NewslineVolume VII, Issue 8 - April 7, 2006The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: Scripps Howard Article Has It RightA recent article written by interior designer Rosemary Sadez Friedmann appeared in the Arizona Daily Star and circulated through the Scripps Howard news service for once made the point most people seem to miss: treat your carpets with love, and they will love you back. The gist of the article simply states that carpet is not the culprit when it comes to cleaning and maintaining it, and the author states emphatically: you will get more loving years of service out of your carpet if you just show it you care. And the greatest care you can give a carpet is to keep it clean. Contact James Beach at 706.428-2116. Seal of Approval Continues Growth As New Products Pass Tests
The Bane-Clene PCA Formula is manufactured by Bane-Clene Corp. which is headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., while the Carpet Complete Hydrogen Peroxide-based Carpet Cleaner is produced by Envirox, LLC, which is headquartered in Danville, Ill. To qualify for the SOA designation, a product must pass a stringent series of tests administered by an independent testing laboratory. The tests for spot removers, pre-sprays and in-tank solutions include protocols for efficacy (removing stains), resoiling (whether the product attracts soil at an accelerated rate), pH (excessively acid or alkaline products can affect dyes and fibers), optical brighteners (can adversely affect color, appearance and performance) and colorfastness to light (residues on pile yarn can accelerate color change). The protocol for deep cleaning extractors tests for amount of soil removed from the carpet, amount of residual water left in the carpet and impact of the equipment on carpet fibers and appearance. The newest extractor addition is manufactured by NSS Enterprises out of Toledo, Oh. Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. March Mania Complete, But Campaign ContinuesCRI’s March Mania tie-in with playing of the NCAA basketball championships generated a nice buzz among those who followed the event and participated in the campaign. It received good coverage by various newspapers and online resources and opened the door for some future stories in several big-name newspaper publications, including the Arizona Republic, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sacramento Bee and Cincinnati Enquirer as well as Georgia Trend magazine. CRI developed an interactive side to this campaign by creating men’s and women’s NCAA brackets with cleaning tips as well as a customizable press release to be used by companies marketing certified products. The template press release was downloaded 255 times, which we regard as a good sign of interest. CRI also saw a considerable spike in website page views for the SOA information in both months. CRI will continue to follow-up with people on the Seal of Approval story and expect that the national press release on PR Newswire will continue to generate pick-up for months to come. Contact James Beach at 706.428-2116. IICRC Helps Multiply the CRI MessageJeff Bishop, a respected leader in the cleaning industry and an instructor for the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC), has done a yeoman’s effort in helping CRI get the word out to cleaning professionals. Bishop wrote an article on x-ray fluoresence (XRF) and its use in CRI's SOA program. The article was published in ICS Cleaning Specialist Magazine with distribution to some 40,000 firms in the cleaning and maintenance community. He has also been quoted about the CRI SOA programs in a number of cleaning and maintenance magazine articles as well as radio programs. The Society of Cleaning and Restoration Technichians (SCRT) newsletter has carried these articles and they have been repeated in the IICRC monthly newsletter, along with excerpts from the CRI newsletter. Several thousand cleaning/restoration firms receive that newsletter monthly. Connections, one of the largest cleaning trade shows, has promoted CRI programs with speaking slots and on the convention floor thanks to help from the IICRC. Contact James Beach at 706.428-2116. CRI Joins CHPS Technical CommitteeThe Collaborative for High Performance School (CHPS) has recently expanded their membership rules to include trade associations and manufacturing companies. CRI was one of the first to take advantage of this opportunity to further interact with the sustainable program for improving the school environment. CRI was asked to join the CHPS technical committee and nominated Ken McIntosh, CRI Senior Technical Director. Ken was accepted by CHPS as a valued addition to the committee. He will make sure the CRI technical committee is kept fully abreast of any developments within CHPS. CHPS aims to increase the energy efficiency of schools in California by marketing information, services, and incentive programs directly to school districts and designers. The Collaborative's goal is to facilitate the design of high performance schools: environments that are not only energy efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities needed for a quality education. Contact Frank Hurd at 706.428-2136. CRI Video featured on NAM WebsiteCRI’s video on carpet manufacturing was recently featured on the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) blog, “ShopFloor.org: The Manufacturers' Blog.” Every Saturday, ShopFloor.org features a manufacturing-related video, and asked CRI for permission to display the video as part of the program. CRI’s video, “Manufacturing Carpet: The Floor Covering of Choice,” can be found on the “CoolStuffBeingMade.com (Weekend Video)” portion of the NAM blog: The Saturday Video: A Magic Carpet Ride. The video has also been picked up by Make Magazine’s blog: “How carpet is made.” Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. Carpet Info Well Received at Principals FunctionCRI was among the many vendors at the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Convention and Expo in San Antonio recently. CRI’s Jennifer Mendez took part in a well-received table talk session, presenting Carpet and Its Role in a Healthy Classroom. The majority of principals who visited the CRI booth were very supportive of carpets in their schools and a good understanding of the role it plays in student performance. Many of them collected information to take back home for their custodians and facility managers, and all in all, the group proved to be very positive in their response to the benefits of carpet. Contact Jenn Mendez at 703.875-0634. CRI Annual Meeting SetThe CRI Annual Meeting will once again be held at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center and has been set for November 9th. Please mark your calendars if you plan to attend the event which is held in conjunction with CRI’s final Board of Directors meeting for the year. More information, including an agenda with speakers attached to it, will be sent out closer to meeting itself. Contact Louise Dobbs at 706.428-2104. CRI Meetings * Allied Association Meeting, April 11, 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Dalton Golf & Country
Club CRI Participation in Upcoming Events* Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) Annual Meeting, May 2 - 4, Pine Mountain,
GA If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428.2123. Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
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