10 Questions: 2012 ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show Recap with Rick Hazard

Plus ISSA Innovation Award Winners!

Rick Hazard, VP of Marketing at WAXIE Sanitary Supply, gives us the down and dirty on the 2012 ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America Show in Chicago by recaping everything in 10 Questions.

What is the ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America Show you may be asking? It is a yearly convention held over the course of a week where all the manufacturers, distributors, associations, etc. in the Jan/San Industry get together to see new products & to discuss cleaning.

1) What was the coolest new product you saw?
A disinfectant wrap to apply to touch points (door knobs, keyboards, bed rails, etc.) that has residual kill claims.

2) What’s the latest in touch-free technology?
Nothing new, but there's a lot more of it!

3) What three products are on your “must have” list?
The Windsor Chariot 3 iScrub, Diversey’s new “Stone” program, and the “Mopster” bucketless handle.

4) Who had the most interesting booth?
The “Museum of Clean” – a traveling display from the actual museum in Pocatello, Idaho. This year the display featured the history of cleaning and paid homage to the pioneers of Jan/San distribution, including a fully restored delivery truck from the 1950’s! I was proud to see WAXIE’s founding fathers (Morris and Harry Wax) prominently featured as industry greats who set a higher standard and achieved success by a commitment to serving the customers.

5) Who had the craziest display?
Nilfisk-Advance – they had three actors (dirt, water, and soap) interacting with the crowd in dramatic fashion to combine the power of cleaning equipment, water, and the right cleaning chemical (soap) to rid the world of the evils of dirt (played by a very shady character).

6) What was your favorite moment of the ISSA show?
Seeing the history of WAXIE in the museum display and the sense of pride that I felt.

7) How important/prominent were ‘green’ products?
Green has become the standard, most have it, but some do it better than others. The minimum standards are clear, but the best are doing more than required (which is a good thing).

8) Any new trends?
Mobile APPS

9) Can you describe the show this year?
This year's ISSA show, held in Chicago, was again a fantastic show. Complete with a full array of educational seminars, workshops, world renowned speakers, best in class manufacturers, and a host of networking opportunities. The show did not disappoint. I am blown away with how big the show is and with how many entrepreneurs there are in our business; one can spend days going up and down the aisles and still not cover the whole show.

10) Why is the ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show is so important?
This year’s show theme “2012 – The Year to Reimagine Clean” was set with the goal in mind to challenge the status quo, to imagine a cleaner world and the steps required to get there. To innovate, to think differently, to create. Walt Disney once said, “Think, Believe, Dream, and Dare”, a mantra that contributed to the greatness on the world's best attraction. ISSA is the Disneyland of the cleaning world……..it is our collective responsibility to improve the world by providing the products, education, and processes that contribute to a clean, healthy, and safe environment. This year's show made us all stop and think about today, and more importantly, the future.

To check out videos, photos and more, check out ISSA/INTERCLEAN's 2012 Show Review: http://www.issa.com/?id=issa_interclean_chicago_2012&lg= 

And the 2012 ISSA Innovation Award Winners are...

Cleaning Agents: Clorox® Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfecting Cleaners by Clorox Commercial Solutions® (click to browse)

Disposables: MOD* Dispensing System from Kimberly-Clark Professional* (click for more info)

Equipment: Super Coach Pro™ by ProTeam® (click to browse)

Services & Technology: CleanTelligent Inspector by CleanTelligent

Supplies: HiFlo™ nLite by Unger Enterprises, Inc.

Per the ISSA website, these winners were selected by cleaning-industry distributors, wholesalers, building service contractors, and in-house service professionals who cast their votes for the most innovative products among the 51 entries in five unique categories.