Sweeper Operator Designation

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1 What s in The Hopper? 1 What s New at NAPSA: Certified Sweeper Operator Designation 2 Your Image Is Everything 3 New Members 3 Partner Member Profile 4 NAPSA Word Search 5 Sweeper Maintenance, Restoration of Porous Pavement Eliminates Storm Water Runoff 6 Member Stories Welcome Gold Silver NAPSA Partners Schwarze Industries TYMCO, Inc. Elgin Sweeper Company Johnston North America Nite-Hawk Sweepers Visual App Bronze Fairmont Specialty United Rotary Brush Corp. Stewart-Amos Sweeper Co SWEEPER.com Call for Content THE HOPPER, the official newsletter for NAPSA, warmly welcomes article ideas, content, and photos submitted by members. Don t be shy. This is your newsletter. Send content, high-resolution pictures, and ideas to the attention of the editor at info@powersweeping.org. The Official Newsletter of the North American Power Sweeping Association July 2017 Vol. 1 Issue 3 What s New at NAPSA: Certified Sweeper Operator Designation If you attended National Pavement Expo in February, then you probably heard that NAPSA is well into the development of a new, industry wide training program called Certified Sweeper Operator (CSO). This program has been many months in the making and continues to be developed. Dozens of the brightest minds in the power sweeping industry continue to contribute and work on this industry-changing project. NAPSA is blessed to have each contributor. At the end of the road, the NAP- SA CSO program will be the go-to program for professional and consistent sweeper operator training. This certification will work in conjunction with online modules, as well as testing performed by the owner or a designated organization trainer. The operator must achieve 100% on the individual module tests as well as the final proctored exam to qualify. (Coming Soon!) By Nancy Terry, NAPSA Executive Director To complete the course and receive certification, the operator must also have 1,000 hours of accident-free driving. The CSO program combines all three testing elements to create an encompassing program. So, you may be asking what types of information will be covered in the 18 CSO training modules? Well the answer is: everything that is important for a professional driver to know. This includes a module on health and nutrition to how to do a post-trip inspection to people skills and so much more. We know that when the Certified Sweeper Operator online training launches, it will be well worth the wait and the return on this time investment will come back to the operator as well as the sponsoring organization many times over. This is just one of many NAPSA benefits to come! Watch for more in the next issue of The Hopper!

2 The most successful sweeping contractors present a polished and professional image. They run an organized, structured program for their clients and their employees. If you could obtain an edge or advantage for relatively low cost, wouldn t it make sense to do it, too? Let s look at what you can do with what you have. Lauren Mc- Caskill of Southco, located in Darlington, South Carolina says, As a business whose primary function is to clean for other businesses, we have to present an image of cleanliness. Their slogan even states they have been Maintaining First Impressions for Over 25 Years. Here are five tips to quickly and easily improve your image: Keep it clean. Not only will this improve the appearance of equipment, but it also adds years to its life. Make this a habit, a requirement, and a routine. Sweeping is dirty by nature. Wash your equipment Your Image Is Everything at the end of every shift to add years to its life. Clean the cab, too. Keep the dash clear of papers, empty cans, cups, fast food bags, and tools. Wipe the dash, doors, and steering wheel after each shift. Once or twice each week use soap, and don t forget the windows and mirrors. Make this a basic requirement for your operators. Inspect what you expect. Seat covers. Cover the seats with durable seat covers to protect the original upholstery. Sliding in and out of the driver s seat over time, not only wears the fabric, but also causes a breakdown of the foam cushion. This becomes uncomfortable for the operator and looks trashy. Tire treatment. Get a whole lot of shine for just a few bucks. By Schwarze Industries Paint. If you can t afford a professional paint job, then work with what you can afford. It s amazing what some elbow grease and a can of spray paint can do. We have only scratched the surface with things that relate to your image and how that might affect your success. The others will have to have to wait for another day. Please walk away with this. Image matters. NAPSA NEWS STAFF President Peter Phillips Executive Director Nancy Terry Editor/Staff Writer Karen M. Smith ADVERTISING/CONTACT Please inquire at: North American Power Sweeping Association P.O. Box 1166 Lebanon, OH (888) info@powersweeping.org CIRCULATION As of February 1, 2017, members of the North American Power Sweeping Association may receive THE HOP- PER as a part of their paid membership. THE HOPPER is an official publication of the North American Power Sweeping Association and is published bi-monthly. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to North American Power Sweeping Association, P.O. Box 1166, Lebanon, OH 45036, info@powersweeping.org North American Power Sweeping Association 2 The Hopper

3 New Members NAPSA warmly welcomes the following new members who joined in March, April, May, and June of Sweeping Tonya Hessler th Avenue, Suite F Aurora, CO T (303) tonya.hessler@rprcontractservices. com Apex Commercial Services William Sakoutis 1933 Hwy. 35, Suite 105 PMB 236 Wall, NJ T (732) F (732) apexcomserv@yahoo.com CMAX Commercial Maintenance, Inc. 316 N. Corona Avenue Ontario, CA T (909) F (909) Frank@CMAXCorp.com Denver Service Company Tom Preston 7211 Ivy Street Commerce City, CO T (303) F (303) tompreston@denverservice.com Dream Sweepers Timothy Dix P.O. Box 923 Bowie, MD T (240) timothy.dreamsweepers@gmail. com Omni Power Clean Inc. Bertram Sears P.O. Box Atlanta, GA T (707) F (404) omnipc@mindspring.com Syracuse Power Sweeping LLC P.O. Box 621 Jamesville, NY T (315) F (315) parkingservices@twcny.rr.com PartnerMember Schwarze Industries By Karen M. Smith Year 1974 witnessed high inflation, a global recession, political unrest, and the a new company in the power sweeping business. Perhaps that wasn t the most auspicious of time to begin a new business, but it paid off. After more than two decades of operation, the Alamo Group purchased Schwarze Industries and continued a company expansion that focused on the growth through acquisitions and a robust economy. Schwarze weathered the Great Recession and, in 2012, brought on Howard May as its new president. May s arrival spurred deep changes in the organization. He built a management team focused on customer service, marketing and innovation. He eliminated company silos and flattened the organizational chart. He empowered employees to do what was necessary to fulfill customer needs. Growth transitioned from acquisitional to organic. Under May s direction, Schwarze also redesigned and reintroduced every single power sweeper in the company s product roster. Howard May continues to lead the company, assisted by Greg Heyer, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Customer Service & Product Continued next page The Hopper 3

4 Associate Member Profile continued from page 3 Schwarze Industries sales, customer service, and product management teams shown with President Howard May (third from right) and Vice President Greg Heyer (second from right). Photo taken at the 2017 National Pavement Expo in Nashville, TN. Management, and the rest of the Schwarze Industries executive management team. Heyer explained that in a mature market, organic company growth, comes at the expense of our competitors if you plan to grow your market share. The pie isn t getting 4 The Hopper much bigger, he explained. Therefore, in order to grow a larger market share, Schwarze sought underserved markets along with new innovative products that customers wanted. That exploration led Schwarze to work with a person and his longstanding relationship with military personnel to navigate the complex federal processes needed to land military tenders and grow our overall contracts business. Schwarze also found overseas markets ripe for their new and redesigned products. The company now serves clients in over 40 countries. Commenting upon the complexity of the logistics in serving overseas clients, Heyer noted that the logistics of decking sweepers to locally approved chassis involved lots of intricate detail. It s crucial to get it right the first time rather than risk spending thousands of dollars to send staff overseas to fix a problem because something didn t fit, he said. The military and overseas client base has especially contributed to the company s strong growth since Our future continues to looks bright, Heyer said. Today, Heyer describes Schwarze Industries as a non-hierarchical corporate structure. The company values flexibility, integrity, and empowerment with one focus: customer satisfaction. Schwarze has changed the landscape of the power sweeping community through its progressive strategy, and their support of NAPSA. Their steadfast contributions to the entrepreneurs working to develop their business and NAPSA as a whole, has left a large positive impression since NAPSA was chartered in NAPSA members can meet Howard May, Heyer and other Schwarze Industries representatives at the Public Works Expo (PWX) held August in Orlando, Florida (

5 Sweeper Maintenance, Restoration of Porous Pavement Eliminates Storm Water Runoff Porous surfaces have been growing at a double digit rate the last several years as a best management practice to deal with storm water runoff and reduce the quantity of untreated water and accompanying pollutants that are directed to our waterways. However, major questions concerning the maintenance of these surfaces have risen as a result of the growth. Porous pavement. Porous surfaces can be thought of as a rigid, load bearing area with an internal structure not unlike open cell foam. When water comes in contact with the upper surface, it flows immediately through the surface to the engineered volume under it. The interlocking blocks are placed on an engineered surface where their spacing is precisely controlled. The gap between the blocks where the water flows can vary from 1/8-inch on the edges to 1-inch square in the corners to other proprietary shapes. The size of the gap will have a relationship to the tendency to plug. Independent Testing Independent testing shows that both regenerative air and high-power vacuum sweepers can be used as a practical means to maintain this pavement technology. Testing also supports the use of high-powered vacuum sweepers for restoration projects. Communicating and establishing these practices is crucial to the future growth and market adoption of this approved paving technology. Elgin Sweeper has been participating in research programs with major universities, agencies, and municipalities across the U.S. in order to get a better understanding of maintenance requirements and the role of street sweepers in this application. Several studies have shown that either surface type will plug, to varying degrees, with silt, fine clay, cement derivatives, and decomposed plant material. In addition, most studies have shown that on non-traffic areas the plugging is limited to the top half inch or less of the surface. Maintenance and Restoration The care of porous surfaces is divided into maintenance and restoration. Maintenance involves routine removal of debris primarily for aesthetic purposes. Restoration involves deep cleaning to restore percolation on plugged surfaces. Monitoring of porous surfaces is similar to the methods used to determine the infiltration of paver block areas. If the porous surface demonstrates adequate infiltration, By James Crockett, Product Manager, Elgin Sweeper then only annual routine maintenance cleaning of the porous surface is required. Maintenance cleaning of porous surfaces can be accomplished with a regenerative air sweeper or a high-powered vacuum sweeper. As previously mentioned, when operating a regenerative sweeper in full regenerative mode, care must be taken to prevent depositing fine silt back into the pores of the surface with the air blast. If designed infiltration no longer occurs, surface restoration will be required. During restoration, the top layer of sand, silt, or clay must be removed using a high-powered vacuum sweeper in order to restore proper infiltration. Routine maintenance of porous surfaces should be properly conducted a minimum of twice a year, using either a regenerative air or high-powered vacuum sweeper. In the event that such maintenance is neglected, proper restoration of the porous surface requires the use of a high-powered vacuum sweeper. Restoration of porous surfaces depends on the composition of the surrounding soil and the care that landscaping activities exhibit. In certain areas of the country that have very sandy soil, the surfaces will last longer. In areas with a high degree of clay in the soil, clogging can occur rather quickly. In fact, installation of porous surfaces in areas of high clay content may not be practical. Continued next page The Hopper 5

6 P.O. Box 1166 Lebanon, OH PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT NO. 777 Porous Pavement continued from page 5 Whirlwind Vacuum Sweeper The Elgin Whirlwind truckmounted vacuum sweeper is ideally suited for the unique cleaning, maintenance and restoration requirements for porous pavement surfaces and interlocking block surfaces. Operating at a low power level, the Whirlwind removes the loose surface material without disturbing the granular filler in interlocking paver blocks, restoring the surface to optimal condition. The main advantage of the Whirlwind Sweeper Whirlwind vacuum sweeper for use on porous pavements is the high vacuum level of 70 to 80 inches of water it can create. Most porous pavements and many interlocking block surfaces require this degree of vacuum to restore infiltration of a clogged area. Porous Pavement Whitepaper In addition to developing innovative sweeping solutions for proper maintenance of porous surfaces, Elgin Sweeper has developed a complimentary whitepaper on the role of street sweepers in maintaining and restoring porous pavement surfaces. To request a complimentary copy of Elgin Sweeper s whitepaper, please visit About Elgin Sweeper Sold and serviced through a network of more than 100 dealer locations worldwide, Elgin Sweeper products are the sweepers of choice for a variety of general street maintenance, special industrial and airport applications. With more than 100 years of experience, Elgin Sweeper offers municipalities, contractors and industries the most sweeper options in the country, using the latest sweeping technologies mechanical, pure vacuum, regenerative air, alternative fuel, and waterless dust control. Elgin Sweeper is a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation s Environmental Solutions Group. For more information, visit www. elginsweeper.com.