Jim Roden is the founder of Prochem.

How would you best sum up the last 50 years (or the time that you’ve been a part) of the carpet cleaning/restoration industry?

We’ve changed from a shampooing method, overall, to an extraction method as far as cleaning is concerned. The extraction method gives us more variables as far as equipment is concerned and less on chemicals as far as chemistry as concerned. I would say during that period of time, that became a major thrust.

In your opinion, what have been some of the most significant events and milestones to impact the industry over the past 50 years? What about some of the most significant people?

One of the best (innovations) has been the ability to generate heat at the same time as you’re using the power on the units.

What are some of your fondest memories of being involved in the industry in years past?

I was more involved with the business part of it, making a profit. We put an awful lot of emphasis on the chemicals. This was a major part of our particular company – the cleaning materials themselves. That’s still true to this day.