean and Get Green” sweepstakes, designed to promote environmental stewardship and responsibility in the commercial real estate industry.

ATRA Janitorial Supply Co., Pompton Plains, N.J., and Enviro-Solutions, Peterborough, Ontario, issued Morris Hills Regional High School District, Rockaway, N.J., a certificate of achievement for two of its high schools for implementing healthier green cleaning systems into the schools’operations. The high schools, Morris Hills and Morris Knolls, educate 2,800 students.

W.W. Grainger Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., recently opened a relocated branch near George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The new branch is part of Grainger’s Houston expansion that began in 2004 and is expected to be completed in late 2007.

Mr. LongArm, Greenwood, Mo., recently launched a loyalty program with rewards to help the professional contractor build their business. Rewards range from workwear and high tech gadgets to business cards and other customized business tools.

The Ashkin Group LLC, Bloomington, Ind., recently presented Adobe Systems and its property management firm, Cushman & Wakefield with the Green Cleaning Champion Award. The award is Ashkin’s highest honor acknowledging unprecedented green building and green cleaning achievements. During 2006, Adobe became the first company in the country to earn a triple platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification — the highest rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) — for its three headquarter buildings in San Jose, Calif.

The National Independent Sanitary Supply Companies (NISSCO), Dulles, Va., recently launched the PowerBuy Program, an exclusive program for its distributor members that provides access to health plans, vehicle services, and business equipment discounts.

SCA Tissue North America, Neenah, Wis., recently announced it is investing $145 million in its Barton, Ala., plant for a new paper machine. The new machine is set to be operational in the summer of 2008.

Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, recently received the Sustainable Energy Award in corporate commitment category from the European Commission. The award recognizes the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption.

Unger Enterprises Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., recently won the innovation award in the best hand tools category at the Cleaning Show 2007 in Birmingham, U.K., for its HiFlo Carbon Tec Water Fed Pole.

Distributor Partners of America (DPA), Naples, Fla., recently released its “DPA Going Green Book” which is available electronically or in a hard copy version for DPA member distributors.


OBITUARY
Joseph “Joe” Alexander Vettel, 75, former owner of Twin City Broom Mfg., Co., and co-founder of Twincorp Master Distributor, Minneapolis, passed away on March 21.

In 1981, Joseph and his son, Tom, founded Twincorp, a wholesale food service and industrial supplier. Joseph was a former president of the National Broom Council and, outside of the industry, was a member of Rotary Intl., and was former president of the Wayzata Country Club in Wayzata, Minn.

Kay W. Scott, 82, the first female to serve on the ISSA Board of Directors (1978-79) as well as serving as the association’s first female vice president (1982), president (1983), and immediate past president (1984), passed away on March 2.

Scott also served on the ISSA Foundation Board as a director (1997-99) and as chair in 2006. In 1986, she earned the ISSA Jack D. Ramaley Industry Distinguished Service Award for her dedication to ISSA and the industry.

She was also a staple outside the industry; in 1968 she was named Atlanta’s Woman of the Year for her continued community service.

Carl J. Betz, 83, co-founder of Betco Corp., Toledo, Ohio, passed away on February 24.

Betz co-founded Betco with his wife Ann in 1950, transforming the company from a janitorial supply distributor into a manufacturer with two products: Betco Concentrate all-purpose cleaner and Virox disinfecting toilet bowl cleaner. Betz retired as CEO of the company in 1990.

Outside the industry, Betz was a member of a variety of organizations and was an accomplished pilot, enthusiastic boater and an avid golfer.

Herbert David Friedman, a leader for ISSA and the cleaning industry passed away on February 19.

Friedman served on the ISSA board as a director (1989-90), vice president (1991), president (1992), and past president (1993). In 1996, Friedman was recognized by ISSA with the Jack D. Ramaley Industry Distinguished Service Award.

Friedman also served as president of Cancot Industries, a company founded by his father in Montreal, Canada until his retirement several years ago. In 1999, the Canadian Sanitation Supply Association (CSSA) presented him with the Sam Tughan Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to the cleaning industry.

Robert “Bob” S. Gorsky, 56, of Windsor Industries, Englewood, Colo., passed away on January 25.

Gorsky worked for more than 34 years in the international cleaning industry. Most recently he served as corporate market channel manager for Windsor Industries, working with marketing and product development.

Ted Plummer, 73, former president, CEO and owner of Pullman-Holt Corp., Tampa, Fla., passed away on December 21, 2006.

From 1974 through 1991, Plummer led White Mop Wringer Co. through the transition from being a manufacturer of metal fabricated products to becoming a leading producer of both metal and plastic floor cleaning equipment and supplies.

He further expanded White Mop Wringer’s product line and distribution through the acquisition of Mipro Products in 1976 and commercial floor care equipment manufacturer Pullman-Holt Corp., in 1983.

An avid sports fan, Plummer worked several years with Spalding Sporting Goods, starting in 1970 as vice president of manufacturing where he was on the original engineering team that developed the first two-piece plastic golf ball — the popular “Top-Flight” model.

 




POSTED ON: 4/1/2007