Get to Know Your Professional Organization

Cleaning Equipment Trade Association

Published January 2017

 

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Reasons For Being A Part of CETA

CETA is a hybrid, having evolved from two existing organizations. CEMA, the Cleaning Equip-ment Manufacturers Association, was originally formed to address common needs and opportunities of the pressure cleaning industry. APD, the Association of Pressure Washer Dis-tributors, was formed by distributors to address the needs and opportunities for their future in the pressure cleaning industry. In 1990, the two associations joined forces, bringing their common goals for the pressure cleaning industry together. The merger of these two associations created CETA, the Clean-ing Equipment Trade Association.

CETA is an international non-profit trade association made up of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, contractors/end users, and associates who coordinate their efforts to promote public awareness, professionalism, industry-wide safety standards, and education for the advancement of the power cleaning equipment industry.

CETA’s Annual Trade Show, co-located with ISSA/INTERCLEAN, is the one week where key leaders and decision makers in the industrial and commercial cleaning industry converged to take advantage of the most efficient and informative way to find new opportunities to strengthen business connections. This show is an unprecedented opportunity to join more than 17,000 cleaning industry leaders and meet with 700-plus exhibitors from around the globe.

CETA offers the Distributor Certification Program to promote and maintain the highest standards of service and personal conduct amount its members. Adherence to these standards is required for acceptance in the program and serves to ensure public confidence in the integrity and service of the Cleaning Equipment Trade Association. The Manufacturer Certification Program offers the CETA Performance Certification Standard. Nationwide and worldwide, standards are increasingly becoming a tool of business. Our industry is not exempt from this trend. As more new domestic and overseas manufacturers enter the market, uniform methods of measuring and rating machine performance are crucial to avoid confusion in our market. CETA opened up its membership to contractors/end users to bring the entire pressure cleaning industry together. With strong regional partners and news coverage providing support, the trade show provides an opportunity for experienced board members to strengthen the industry by promoting understanding of the needs of our members, growth, education, professionalism, friendships, certifications, scholarships, and traditions.

CETA Goals For 2017

The goals that the CETA Board of Directors have for 2017 would be to keep moving forward with these programs:

• Manufacturing Benchmarking
• CETA Certification

These two programs have been in the development phase for most of 2016, and they are now gaining momentum with our manufacturing members. Both programs have been instated and both have furnished some positive results. 2017 will be a year to promote them and gain even more participation. 

We are also continuing to make positive strides in the areas of membership and attendance at our trade show.  Attendance for both exhibitors and attendees is steadily increasing.  Distributor Benchmarking is a program that has been around for a while now, but it is growing in numbers and remains very popular with our membership. Promoting our Certified Distributors will also be a goal in 2017. 

Benefits of CETA

CETA provides distributors, suppliers, contractors/end users, and manufacturers with solutions to face an ever-changing marketplace to differentiate themselves from the competition while increasing profitability, professionalism, and integrity between its members.

Increased Profits Through Benchmarking
Compare your company to the other top distributors in the high-pressure cleaning industry by sharing data and using key indicators that will help you develop a game plan to increase your net profit by 10 percent or more.

Expand Your Knowledge and Awareness
Technical Committee reports give you the most up-to-date information to keep you one step ahead of new regulations and legalities.

CETA Certification Program keeps you and your employees certified in DOT, HAZMAT, OSHA, and several other performance certifications.

Education classes during our annual convention cover questions, concerns, and the future of the industry.

Ceta Education Foundation
Members in good standing, along with employees and their families, are eligible for scholarships.

In 2016, CETA proudly awarded six $4,500 scholarships.

Increase Your Network with New Connections and Expand Your Business
The CETA Annual Convention has co-located with ISSA to bring you the top manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors from around the world at one convenient location.

Network with top professionals while attending educational seminars and taking advantage of high profile public speakers.

Additional Benefits

• Leasing programs with discounted rates
• Lost/stolen equipment alerts

The Board of Directors: Their Backgrounds and Why They Serve

Aaron Auger—President, CETA 2017

Aaron Auger is the Water Treatment Division Manager at Mi-T-M Corporation in Peosta, IA, where he has been employed since 1998.  Auger works closely with distributors in the design, sale, and installation of Water Treatment/Recycling Equipment in a variety of industries. During his time at Mi-T-M, he has served on numerous CETA committees and spent a three-year term on the board of directors from 2008–2010. 

During his free time, Auger enjoys playing golf and baseball and spending time with his wife, Kelli, and two daughters, Lauren and Emily. Auger is a 1996 graduate of Loras College in Dubuque, IA, where he majored in public relations.

What originally led me to seek a term on the CETA Board of Directors was a sense of giving back and supporting the organization that allowed us to get together on an annual basis at our trade show.  I quickly found out that CETA as an organization was much more than just a show.  It was a group that represents all aspects of our industry from the distributor, supplier and manufacturer segments. The lasting friendships with competitors in the industry, distributors of other companies, and suppliers that I normally would have not met will be something that I will always be appreciative of. 

Aaron Auger

PRESIDENT, Manufacturer, 2015–2017                                                                   
Aaron Auger, Mi-T-M Corporation                                    
8650 Enterprise Dr., Peosta, IA 52069                                                      
Phone: (800) 367-6486, ext. 216                                                     
aauger@mitm.com                                                         

Chad Rasmussen—Sr. Vice President, CETA 2017

Chad E. Rasmussen is the CFO of Royce Industries, L.C. based in West Jordan, UT, and currently serves as the Senior Vice President for CETA.  Born into a cleaning family, Rasmussen has worked in the cleaning equipment industry for his entire life. He resides in Riverton, UT, with his wife (Mara) and three daughters. He also holds a bachelor degree in business management from Utah Valley University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah.

I grew up attending CETA conventions and hearing stories from my dad and brothers about their activities at the shows and board meetings. It always sounded like a lot of work to me, but I could see how much my family valued the relationships that were made.  These relationships have enriched our personal lives and have benefited our business. When I had the opportunity to serve on the board, I hoped to develop some of these same relationships. I was not disappointed! I have learned from my peers and taken things back to our business that I otherwise would not have learned. I have also developed relationships that I have grown to treasure. CETA has been good for our business, our family, and me!

Chad Rasmussen

SR. VICE PRES., Distributor, 2016–2019                                                                  
Chad Rasmussen, Royce Industries                                                                         
1355 W 8040 S,West Jordan, UT 84088                                                                          
Phone: (801) 567-1355                                                                              
chadr@buyroyce.com                                                                                       

Jim O’Connell—Vice President, CETA 2017

Jim purchased his company in 1991 from Mark Wilkie.  Today, he and his wife Karen have more than 20 employees and three locations.  Hotsy Pacific has been the top Hotsy Distributor for the West Coast over the last ten years.  They also rank 15th in the nation out of 160 distributors for Hotsy.  O’Connell believes that we need to be proactive within the industry to promote integrity and uniformity to help promote the industry as one in which we care about the environment and our customers as well as helping others to succeed in business. He is a member of a mastermind group of about twenty successful business owners in the pressure washer industry.  O’Connell has served as secretary on the CETA Board before being appointed vice president. 

I joined the CETA board when Brenda Purswell contacted me and asked if I would be interested in serving on the board. I was taken aback a little, as I felt it was an honor to be asked to serve, and I know industry leaders have been and continued to be involved in the organization. I have never considered myself to be an industry leader. I have been a member of CETA on and off through the years but honestly never felt that I had received any benefit from being a member. I did participate in benchmarking a few times, but again I did not see the benefit. About six years ago, I joined a group of business owners, and we formed what we call The Mastermind Group. We conference call once a month to share ideas and issues and to benchmark against each other, and we also meet once a year to develop goals and strategies for the next year. At that time, I started seeing the power of being involved with other like-minded people. So, when Brenda called I felt the timing was right for me to become involved. As Aaron Auger stated at the 2016 business meeting, I would have never met him or any of you and would not have developed myself to be a better person and business owner. The interaction between us is the most valuable part of the organization. I get way more than I give. The power of CETA is the members and their experiences and their knowledge. As far as our challenges, I believe we must stay ever wary of over-regulation of our industry. CETA is in a unique position to have insider information through Dr. Marlo Dean’s active role in the industry and the technical committee. As always, we need more members, especially active ones who are willing to share their time. Our challenge also is to continually show our benefits to current members so they will share outside the CETA organization and compel more people to join. There is strength in numbers, and the larger we are the more we will be listened to. I think these challenges are also our opportunities. We have the opportunity to set the standards for the industry in many areas, especially in the regulatory arena. We can gain more members by showing the value we provide as an organization. Joining with ISSA at their trade show is a big benefit to all our members, as they have the opportunity to see many other lines of equipment and supplies that they may want to carry. Also, benchmarking with other distributors is a great measure of their companies worth and viability.

Jim O’Connell

VICE PRESIDENT,Distributor, 2015–2017                                                                                      
Jim O’Connell, Hotsy Pacific                                                                                      
1300 N 9th St. Ste. B, Modesto, CA  95350                                                                                      
Phone: (209) 578-3925                                                                                      
joconnell@hotsypacific.net                                                                                      

Chris Meyer—Treasurer, CETA 2017

Chris has worked in the pressure washer and cleaning equipment industry for 17 years as a part of the third generation at Ben’s Cleaner Sales. He started in the warehouse and worked very hard to learn everything about the business and industry. After graduation from the University of Washington with a degree in finance, Meyer held many different positions throughout the company and is currently in charge of purchasing, inventory, IT, and accounting/finance.

Chris Meyer

TREASURER, Distributor, 2016–2018                                                                                      
Chris Meyer, Ben’s Cleaner Sales & Service Inc.                                                                                      
2221 4th Avenue S., Seattle, WA  98134                                                                                      
Phone: (206) 622-4262                                                                                      
chrism@benscleaner.com                                                                                      

Marlo Dean—Secretary, CETA 2017

Marlo began working in the pressure washer industry in 1976 after graduating from Utah State University.  He worked part time repairing pressure washers for Landa while working on his doctorate degree. After receiving his doctorate degree in 1979, he was offered a full-time position with Landa as vice president and a member of the board of directors. Dr. Dean was one of the original small group who helped build Landa Manufacturing from the ground up and was involved in management when Landa soared from $40–$120 million in one year’s time. Since then his responsibilities have changed as Landa was sold and merged with other companies to become Karcher North America. Dr. Dean has been Sr. Manager with Karcher North America since 1984. He handles the warranty department, dealer service training, litigation, publication of operator manuals, product certification ISO 9001 quality registration, and EPA regulation; and he writes industry safety standards as a member of the UL STP Committee. Dr. Dean has served as secretary and as chairman of the Technical Committee for CETA.

Marlo Dean

SECRETARY, Manufacturer, 2016–2018                                                                                      
Dr. Marlo Dean, Karcher North America                                                                                      
4275 NW Pacific Rim Blvd. Camas, WA  98607                                                                                               
Phone: (360) 838-2701                                                                                      
Marlo.dean@karcherna.com                                                                                      

Ben Hageman—Director, CETA 2017

Ben served as purchasing and special projects manager for American Pressure Inc. prior to becoming an owner of the company with his
brother. He has worked for American Pressure since 1996, has served as
a member of the UL 1776 STP panel since 2004, and serves on the CETA Technical Committee. 

Ben Hageman

DIRECTOR, Distributor, 2015–2017                                                                                    
Ben Hagemann, American Pressure                                                                                                              
3810 W Broadway, Robbinsdale, MN  55422                                                                                
(763) 521-4442 or 800-544-0836                                                                                          
apimetro@aol.com                                                                                       

Bill Ott—Director, CETA 2017

Bill joined Karcher in 2012 to lead the technology development organization in driving Portfolio Lifecycle Management for North America. He brings a diverse background in product development, innovation, and technology creation from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, servicing many industries and markets. Bill holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, an MS in mechanical engineering from Binghamton University, and an MBA from Syracuse University. Bill has served as the Benchmarking Chairman for CETA for the last two years and has also been very instrumental on creating manufacturing benchmarking for CETA. 

Bill Ott

DIRECTOR, Manufacturer, 2015–2017                                                                                      
Bill Ott, Karcher North America                                                                                      
4275 NW Pacific Rim Blvd., Camas, WA  98607                                                                                      
Phone: (888) 805-9852                                                                                      
bill.ott@karcherna.com                                                                                      

Aaron Lindholm—Director, CETA 2017

Aaron is the Director of Operations at Veloci.  His responsibilities include overseeing purchasing, accounting, sales, marketing, and warehouse operation, and providing future direction for the company. These responsibilities, coupled with his ability to guide personnel, have helped Veloci to experience three very successful years under his leadership. Aaron has been the Membership Chairman for CETA for the last two years. 

Aaron Lindholm

DIRECTOR, Supplier, 2015–2017                                                                                      
Aaron Lindholm, Veloci                                                                                      
12800 S Highway 13, Ste. 500, Savage, MN  55378                                                                                      
(866) 686-4020, ext. 211                                                                                      
a.lindholm@velociperformance.com                                                                                      

Michael Rickey—Director, CETA 2017

Michael is the senior manager of Honda Engines.  Michael holds a master’s degree in engineering with a focus on industrial distribution from Texas A&M, and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish with an international business minor from Angelo State University.

What led me to want to serve on the CETA board was the desire to give back to an industry of which we are an integral part of, primarily.  In order to have a voice, we need to participate in the organization, and with regulations ever-changing, we need to stay abreast of how that impacts our business and that of our customers. The way for me to personally involve myself in all of these aspects was to serve as board member at CETA. I find this service very rewarding personally and professionally.

Michael Rickey

DIRECTOR, Supplier, 2016–2018                                                                                      
Michael Rickey, American Honda Motor Co. Inc.                                                                                      
4900 Marconi Drive, Alpharetta, GA  30005                                                                                      
Phone: (678) 339-2615                                                                                      
Michael_rickey@ahm.honda.com                                                                                      

Challenges/Opportunities for Industry 2017

These are some of the challenges and opportunities that we have for 2017:

• Getting people involved. We have had a number of talented people offer their services to the CETA board and committees over the years. We need the continued support of our industry to keep moving forward in a positive direction. There is work that is involved in serving, but like anything, with hard work come great rewards. We need the next wave of our industry to get involved!

• Our board is currently working on several opportunities to enhance the CETA brand for all areas projects through to competition and being able to bring new opportunities to our membership! 

Upcoming Events In 2017

• Board of Directors face-to-face meeting February 16–17 at The LINQ in Las Vegas
• Board of Directors face-to-face in June at Karcher in Denver, Colorado
• 2017 CETA Annual Convention and Trade Show, September 10–14, 2017, in Las Vegas Host hotel—The LINQ

Curtis Braber

PAST PRESIDENT
Curtis Braber, BE Pressure Supply                                                                                      
30585 Progressive Way, Abbotsford, BC V2T6WB                                                                                      
Phone: (604) 850-6662                                                                                      
curtisb@bepressure.com                                                                                      

 

Debbie Murray

CETA Staff, Managing Director                                                                                      
Debbie Murray                                                                                      
(800) 441-0111                                                                                      
info@ceta.org                                                                                      

 

Tracy Wagoner

CETA Staff, Asst. Mgr. Director                                                                                      
Tracy Wagoner                                                                                      
(800) 441-0111                                                                                      
tracy@ceta.org