CETA Edge

Reno — Be There or Be Square

By Diane M. Calabrese / Published May 2019

C

ETA Regional Meeting—June 25 and 26

Do you have questions about UL 60335-2-79? Do you think your customer-service approach could be better? Or, is there simply a persistent thought that it would be nice to talk with some industry colleagues about a variety of issues?

Then, Reno, NV, is the place to be on June 25 and 26 for a CETA Regional Meeting being held in conjunction with PWNA. What’s the admission cost? There is none.

What are the details? The meeting will take place June 25-26 at the Peppermill Resort-Spa Hotel. The keynote speaker is Charles Marshall (author of The Serve Method); technical updates will be provided by Jimmy Welch, the CETA Technical Chairman (including information on Prop 65, the replacement of UL 1776 with UL 60335-2-79, and 2020 CARB standard changes); the event is free to anyone in the cleaning equipment industry (with a fee for OSHA and Environmental Certification offered by PWNA); and three hours of credit is awarded for the CETA Certified Distributor program.

“Networking with others” is one of the biggest benefits of going to a regional meeting, says Delany Johnson, sales representative at Wayne Combustion in Fort Wayne, IN. Johnson will be attending, and he encourages others to do the same.

Kyle Notch, president of A.R. North America in Fridley, MN, reminds us what enriching experiences regional meetings are in every way. “The 2018 regional meeting turnout in Minneapolis was incredible. If I’m not mistaken, I believe the turnout even surpassed CETA’s expectations.”

More in attendance, more networking, and more enrichment—it’s a winning formula for the industry.

Notch’s company was a host for the 2018 regional meeting. “Hosting was a small token of appreciation for an association that has helped our company for more than 30 years,” he explains. “We were honored to have the board of directors tour our facility. Many of the board members are not only customers but also longtime friends. It was the rare occasion to be able to get so many important people from our industry in our house at the same time.”

The vigor of a regional meeting compares to the annual CETA tradeshow and meeting. “The knowledge base and the networking opportunities you will have will be one of the best times of the year next to PowerClean 2019,” says Notch.

Bryson Sharp, engineering manager at Northern Tool and Equipment in Faribault, MN, is looking forward to Reno as his first experience with a CETA regional meeting. He, too, encourages others to join the gathering.

“By attending a CETA regional meeting, you will gain firsthand knowledge of industry trends, receive great technical updates regarding new and upcoming regulatory standards, and network with other manufacturers, distributors, and end users,” says Sharp.

Jimmy Welch with America Pressure Inc. in Robbinsdale, MN, is the chair of the technical committee at CETA. He will present technical updates to the group in Reno. Topics he will cover are the transition from UL 1776 (ends March 1, 2021) to its replacement UL 60335-2-79 (published January 14, 2016), 2020 California CARB evaporative emission standard testing changes, and California Prop 65 (need to maintain for new products).

“Safety standard changes and how they affect suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors,” says Welch, are among the things he hopes attendees will take away from his presentation.

Welch has been a part of regional meetings in the past. “Very educational and informative” is the way he would describe them succinctly.

“Attending industry-sponsored meetings like the regional meetings allows suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors to stay informed of the latest industry changes and communicate with others on how they affect us,” says Welch.

Knowledge and Networking

The natural tie between gaining knowledge—about every aspect of the industry, from technical changes to customer needs—and networking cannot be overstated. Some of the most useful insights derive from talking things over with a colleague.

“I have attended the two most recent CETA regional meetings, a round table discussion in December 2017 and the sales presentation and technical update in Minneapolis in 2018,” says Ben Hagemann, general manager at American Pressure Inc. in Robbinsdale, MN. “The greatest benefit is spending time around people in the pressure washer industry.”

Everyone will profit, explains Hagemann. “Spending time together develops relationships that turn into great resources for growing and improving our company. The information that is shared has helped me to improve our company and the experience we give to our customers.”

Hagemann is emphatic in his encouragement to others who are still deciding whether to participate. “Attending CETA events, events for the brands you represent—or anytime you can get together with others in the same industry—is a must,”
he says. “Every day, we are working hard with similar products, ideas, and struggles.”

Sorting through ideas and struggles may be made easier by talking with colleagues. “Often an hour or two of quality time at professional meeting events brings more benefit than a week of hard work on my own,” says Hagemann. “This industry is so full of successful companies and people, and you can find them at CETA gatherings. Becoming a member and going to events will improve your business and amplify all the hard work you do.”

Jim O’Connell, president of Hotsy Pacific in Modesto, CA, will be at the Reno meeting. “It is a great opportunity to keep informed on current issues as well as gain some new ideas and information,” he explains.

“I have attended the other CETA regional meetings,” says O’Connell. “I was able to gain some valuable insight into regulations affecting our industry. I was also able to network with other business owners in my industry.”

O’Connell sums it up for us and for all who might attend. “The regional meeting is a great place to learn of updates in our industry,” he says. “There are always great speakers on current and relevant topics for business as well as for our industry. There are round tables on various subjects where you have the ability to learn from others in our industry as well as sharing your issues and solutions for those issues. It is a great venue for face-to-face networking.”

…And More

Greg Sprunk, president of Superior Cleaning Equipment Inc. in Phoenix, AZ, will be attending. He has participated in past regional meetings. “It’s a good way to reconnect with fellow CETA board members and meet dealers from my current suppliers and also other dealers as well,” he explains.

Look at any facet of the regional meeting, and the strong reasons for going keep multiplying. “I think it’s a good way to support the organization, and this is one of the ways to see what CETA is doing, by participating locally and supporting CETA regionally,” he explains.

But, Sprunk adds, there is even something more to committing. “It’s a way to take some time off from the daily grind yet still be involved in the industry and learn,” he explains.

Lake Tahoe, Carson City, and Reno are each a wonderful destination in the Silver State and are all served by the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Airlines serving the airport with direct flights are many (nine as of February).

A superb program coupled with environs that invite attendees to spend an extra day or two in the area promise an excellent 2019 CETA Regional Meeting.

For more information on the CETA Regional Meeting, visit the CETA website at www.ceta.org or contact CETA via info@ceta.org.