BOWLING GREEN, OHIO—Specialty chemical and equipment manufacturer Betco Corp. announced a partnership with a top manufacturer of biological technologies and fully owned subsidiary EnviroZyme to launch EnviroZyme Probiotic Solutions. This new probiotic cleaning program replaces harsh, traditional cleaning chemicals with natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable formulas that are better for people and the planet. Betco’s current BioActive Solutions program will transition into EnviroZyme Probiotic Solutions. Betco is the only chemical manufacturer in the world to ferment their own beneficial bacteria to produce targeted probiotic cleaning solutions in liquid, solid, and powder forms. From a state-of-the-art facility on Betco’s campus, teams of biologists and chemists...

NATIONAL REPORT—While hotel industry revenues and profits are rising, guest satisfaction is declining. According to the J.D. Power 2022 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, the increase in industry fundamentals has not been met with a corresponding improvement in guests’ perceptions of amenities or services. One of the areas of greatest disappointment is the quality of the guestrooms and facilities. While guests appreciate the enhanced cleanliness prompted by COVID-19, scores for décor and furnishings, in-room amenities, and the quality of bathrooms declined from June 2021 to May 2022. Like all departments, managers needed to cut costs in the Property...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—Nominations are open for the fourth annual 2022 Guest Room Attendant (GRA) Excellence Award, sponsored by UMF Corp. The award recognizes the invaluable contributions of GRAs—hotel housekeepers—who ensure safe guest and employee environments in hotels and lodges across the country. In an industry that is still feeling the pandemic’s aftershocks, the GRA Excellence Award acknowledges the housekeeping heroes who have shown up day after day to clean and disinfect guestrooms and common areas. Nominations are open through December 31, 2022. “Hotels transformed their business models during the pandemic, first deploying infection prevention practices similar to those of an acute care hospital and now contending...

CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR, CALIF.—The date for the annual Green2Sustainable Sustainability Recognition Ceremony has just been announced. It will be held on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 4 p.m. central time in the CleanMeet Lounge at the upcoming ISSA Show North America. The annual ceremony honors ISSA-member organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability. The honorees are selected by Green2Sustainable, which uses advanced sustainability monitoring technologies and ongoing performance interviews that help organizations reduce their use of natural resources, energy, fuel, waste, and other metrics. According to Steve Ashkin, President of Green2Sustainable, there are several benefits for ISSA members to become more sustainable. Among them are the...

BOSTON—Force of Nature, the toxic-free cleaning brand on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America, is reminding communities, businesses, and individuals in the path of Hurricane Ian not to use bleach to kill the buildup of mold and mildew resulting from the storm. Recent studies have shown that chronic exposure to the most common cleaning chemicals, including bleach, can be as damaging to lungs as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. “Because bleach can be so caustic to our respiratory systems, it can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms and be dangerous to those who suffer from...

LOUIS, MO.—For property owners and facility managers, premature roof failure equals unexpected and often significant expenses. According to Bob Gender, Region Manager at Western Specialty Contractors, the neglect of preventative maintenance is often the cause of premature roof failure. “Roofing materials such as BUR, TPO, EPDM, PVC, Modified Bitumen and even green roofs can be vulnerable to environmental stressors such as organic debris, growing vegetation or ponding water,” said Gender. “Other contributors to premature roof failure may include poor craftsmanship, improper flashing, clogged or leaking downspouts, or damage by other contractors.” When roofs are not maintained properly, open seams, splits, blistering,...

CHICAGO—Cleaning innovations company Tersano will present new innovation at Chicago’s ISSA from October 10 to 13, 2022. From a wearable backpack sprayer to a dashboard interface that logs product usage and sustainability targets, Tersano brings to market technologies that prioritize safety, sustainability, and efficiency in the way we clean. The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) hosts the ISSA tradeshow in North America each year. It opens the exhibition floor for businesses to present emerging cleaning technologies to target brands, organizations, and consumers. World-renowned as one of the leading tradeshows of the cleaning industry, ISSA attracts thousands of attendees annually, connecting categorized products and services to...

It remains more important than ever for a hotel to offer a product that stands out amid the competition. Hotel maintenance, which can be considered the combination of all activities necessary to keep hotel facilities and assets in prime condition, is an excellent and hands-on way to set a hotel apart. Unfortunately, many hotel guests don’t appear happy in the post-COVID era, as found by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Travel Study 2021-2022. Hotels fared worse with their score of 71 in overall satisfaction than did online travel agencies, car rental companies, and airlines in the study, and had the...

WOOSTER, OHIO—Wooster Products, the industry leader in anti-slip safety stair treads and walkway products, has promoted Erin Miller to the position of Central and Western Regional Sales Manager. She has served as an Inside Sales Coordinator at Wooster for the past five years. Prior to that she had extensive sales and executive management experience within the hospitality industry. In her new role, Miller will work with sales channel partners to promote the entire line of Wooster Products safety stair nosings and treads, anti-slip tapes, and coatings to architects, specifiers, contractors, OEMS, and end-users within the territory. She is based...

NATIONAL REPORT—Pest control is a necessary part of running a hospitality business, both practically—in removing vermin—and legally in terms of meeting regulations. Unfortunately, as the EPA highlights, many of the practices commonly associated with pest control are harmful to the environment. This is true whether it’s the emissions associated with producing chemical poisons and pesticides, or the actual ecological impact of those poisons being distributed out and applied. This is made all the more painful due to the fact that there are ways to control pests in an ecologically friendly and environmentally sustainable manner—if the effort is there. Tackling Mice & Rats Rodents...