Nearly 50 people representing over 30 organizations from the building maintenance industry met at the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) show to discuss the creation of a new not-for-profit research institute. The effort – hosted by Castle Rock Industries Inc., Cleaning Management Institute, and Concepts IV – brought together leading manufacturers, building service contractors, consultants, trade associations, trade publications, and more.
The goal of the meeting was to define the vision and mission for a Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI) that would support all areas of the building maintenance industry by assembling information, facilitating research, and initiating scientific inquiry on the cleaning function and cleanliness.
Jim Harris, president of Concepts IV, noted that CIRI would be a resource for all stakeholders in building maintenance.“We need an institute that will develop and distribute reliable information and standards on services provided by the industry,” Harris said.“One of the first goals will be to create and maintain a current library and source record of all studies, reports, white papers, scientific research, academic research, and other documented information relating to cleaning, building and facility maintenance, and the indoor environment.”Mr. Harris, the chairman of the host committee, is also the cofounder of Maids Intl. and president of Janitronics, one of the largest custodial service companies in update“We’ve been aware of a growing push for government intervention in the indoor environment,” stated Dennis Meagher, CEO of Castle Rock Industries. “We felt that it was important for the industry to have an organization that would help influence the formulation of public policy affecting our industry before new laws and regulations were passed; to be involved with agencies like the EPA right from the start.”
“We obviously struck a nerve within the industry,” Humphrey Tyler, president of Cleaning Management Institute, said. “When we first planned this meeting several months ago, we hoped to get 10 to 15 thought-leaders to attend. The fact that nearly 50 people came shows that there is a need for reliable data and public advocacy that we believe CIRI can fulfill.”
The ISSA meeting was only the first of three planned meetings to launch the research institute. A steering committee, pulled from the attendees at ISSA, will meet in February to define the structure and organization of CIRI. Then, a major industry meeting is scheduled for June 2005, which will invite all potential building maintenance stakeholders for an update on CIRI, and an opportunity to join the institute.
To learn more about the proposed Cleaning Industry Research Institute, go to:
