1-800-SWEEPER and NAPSA Making a Difference…TOGETHER!

The power sweeping business is a generally misunderstood, and often overlooked industry, despite the positive environmental and asset preservation impact that it provides in our daily lives. Most people don’t think m uch about it until there’s an obvious need like a parking lot needing to be cleaned, a street needing to be swept after an event or prior to paving. In 1978, Mike Lucht began his commitment to the power sweeping industry and joined the first national association that was formed in 1980, which ultimately evolved into the North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA) that we know today. A 44-year histor y of contributions and commitment towards continuous industry improvement led to the desire to level the playing field for power sweeping service providers by gaining leverage, from their combined resources, for better controlling their destiny through consolidation of their buying power and influence with suppliers, manufacturers, and customers. So, in 2009 as a long-time NAPSA member and past president, Mike introduced a cooperative business model to NAPSA members to address these challenges and frustrations. The goals of the organization were designed to change the future landscape of the power sweeping industry, as outlined below. 1) Promote the Industry Association - By requiring all organization Partners be NAPSA members. 2) Lead by Example - By being a sponsoring business supporting the industry through their NAPSA partnership. 3) Provide Nationwide Co-branding – Providing national recognition to compliment the organization’s Partner’s local brands. 4) Create a Marketing Co-Operative – Built on the foundation of 1800Sweeper.com, to create nationwide visibility and greater understanding of the industry. 5) Create a Buying Group

The distinction Co-Operative - By leveraging Partner’s between NAPSA combined purchasing and the dollars on equipment and supplies. 1-800-SWEEPER 6) Create a Competitive Advantage – Exclusively co-op organization for 1-800-SWEEPER is complementary Partners. The distinction between NAPSA and the 1-800-SWEEPER co-op organization is complementary, no different than any other partner that supports the power sweeping industry’s trade association. To that end, both organizations are aligned with an understanding of the importance of power sweeping services and the growth of the industry while supporting common interests in training and education of company owners, employees, and customers alike.

1-800-SWEEPER works together with NAPSA and supports their many initiatives focused on improving the industry. “We see NAPSA as an industry partner to 1-800-SWEEPER, not a competitor”, says Ben Steyer, Executive Director of 1-800-SWEEPER. “The two organizations work in concert with one another and together benefit the sweeping industry as a whole” says Steyer. To take a deeper dive into the two organizations, the NAPSA is a 503(c) 6 nonprofit trade association made up of contract sweeping service providers, sweeping equipment dealers, manufacturers, and suppliers. NAPSA is an American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Developer and after years of hard work, with the help of num erous 1-800-SWEEPER Partners, the first industry standard for power sweeping was completed and recognized. Dedicated to providing educational resources for its members, NAPSA developed the SweeperSchool.com platform to focus on intensive virtual education and to date, has enrolled nearly 1,000 students in its various training courses. Those courses include the Certified Sweeper Operator Parking Lot in both English and Spanish, the Certified Sweeper Operator Construction courses, Fleet Fundamentals, and the Certified Sweeping Manager courses. NAPSA continues to develop more focused education and member specific benefits each year. Nancy Terry, Executive Director of NAPSA states, “We appreciate the relationship we have with 1-800-SWEEPER and our common goal of making a difference though the growth and development of the power sweeping industry overall”. 1-800-SWEEPER on the other hand, while being made up of NAPSA members, is a co-op organization exclusively made up of independent, privately owned power sweeping companies and a network of vendor partners who support the buying group. The co-op negotiates programs and discounts on equipment and regularly used supplies, like fuel and tires. The business model also provides marketing strength through the 1-800-SWEEPER vanity number and 1800sweeper.com, which generates brand visibility and brand recognition through co-branding initiatives. 1-800-SWEEPER Partners have exclusive rights to the vanity number in their own market with only one Partner representative per area code. The 1800sweeper.com website generates leads to its Partners, 24/7, through a call center that are distributed through a proprietary app. The organization also provides Partners with the exclusive opportunity to participate in the only annual confidential Benchmarking Survey and Report in the industry, allowing Partners to evaluate their business vs their peers. Although the two organizations are different, they represent the same philosophy and beliefs of promoting best practices to propel the power sweeping industry forward while adding horsepower to companies who combine both, resulting in Making a Difference…. TOGETHER.