On the final day of the ISSA Show North America 2021 on November 18, the recipients of several achievement awards were announced, honouring numerous companies and individuals.

The Jack D. Ramaley Industry Distinguished Service Award, reserved for individuals with at least 10 years of outstanding service to the professional cleaning industry, was presented to Pierre Goudreault, president of Sani-Marc Group in Quebec. For more than two decades, Goudreault has led Sani-Marc Group, overseeing numerous acquisitions to make the company Canada’s leading distributor of sanitation solutions.

The Manufacturer Representatives’ Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals who support manufacturer representatives, the industry, and ISSA, was awarded to Pat Cassidy, director of sales at Tolco Corp. Over the course of nearly 30 years, Cassidy has worked for three generations of the family-run business in a variety of sales roles that support manufacturer sales representatives and Tolco’s growth.

The ISSA NextGen Rising Star Award in Honor of Jimmy Core, which acknowledges emerging leaders who make positive contributions to their organizations and the industry, was given to Valérie Gagné-Cyr, marketing advisor at Cascades PRO. Gagné-Cyr was honoured for her commitment to educating wholesalers and distributors about safe and sustainable cleaning solutions, promoting ISSA Show North America, supporting ISSA Hygieia Network events, launching an experts panel on healthy, green solutions, and more.

ISSA Hygieia Network, an ISSA Charities signature program that is dedicated to the advancement and retention of women in the cleaning industry, announced its own 2021 award winners, including:

• ISSA Hygieia Network Member of the Year, which recognizes a woman’s involvement in activities that align with Hygieia’s mission and vision, went to Heidi Solomon, Head of Global Strategy, Kimberly-Clark Professional, for her dedication to Hygieia and efforts to grow its impact over the past year.
• ISSA Hygieia Network Rising Star of the Year, which honours a woman aged 45 or younger who has made significant achievements and demonstrated consistent upward mobility in her career within the industry, was presented to Charishma Kothari, Global Marketing Director, Essity, for her impressive career trajectory and achievements within the cleaning industry.
• ISSA Hygieia Network Company of the Year, which celebrates a company’s involvement in activities that align with Hygieia’s mission and vision, was awarded to Kimberly-Clark Professional for its contributions to advancing the role of women in the cleaning industry and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

In addition to revealing this year’s winners, ISSA Hygieia Network acknowledged the 2021 Hygieia Scholarship recipient Maia Spallone, who is pursuing a degree at the University of California, Irvine. Hygieia also recognized the contributions of its volunteers and sponsors to a successful year of educational, mentoring, and networking programs.

Innovation Awards

Meanwhile, Tork, an Essity brand was honoured with the Innovation of the Year Award for its Interactive Training for Healthcare. The free interactive training tools address critical hygiene needs of infection control, healthcare, and environmental services professionals.

In addition, the Innovation Awards program recognized the latest advancements for the commercial, institutional, and residential cleaning industry.

The recipients of the five Innovation of the Year Award Honourees were:

• Flex Scrub™ from Malish Corp., a bristled floor pad that blends the familiarity and easy installation of a traditional pad with the robust cleaning power of a brush for a deeper level of cleaning.
• Force of Nature PRO from Force of Nature, an all-in-one cleaner, deodorizer, and disinfectant with no harmful chemicals that is an EPA-registered sanitizer and disinfectant that kills 99.9 per cent of germs.
• Simple Check™ from Core America, an app that utilizes QR codes and cleaning industry checklists to log disinfecting task completion, monitor and validate cleaning efforts, and simplify reporting and log keeping.
• The EZ CARE Floor Care System from SC Johnson Professional a simple, fast, and economical way to maintain flooring which delivers an efficient floor care system, saving time and labour costs.
• The PureDri Sanitizing Hand Dryer from Bobrick Washroom Equipment Inc., which utilizes UVC technology to neutralize pathogens in the air and on surfaces, purify the air, and dry hands in restrooms.

And the recipients of the four Innovation Industry Choice Awards were also announced:

• Distributor Choice Award: Aunt Flow’s Model R Recessed, Free-Vend Menstrual Product Dispenser, which helps facilities leaders meet demand to provide free period products in washrooms.
• Facility Service Provider Choice Award: Diversey’s MoonBeam™3, an ultraviolet-C (UVC) disinfection technology with three pivoting UVC heads which has a rugged design and is extremely portable. This technology provides the ability to easily and correctly apply UVC energy to both horizontal and vertical surfaces for on-demand disinfection in as little as three minutes.
• Manufacturer Representative Choice Award: Dial Complete® Clean + Gentle Antibacterial Hand Soap Refills from Dial Professional, Henkel Consumer Goods Inc., which effectively and gently cleanse, hydrate, and care for skin as they clean.
• Residential Cleaning Choice Award: Ecolab Inc.’s Peroxide Multi-Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant, an EPA-registered cleaner and disinfectant with a comprehensive claim set that can disinfect surfaces in as fast as three minutes.

Visit the ISSA Show North America website for more information on all awards and winners.