Mike Dingler, owner of Firehouse Pressure Washing LLC in Peachtree City, GA, gives us some highlights of the plans PWNA (Power Washers of North America) has for the next year. He is a member of the organization’s board of directors.

“Education is a defining role for PWNA that will not change except to become stronger in the future,” says Dingler. “Our Enterprise members have the ability to enroll all of their employees in unlimited safety, compliance, and technical training classes.”

Dingler also emphasizes the dynamic nature of the classes. The instructional offerings are improving and expanding over time thanks to the addition of relevant content as it emerges. All efforts of the board of directors are aligned to help move the exterior cleaning industry forward. PWNA has more than 30 online classes.

With an enduring commitment to education, the association continues to bolster initiatives that strengthen outcomes for its members and the customers they serve. For example, solar safety is one focus, and PWNA recently released Solar Cleaning Safe Practices. The mechanics of business itself are also in view.

“The PWNA will begin to offer more education on administrative business operations such as business finance, KPIs [key performance indicators], etc.,” says Dingler. “Through these classes we can help our members scale their businesses to attract more clients and more A players as employees.”

PWNA is in the process of translating all courses into Spanish. The OSHA 1910 and flatwork courses are already available in Spanish, with plans for DOT, respirator, and environmental courses following fast.

“My company used to only employ off-duty firefighters because I trusted them due to the certifications they received in rookie school for ladder safety, chemical safety, OSHA requirements, DOT, etc.,” says Dingler. That has changed.

“The Enterprise package offered by the PWNA lets me enroll my new full-time non-firefighters in the LMS [learning management system] so that they can be certified and tested on 10 different classes for technical proficiency when preforming exterior cleaning, including OSHA, DOT, respirator safety, and more,” says Dingler. “It’s an awesome program,” he enthuses.

Assistance to members will continue to take many forms. The PWNA education platform is just one example. The platform tracks certifications and training for a company. It also sends notifications when a certification is near expiration.

PWNA will be co-locating with CETA again at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, FL, from October 31–November 3, 2024, for its own annual convention. The trade show floor and pressure washing education will be designed to be the best available.