Spruce Industries Blog Page

Earth Day Announcement

April 20, 2008 – 1:04 am by Daniel Josephs
Back in 1970 Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, called for a day when we should recognize our impact on our environment - 20 million people participated. Now, almost 40 years later, over 500 million people and 175 countries observe a day that not only recognizes our environment, but this day holds us accountable for the total impact that we have on our planet. This day, April 22nd, is known as Earth Day. In recognition of Earth Day, Spruce Industries will be donating two blue spruce trees on Tuesdsay April 22nd, 2008. The first tree will be donated to the James Caldwell Elementary School in Springfield, NJ. Hank Josephs, the president of Spruce Industries, attended this school and learned the importance of teamwork, participation and community. The second tree will be donated to the Oak Ridge Heights #21 Elementary School in Colonia, NJ. Linda McGowan, a purchasing ...

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NJSSA Supply Line 2008 - May 7th & 8th 2008

April 2, 2008 – 10:08 pm by Daniel Josephs
The Atlantic City Convention Center is the exciting and conveniently located site for Supply Line 2008, the New Jersey Sanitary Supply Association’s (NJSSA) biennial convention and trade show. Supply Line 2008 is the largest exhibition on the East Coast for the cleaning supply industry! Supply Line 2008 provides the tools you need to grow in today’s competitive business environment. Join other distributors and cleaning professionals from the Northeast and other regions for two action-packed days of meetings, inspirational educational events, and exhibits of the latest cleaning products and services. The Atlantic City Convention Center is easily accessible by air, road, or rail. Try the train for convenient and hassle free travel - the Atlantic City rail station is connected right to the convention center! Just step off the train and into the convention center. Mix business with pleasure at Supply Line 2008. Come a day early to play in NJSSA’s annual golf ...

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Hand Hygiene Requirement for LEED-EB

March 23, 2008 – 11:57 pm by Daniel Josephs
Today I received a copy of the 2008 LEED-EB revision. LEED which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a certification that provides independent, third-party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work. Currently they have three different classifications: New Construction (NC), Existing Building (EB) and Community Interiors (CI). The organization behind the LEED certification is the USGBC which stands for US Green Building Council. The USGBC is a non-profit organization that is committed to expanding sustainable building practices. For more information regarding LEED and USGBC visit www.usgbc.org. I haven't had a chance to read through the entire revision, but I did come across something that I thought was very interesting. A new policy has been added that requires: "Development of strategies for promoting and improving hand hygiene, including both hand washing and the use ...

Posted in Building Supplies, Green Products, Sanitary Supplies | 1 Comment »

Seriously Seeking Fun, Career-Minded People!

March 15, 2008 – 3:14 am by Daniel Josephs
We are looking for the best people who want to work hard, play hard, laugh hard and of course...make a lot of money. So if you think you are "THE BEST," then Check out our new Careers section! Applying online makes you one click away from finding a career built around dedication, laughter and family.

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Beer Bottles Can Clean Your Floor

March 5, 2008 – 3:10 am by Daniel Josephs
I had a very interesting meeting today with one of my manufacturer reps.  He was introducing us to the new EchoMop line from O'Dell Corporation.  They created an entire line of mops from PET plastics.  What is PET? PET stands for Polyethylene terephthalate.  Right, so what is PET?  PET plastics are basically your water, beer and soda bottles. O'Dell takes these bottles before they hit the landfills and O'Dell then re-incorporates them along with reclaimed cotton and rayon to engineer fibers, producing mops entirely from recycled materials.  Sounds crazy, I know. The craziness continues when I found that these mops are designed not just to meet the standards set by cotton and rayon mops, but to exceed those standards! The plastics from the PET bottles help prevent the rotting that happens with traditional mops.  The mops are strong enough to hold up to laundering, and arid enough to dry 100% overnight.  ...

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What Happens In The Bathroom Should Stay In The Bathroom

February 27, 2008 – 2:20 pm by Daniel Josephs
Don't you just love bathroom humor? Bathroom humor has always been known for its' lewd and crude ways, however, I recently read a study regarding students' hygiene that made me stop laughing. A study conducted by the American Journal of Infection Control relays the startling statistic that "53% of students wash their hands after bathroom use." But that's not all...of those 53% who wash their hands, "only 18% use soap"! To which I offer one word as a reply: Unacceptable. The most basic principle in personal hygiene starts with washing one's hands, and it is clear to me that this basic action is being overlooked by students and is not being communicated by teachers or parents. How is it that Health Class is mandatory by most public and private schools, yet only 18% of students use soap after going to the bathroom? These students are basins for germs at risk for ...

Posted in Sanitary Supplies | No Comments »

It's Not All About Dodgeball

February 13, 2008 – 2:55 am by Daniel Josephs
Last night I was at PS9 in New York City sitting in the hallway waiting for my dodgeball game to start. Yes I play dodgeball. And yes I know you wish you did too. Anyway, while I was waiting for my team to show up, I noticed a protective mask-wearing custodian burnishing the floors of the adjacent hallway. I wasn't caught off guard by the custodian, but I definitely did a double take when I saw him wearing a face mask! Was he wearing the mask because he couldn't stand the floor fumes, the dust particles, or both? I felt like yelling, "SWITCH YOUR FLOOR FINISH or USE A SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORER so that you don't need to wear face mask!" And while I commend this custodian for doing his job, I condemn the custodian's building manager for not protecting his employee! As I thought of all the processes ...

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GreenWorks Natural. From the ground up.

February 7, 2008 – 3:50 am by Daniel Josephs
Recently I uploaded a blog entry titled: Clorox® GreenWorks™: Natural Cleaners. Throughout my written words I discussed the insights and exclusives I was privy to as a result of getting a sneak preview of this product line last year. Well Clorox's GreenWorks™, an environmentally friendly product line, is no longer behind a red velvet rope - Clorox's GreenWorks™ is now available on SpruceIndustries.com and is front and center in the "clean with the power of green" space. Rather than simply introducing a new product line as an extension of The Clorox Company, Clorox has invested in its' future with a $25 million advertising and marketing campaign for GreenWorks™. Clorox believes that its' GreenWorks™ collection will connect with stay-at-home moms who are looking to provide both a clean and healthy home for their families. Clorox has targeted its demographic, has allocated a robust advertising budget for reach, and has announced its' permanence in ...

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How To Manage Your Budget In A Tight Economy (Part II)

January 30, 2008 – 1:48 am by Daniel Josephs
Microfibers: A word that has been thrown around in conjunction with other verbiage like "Microfibers will help save you money" and "Microfibers will give you lots of bang for your buck!" However, can Microfibers really help us reduce cost? But I'm getting ahead of myself... let's first discuss what Microfibers are and if they really can help us save money? Microfibers are very thin filaments blended from polyester and nylon which have been chemically split into even thinner fibers. Split fibers are better for cleaning, because their increased surface area enables them to capture and retain more dirt particles. Looking at an average hard surface floor, it appears that the floor is a smooth surface. However, on the microscopic level, this floor is not a seamless smooth surface, but is in fact punctuated by grooves and ridges. These grooves and ridges are the homes to two other words: dust and dirt. If ...

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How To Manage Your Budget In A Tight Economy (Part I)

January 23, 2008 – 8:24 pm by Daniel Josephs
Economist are forecasting a possible recession in sight. What does that mean for our industry? Tighter budgets and more eyes focused on cutting costs. In the next few entries, I will offer you some tips on how to reduce costs, while still maintaining your facility. Dilution Control Do you or your staff dilute chemicals by simply pouring the product from the bottle into a bucket, or as our industry likes to call it the "Glug Glug method"? Are you still using measuring cups or bottle pumps? If you answered yes to these questions, you might find the performance of a dilution control system very beneficial. Dilution control systems eliminate the guess work and prevent chemical contact with your skin and clothing. Each unit is calibrated to properly dispense the correct amount of chemical and water at the touch of a button. No waste means huge ...

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