News & Events

My name is Kenan Alispahic and I own Platinum Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning. We are based in Sydney and service the whole of the Sydney metro area.

I have been in the industry for over 6 years and I am passionate about seeing the industry grow through further training and development and raising the standards across the board. I run my business with my wife and we have 2 kids and one on the way.

My business specialises in carpet cleaning, both commercial and domestic, upholstery, tile & grout, hard floor services and high pressure cleaning. We also do water damage and have some experience in mould remediation.

I am excited about joining SCRIA and can see the positive contributions that working with an industry association can bring.

By Michelle Lee

Thank you to all who attended the AGM in Sydney. It was good to the see the NSW members take part in the event. Our next meeting will be held at Gymea Tradies Club on Tuesday 10th December 2013 and we will be having a case study discussion on mould remediation and techniques used in the field. Also at this event, I will be formally handing over to Kenan Alispahic who will now be the State President for NSW. I have known Kenan for many years now and he is a specialist in carpet cleaning and hard floor surfaces. His relaxed manner and passion for our industry will be a positive attribute for the NSW chapter and I look forward to the next meeting. At the December meeting, we will also be scheduling the meeting dates for 2014 and seek members input as to topics that they would like to know more about and any suggestions would be welcome.

As we say thank you to Gary Bourke and Lex Moir for managing the meetings in Queensland, the next meeting will be held at Wynnum Manly Leagues Club on Wednesday 27 November. The agenda for this meeting is to formally welcome Matthew Trede to the position of QLD President and a social meeting as the end of the year draws near.  A full list of meeting dates for 2014 will be discus at this meeting.  A Facebook event will be created or contact Annie in the SCRIA office at [email protected] for more information.

By Clare Collins

It was great to see everyone at the AUSCLEAN show in Sydney last month.

The end of the year is fast approaching and we are looking forward to our Christmas party on Friday 6th December. We will be racing V8 simulators, so looking forward to some real competitive racing!

Our next meeting on 25th November will be a hands on meeting where we will be testing various extraction machines. We will be extracting with portables, truckmounts and walk on extractors. If anyone has any equipment they would like to bring along and share with other members, they are welcome.

I would also like to welcome Garth Michalson, VIC member, to SCRIA

We have had some changes in the SA chapter and at this stage Kirsty O’Shea has resigned from her position which leaves a vacancy in the SA chapter.

At this point we are seeking interest from SA members to fill the open position. If you are interested in the position please contact Annie at the SCRIA office via email [email protected].

We kindly thank Kirsty for the time and effort that she has put into the SA chapter.

We have had some changes in the SA chapter and at this stage Kirsty O’Shea has resigned from her position which leaves a vacancy in the SA chapter.

At this point we are seeking interest from SA members to fill the open position. If you are interested in the position please contact Annie at the SCRIA office via email [email protected].

We kindly thank Kirsty for the time and effort that she has put into the SA chapter.

By Gary Bourke

Spring is here and it should mean the slow season is drawing to a close. The coming months are usually the time for hard work but with good rewards. I hope you have all used the Winter months to recuperate, scrutinise your business and be prepared for the work that lies ahead. In Queensland, where my business is located, summer comes with a wet season. It is common to have three or four serious storms that generate a lot of restoration work so in Winter we like to have our holidays, check on our procedures and make sure all our business relationships remain healthy.

While on the topic of preparing, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for SCRIA will be held on the 15th October, 2013, in conjunction with the Ausclean Convention, at Rosehill Gardens, Sydney. I would like you all to think about who are the best people to represent you over the next 12 months. Or better still, you may like to be a representative for the Association members. AGM’s are traditionally short with the objective to simply vote on motions that have previously been presented and the election of future office bearers. The most important aspect of this meeting will be the networking function that immediately follows the meeting. Please put the date in your calendar.

You may think that the Water Damage Guidelines have been forgotten. Unfortunately, we have had some forced delays due to the resignation of some of the Committee Members. However, that has only delayed the process and it is still underway. For a number of reasons, we now have three versions of the one document and our secretariat is currently in the process of collating those three documents into one that will be acceptable to all.

In conjunction with our Secretariat, your National Executive are also currently in the process of searching for a suitable person to act as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association. This will be a paid part-time position with the object of achieving three main goals:

1. Attracting greater membership
2. Identifying and achieving greater benefits for members
3. Creating a more professional organisation

A number of applicants have already been short-listed and it is hoped the position will be filled by the time of the AGM.

Regards,
Gary

SCRIA’s Annual General Meeting will be held Tuesday 15 October 2013, 5pm.

It is being held in conjunction with Ausclean Pulire at Rosehill Racecourse, Parramatta.

We’d love to have you join us for a casual social event after the scheduled AGM.

You will find us in the Connections Room (near Cafe) from 5pm-7.30pm.

We’d love to see you there!

This month we interviewed one of our long-term SCRIA members, Glen Carbis, from Jumbuck Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning.

Tell me a little about yourself and your business.

Denise & I established Jumbuck Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning in 1986 wanting to provide a high quality service. The business has changed over years and so has the name to incorporate the other services we provide.

At Jumbuck Cleaning & Restoration we provide a number of services from hard floors, carpets, upholstery, and air duct cleaning to water & fire restoration.

How did you get involved in this industry?

I was in my early 30’s, had been involved in the meat industry, ran restaurants and also worked as a salesman/serviceman in the cleaning industry. My employer had been setting up a carpet cleaning business, however the company went into receivership before it got up and going.

One of my old neighbours had their carpets cleaned by one of the franchise groups (no longer in business) and the job was shocking for the money they paid. As I had already done the homework for my previous employer, I knew I could do better and decided to start my own business.

What prompted you to join SCRIA? How long have you been a member?  Describe your activities with SCRIA.

I joined the Victorian C.U.C.A in the late 80’s. There were 2 reasons I joined the Association. The first is I wanted to learn- the so called training I received from my supplier was non-existent and CUCA Victoria had a membership of about 40 carpet cleaners who didn’t mind sharing their wealth of knowledge. This is the main reason I have stayed active within the association. I feel that I should give back to the industry everything I have taken from it, especially everything that I learned from those guys all those years ago.

The second reason is that I was a one man band. I had no credibility and no training but being a part of the Association allowed me to use the logo, which gives your customers more confidence to use your services.

Over the years, I have sat on committees, been State President, National Vice President and tried to keep involved.

What is the best part about belonging to SCRIA?

I think the best part of the association is the probably the networking. I have made friends with some of the finest and best technicians in the country and around the world. I have referred many jobs to other members and had the same come back. We have several other members that will work together on jobs and utilise one another’s equipment and expertise.

But this doesn’t come from not being involved. If you don’t attend meetings and get involved you won’t get anything out of it. Personally I wouldn’t hand out someone’s number unless I knew them.

Why is it important to be part of a trade association?

Without the association, our trade doesn’t grow. We wouldn’t have Australian Standards for our industry; we wouldn’t have a nationally recognised training program, we wouldn’t have WoolSafe, we wouldn’t have the IICRC, we wouldn’t have the high standards of the self-regulated industry we have today.

I believe that if you are in this industry and taking from it you need to put back a little to develop it as those have done before us. While doing that you’ll make lifelong friends with some of the finest people on earth.

By Michelle Lee

On Tuesday 13th August the NSW Chapter meet at our new venue, Gymea Tradies and had the opportunity to learn more about Colloidal Technologies and how Nano technology works in cleaning solutions.

Jeanne and Bob from Colloidal Technologies International made the trip down from Newcastle to Sydney and discussed the differences in how colloids ‘bind’ the grease, grime and dust and to encapsulate it to be removed. They had a demonstration of oil and water in a bottle and the evidence was pretty clear that the colloids ‘grabbed’ hold of the oil particles and could easily be removed.

It was great to see some new faces and I think you will all agree that the venue is well suited to meetings and the meals were great.

Thanks to Barry Kaye from GC Singleton’s for the topic suggestion. A big thank you to the companies that provided give-aways on the night.

Stay tuned for the next meeting topic and date.

Michelle