he Cleaning Coalition of America (CCA), the leading trade group representing cleaning service professionals nationwide, today welcomed Georgia-Pacific, Diversey Holdings, GOJO Industries, and Kimberly-Clark Professional as Official Partners of the organization. As four of the nation’s top hygiene and cleaning product suppliers, these new members will strengthen the CCA’s voice as a champion for cleaning best practices and measures that protect public health.
Founded in 2020 by six of the nation’s largest facilities services companies, the CCA advocates on behalf of professional cleaners and suppliers nationwide to shape and advance crucial policies that promote healthy and safe spaces. With the addition of leading hygiene and cleaning product suppliers, the CCA represents the entire cleaning value chain – from the scientists developing innovative cleaning supplies and the manufacturers producing these products to the millions of professional cleaners nationwide who use these tools every day.
“These partnerships with the nation’s preeminent hygiene and cleaning product suppliers represent the next chapter of the Coalition – one that spans across all facets of cleaning and disinfecting,” says Josh Feinberg, president of the Cleaning Coalition of America. “Together, we will continue to work with policymakers, industries, and businesses to develop smart policies and protocols that promote a safe and responsible return to business.”
More than ever, embracing enhanced cleaning regimens is both a health and business imperative that can help reduce the potential for COVID-19 outbreaks, support the nation’s continued economic recovery, and mitigate the spread of viruses that cost U.S. employers more than $225 billion annually in lost productivity – nearly $1,700 per employee. Over the past two years, the CCA has leveraged the expertise of its founding members in the commercial cleaning industry to develop resources and original reports to inform a safe return to in-person business and to keep workers healthy amid the pandemic.
Now, with declining hospitalization rates and widely available vaccines, America is reaching an inflection point where endemic-focused policies can replace pandemic-driven restrictions.
As the Coalition looks to the future and ways to mitigate against the next public health emergency, the addition of the largest global hygiene and cleaning product suppliers will bring a critical perspective on the products, tools, and technologies needed to keep shared spaces healthy and safe.
“As a company dedicated to helping advance hygiene in public places, GP PRO applauds the work of the Cleaning Coalition of America in advocating on behalf of professional cleaners and cleaning suppliers nationwide,” says Julie Howard, vice president and General Manager of GP PRO’s Towel Category. “These individuals have served tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to working together with the Cleaning Coalition and other leading hygiene companies to support them and to create a positive impact in all corners of the industry.”
“The pandemic upended the way business leaders think about cleaning. It is no longer simply enough for businesses to say they are providing a clean environment – they must now demonstrate to their employees and customers how they are keeping their shared spaces safe and healthy,” says Paul Budsworth, President – North America, Diversey Holdings. “We are excited for the future and continuing to learn, grow, and innovate alongside our partners at the Cleaning Coalition of America.”
“As hygiene behaviors shifted over the past two years, the cleaning industry stepped up to meet the demand for essential cleaning and hygiene products,” said GOJO Industries’ John Lerner, Chief Commercial Officer. “As we look toward a post-COVID future, we believe those habits are here to stay so we made strategic investments in our manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain capabilities to ensure a secure supply of PURELL products. As part of our continued role in societal health event readiness, joining the Cleaning Coalition of America will provide a forum where our industry can share their collective knowledge to create a safer future.”
“We are thrilled to embark on this new venture with the Cleaning Coalition of America to build a legacy of positive impact,” said Andy Clement, chief customer officer of Kimberly-Clark Professional. “As a leader in hygiene with trusted brands that help people around the world work better, we are eager to share our expertise and perspective to help businesses to create exceptional workplaces that are healthier, safer and more productive.”
Last year, the CCA released Clean Slate: A Reopening Guide for New York Businesses. The report, developed in coordination with independent experts in infectious disease and environmental hygiene, outlines recommendations for how businesses can maintain a safe and healthy workplace and mitigate the spread of viruses. Most recently, the Coalition conducted a survey examining the perceptions of 1,800 U.S. workers on returning to the workplace. The survey found that an overwhelming 93.4 percent of vaccinated respondents and 82.2 percent of unvaccinated respondents cited workplace cleaning protocols as important – with 77.2 percent of workers wanting the workplace cleaned daily.