Watch John Barrett’s priceless reaction just after he and Ernie Hartong ink the paperwork on association merger.
CHICAGO – On October 28, 2016 ISSA Executive Director John Barrett and ARCSI CEO Ernie Hartong sat down to sign the final paperwork on the merger of the two trade associations. Also present for the ceremony were Tom Stewart, Publisher of Cleaning Business Today, ARCSI President Jeff Lange, and David Sikes, President of the ISSA Board of Directors.

Barrett credited Hartong as being key to the merger of the two associations, saying that his influence was instrumental in the completion of two more deals as well, which will result in “building a much greater global community for ISSA.”





The press release from ARCSI follows:

November 4, 2016—Columbus, OH, USA—The memberships of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI) voted overwhelmingly to approve the resolution to merge. As approved by the memberships, the merger becomes effective January 1, 2017, and ARCSI will be officially known as “ARCSI, A Division of ISSA.”

“We couldn’t be more excited about this merger and the benefits, resources and power it will bring to our membership,” ARCSI CEO Ernie Hartong says. “Drawing on ISSA’s resources, we will be able to grow our membership and provide wider options for education programming. We are also poised to drive the message to consumers of the benefits of using a professional residential cleaning company and, with the support of ISSA, we can bring that to fruition.”

Under terms of the agreement, ARCSI members will retain their ARCSI memberships, but those memberships will expand to include global ISSA membership and benefits. Now finalized, ARCSI members will have access to ISSA member benefits, including expanded educational opportunities, market exposure, networking opportunities, business tools and data, and other industry information.

“ISSA’s mission to change the way the world views cleaning in all sectors of the industry, “ says John Barrett, ISSA Executive Director. “The line between commercial and residential cleaning has grown closer in recent years, and the merger of ISSA and ARCSI is yet another move toward creating one strong, unified industry.”

The members of ARCSI and ISSA voted on the merger at their annual meetings, Tuesday, October 25, and Friday, October 28, respectively, during ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America, which were in Chicago, IL, USA.

About ARCSI

ARCSI was established in 2003 to assist residential cleaning service owners in starting, promoting, building, and expanding their businesses. With members in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Australia, and throughout Europe, ARCSI is committed to providing valuable information to ensure the growth and development of its members’ businesses through education, networking, and collaboration. For more information, visit www.arcsi.org or call 614-547-0887.

About ISSA

With more than 7,000 members including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, building service contractors, in-house service providers, and associated service members, ISSA is the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide.

The association is committed to helping its members change the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line. For more information on ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

The association is headquartered in Northbrook, IL, USA, with regional offices in Mainz, Germany, and Shanghai, China. For more information, visit www.issa.com, follow ISSA on social media at www.facebook.com/issaworldwide and www.twitter.com/issaworldwide, or join the discussion in ISSA—The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association LinkedIn group at www.issa.com/linkedin.

Contact: ISSA Director of Media Communications & Publications Lisa Veeck lisav@issa.com; phone; 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.