PLAINVIEW, NY July 24, 2013 - CSC ServiceWorks (CSC), the industry leader for multi-family laundry services and the largest provider of Pay Air Services for automobile tire inflation in North America (Coinmach and AIR-serv, respectively), announced today that it is merging its interests with Sparkle Solutions Corp. (Sparkle), Canada's third-largest laundry route operator. The merger provides CSC with a laundry-equipment presence in Canada and enables Sparkle to grow by leveraging AIR-serv's Canadian footprint.

CSC will provide its exceptional service backbone and the capital to make the investments necessary to grow Sparkle's route operations nationally. Sparkle will expand its service by opening offices in all major Canadian cities.

Regarding the merger, CSC CEO Bob Doyle stated, "I'm excited about the prospect of entering a new market in Canada. Sparkle's management team and existing knowledge of the Canadian market combined with our capital and service support, will truly make Sparkle a competitive national laundry route operator."

Sparkle COO Ray Helwig agreed: "The CSC management team has been in the industry for over 65 years and has a track record of successful expansions in new markets. They have the same core competencies as we do and are willing to go the extra mile for their clients as we have done over the last eight years."

 

About CSC ServiceWorks

CSC ServiceWorks is the leading provider of multi-family housing and commercial laundry solutions and the industry leader in air-vending services at convenience stores and gas stations. CSC's family of businesses includes Coinmach Corp., ASI Campus Laundry Solutions, SDI Laundry Solutions, Appliance Warehouse of America, AIR-serv, AirValet, and Super Laundry. CSC ServiceWorks employs more than 2,250 dedicated professionals and provides services for nearly one million air and laundry systems throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

About Sparkle Solutions Corp.

Sparkle Solutions Corp. manages more than 12,500 machines in Ontario and Quebec and provides laundry equipment sales.

Sparkle is the only multi-family laundry route provider with a real-time integrated WebXpress Card System that allows landlords to view their income online, providing 100% transparency. The company is also launching its new Sparkle SINC web system : a cardless, cashless activation system.

By: Marsha Friedman

Recently, a colleague asked me, "What was the most rewarding mistake you ever made in business?"

It's a great question, and I quickly had an answer for him because it was an incredibly painful mistake. However, it proved to be an invaluable lesson that has served me well in the years since. I'm sharing so perhaps you can learn it the easy way.

The lesson: Don't ever stop marketing because you think you've reached the point where you don't need to. And, secondarily, believe the old adage that warns, "Don't put all your eggs into one basket."

There's a story, of course!

Years ago, my public relations company connected with a large publishing house that served many prestigious authors. The first few of its authors we accepted as clients had such successful campaigns, we quickly became the publicity firm of record for this publisher. I thought we'd tapped the mother load! The publisher kept a steady stream of clients flowing to us, and eventually, they became about 80 percent of our business.

We were so focused on delivering for these authors that we became much less focused on getting our company name out to prospective new clients. We slowly stopped marketing. Our newsletters ground to a halt. We didn't waste time networking. We quit our efforts to get the same publicity for our company that we get for clients. Why bother? We didn't need new clients!

We had a whole basket full of beautiful perfect eggs and we were happily skipping along with it.

And then ... it broke.

The publisher ran into some serious problems with its investors and the business came crashing down. And guess who almost went with it?

Our eggs were cooked.

Faced with only a few clients and no prospects, we got busy fast and cranked up the marketing department (me!) again. It took awhile to regain the momentum we'd lost but, thankfully, we had a side business that could help pay the bills in the interim. Slowly but surely (this was before the age of social media, which really speeds things up), we built up a new list of prospects and clients - only this time from a diverse array of sources.

It was a terrible but powerful experience that demonstrated very clearly: No matter how great things seem to be going, you never stop marketing. It needs to be a constant hum because if that hum stops, you know there will be a big problem ahead.

I stopped marketing because I thought I had all the clients I needed. Over the years I've seen others make the same mistake but for different reasons. Here are a few:

One great publicity hit is a really bad reason to stop marketing. I've talked to people who believed if we could just get them on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (before 2011) or "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," that was all they'd need. They'd be done. Yes, a big national show can give you a tremendous launch, but you won't keep soaring unless you do something to stay in the public eye. I guarantee you, there are plenty of people you never heard of who got their "big break" and then disappeared because they stopped marketing.

Most of us won't get those huge hits - and that's not a reason to stop, either. I haven't been on "Oprah" but I often hear from prospective clients that I or my business was recommended to them by someone I've never met and don't know. That's what good, sustained marketing does. It may not always create fireworks, but that doesn't mean it's not working for you.

Yesterday's story is old news. Look for fresh new ways to stay in the public eye. The publicity you get today can continue to work for you online, but eventually, it's going to be old news. We encourage our clients to post links to their publicity on their websites; it shows visitors that they have credibility with the media. But if those visitors see only publicity and testimonials that are five or 10 years old, they're going to wonder why no one's been interested in you more recently.

Just as I put all my eggs in one basket by relying on one source for clients, it's also a mistake to rely on just one marketing tool. Maximize the reach of the publicity you get in traditional media by sharing it on social media. Put a blog, or other content you can renew and refresh, on your website. Write a book. Do speaking engagements (for free, if necessary). Your audience is likely not all huddled together in one corner of the world. To reach them, use a variety of marketing tools.

Whatever it is you're promoting - your business, your product, your book, yourself - keep the momentum going. If you want people to know you're out there, you have to stay out there.

About Marsha Friedman

Marsha Friedman is a 23-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to businesses, professional firms, entertainers and authors. Marsha is the author of Celebritize Yourself and she can also be heard weekly on her Blog Talk Radio Show, EMSI's PR Insider every Thursday at 3 p.m. EST. Follow her on Twitter: @marshafriedman.

Illinois Clean Water Initiative Will Invest Nearly $13 Million to Rehabilitate and Modernize Decatur Sewer System and Wastewater Treatment Plant

DECATUR - Governor Pat Quinn today announced $13 million in low-interest loans to update the Decatur sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. Funded through Governor Quinn's $1 billion Illinois Clean Water Initiative (CWI), the projects will help meet the clean water needs of nearly 90,000 are residents and create 160 direct and indirect jobs. This announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to drive Illinois' economy forward and protect the environment by modernizing Illinois' water infrastructure.

"A region's economic and environmental strength is based on the availability of clean water," Governor Quinn said. "By making critical infrastructure investments now, we can create jobs and make sure that every person and business in the area can have the clean water access they need to live and work."

The city of Decatur will receive an $8.6 million low-interest loan to rehabilitate portions of its sewer system that have been determined to be most at risk of causing: loss of service for a large number of customers, high volumes of untreated discharges to Lake Decatur (the city water supply), significant property damage and very high repair costs in the event that they fail. Many of these critical portions of the overall 2.2 million foot sewer system were constructed very deep and are located in highly developed areas, including Lake Shore Drive.

"These loans will help city taxpayers avoid expensive emergency repairs and protect residents from harmful effects should these sewers fail," said Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy. "These are responsible investments that will pay off for Decatur for years to come."

The Sanitary District of Decatur will receive a $4.1 million low-interest loan to make a number of critical upgrades to its wastewater treatment facility located on the Sangamon River. The project will include replacing the primary digestor, which has experienced mechanical problems and surpassed its useful life, with a new digestor that will also meet new employee safety standards while increasing the plant's efficiency and further protecting the area's water supply from pollutants.

"Loans like these have been an important financing tool for the Sanitary District of Decatur for many years," Dan Smallwood, president of the Board of Trustees, said. "This investment will help us continue to update our facilities while keeping costs to residents at a reasonable level."

Together, these projects are estimated to create approximately 113 direct construction jobs for area trade union members, including laborers, plumbers, pipefitters, Teamsters, electricians, carpenters and operating engineers, as well as about 48 indirect jobs related to purchase of services, supplies and equipment. The CWI provides a local economic boost across the state by insuring adequate water and sewer infrastructure for residents and business alike and supports an estimated 28,000 jobs throughout Illinois.

"These projects will improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of residents in the Decatur area and will support the quality of life and business climate for years to come," Lisa Bonnett, director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said. "Our agency is proud to work with so many of our local government partners to protect the environment and we want to encourage more communities to get more information about the CWI and how it could help their residents."

"Governor Quinn's Clean Water Initiative is a win-win-win," Chris Meister, executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, said. "Taxpayers save money from low-interest rate loans and thousands of men and women in the unionized buildings and trades will go to work on projects that will ensure clean safe water for their communities. On behalf of our Chairman Bill Brandt and our entire volunteer board, the Illinois Finance Authority is excited to partner with IEPA on financing these vital water infrastructure projects."

Governor Quinn launched the $1 billion Illinois Clean Water Initiative in his 2012 State of the State address to overhaul aging drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and distribution and collection systems. The CWI is funded with annual federal grants, funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and additional principal and interest from loan repayments. No new state tax dollars are used.

According to the U.S. EPA it is estimated the total water infrastructure needs in Illinois over the next 20 years total $32 billion, including $17 billion in wastewater projects (which is the 6th highest among the states) and $15 billion in drinking water projects (4th highest need in the nation).

To learn more about Governor Quinn's Illinois Clean Water Initiative, visit CleanWater.Illinois.gov.

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Business Expert Identifies Benefits, Pitfalls of 3 Leadership Styles

The top five leaders most admired by the world's business executives are Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela  and Jack Welch - in that order, according to the 2013 Global CEO Survey conducted by PwC.

The qualities the surveyed CEOs most admired? Strong vision, motivational, caring, innovative, persistent and ethical.

"These results tell us a lot about what it takes to be a strong business leader in today's rapidly changing global marketplace," says Barbara Trautlein, author of "Change Intelligence: Use the Power of CQ to Lead Change that Sticks" (www.changecatalysts.com).

"The respondents cited a broad range of qualities to describe the same individual leaders, which tells us they recognize today's leaders need a combination of strengths."

Trautlein, who has a PhD in organizational psychology and more than 25 years experience helping businesses lead change, says contemporary leaders must have a high CQ - Change Intelligence.

"Today's marketplace is in a state of constant change, and successful companies are those that can also respond and quickly adapt to the changes around them. That requires leaders who are able to lead with the head - focusing on the big-picture goal and business objectives; the heart - knowing how to engage, coach and motivate people; and with your hands - providing the tactical tools and skills necessary like a project manager," she says.

"People tend to be stronger in one or two of those areas and weaker in the others. We need to identify our weak areas and work on strengthening them."

To do that, you must ask yourself: "Are you a head, heart or hands leader?" Trautlein identifies three of the seven CQ leader styles, their strengths, weaknesses, and a coaching suggestion for each:

The Coach (heart-dominant):

Strengths:

• Encourages people to join in discussions, decisions
• Steps in to resolve process problems, such as conflict
• Listens to all viewpoints
• Recognizes and praises others for their efforts
• Helps reduce stress by lightening the mood

Weaknesses:

• Sees team process and organizational climate as ends in themselves
• Fails to challenge or contradict others
• Does not recognize the importance of accomplishing tasks
• Overuses humor and other conflict-mitigation techniques
• Does not emphasize long-range planning

Coaching: Make connections with people but also connect them with the mission. Don't allow engagement to take precedence over performance.

The Visionary (head-dominant)

Strengths:

• Stays focused on goals
• Engages in long-range thinking and planning
• Takes a big-picture view
• Enjoys seeing new possibilities
• Scans the horizon for the next big opportunity

Weaknesses:

• Doesn't fully consider the effects a change will have on organizational culture
• May be less apt to focus on team members' individual needs
• Complains about lack of progress toward goals
• Does not give sufficient attention to the process by which goals are met
• Neglects to ensure that the tactical details of the change process are handled

Coaching: It's vital that the vision be shared by all those working to make it happen. Remember to share your vision with others (heart) and lay out a path to that vision that incorporates visible milestones along the way (hands).

The Executor (hands-dominant)

Strengths:

• Excels at project planning and execution
• Accomplishes tasks in a timely and efficient manner
• Can be depended upon to do what's asked
• Freely shares information and materials so other have the training, tools and resources they need
• Pushes the team to set high performance standards

Weaknesses:

• Loses sight of the big picture - the goal of the change process
• Lacks patience with people and process issues
• Pushes for unrealistic performance standards
• Becomes impatient with other team members who don't live up to standards
• Goes into data overload, providing too much detailed information.

Coaching: Expand your definition "execution." Engage people by making a compelling case for the change so you'll have their support, and take time-outs periodically to evaluate your goals and strategy.

"Most leaders are not all head, hands or heart - most are some combination, which is why there are seven Change Leader styles," Trautlein says. "And even leaders who have all three in seemingly equal measures have some pitfalls to watch out for."

The point is not to change who we are fundamentally, but rather to embrace our strengths, shore up our blindspots, and adapt our styles to be more effective when leading across a variety of different people and situations.  By building their CQ, leaders simultaneously become more powerful to help their teams and organizations - as well as less stressed and frustrated themselves.  And, they more consistently role model the pivotal leadership qualities CEOs most admire.

About Barbara Trautlein, PhD.

Barbara Trautlein is author of Change Intelligence:  Use the Power of CQ to Lead Change that Sticks, and a change leadership consultant, international speaker and researcher. She helps all levels of leaders in achieving their personal and professional goals, from Fortune 50 companies to small- and mid-sized businesses, in industries ranging from steel mills to sales teams, refineries to retain, and healthcare to high tech. Trautlein has a PhD in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan.  Learn more at www.ChangeCatalysts.com.