2014 CETA Annual Convention: A Huge Affair in Orlando

By Michael Hamline / Published February 2015

 

The Cleaning Equipment Trade Association’s Annual Convention co-located with ISSA/Interclean from November 4–7, 2014, was held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. According to an e-mail sent out by CETA after the convention, it was a huge success. There were 685 exhibitors of which 40 were CETA exhibitors, and more than 14,000 registrants visited the show floor during the two and a half days it was opened. In 2015, the second CETA Annual Convention in conjunction with ISSA/Interclean will be held from October 20–23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, and it promises even bigger and better things, so sign up early (http://ceta.org/Media/Default/PDF/2015%20Exhibitor%20Application.pdf).

CETA had its own pavilion on the show floor where most of those in-volved in the pressure washing industry were located. Tuesday, November 4, was a day set aside for educational courses. The courses offered on an upper level of the Convention Center were: Pump and Engine Training for Non-Technical Professionals, Legislation Affecting the Pressure Washing Industry, Safety Procedures to Protect Your Business, Understanding the Drivers of Profitability, Blue Print for Success, and Marketing Your Service Business—Part 1 and Part 2.

Legislation Affecting the Pressure Washer Industry

In the handout that Marlo Dean provided for this course, some of the regulations impacting the pressure washing industry are product safety certification, safety standards—IEC/UL/CSA—environmental protection, international shipments, gasoline and diesel engines, trailer registration, national codes, warranty laws, requirements for selling products to government agencies, and the ST-3 Procurement Act. Dean points out that under OSHA (CCOHS) regulation 1910.399 and 1910.303(a) states “all electrical and other types of equipment used in the workplace must be ‘listed’ by an ‘approved’ testing agency. Failure to comply can result in penalties and removal of all equipment that does not display the certification mark from an NRTL.” Many of these product safety certifications are to protect workers and to protect companies—whether they are manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, or contract cleaners—from costly litigation.

CETA President’s Letter

Dear CETA Members and Prospective Members:

Being asked to lead the Cleaning Equipment Trade Association, a strong organization in its 25th year, is a great privilege. The 2015 CETA board and I welcome the opportunity we have to sustain the vigor—and add to it.

Positives for CETA are many. Membership is growing. The November 2014 trade show was a great success. Regulations, rules, and standards that apply to our industry are increasingly being made with the input of experts from our industry. Our benchmarking, continuing education, and scholarship foundation programs are doing exceptionally well.

There is a point that merits clarification. The fantastic energy realized from the co-location of the CETA Annual Trade Show with ISSA/INTERCLEAN has had some members of our organization thinking that we have merged organizations. We have not.

Since its inception in March 1990, CETA has been an organization focused on bringing together manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers to the benefit of all three groups. By facilitating opportunities for members to communicate about trends, keep pace with new technologies, track business growth, and identify new product niches, CETA has fostered all the good that comes from synergy.

Competition makes us stronger. If a competitor is doing something better than we are, we might want to ask why we are not doing it as well. The formal and informal exchanges through CETA allow for friendly comparisons.

In striving for the best, many members take the time to demonstrate that they fulfill the CETA Performance Standard requirements. Why not get an application form (available via www.ceta.org website) and complete the process?

When we introduced the new logo for CETA—‘Celebrating 25 Years’—at the business meeting in Orlando, FL, we did it with the thought that a wonderful celebration should be shared—among members and with new members. And the ‘Year of Growth’ is the way we want to recall 2015. So let’s get started.

I look forward to serving as president as we grow CETA in all ways possible.

Sincerely,
Linda Chappell, President

Under Environmental Protection, Dean notes that “CETA is working on development of an efficiency standard for the pressure washing industry for the purpose of submittal to the DOE preventing enforcement of an efficiency standard not related to the pressure washing industry.” CETA also points out that it is working with Intertek Testing Services to use the aforementioned efficiency standard allowing equipment to be labeled with the Green Leaf or verified logo. The hope is this might lead to tax credit incentives. These are a few examples of legislation affecting the pressure washing industry and as part of that industry, Cleaner Times|IWA encourages you to be aware of the issues at hand and to support those who are trying to work with regulators to work for the best possible outcome of these legislative initiatives.

Safety Procedures to Protect Your Business

This course was presented by Drew Harbour, Safety Manager, at Chappell Supply and Equipment. Harbour indicated the importance of training procedures and training for competency as OSHA will issue a willful violation of $70,000 per incident. In regards to safety manuals, Harbour notes the importance of knowing these manuals thoroughly so you can explain them to your customer and know what to do if a safety issue should arise. During the course of new employee training, it is important to have new employees sign a document that states they know what type of personal protective equipment (PPE) is required and what issues they might face.

Drivers of Profitability

A few of the drivers of profitability that were emphasized were to know where you are strong and weak financially, develop a strong banking relationship so you can have a credit line with the bank, and assign a positive and organized person to collect on money owed.

Marketing Your Service Business

Beth Borrego has put together this important series, which has run in the pages of Cleaner Times|IWA starting with the March 2013 issue (the full article series can be found at http://cleanertimes.com/content.cfm?articleID=202). Borrego talked about the importance of consistency being key for branding as well as product positioning, which means if your company wants to provide to prospective clients, you must understand their business and needs so you can solve their problems. Though it is difficult to hear complaints against your company, Borrego notes that these complaints can be a great source of learning. First, you must listen and second, you must understand the problem being enumerated and help them. As she remarks, people talk so it is important to create a positive experience so unhappy people don’t share.

CETA Annual Membership

Meeting & Awards

The annual membership meeting was held Tuesday evening from 6:00–7:00 p.m. in the Coral Ballroom at the Renaissance @ Sea World.

• Welcome & Call Meeting to Order—CETA President, Rick Wendt
• Recognize Board of Directors & Approval by Membership—Rick Wendt
• CETA 2014 Financial & Membership Review—Chad Rasmussen shared that as of October 31, 2014, CETA had 95 distributor members, 19 manufacturer members, and 36 supplier members. Six new supplier members, six new distributor members, and four new manufacturer members joined CETA in 2014.
• CETA Education Foundation—Roy Chappell shared how the Education Foundation was founded in 1995 and started handing out scholarships in 1996
• Lifetime Achievement Award—This was presented by Terry Murray to Gary Scott at Alkota Systems
• President’s Farewell—Rick Wendt
• Passing of Gavel
• CETA Location in 2015—Curtis Braber shared how the host hotel for 2015 will be The Mirage. This event will be held October 20–23 and the opening reception will be held at Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Habitat
• Linda Chappell—Provides opening remarks as CETA’s President for 2015. Congratulations on CETA’s 25-year anniversary. (See her President’s letter for more information)

As the awards ceremony came to a close, all attendees were invited to CETA’s Annual Opening Reception, sponsored by General Pump, where two lucky winners won the Diamond Giveaway, sponsored by Farley’s, Inc. The food was plentiful and tasty and the musical entertainment was pleasing to the ears.

In terms of your company’s website, Borrego points out there should be no blinking text or pop ups. In addition, the website should be easy to navigate and fresh content should be placed on your website. She notes that Google Analytics can help you find out how people are searching for you; in order to save time, social media posts can be scheduled ahead of time. Borrego not only presented at the educational courses for CETA, but she also made her dynamic presentation in a bigger education theater booth on the trade show floor on Wednesday, November 5 and Thursday, November 6.

CETA’s Annual Convention in conjunction with ISSA/Interclean was a huge affair. There were rows upon rows of exhibitors, and a plethora of attendees had to put in a lot of walking to make it down each of the rows. In addition to CETA, there were several other co-located associations: Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI), Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI), IEHA, and International Window Cleaners Association (IWCA). The 40 CETA exhibitors had a large number of pressure washing machines, water reclamation systems, pumps, engines, and accessories on display. This was a well-attended and put together event, and it would be wise to make your plans now to attend the 2015 CETA Annual Convention on October 20–23 in Las Vegas. 

CETA Celebrates 25 Years:

Past Presidents

1990 — Patrick Wingen, AaLadin Industries
1991 — Larry Linton, LANDA, Inc.
1992 — Larry Linton, LANDA, Inc.
1993 — Gary Scott, Alkota
1994 — Tom Dyszkiewicz, Kärcher
1995 — C. Michael Lund, General Pump
1996 — Kevin Collette, RGF Environmental
1997 — Charlene Laymon, Hotsy Bay Area
1998 — Andy Gale, LANDA, Inc.
1999 — Jim Palmer, Jenny Products
2000 — Jim White, Mi-T-M Corporation
2001 — Warren Eley, Reel Quick, Inc.
2002 — John Koen, Hydro Tek Systems
2003 — Dennis Black, McHenry Equipment
2004 — Roy Chappell, Chappell Supply
2005 — Bob Griswold, Apache Industries
2006 — Gary Scott, Alkota Cleaning Systems
2007 — R. Calvin Rasmussen Royce Industries L.C.
2008 — Barry Milstead, Technology Research
2009 — Gregg Brodsky, Alkota Cleaning Systems
2010 — John Purswell Sr., Alklean Industries
2011 — Roy Chappell, Chappell Supply
2012 — Tony Tranquill, Wayne Combustion Systems
2013 — Terry Murray, Etowah Chemical
2014 — Rick Wendt, BASCO
2015 — Linda Chappell, Chappell Supply