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ISSA to Acknowledge Industry Achievers at ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America 2008

Lincolnwood, IL, USA-ISSA will honor achievers in the professional cleaning industry during ISSA/INTERCLEAN(r) North America, September 8-11, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, USA. The first two awards listed below will be presented at the ISSA General Meeting (open to all ISSA members), Thursday, September 11, at 8:00 a.m. The YES Industry Special Achievement Award will be presented at the YES Networking Reception, Wednesday, September 10, 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., at Bally's Las Vegas. The Star 40 Award will be presented at the recipient's booth during the week of the show while the ISSA Innovation Awards and Best Customer Service Awards will be presented in a special ceremony on Thursday, the final day of the tradeshow.

Awards & Recipients
The Jack D. Ramaley Industry Distinguished Service Award honors individual ISSA members who have served a minimum of 10 consecutive years in the industry and demonstrated leadership, professionalism, and exceptional service through their innovation, elevation of industry standards, and promotion of the association's growth and development. This year's award recipient is:
-Randal A. Brame, Brame Specialty Co., Inc., Durham, NC

Randy Brame has been active in the sanitary-maintenance industry for well over 30 years. He is the president of Brame Specialty Co., Inc.-an 84-year-old, family-owned distribution company-and has been involved in purchasing, market and product development, sales management, and branch development throughout his career. In 1996, he was elected to the ISSA Board of Directors as Southeast director, and he served as ISSA president in 2004. He has been a member of the ISSA Foundation Board as well (2001-03), serving as secretary in 2002. Brame lent his vast industry experience to some truly crucial decisions made by ISSA strategic planning committees in both 1997 and 2003, helping to ensure a secure future for the association. In addition, Brame served on the board of directors of the Carolina Sanitary Supply Association in the mid-1980s, including as president in 1985-86. Also active in his community, Brame has served on many nonprofit boards and associations.

The Manufacturer Representatives' Distinguished Service Award recognizes a person within the industry who has had a positive impact on the industry and the association, and who has been supportive of manufacturer representatives. This award is presented on behalf of all independent manufacturer representatives. This year's award recipient is:
-Corey Straight, Straight Representation, Inc., Aurora, CO

Corey Straight-who passed away from a heart attack in October 2007 at the age of 46-was the owner of the manufacturer representative firm Straight Representation. He started in the industry in 1979 at the age of 16, working as a truck driver with Dumont Sales. By the time he left Dumont, he was the purchasing and warehouse manager. He then worked for Purex/Franklin as a regional manager before he bought the Cal Kemp rep group, which he later renamed Straight Representation. Today, the rep firm covers seven states in the U.S. Rocky Mountain region. A leader and well-known entity in the rep industry, Straight earned respect among distributors, facility service providers, reps, manufacturers, and his own employees for his professionalism, willingness to help, and overall love of the industry.

The YES Industry Special Achievement Award honors an individual or company from our industry who has made substantial contributions to the advancement of the cleaning industry and our association and who has demonstrated strong support of YES. This year's award recipient is:
-Stephen H. Swigart, Spartan Chemical Co., Inc., Maumee, OH

Steve Swigart, president, CEO, and chairman of the board of Spartan Chemical Co., Inc., is the second generation of his family to serve as president of ISSA, holding the office in 2001 (his father, Eugene T. Swigart Jr., held the position in 1975). Swigart also served as ISSA's treasurer in 1987-88. In addition, he served on the ISSA Foundation Board from 1993-98, including as chairman in 1998, and has been a member of the ISSA/INTERCLEAN Exhibitors Committee. He is one of only five recipients of the ISSA John H. Plant Membership Development Award, which is presented for recruiting members to ISSA; no fewer that 63 new ISSA members had been recruited by Spartan's president at the time he received the award. Swigart is a longtime dedicated supporter of YES, making annual contributions to the YES scholarship and ISSA/INTERCLEAN's YES networking reception. Further, he has passed this dedication on to his son, John Swigart, who is the current YES Coordinators Committee chairperson.

The Star 40 Award recognizes member companies that have participated as exhibitors in the annual ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America show for at least 40 years. This year's award recipient is:
-CPC Aeroscience, Pompano Beach, FL, Booth 4435

The ISSA Innovation Awards recognize the cleaning industry's most innovative products and services. Using the ballots provided in their badge holders (write-in ballots also will be available), distributors, building service contractors, and in-house service providers will have the opportunity to vote for one entry in each category-Chemicals; Supplies/Accessories; Power Equipment; Paper/Plastics; and Services, Technology & Other Products-plus, for the top three products in a special "green" category.

The Best Customer Service Awards acknowledge exhibitors that display outstanding customer service to attendees visiting their booths during tradeshow floor hours. Three winners will be selected for booths 400 square feet or more, and three for booths 300 square feet or less.