CETA Edge: Membership—Something to Be Proud Of

by Diane M. Calabrese | Published February 2026

 

 

Let’s be blunt or at least matter of fact. Pragmatic to be sure. A business owner can find any number of vendors offering financial analytics, choose one, make a contract, and go from there. But a member of CETA [Cleaning Equipment Trade Association] has another option.

A CETA member can participate in a benchmarking program as one of the many benefits of membership. An important one, but just one of many.

Staying current with all that is ongoing and keeps coming in the sphere of commerce has become more challenging than ever. Steadiness is essential, and CETA makes maintaining that steadiness easier.

Be it regulations, standards, technology, or methods, the colleagues (and competitors) who join together as CETA make a strong, cohesive force for dealing with all that affects their businesses. In fact, though, the whole that results from those in the association goes well beyond the specific issues that confront industry members each day.

Let’s review a few derivatives of membership.

“One of the greatest rewards of being part of CETA has been getting to know the people in the industry,” says Karl Loeffelholz, distribution division manager at Mi-T-M Corporation in Peosta, IA. “There are so many talented professionals who are willing to share ideas from a wide range of perspectives—whether from the equipment, service, chemical, or parts side.”

Collaboration and cooperation build a formidable structure that fortifies each member. CETA facilitates and promotes that structure.

“Each dealer is always looking for better ways to operate and grow while also creating a comfortable work environment and enjoying life,” says Loeffelholz. “Being surrounded by people who are collaborative, open, and committed to improvement has been incredibly valuable.”

Peer-to-peer interaction is integral to the philosophy of CETA, which is now in its 36^th year. The ability to learn from someone who has resolved a similar problem is always welcome.

Then, there’s just the opportunity to keep learning in formal and informal settings. Through its annual PowerClean^® meeting and tradeshow, regional meetings, and digital communication across the year, CETA ensures that members can easily keep pace with regulatory and technical developments.

It’s never too early to plan, so we pause to mention that PowerClean 2026 will be held October 8–11 in Orlando, FL.

“There are a lot of people in this industry who do a great job running their businesses, and I have learned more because of them than I ever would have on my own,” says Greg Sprunk, president of Superior Cleaning Equipment Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. “And I appreciate that probably most of all in being part of CETA,” he says.

Sprunk explains that being part of the association provides a wide outlook on a vibrant industry. The association offers “good exposure and good people” in every direction.

Yes, many members are competitors. Manufacturer and dealer alignments differ. But the differences add to strength in the association.

The significance of “the relationships with not only fellow dealers but also vendors cannot be overstated,” says Sprunk. He adds, “It really opened my eyes to see what was out there.”

It’s not always easy to work with ease across the business-to-business chain. But being part of an association that brings together the manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers fosters understanding.

Belonging to CETA has given Sprunk more insight into the entire industry. “It is good to have a broader scope and gain knowledge and relationships and peace of mind.”

Sprunk explains that he is gratified to see dealers inside and outside his own network succeed. Each successful member business adds to the vigor in the industry.

And that returns us to a few more words about the benchmarking program, a program that enables participants who want to sharpen their understanding of cost and revenue centers. For example, the results from benchmarking can be used to optimally structure approaches to sales.

If other companies have more sales per sales representative, perhaps it’s time to think about reconfiguring the sales force. Of course, it’s not just a matter of more sales but also their magnitude.

Members who participate in the CETA benchmarking program submit data about financial and organizational structure (e.g., cost per sales employee), which is analyzed by an outside party. Companies participating are not identified. A participating company receives a profile that indicates how it performs in comparison to its competitors.

Whether building a year-over-year profile to inform business planning or fueling a competitive spirit or both, members of CETA who participate in benchmarking find it an important tool. It is a tool, not a last word or the only word, but a great benefit of membership. We can assign it to the tangible side of the benefits ledger.

Of course, the tangible and intangible benefits are often intertwined. And that’s a good thing.

Ask any CETA member about the most significant gain from membership and expect a heartfelt answer. “One of the most important rewards our company has gained is the strength and influence that comes from being part of a unified voice,” says Gus Alexander, CEO of FNA Group in Pleasant Prairie, WI.

“Individually companies can struggle to be heard; however, through CETA’s collective membership, CETA has been able to shape regulations, influence industry standards, and protect our members’ business interests in ways that no single company could accomplish alone,” explains Alexander. Collective strength is the result.

“This collective strength has delivered several tangible benefits, such as real regulatory impact whereby CETA has successfully represented member interests before agencies and regulators, ensuring that new rules and standards reflect real-world operational needs,” says Alexander.

Sharing real-world knowledge with regulators takes time and dedicated members of the association but brings results. “This has protected us from unnecessary costs and helped create fair, practical guidelines,” explains Alexander.

A unified voice also has led to “industry standards that improve quality and trust,” says Alexander. Among the standards is the CPC 100, updated and revised by the association’s technical committee.

“Work on equipment standards has improved consistency across the industry, strengthening customer confidence and helping members differentiate themselves from unregulated competitors,” explains Alexander.

Product validation through commitment to standards always gets the attention of customers, and that’s positive attention.

The pluses that accrue to CETA members are too many to list here. But consider a few more.

There are “training, technical education, and the PowerClean event,” says Alexander. All of which have helped build partnerships, develop best practices, and uncover new revenue opportunities.

“The relationships formed within CETA are key,” says Alexander. “Manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and service professionals often become long-term sources of support, collaboration, and growth.”

The inextricable tie between the tangibles, such as staying current with regulations, and the intangibles, such as getting advice on compliance (how to succeed with it), is always in sight. “CETA successfully focuses on members’ real-world operational needs,” says Alexander

Members of CETA have realized protection from unnecessary costs and benefited from fair, practical guidelines thanks to their unified voice, explains Alexander. “Relationships within CETA with other manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and service professionals have become long-term sources of support and collaboration.”

Not taking advantage of the numerous benefits of membership? Lapsed member? Join/rejoin today by visiting the CETA.org website.

Final word? “We are proud to be a member of CETA,” says Alexander.