By Harrell Kerkhoff,
Maintenance Sales News Editor

As 2019 begins, many people are working on New Year’s resolutions. Traditional resolutions often include a focus on eating healthier, getting more exercise and an overall desire for better self-care. Accomplishing these goals can also lead to another positive development — a better attitude. Simply put, it’s hard to have a good attitude about anything if a person is not properly taking care of oneself.

Having a good attitude is essential for a better life — both at work and at home, according to attitude specialist and author Matt Booth, who spoke on the topic during an educational session at the 2018 ISSA Show, in Dallas, TX. His session was titled, “A Bad Attitude Is Like A Flat Tire — You Can’t Get Far Without Changing It.”

“Attitude” is a subject that Booth has been researching, writing and talking about for many years.

“I love the topic, trying to figure out why two people in the same situation view that situation two different ways, exhibiting two different attitudes,” he said. “It’s a huge topic.”

Booth defined the word “attitude” as, “How one person reacts to another person and/or situation that surrounds him/her.”

“If one person is involved in a minor car accident, he/she may react differently from another person who is involved in a minor car accident,” he said. “A person’s true attitude is exhibited.”

Booth asked attendees at the educational session if they had ever worked with someone, or had a customer, with a “flat tire” when it came to attitude.

“Isn’t it strange how many people, with the worst attitudes, don’t know they have a ‘flat tire.’ They don’t even know they are running low on air,” Booth said. “I find that fascinating.”

Booth discussed how it’s possible to not only survive, but thrive in a negative environment, by exhibiting a more positive attitude.

“Most people understand the benefits of being positive at work, and in life in general,” Booth said. “They know that a positive attitude is essential to success.”

The problem, he added, is possessing a positive attitude most of the time. This is often easier said than done.

“We are living in an extremely negative world. The news is filled with floods, fires and hurricanes. There is a big ‘iceberg of negativity’ that floats into everybody’s living room each night,” Booth explained. “On top of that, people today carry around their electronic devices that let them know, almost instantly, every time a school shooting or terrorist attack takes place.

“This is the world in which we live, as well as our co-workers and clients. It’s therefore important to properly recognize each piece of negativity, in order to remain as positive as possible.”

Booth explained that it’s impossible to be positive all of the time. There are even studies that show certain benefits to being angry and negative at times. There is nothing wrong with having “one of those days.”

“The problem is when ‘one of those days’ turns into ‘two of those days,’ ‘three of those days,’ and on and on,” Booth said. “Obviously, that is not OK.”

To combat the pervasiveness of a bad attitude, Booth shared strategies, tips and practices people can utilize to be more positive.

“‘Awareness’ is the first big issue; being aware of your attitude, and the attitudes of those people around you,” Booth said. “Ultimately, better attitude awareness can improve a person’s overall work environment and home life.”

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Actions have consequences — both good and bad. Booth explained how common things, like the simple greeting, “Hi, how are you doing?” can be improved upon, in an effort to provide a more positive environment and better attitude development.

“That type of greeting has become so generic that many people either don’t pay attention to what you have just said, or they provide a negative response — reflecting on what is going on with their lives,” Booth said. “Often, if you meet somebody who has a ‘flat tire,’ you can’t help but become sucked in (to that person’s negativity).”

After listening to an audio tape from author and motivational speaker, the late Zig Ziglar, Booth decided to take a new approach to the customary greeting of people. He began to ask more people: “Tell me something good.” The response was often much more positive.

“A little change in your attitude, and how you communicate with people, can start a ripple effect. You begin to pump up people’s ‘flat tires,’” Booth said.

During his presentation, Booth asked attendees to spend five minutes discussing with a person sitting next to him/her about something good that had recently happened in his/her life. Booth then shared an example of something good that had recently happened in his own life — his personal focus on being more encouraging to those people surrounding him on a day-to-day basis.

“I learned that the best way to push out negativity in my world was to encourage others. I began asking myself, am I encouraging my children enough? Am I encouraging my wife enough? What about my co-workers, clients, other family members and friends?” Booth said. “I learned that it’s a big deal to encourage people, especially in today’s world.”

TAKING AN ‘ATTITUDE INVENTORY’

The second exercise that Booth had his audience participate in involved an “attitude inventory.” For this exercise, he had each person write down the first name of five people he/she has spent the most time with on a daily or weekly basis. Each of the five people listed was then given a percentage rating, by the person taking the attitude inventory, based on his/her positive nature — from 100 to 0 percent.

“Once you do that, put your own first name at the bottom of the list, and give yourself a score on how positive you think you are on a regular basis,” Booth said. “Then, add up the percentages of the five people you listed and divide that number by five. Compare this final number with the positive attitude percentage you gave yourself.

“What does that tell you? Let’s say you gave yourself a 90 percent positive attitude rating, while the five people you listed averaged 50 percent. Over time, common sense says, the people around you may pull your attitude down, or you could pull their attitudes up if you are a strong leader. What is it like to be more positive than the people around you? The answer is often: hard, overwhelming and exhausting.

“Flip that around. If you gave yourself a 50 percent positive attitude rating, while the people around you averaged 90 percent, logically those people could either improve your attitude, or you could be the one doing the draining (of their once good attitudes).”

Booth added that most people measure value by how much they have of something. However, this is not always the case when it comes to attitude.

“I’ve been conducting the ‘attitude inventory’ exercise over the past five years, with hundreds of groups and thousands of people from all over the world. There have only been two times when somebody came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I’ve done something like this before,’” Booth said. “That tells me there is a huge lack of awareness regarding not only our own attitude, but the attitudes of those people around us.

“The key is to start the conversation about attitude, and to let people know that attitude is important for building relationships, both at home and at work.”

THE BASIC ‘NEEDS’ OF A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

It’s very hard, if not impossible, for a person to routinely exhibit a positive attitude if that person is not taking good care of his/her physical and mental state. Booth outlined five key elements to possessing a positive attitude, spelling out the acronym: NEEDS.

“If you know someone who has a ‘flat tire,’ check on that person’s basic ‘NEEDS.’ If you have a ‘flat tire,’ check on your own basic ‘NEEDS,’” Booth said.

They are:
N — Nighttime Sleep: “The average adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep each night. The problem is, some people wear (their lack of sleep) like it’s a badge of honor. It’s not. Your body and mind need the proper amount of sleep every night,” Booth said. “If you only got three hours of sleep last night, how are you going to be positive today? It’s impossible. Sleep is like a Swiss army knife of health care — it helps you in so many ways.

“If you are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, there is almost no way you can keep a positive attitude. You are doing a disservice not only to yourself, but also your family and work.”

E — Exercise: “It’s also important to get some form of exercise on a regular basis. You have to move. It’s another basic need for a positive attitude. If you don’t move enough, you will get cranky,” Booth said. “It’s important to find a form of exercise that is the right fit for you.”

E — Eat Right: “You have to eat right. Figure out the best food for your body. This is critical to being healthy,” he added.

D — Drink Water: “I recently read a study that stated up to 75 percent of Americans are on the borderline of dehydration,” Booth said. “Our bodies are largely made of water. You have to stay hydrated.”

S — Spirituality: “I feel it’s important to believe in something bigger than yourself,” Booth said. “The world can be tough and it can be hard. It may be impossible to figure out life on your own.

“Remember, a small change for the better with your overall attitude can result in a positive ripple effect as it pertains to the people around you. Beware of your attitude, and the attitudes of others. Also, don’t forget to encourage people. This helps push out negativity.”

Visit www.mattbooth.com for more information.

Americo Promotes Rusty Heinsman To Vice President Of Commercial Sales

Americo Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of commercial cleaning products that includes Green Seal Certified® floor pads with Full Cycle® technology, hand pads, utility pads and floor matting, has announced the promotion of Russell “Rusty” Heinsman to vice president of commercial sales.

Heinsman has been a member of the Americo team for six years. With more than 13 years in the jan/san industry, he joined the team as national sales manager in 2012. In this role, Heinsman managed Americo’s network of independent sales brokers as well as the commercial products regional sales directors. He has been instrumental in delivering the company’s value proposition to commercial clients throughout the United States.

In his expanded role, Heinsman will be responsible for helping to create and implement the company’s strategic nationwide sales plan for the commercial products division. He will continue to manage commercial products regional sales directors along with Americo’s network of independent sales brokers. Heinsman also becomes a member of Americo’s executive management team.

Throughout its 50-year history, Americo has been recognized for innovation and quality as well as a global reach with products currently sold in all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide.

Visit www.americomfg.com for more information.

From New Pig Corporation
Pig® Grippy® Floor Mat Features Lower Environmental Impact

New Pig Corporation recently stated that its Pig® Grippy® Floor Mat shows a 92 percent lower environmental impact than laundered rental mats. Conducted by environmental studies experts from the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a study compared the environmental and energy impacts of Grippy Mat and traditional rental mats.

Specifically designed to eradicate same-level slips, trips and falls, Grippy Mat is the world’s first adhesive-backed absorbent mat solution on the market, according to New Pig.

“Unlike rental rugs, Grippy Mat lays flat, sticks tight, and never bunches, ripples or shifts. It’s also extremely durable and built to last up to three months before change outs, eliminating the environmentally harmful laundering process used with rental mats,” according to a New Pig release.

“We’ve known for years that Grippy Mat is dramatically safer than rental rugs in preventing slips, trips, and falls, but we now have proof that it’s also much better for the environment,” said Dan Silver, vice president of product development at New Pig. “We designed Grippy Mat to create as little environmental impact as possible, so we had reason to believe it was more environmentally responsible than the laundered rental mats it was designed to replace — and the results confirmed our hypothesis.”

To understand the impacts of Grippy Mat, the experts at GIS conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA), which measures the environmental impact of a product from material extraction, through manufacturing and assembly, packaging, transportation, use and end of life.

“The results of the study revealed that Grippy Mat has about 92 to 98 percent less life cycle impact than that of the rental mat. The majority of the reduced impact is attributed to the elimination of the energy taxing laundering process that is a part of all rental mat programs. In fact, to have the same negative impact as just one laundered mat, Grippy Mat users would need to replace their mat 47 times per year. Grippy only needs to be replaced four times per year,” according to New Pig.

“The commonly accepted myth is that if something can be reused, it’s better for the environment,” Silver added. “However, we had good reason to believe that this is not always true. The results of this study by GIS shatter this notion, and prove that Grippy Mat is the best choice for preventing slips, trips and falls, while producing the smallest environmental footprint.”

Visit www.newpig.com/grippy-mat-life-cycle-assessment for more information.

Spartan Chemical Names 3 Regional Managers; Announces Honor For Employee

Spartan Chemical has announced that Jeff Anderson, Evan Ghen and Zach Patchen are new regional managers for the company.

Jeff Anderson	Evan Ghen	Zach Patchen

Anderson, who has responsibility for the eastern Tennessee region, joins Spartan from Atlantic Packaging Corp., in Forest Hill, MD, where he was a sales representative handling account management in the tri-state area for over two years. Prior to that, Anderson worked as a territory manager for CPI Packaging Inc., in Somerset, NJ. Additionally, Anderson spent two years as an account manager for Susquehanna Paper & Sanitary Supply Co., in Williamsport, PA, where he gained experience in the janitorial and sanitary industry. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration and Management, from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA.

Ghen joins Spartan as the regional manager for the New York/New Jersey region. He most recently owned and operated Renegade Action Group, in Robbinsville, NJ. Prior to that, Ghen was vice president of sales for Scoles Floorshine Industries, gaining five years of industry knowledge. Additionally, he worked for Town Sports International, where he managed the overall operation of eight health and fitness clubs. Ghen holds a Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies and Industrial Relations from Penn State University, in State College, PA.

Before joining Spartan, Patchen, who has responsibility for the Boston, MA, region, was a commercial sales manager for Tennant Company for over four years in Boston. Prior to that, he gained over six years’ experience in the janitorial and sanitation industry, working as a distributor sales representative for Hillyard Inc., as well as Rovic Inc., both located in Worcester, MA.

Womack Named 2018 Empire Paper Vendor Representative Of The Year

Spartan Chemical Company has announced that Dee Womack, Spartan regional manager, has been named the Empire Paper Company 2018 Vendor Representative of the Year.

Shown, left to right, are David Strange, vice president of sales, Empire Paper;
Jason Estes, president, Empire Paper; Dee Womack, Spartan regional manager;
and Nate Scott, vice president of operations, Empire Paper.

Each year, Empire Paper recognizes one vendor representative for the work he/she does to grow and develop business. Additionally, it looks for an increase in sales, and more specifically, sales that takes it into new types of customers and verticals. This year, Womack was selected to receive the Empire Paper 2018 Vendor Representative of the Year Award.

“Dee’s desire to sell new items into new verticals was contagious in the Central Texas area,” said David Strange, vice president of sales for Empire Paper. “He helped our sales team obtain the chemical business at several school districts, sell new departments in several municipalities, and break into the foodservice vertical in a greater way. He is the epitome of a good guy; and, in a world that struggles with communication, he excels.”

The award was presented to Dee Womack by Jason Estes, president; David Strange, vice president of sales; and Nate Scott, vice president of operations, all from Empire Paper, during Empire’s GSM dinner in Wichita Falls, TX.

Founded in 1926, Empire Paper is a regional supplier of facility supplies, equipment, packaging and shipping supplies, food service disposables, office products, warewash, and laundry chemicals.

"As a proud U.S. employer, Spartan formulates and manufactures products from its state-of-the-art facility in Maumee, OH, and sells both domestically and internationally through a select network of distribution. Spartan’s products and services are used in building service contractor, education, food service and processing, health care, industrial, lodging/hospitality, and vehicle care markets," Spartan said.

Visit www.spartanchemical.com for more information.

JV Carter Company To Represent Nexstep Commercial Products

Nexstep Commercial Products has announced that effective immediately JV Carter Company, located in Valley Forge, PA, will represent Nexstep in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.

According to Nexstep, JV Carter has won numerous awards for sales and service excellence.

Marty Cull, JV Carter president and owner, stated: “An organization like Nexstep that has quality manufacturing, fast delivery and a reputation for taking great care of its customers is exactly the type of company that we, as independent representatives, strive to be associated with. We are looking forward to incorporating our market knowledge and strong work ethic with Nexstep’s expertise in mops, brooms, brushes and other cleaning accessories.”

JV Carter Company was founded in 1981. According to Nexstep, “For over 30 years, the company has represented best-in-class manufacturers in the food service and facility solutions marketplace. JV Carter Company provides comprehensive sales, marketing and consultative services to distributors and major end-users. Its sales team of four outside sales representatives and two inside support staff has more than 100 years of combined industry experience.”

Nexstep President Todd Leventhal added, “JV Carter is well-established in the marketplace. Marty Cull has a great organization, and we’re excited to have an agency of its caliber represent us in the Mid-Atlantic region.”

Nexstep Commercial Products Announces
MaxiSweep™ Lobby Dust Pan

Nexstep Commercial Products (exclusive licensee of O-Cedar) has announced its new MaxiSweep™ Lobby Dust Pan.

Features include:
• Self-opening and closing cover that hides dirt and debris;
• Cover locks in upright position for hands-free emptying;
• Durable rear wheels provide easy rolling;
• Ultra-thin edge makes sweeping up particles quick and easy; and,
• Ideal for use in retail spaces, restaurants and hotels.

For more information on Nexstep Commercial Products, (exclusive licensee of O-Cedar) visit www.ocedarcommercial.com.

H. Arnold Wood Turning, Inc., Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary

H. Arnold Wood Turning, Inc., is celebrating its 100 year anniversary in 2019. The longevity of this company’s success can be attributed to its ability to adapt to the changing environment within the wood products industry, according to company leaders.

“Today, we really take the time to get to know and understand our customers’ needs,” said Vice President and fourth generation co-owner Jonathan Arnold. “This, coupled with excellent customer service and competitive prices, sets us apart from our competition.”

He added that H. Arnold Wood Turning, Inc., located in Tarrytown, NY, is a well-known name among businesses that purchase items for a variety of their wooden requirements. The company’s product categories include broom and mop handles, turnings, mouldings, dowels, crates/boxes, shaped and flat parts.

“What really sets the company apart is its ability to customize products to suit customers’ unique needs. The company is also well known for its custom architectural components. These items include, but are not limited to, wood balusters, finials, newel posts, spindles and columns,” according to H. Arnold Wood Turning, Inc.

Herman Arnold and his son, William, founded the business in 1919 in Brooklyn, NY, manufacturing turnings. Now a full-fledged wood products company offering a diverse range of products, it’s led by Herman’s grandson, Bruce Arnold, and his great-grandson, Jonathan. Other key family members include Melissa Arnold Friedman and Ann Arnold.

Visit www.arnoldwood.com, contact melissa@arnoldwood.com or call 914-381-0801 for more information.

Coming in the Jan/Feb 2019
print issue
of MSN

2019 Buyers’ Guide
including a directory of
manufacturers of sanitary supplies

SPECIAL FOCUS ON:
Wholesalers &
Buying Groups

Spotlight:
Computer Systems
& Software

For further
information,
drankin@
consolidated.net