CETA Edge

CETA Turns 33—Plans for 2023

By Diane M. Calabrese / Published January 2023

The Cleaning Equipment Trade Association (CETA) turns 33 years old in 2023. With a strong foundation firmly in place, CETA has one overarching goal: Build on that foundation.

     “CETA will continue to follow the strategic plan as laid out by the board of directors,” says Scott Hansen, the 2023 president of the association. Hansen is also the president of Alkota Cleaning Systems Inc. in Alcester, SD.

     The benefits of membership are well known to CETA members. As more distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers in the industry realize the advantages of joining with competitors and colleagues, the association expects membership to grow.

     Growth is exciting, explains Han-sen. With it comes new ideas and more voices, and there’s nothing like fresh perspective to make an association, as well as the industry it represents, stronger.

     In turn, the greater strength makes it easier to meet the challenges already in the picture and those on the horizon. Hansen puts SORE [small off-road engine] regulation and CARB [California Air Resources Board] expectations high on the list of challenges within view.

     “Everyone in the industry needs to be aware of each regulation and how it may affect their business,” says Hansen. “We as an industry need to continue to educate customers about the benefits of a pressure washer and how pressure washers are needed in many industries to keep people healthy.”

     Getting the word out regarding the importance of the industry—the contributions its products make to hygiene and safety across virtually every sector of economic activity—will continue to be a priority. The A to Z of economic sectors served by CETA members—agriculture to zoological parks, and every place from hospitals to schools and in between—outnumbers most industries.

     CETA members meet regularly to collaborate and to continue learning as well as to find ways to resolve issues that challenge the industry. The place and date for PowerClean 2023 are already set: Glendale, AZ, October 11–14, 2023.

     PowerClean 2023, the annual conference, provides a venue for showcasing products, discussing the thorniest industry concerns, making new contacts, and keeping current with industry changes. Because PowerClean 2023 now co-locates with PWNA, the meeting affords members an informal way to interact with the customers they serve.

     In addition to PowerClean 2023, a regional meeting has already been scheduled. It will take place in San Antonio, TX, on June 7–8, 2023. Regional meetings, which were introduced a few years ago, allow members to put an acute focus on a technical or other issue. 

     Members need not wait for annual or regional meetings to partake in all CETA offers. “Get involved,” says Hansen, “Reach out to a board member and join a committee or volunteer to help with a project.”

     In doing so, there is growth for the individual, the organization, and the industry. And “the networking opportunities that CETA provides cannot be overstated,” explains Hansen.

     The benefits that attach to membership are many. A complete list is available at the CETA website, CETA.org. One huge benefit is the benchmarking program, which is available to members at no cost. Benchmarking allows members to assess their strengths and weaknesses, thereby identifying ways they can shore up profitable strategies. 

     During 2023 CETA will continue to promote performance standards for manufacturers of equipment. CPC-100 is the association’s standard, which when met signifies a machine has been subjected to a uniform method for testing and rating. 

     Many distributor members are also expected to use the year to attain certification. CETA-certified distributors take an extra step to document their compliance with industry and ethical standards. 

     Attention to and growth of existing programs is just one part of the outlook for 2023. New initiatives are also in the works.

     “The CETA Scholarship Foundation has a new and exciting grant program for continuing education that can help all CETA members with education for employees,” says Hansen. The program will help offset costs for continuing education among members and their employees.

     Sales classes, trade classes, computer skills classes, marketing classes, language classes, and training in customer service are some of the areas in which a pursuer of continuing education may be supported. Again, visit the CETA.org website to read the details.

     Hansen says he looks forward to the promise of the new year, and he values the support that has come and will come from colleagues as he steers the association.

     “The CETA board is a great collective of talent in our industry,” says Hansen. “I have learned something from everyone on the board about leading this great organization and working as a team.”

     Hansen explains that “having been involved in committees and working as a group” with the association over the years has helped prepare him for his tenure as president. He expects year 33 in 2023 to be a good one for CETA.