Tom Yacobellis, outgoing president of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA), told attendees at the IAQA-NAFA (National Air Filtration Association) conference on its opening day in Las Vegas that the theme of the conference — “Building Bridges, Creating Partnerships” — “isn’t just some corny high school prom theme.”

Combining their annual meetings, the two groups welcomed nearly 800 attendees who enjoyed the fruits of what looks to be a healthy relationship.

The Low Moisture Carpet Cleaners Association (LMCCA) was deeply involved in coordinating and participating in events at the CONNECTIONS convention held from November 4-6 in Las Vegas.

The highlight of the event for the LMCCA was a low moisture cleaners’ break-out gathering for hands-on demonstrations. The LMCCA also has finalized its nonprofit status, and eventually will meet the requirements permitting it to apply for Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) shares.

Visit the group’s website at www.lmcca.org.

The Carpet Cleaners Institute of the Northwest (CCINW) will be holding its Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-approved Applied Structural Drying (ASD) course from December 7-10.

The course teaches more than a single technique, as it offers a comprehensive approach to drying that will benefit business owners and their customers on every job.

For more information about becoming ASD certified, contact the IICRC at (360) 693-5975 or Dri-Eaz Education associates at (800) 575-5152.

The Los Angeles chapter of the Carpet and Fabricare Institute (CFI) recently held a meeting at the Santa Fe Springs office of Abatix.

The 40-plus attendees at the event enjoyed a day of learning and hands-on demonstrations. Patrick Moffett, Environmental Management & Engineering, Inc., opened the event with a discussion on drying a water damaged multi-story building.

On the second part of the event, Brad Risser, Flir Systems, offered an overview and hands-on demonstration of Flir’s infrared cameras, including how the cameras can aid contractors looking for water intrusion.

The Los Angeles chapter directors also participated in Klean-Rite Distributors' Customer Appreciation Day.

The San Diego Chapter of the CFI held its annual “Carpet Cleaners Swap Meet & BBQ” recently. Among the items on hand and exchanged by attendees were air movers, wands, chemicals, an RX-20, auto pump-outs, accessories, and others.

The Mid-South Professional Cleaners Association (MSPCA) announces that its board of directors includes: Rich Brown, president; Dan Taylor, vice president; Robert Pettyjohn, treasurer; Butch Truchetta, director; Josh Frank, director; Woody Dunwoody, director; Richard Bischcoff, director; Steve Boyette, associate; Ron Stulen, associate; and Lee King, past president.

The group’s newest members are Greg Bowles and Brian Robinson, Bowles Construction, Augusta, GA.

Contact the MSPCA at (800) 827-2278 for more information on the meeting, or visit the MSPCA’s website at midsouthcleaners.org.

The Michigan chapter of the International Society of Cleaning Technicians (ISCT) held an event in October hosted by Rendall’s Sci-Clean in Brigton, MI, that was attended by 56 people from five different states.

The next Michigan event will be held in January, and is tentatively scheduled to be an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) rug cleaning certification class.

In February, the group will hold its meeting in Troy, MI at Modernistic.

Visit the ISCT’s website at www.isct.org and click on the Michigan chapter for the latest updates on Michigan events.

The Northeast Ohio chapter of the International Society of Cleaning Technicians (ISCT) will hold its next meeting on November 30, and the speaker will be Mark Violand, an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-approved instructor, inspector and carpet repair specialist with more than 20 years of industry experience.

Violand will be speaking on the "Things consumers do that get you into trouble," and will cover a wide range of products consumers use on their carpets and what happens to carpet after it has been cleaned.

The meeting, open to non-members as well, will be held at the Mustard Seed Cafe in Fairlawn, OH.  For more information or to RSVP, contact Tom Sherman at (330) 262-0936.

The Ohio chapter will not hold a meeting in December due to the holidays, so the next meeting will take place in January.

The New England Institute of Restoration and Cleaning (NEIRC) extended a $50.00 rebate to all NEIRC member companies who attended the CM Expo® 2004 held in Hartford, CT, from October 26-29, 2004.

NEIRC attendees were able to attend the Speakers Gallery, where a myriad of knowledge and experience was shared, and also had the opportunity to participate in Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and other certification courses, as well as meet with local distributors.

On October 10, the NEIRC held its second annual paintball outing at Adventure Games in Weare, NH. A cookout immediately following the festivities was hosted by NEIRC’s Senior Vice President Robin Deschene and her husband Ray, Quick Dry, Litchfield, NH.

For more information regarding NEIRC memberships  and/or events, visit the NEIRC’s website at www.neirc.org or email the association at info@neirc.org.

The Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration (ASCR) welcomed more than 250 restoration contractors at its All Kinds of Contents, Damage, and Solutions meeting held from September 9-11 in Philadelphia.

Attendees were drawn by an agenda that struck a balance between functional matters, such as garment restoration and cleaning mold contaminated fabrics, and business management topics, such as strategic cash flow management and options for dealing with profit and overhead, an issue significantly affecting the bottom lines of restoration businesses.

Several speakers in Philadelphia were from outside the restoration industry, including Washington, D.C. attorney and antitrust expert Arthur Herold and University of Michigan Business School professor Paul Clyde, who discussed profit and overhead; DuPont corporate economist Robert Shrouds; Bank of America senior vice president and Wharton Business School professor Bill Fink; and Greg Landrey, director of conservation at Winterthur Museum.

The profit and overhead discussion was a centerpiece of the meeting, and Herold and Clyde outlined several options available to restoration contractors in addressing the issue. The ASCR board will consider them and develop a plan, which will be reviewed with Restoration Council members at ASCR’s annual meeting to be held from March 16-19 in Palm Springs, CA.