Industry Update: IICRC

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The IICRC is Gaining International Momentum

by Carey Vermeulen

We are often too focused on what is going on right here in our own backyard to realize what is going on around the rest of the world. I have now had the opportunity to represent the IICRC in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Although the IICRC's growth around world is slower by comparison to what it is in North America, it is becoming more significant with each year that passes. Being able to meet IICRC registrants and promote our programs is the best part of my job. On a recent trip to Australia, I spoke to cleaners and restorers at four different venues about the benefits of IICRC certification and the importance of following IICRC industry standards. I was amazed to see how much impact we have had around the world.

Although there are always some misunderstandings about IICRC policies, the awareness of our programs and standards is really quite amazing. Here I am, 12,000 miles from home, and people are walking up to me and introducing themselves, and thanking me, as if I was a celebrity, with many showing me their IICRC registrant cards and comparing numbers.

IICRC International Vice Chair Paul Pearce and myself went to Australia to seek out and interview different management companies and set up an Australian office for the IICRC, based on the office that was created in the United Kingdom a few years ago. Paul and I also attended the Ausclean Convention, a large show with about 140 exhibitor booths and a dozen lecture sessions over three days. I was very happy to see a lot of our own North American based manufacturers already there, selling equipment and cleaning products through the local suppliers. I was most impressed with the quality of some of the hardsurface maintenance equipment, which was more efficient than any I have seen before.

Paul and I were both able to speak on their program, telling a very captive audience what was new at the IICRC and how we could help the industry Down Under by promoting certification and standards. Much of our message was to promote IICRC from within their own group increasing awareness among themselves and the rest of the cleaning and restoration industry in Australia and New Zealand. Spreading the message from within is also something we need to look at
right here in North America. We need to be promoting our certifications
and designations everyday, showing our cards, brochures, explaining what
it is that we do. If we could get every one of our 40,000-plus registrants to
explain to one new person every day what IICRC is, we could reach more
than 200,000 people every week.
Now that's powerful marketing, and think about the public awareness we
could create by promoting from within.

Let us do ourselves a favour: start spreading the word about certification and training every day with our own staff, and technicians. And let's make IICRC a household name!

Carey Vermeulen
glencary@allstream.net
Carey Vermeulen is former President of the IICRC.
You can reach him at glencary@allstream.net

What's Happening at IICRC

By John Hickey

Some would have heard that at the September Board of Directors meeting we elected a new President. The new position went to long-serving Ruth Travis. Ruth has been around assisting IICRC in all positions for 13 years now, so one can say she is well experienced for the position. And yes, she is the first female president as well.

Also at that meeting, we were given the green light to go forward with the proposal to set up a full administration office for IICRC in Australia. This proposal was presented to Australian registrants at the various meetings presented by both ARCCA and NUCCA. David Jones and myself have been presenting proposals for many years now so it is pleasing to know that you can make some headway.

Well I can now announce to all that the selection team have again visited Australia and selected a company to operate the administration and provide an office to care for all of our needs. The office will be located in Sydney and will be able to provide all marketing and promotional activities necessary to make the IICRC work for all in the industry. An advisory committee will be selected shortly and will be approved at the next BOD meeting in May 2007. From my observation with the voting in the last week along with many Board Members' comments, the package will be approved without any opposition.

What Benefits will IICRC Registrants Gain?
Simply put, it will be like having a Head Office right here in Australia, there will be marketing into many areas, suppliers and manufacturers will be assisting, which means that the promotion of the IICRC will be first class and all fees will be paid in Australian dollars, all costs will relate to our market as well.

Certified Firms (Companies) will be the big winners as now all the benefits of this category will be realized. I believe that the Australian Certified Firms will be even better than that of our US colleagues. You will see a lot of activities with IICRC, all of which will promote certification. So if you or your staff are not certified, then I urge you to head for an IICRC certified class near you and start taking the any classes that are now available.

Become Certified and tell all of your customers. One thing that I can tell you along the way you will learn how to increase your profits many times over. The winners will be you and your customers! I look forward to seeing you soon and in the meantime,

"Keep An Eye on the IICRC"

Good Luck
John Hickey