Together Again—PowerClean 2022

By Michael Hamline / Published December 2022

After two years of not being able to meet in person, it was good to be back together this past October 11–15 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, FL. It was good to attend the various educational courses, network with others in the industry, walk the show floor, and honor those who have given so much to the industry [see the companion article on page 22 in this issue “Strong Leadership—2022 CETA Award Winners” for the award honorees].

     To General Pump as the Keystone Sponsor, including the CETA opening reception, and to Equip-Money by Lease Consultants Corp. for sponsoring the CETA Annual Business & Membership meeting, we say, “Thank you!”

     Cleaner Times reached out to several of those who attended PowerClean 2022 to find out what they took away from the time and what they see as ways to grow productively in the future. 

Yujin Anderson, General Manager, Steamericas

     It was really good to see everyone again in person. I wish we had more attendee participation for CETA University and other educational sessions. PowerClean is worth coming to for the networking alone, but I hope every member took away important information about regulatory changes; technical updates; and service, sales, and operations tips from the industry colleagues. 

     In order to grow participation, schedule changes and more outreach to members may be required, and it won’t be an easy task. However, I believe focusing on education-based values of the organization is paramount to increase the membership generation after generation.

Women of CETA

Al Bonifas, CETA President 2021–2022

     It was great getting together again in person. I feel like nothing replaces the in-person contact that happens at PowerClean. There were a lot of positive comments that it was a great show. Our organization relies heavily on this show, and not having it for two years was a challenge. Fortunately, CETA has weathered the storm and is moving forward with renewed energy from PowerClean to provide our members with the benefits they have come to know and rely on. We had a very nice increase in membership, which was in part due to getting back together at PowerClean. Communicating CETA’s focus on the future of our industry long distance, especially with our technical committee’s efforts, is not near as effective as it is in person. As electrification moves forward and any kind of combustion is being scrutinized, cleaning applications and the need to clean and sanitize will not go away. So, helping members learn how to navigate these changes and keeping our members informed, as well as taking advantage of new opportunities, is a very important task for our CETA organization and the PowerClean convention.

President’s Reception

Ken Herbert, Vice President-Marketing, Blubird Industries

     BluBird Industries was happy to be in person at PowerClean 2022 with CETA and PWNA. Like most attendees, we share the outlook that shutting down global economies for long periods has a tremendously negative effect on everyone. Regardless of political affiliation, we were happy to be face-to-face with our customers and users of our products.

     Our goal at the show was to collect valuable input from the customers at all levels. To better understand the challenges they face regarding the equipment they use, we engaged heavily with the people who were gracious enough to answer our questions.

     Of course, some outstanding elements were the hazards associated with the pressure and power washing industry. We spoke to dozens of people dealing with chemicals, some that couldn’t perform under low temperatures. It is clear that as the industry grows, science and educational training will evolve with it as well as regulations and standards.

Golf Scramble at Shingle Creek Golf Club

     I think many people view power washing as a no-brainer, but that is not the case. Besides the chemicals, there’s no shortage of dangers with water coming out at 4,000 psi. These dangers translate quickly to the equipment because of these harsh conditions and the equally harsh treatment of the equipment they use. The engagement with the users of our equipment was an important insight for us because we are working with the factory to make products designed with durability, flexibility, and longevity at their core.

     Another great thing we learned from the show was the great job PWNA does regarding training in best practices, and the certifications they are mapping out for the industry. Undoubtedly, they will positively impact the pressure washing industry for years to come.

Troy Jaros, President, Equipmoney.com by Lease Consultants Corp.

     It was a pleasure being back in person at this year’s CETA event. It was so wonderful to be able to shake hands and thank so many of our customers for using our financial programs. We are proud to support such a great organization.

Don Westerfield, Owner, Big Red Supply

     As owner of a couple of distributorships, I’d like to see CETA grow in their educational offerings at PowerClean. Having more classes where the manufacturers could help point out what distributors are doing wrong and help train and guide them to become more efficient would be great. The update about CETA University was very informative, and it is good to see this information online. I look forward to seeing what is shared in the future to help distributors succeed. 

     It was good to see everyone in person. We hope you will make plans to attend PowerClean 2023 in Glendale, AZ, October 11–14, 2023.