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naPSa certifies 20 sweeping contractors

Ten months after initiating its contract sweeper certification program the North American Power Sweeping Association (naPSa) has certified 20 contractors with four applications pending, says Gerry Kesselring, naPSa president and president of Contract Sweepers & Equipment, Columbus and Cincinnati, OH. He says the first Certified Sweeping Company (CSC) was announced at National Pavement Expo West last December.

"Certification is an essential element of the growth and future of the contract sweeping industry. It's something naPSa has been working toward and we're very happy to have the program in place," Kesselring says. "We're proud these naPSa members have stepped up and completed the certification process to receive their CSC."

To become a CSC, which is available only to naPSa members, contract sweepers pay $300 and complete a process that qualifies the contractor in a number of areas including safety, experience, continuing education, vehicle maintenance, driver training, and adherence to naPSa's code of ethics. Once approved the certification is good for three years. Kesselring says naPSa also is developing a master certification program they expect to have in place by National Pavement Expo next February.

"The master certification sets the bar a little higher than standard certification. It requires more experience, has stricter guidelines, and establishes a higher level of commitment to the industry," Kesselring says.

NaPSa has 320 member companies, up from 250 last year. New supplier or manufacturer members are Superior Engineered Elastomers, Warren, PA; Superior Service & Supply, Concord, NC; West Coast Equipment, Glendale, AZ. SK Sweepers, Kalamazoo, MI, is a Premier member.