ISSA Today Archives • January-February 2023 • Executive Director’s Letter

Wow! 100 years of ISSA. It’s hard to believe and yet incredibly gratifying that our association has thrived for a century. Truly, it’s a big deal and wouldn’t be possible without you and your continued commitment to our collective mission to change the way the world views cleaning.

Personally, I have worked in the cleaning industry for more than 30 years, and it’s been amazing to see how far we’ve come. ISSA has been a resilient and evolving force in the cleaning industry since its inception in 1923. The association has grown from seven founding members to more than 10,500 members in 110 countries today. And we keep moving forward.

To paraphrase my predecessor, John Garfinkel, change at ISSA has been driven mostly by technological advances with information and communications—and the resulting effects on logistics and the distribution of products from the manufacturer to the end user. Consider a handful of the momentous changes:

ISSA went international by actively seeking members outside the United States and Canada. By 2000, global membership grew to 1,000 members in Europe specifically.

ISSA partnered with Amsterdam RAI and rebranded the ISSA Show as ISSA/INTERCLEAN in 1999.

ISSA opened membership to facility service providers, including building service contractors (BSCs) and in-house service providers. Nineteen years later, we have our first BSC president in Matt Vonachen!

ISSA actively acquired/merged with key facility management and end-user entities, including Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine, the Cleaning Management Institute, Cleanfax magazine, IEHA, and ARCSI. Plus, we continued to expand internationally with offices in Australia, Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, and South Korea.

ISSA ended our agreement with Amsterdam RAI and subsequently formed our current relationship with Informa, the largest trade show management company in the world, to manage ISSA Show North America and foster a growing portfolio of international shows.

While the COVID-19 pandemic raged, the world became more aware of the importance of cleaning for human health. ISSA’s then newly acquired Global Biorisk Advisory CouncilTM (GBAC) division rose to the occasion to help businesses reopen safely with the GBAC STARTM Facility Accreditation program, which became a global brand nearly overnight and stands 3,000+ customers strong today.

Clearly, your association has certainly flourished in its first 100 years. Not all associations have been so fortunate. In fact, nearly half of all associations in existence prior to the pandemic have dissolved. ISSA is in an enviable position by remaining strong both fiscally and in terms of membership. And with the board’s support, we’ll develop our next strategic plan later this year to ensure we continue down this fortuitous path for the next century and beyond.

As we commemorate our 100th year, let’s make 2023 itself a year to remember. I look forward to celebrating with you when we’re together at ISSA Show North America 2023 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, November 13-16. We’re going to host a party for the ages, and I can’t wait to see you there!