Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani was recently announced as the keynote speaker for ISSA/INTERCLEAN® USA 2006.

“We are thrilled to host such an esteemed American leader at ISSA/INTERCLEAN, and we look forward to hearing his real-world examples of how hard work and perseverance can help anyone achieve success, even during the most difficult of challenges,” said John Garfinkel, ISSA executive director.

Dianna Bisswurm, ISSA director of industry outreach, said current ISSA President Bobby Cohen chose Giuliani as the speaker. So far, reaction from ISSA members has been very enthusiastic, said Bisswurm.

Giuliani will discuss “Principles of Leadership,” ruminating on lessons he has learned during his years of public service and holding management positions — and how those experiences helped him to lead New York City through its most trying days.

Giuliani, the grandson of Italian immigrants, became mayor of New York City in 1994, at a time when the city’s reputation was less than sparkling.

Over eight years, he helped transform the city and served as the city’s leader during and after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

During Giuliani’s tenure as mayor, his initiatives were credited with making the city known as one of the safest big cities in the United States by lowering the crime rate by 65 percent and reducing murder rates by 70 percent.

Budgetwise, Giuliani led efforts to reduce taxes by more than $2.5 billion and turning the city’s $2.3 billion defecit into a multi-million-dollar surplus.

Bisswurm said Giuliani’s discussion on leadership will benefit ISSA members because it is one of the business topics they feel is critical.

“We are pleased to know that he is going to draw a correlation between the day-to-day leadership lessons we all can relate to and how they come into play at critical moments in all our lives, both at work and personally,” Bisswurm said.

For many, the keynote address is the cornerstone of the ISSA/INTERCLEAN show, so having a high-profile speaker is important.

Though the keynote speaker is not typically the deciding factor for members when they are deciding to attend the show, Bisswurm said having someone such as Giuliani share his business knowledge can enhance the overall impact the show has on keynote attendees.

This year’s show, which will be held at McCormick Place, Chicago, will run from October 4-7.

The keynote address will be held at 8:30 a.m., October 5.


NEWS MAKERS

Most Think Cleaners Are Safe When Used Correctly
Americans are generally confident that cleaning products are safe when used as directed on the instruction label.

In a poll of 946 adults that was conducted by International Communications Research on behalf of the Soap and Detergent Association, 40 percent think cleaning products are “very safe” and 48 percent think they are “somewhat safe” — when instructions are followed.

Eight percent believe the products are “somewhat unsafe” and only one percent think cleaners are “not safe at all.”


Whirlpool-Type Tubs: Enter At Your Own Risk
According to a study conducted by Dr. Rita B. Moyes, a microbiologist at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, whirlpool bathtubs are a breeding ground for disease-causing bacteria.

In testing 43 water samples from private and public whirlpools, she found that every tub had some level of microbial growth.

She explained that a teaspoon of tap water can contain about 138 bacteria, whereas a teaspoon of whirlpool water has over 2 million bacteria.

Further, these organisms can form a collective “biofilm” which furthers their resistance to cleaners. Many of the bacteria likely form in the interior pipes because they are not typically filtered or chemically treated.


Specialty Surfactants To See Moderate Growth
According to a study by the Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm, demand for specialty surfactants in the United States will reach 2.1 billion pounds by 2009. This figure has an associated sales potential worth $3.9 billion.

Surfactants are used to enhance the power of some types of cleaning products.


JohnsonDiversey And Kimberly-Clark Cut Jobs
Job cuts triggered by business restructuring at JohnsonDiversey Inc. and Kimberly-Clark Corp. could affect approximately 1,200 workers.

JohnsonDiversey, Sturtevant, Wis., will eliminate more than 500 jobs by the end of the year. The cuts fall under the company’s three-year restructuring plan, which was launched last fall with the goal of saving the company between $150 million and $175 million by the end of 2008.

Under this plan, 10 percent of the company’s worldwide workforce will be eliminated in the next two years.

The company will no longer service commercial dishwashing machines, will sell its commercial laundry business and it will close two factories: East Shroudsburg, Pa., and Cambridge, Md.

Proposed cuts at Kimberly-Clark, Dallas, which could impact about 700 employees, will come mainly from the Lakeview Diaper Plant, Menasha, Wis., which employs 510 people.

The company is also looking to sell or close its nonwovens mill, Neenah, Wis., by the end of the year. The plant currently has about 165 employees.

Last summer, Kimberly-Clark announced it would cut 10 percent of its workforce by 2008 and close or sell 20 manufacturing plants.

The restructuring is expected to save the company between $300 million and $350 million annually.


Massachusetts, New Jersey To Mull ‘Green’ Legislation
Two states — New Jersey and Massachusetts — recently introduced legislation on “green” products and services.

In New Jersey, the state senate introduced a bill that would establish a pilot program for the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products in three state hospitals.

The hospitals — St. Barnabas Medical Center, Essex County; Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Mercer County; and Cooper University, Camden County — would have to purchase specific environmentally preferable products and services. The bill would set aside $150,000 for the project.

Also, the Massachusetts House of Representatives reintroduced “The Safer Cleaning Products Act,” which would require the use of environmentally preferable products in schools, day care centers, public buildings and common areas in public housing.

The bill includes a “safer cleaning products list” that would be developed by the State Commissioner of Public Health. Only listed products would be permitted for cleaning tasks and the list would be reviewed and republished every two years.

Training guidelines for cleaning professionals and the creation of a “Hospital Safer Cleaning Products Commission” also make up the proposed legislation.


MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Two long-time competitors, Scottissue Inc., Dayton, Ohio, and St. Clair Supply Co., Inc., Eaton, Ohio, will compete no longer, as Scottissue recently acquired St. Clair Supply.

Both companies are commercial jan/san distributors. More than half of St. Clair’s 30 employees will move to Scottissue’s headquarters and the remainder will work for Remagen Inc., St. Clair’s sister corporation.

Activant Solutions Inc., Austin Texas, and all its subsidiaries will be acquired by two private equity firms — Hellman & Friedman LLC, San Fransisco, and Thoma Cressey Equity Partners, Chicago.

The acquisition will undergo regulatory approvals and is expected to close on June 30. The equity firms believe the partnership will accelerate Activant’s growth.




POSTED ON: 4/1/2006