WorldSweeper Wins Third National Website Award in Four Years!Although there's no $$ attached to the award, it certainly feels great and we're in excellent company.
by Ranger Kidwell-Ross
Recognition for doing a good job is always nice to receive, especially when it's from 'professional critics.' It's even nicer when there are other organizations of stature sharing the podium. And, although we are proud of winning an APEX Award for Website Excellence again this year – the third time the WorldSweeper website has done so in the last four years – a great byproduct is that it brings the sweeping industry further into the forefront of people's minds.
"The Cleanup of Black Rock City: It's All About the MOOP" caught the judge's eye for its comprehensive, behind the scenes, coverage of how the United States' largest gathering on public lands is cleaned up.
For 2011, a total of 3,000 entries were evaluated, with 957 of those winning an APEX Award of Excellence in one of 130 subcategories. Other APEX Award winners for 2011 included:
My first project for APEX Award consideration, the then-fledgling American Sweeper magazine, was submitted in 1994. Not only did it win, but at least one of my projects has won an APEX Award in each year since then, something that no one else in the history of the long-running national contest can say. And, most of these have been for a project somehow connected with the power sweeping industry. I appreciate the recognition that winning the two APEX Awards this year brings. However, what I want to form as a response is to find ways for WorldSweeper.com to become an even better worldwide resource for the power sweeping industry. Part of that mission is to seek out information our readers will find helpful. For example, in this issue of the newsletter we are covering, for the first time, a device that promises a solution to one of the big problems in highway sweeping. Specifically, the problem of how to handle large-sized road debris that cannot be picked up by a traditional street sweeper. This is a problem that creates a number of personnel-related accidents each year, and that also requires large expenditures for attenuator trucks and more. A further implication, if the machine does what the inventor says it will, is use of this device should allow DOT sweeping managers the luxury of substituting air sweepers – which studies have shown to do a better job of removing small-micron particles – in place of mechanical broom sweepers on roadways where NPDES compliance is an issue. If the Gator Getter can live up to the hype about it, there is no question the machine will find a home among many DOT organizations in the country, as well as abroad. We are also glad to report that a group of former employees has formed a new company to continue support for the the Madvac and certain Allianz models of sweepers. Initially called 'Madvac Products,' this organization is now moving forward under the new name 'Exprolink, Inc.' The new company is currently processing orders for the former Allianz/Madvac model numbers LN50, LR50, PS300 and SKID61. These are currently being manufactured for delivery during the month of September, 2011. Company management is also in the process of actively gauging the market's needs for the CN100, LX300, LT500 and MS/MT350 models, so if you have an interest in keeping and of these latter models in the marketplace, be sure to let them know. As always, the articles in this issue are designed to help you find crucial insight for your business. My hope is you find they all help in one way or the other. If you have ideas about articles you'd like to see in the future, please let us know that, as well. Our goal is to write about what you want to read. And, if you have a sweeping-related need please contact us about it. We'll try to assist in any way we can. I routinely reference WorldSweeper.com articles and studies, provide information from my "Fundamentals of the Power Sweeping Business" manual and put contractors and city officials in touch with others who may have answers to their informational needs. By the same token, if you have a story you can provide, additional information on any of the topics we've covered – or need more details – please let me know. I'll be glad to help if at all possible. By the way, if you don't have a listing yet in our Contractor Locator section, you are missing out on what is arguably the best advertising value in sweeping. At the same time, you'll be helping to keep WorldSweeper.com online and active.
Good Sweeping!
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 © 2011 World Sweeper
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I also won an additional APEX Award as author of a feature article that was debuted on WorldSweeper.com. The article covered the Black Rock City Public Works Department's cleanup of the yearly event known to most as 'Burning Man.'
