PCC Magazine June/July 2011 Preview

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Take a Sneak Peek...

Welcome to our new “sneak peek” version of the online Pressure Cleaning Contractor Magazine. Inside we’ve included the beginnings of each article included in the June/July 2011 issue. Full articles are available to our paid subscribers only.

Special Thanks to Celeste Gothorp of Carolina Pro Wash for all her hard work on our website, and for opening her home to me (Allison) while in North Carolina working with Steve.

Cover “mug shot” features James Lewis, Underpressure Powerwashers

We are also adding a few new benefits for subscribers, including text only versions of articles (in addition to the full version), making it easier to print off the articles you want to keep and save.

For those who still have not subscribed, what are you waiting for? A subscription is only $36 for 6 issues, or $7.50 every other month. A 6-issue subscription equates to less than 10 cents per day!

Subscribe Today!

“This is a must-have book for anyone wanting to get into the pressure washing business. It is a must have book for veteran power washers to have if you’re having trouble your marketing.

This is a must-have book for your employees to read – if they do not know where your company direction is then your company will never grow. The pages in the book that talked about one person a week being wronged by you or your company had a dramatic impact on the way we are now doing business – not to say we were doing anything wrong, but it opened our eyes on what we do not want to do. AGAIN THIS IS A MUST HAVE BOOK! Buy it, read it, read it again, study it, put it to work and GROW!” – Bryan Henson, Xstream Pressure Washing”

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Editor’s Note

BIG wasta

My husband, Michael, returned last February from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. He was part of a small, specialized unit sent to help teach the local villagers how to farm something other than poppies (for opium). It was a noble cause…at least in theory.

In reality, the mission was troubled from the getgo. You see, while the impoverished villagers lived in dirt houses with little food and almost no possessions, one thing they did own that they wanted to hold on to were their heads. Soon after Michael’s unit arrived, the Taliban began decapitating locals who were caught talking with the Americans.

Clearly, the U.S. troops had some major obstacles to overcome before even beginning to open lines of communication with the locals. The Special Forces who were already in the area had learned about something very valuable, which helped them get in with some of the locals: “BIG WASTA.”

Men of the Middle East respect facial hair – the more the hair, the bigger the “wasta” – or instant esteem

Allison Hester Editor 4

shown. Early in the mission, a cleanshaven Michael traveled to the local village with the SF guys – who had gotten special permission to grow moustaches and beards – to meet some of the locals. Michael, who at the time had no wasta, was not invited to join in activities, being forced to sit at the “kiddy table” of sorts – althought they actually owned no tables – while the grownups talked and drank tea.

Soon, the National Guard gave special permission to allow key members of Mike’s unit to grow non-compliant moustaches.

(They would not cave to the idea of beards.)

Apparently Mike naturally had the biggest wasta and was able to grow a full-blown 70’s style ‘stache, which became a running joke on his base. His BIG wasta also helped him gain a strong respect by the locals and others in the area (such as the kitchen crew pictured above).

OK, so what does this have to do with pressure washing?

As this month’s cover story tells, the pressure washing industry is facing impending increased regulatory control as local municipalities such as Houston are tightening their washwater discharge belts. In order to work toward reasonable solutions, contractors must apply big wasta of their own.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as growing a super macho ‘stache – although many wives are probably appreciative of that.

(Trust me!) No, our industry’s big wasta comes from education – understanding what the Clean Water Act says, understanding what best management practices really mean, and learning how to educate your own local authorities about pressure washing discharge.

So over the next several issues, we are going to be tackling some of the environmental control that’s underway, starting today. Our cover story focuses on the issues currently taking place in Houston and why so many contractors are in an uproar over what’s happening there. I also had a long chat with Jerry McMillen, aka “Sirocco Jerry,” to get a better understanding of BMPs and clarifying some misunderstandings on what they are and what they are not. In upcoming issues, we will look at the Clean Water Act and what it truly says about pressure washing discharge.

Let me end with a short example of why this is important.

In late May, Guy Blackmon of Pressure

Kleen in Fayetteville, NC, was “pinged” by stormwater enforcement in the small town of Hope Mills, NC. The officer said he had already fined a couple of other contractors $1000 each for noncompliance. Guy responds, “No biggie.

I told him that if I could help in any way to just let me know. Funny....he didn’t seem too thrilled about that, or my knowledge in BMP’s or the CWA.”

So they shook hands and the enforcement official went on his way.

Now that’s some BIG Wasta!

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In This Issue: Crackdown

In

Houston

Houston has never been known for its cleanliness. In fact, the EPA named Houston the dirtiest city in 2001 and it still remains in the nation’s top 10 for air pollution, with rates as high as 150 percent above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. But air quality is only part of the problem.

In 2010, a study by the nonprofit group called The Environmental Working Group showed that out of out of America’s 100 largest cities, Houston ranked 95th for drinking water quality, finding 46 different contaminants, including things like arsenic,

benzene and acetone.

In 1982, the Houston Police Department created a special law enforcement group – the Environmental Enforcement Unit. Over the years, they have taken on pollution by major industries such as ship building and automotive manufacturing.

However, in recent years the law enforcement agency has been cracking down on a different type of “polluter” – the pressure washing contractor – and setting confusing, conflicting and arguably unreasonable standards that are running many pressure washers away from the city, if not out of business altogether... .

How to Save THOUSANDS of Dollars a Year by Steve Stephens Starting in the pressure cleaning business 30 years ago, I learned some things very early on.

I am not mechanically inclined, so I knew I would have to take every precaution to eliminate any major mechanical work.

When I began my business, there were no pressure cleaning distributors or mechanics that knew how to work on pressure washers... .

NCE East

July 28-30 in Tampa

For the fourth straight year, hundreds of pressure washing contractors will gather in Tampa for one of the industry’s biggest events of the year – the National Cleaning Expo East.

This year’s program looks to be the largest and most information-packed yet, filled with top industry speakers (including our publisher Steve Stephens), certifications and bootcamps, exhibits and demonstrations on a “cleaners playground...”

This past month, I naively discovered one way to stir up controversy in the industry. Mention the term “BMPs” – or Best Management Practices.

After posting that I was seeking comments about some recently published BMPs for washwater

by Allison Hester control, I quickly learned this was not a popular topic. Thankfully, I received a kind note from Jerry McMillen, aka “Sirocco Jerry,” who offered to help me get myself out of the pickle I’d created by sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise on the topic.

Best Management Practices, according to Jerry, are just that – BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. These are not dirty words. They are not about the fear of being caught doing something wrong and being fined. They are not even about regulations. They are about working smart, educating properly, and building sustainable relationships...

Reframing

BMPs

Kory Finley Kory Finley of K & J Pressure Cleaning in Tampa struggled quite a bit when first getting started in the industry. He had to learn several lessons the hard way, which is why he stresses the importance of doing your research before doing anything else, including a market analysis. “Make sure there is a need for the type of service you want to provide and that people are willing to pay for it.”

Kory started pressure washing in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006 when he realized he did not want to continue on his career path in retail management. His wife, Lauren, supported his choice to start his own pressure washing business, which then focused on kitchen exhaust cleaning (KEC). “It was a slow start,” he admits...

Staying Grounded: Gutter Cleaning for the Professional

by Keith Cox, Sparkle Right Cleaning Service

“What would you charge to clean my gutters while you are already here cleaning my home?”

For me, this is an opportunity that used to seem like a double edged sword. Either I either had to charge an amount that might disrupt the good situation I was establishing with my customer, or I was going to charge a price the customer would like, but was ridiculously low considering I could suffer an accidental fall ...

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Rookie Camp Helping “Newbies” Start Smart This month, Doug Rucker of Clean and Green Solutions in Humble, Texas – a suburb of Houston – hosted his third monthly pressure cleaning school “Rookie Camp.”

Designed specifically for pressure washing contractors who have been in business for less than three years, Doug’s Rookie Camp teaches those relatively new to the industry about business and cleaning through both in-class and on-the-jobsite settings.

“My main goal is to help guys who are starting out rather than those who’ve been in it for years,” Doug explains. “I want to help them learn the basics that people need to know to get their business started from a legal standpoint, an accounting standpoint, and on to actually having to clean a house or roof...”

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Advantages to Buying Locally

by James Lewis, Underpressure Powerwashers

Having a relationship with a local supplier is invaluable to a successful business. Recently I stopped in on Hydrotek of Redlands, California, to take a tour of the production facility and to pick up a piece of equipment they had asked me to test in the field for them. This tells me a lot when a supplier wants to know how the end user feels about how their products perform and what adjustments or improvements they can make.

I have been a very loyal Hydrotek user for many years. I sat down with Casey Meelker in the sales department, who has been my go-to guy when we have equipment needs, to discuss a few reasons why a business should decide on a local supplier.

Take a look at a few of the things we have discussed and see if you may have these things in mind when making equipment and supplier selections...

Derby City Networking Recap

by Celeste Gothorp, Carolina Pro Wash

Every once in a while, you come across someone in an industry that gives so much to so many.

Memorial Day weekend of 2011, that someone gave yet again.

Russ Johnson of Southside Equipment in Kentucky not only hosted one of this year’s best events - but he also gave away ANOTHER skid unit to a lucky 9 winner...

Windows

Waterfed Poles

by Salvatore “Tory” Marino, Elite Window Cleaning

With all the window cleaning associations and organizations out there, window cleaning companies really have no reason not to be held to high standards when it comes to safety training. After all, these organizations offer discounted prices on OSHA, ANSI and other accredited safety courses.

However, there is yet another way to keep workman’s compensation costs down while keeping your field technicians working and in good health.

This is by investing in a waterfed pole and DI/RO (Deionized and Reverse Osmosis) setup...

Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning

Educating Your Local Fire Official

by Jason A. Wellman, FilterShine USA & The GreaseBox, LLC.

An often overlooked fact is that most of our first responders are volunteer firefighters. Based on Firefighter Fatalities in the US, 6/10, from 1977 to 2009, there have been 3677 on-duty firefighter deaths in the US (not including the 340 firefighter deaths at the World Trade Center).

Over 60 percent of these were volunteer firefighters. In 2010, four percent of firefighter deaths in the US occurred at a commercial restaurant facility... .

New Tech Training 101 by Steve Stephens

How many times have you been called away from your office to troubleshoot minor problems that your technicians should be quite familiar with? That’s right.

Too many. Instead, I am going to provide you with education material you can provide to your technicians, aid you in their training, and turn many wasted times into productive times...

Your Input Determines Your Output, Part II by Steve Stephens

Every choice we make has an end result.

When I choose to be mean, nasty and ugly to you then I have also chosen to receive mean, ugly and nasty from you. When I have chosen to be kind, gracious and polite to you, in 98 percent of the cases, I have chosen to be treated in a kind, pleasant, thoughtful and gracious manner by you. In turn, I have chosen myself.

You see, I believe we can teach everyone this lesson: that our condition and our situation is the result of our own choices...

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