Editor’s Note—March 2017

by Michael Hamline, Editor / Published March 2017

What is CETA’s Lifetime Achievement Award? In a document that was formerly accessed at www.ceta.org, it says, “The Cleaning Equipment Trade Association (CETA) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995 to recognize those who have achieved excellence in the pressure cleaning industry and to honor those who have made significant contributions.” In fact, the document goes on to say that the award can be given to one or more individuals who have spent a minimum of 20 years contributing to the industry.

This past October 2016, CETA met in Chicago for their annual trade show. On the evening of the annual business meeting, the CETA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Charles Tibboles of R.W. Beckett. Tibboles has worked at the company since 1979, where he has been in charge of overseeing the main focus of the business in the residential heating market. He relates the story of a customer who came to him early in his career at R.W. Beckett and asked him, “Hey, can you build this burner with a 12-volt dc motor and ignitor?” Tibboles comments, “They had a vision, and we said we think we can, and it was just one of those things. Today 40 percent of the pressure washer market using oil-fed pressure washers is served by the dc burner. That’s kind of cool. It’s grown from nothing to what it is today.” It’s an amazing story, and you can learn more about Tibboles, R.W. Beckett, and the pressure washing industry by reading the entire article on page 22.

Also, it seems that for most of the U.S., it has been a relatively mild winter so far. With that being said, spring is right around the corner. Hopefully, you’ve been out during the “slower” months introducing your company to potential clients who will need pressure washing as part of their spring cleaning. For important tips on prepping your business for a busy spring, turn to the article “Spring Is Here—Let the Season Begin!” on page 12, and learn what you can do to be prepared.

Michael Hamline
michael@adpub.com
(800) 525-7038