Welcome to the first installment of Commercial Floor Care for 2003. This year we’re moving beyond the usual topics found in the commercial flooring market to address some of the issues that lay just under the surface.

William Atkinson looks the pressures of planning and managing a professional cleaning service and presents three real-life examples in “Scheduling and Time Management: A Real Balancing Act.” While the advantages of creating a schedule and sticking with it are well known, sometimes it is a company’s flexibility and ability to adapt to a business environment that helps it to succeed where others have failed.

“Considerations When Developing a Floor Maintenance Program” by Bob Merkt examines some of the factors the need to be taken into account before a program can be implemented: What is the environment like? How is the facility staffed? What type of floor is it? and other concerns that may seem obvious, but are often overlooked.

Michael Weber and Ed Michels of 3M’s Commercial Care division present their take on “Spend Time, Not Money, For Better Looking Floors,” a start-to-finish look at the process of developing a specified maintenance program that can be adapted to virtually any commercial facility.

The importance of appearance is not limited to just the floors in a commercial environment. Mary Anne Dolbeare writes on “Uniforms and Marketing: Attire Can Help Sell Your Services,” and puts her spin on the messages, both overt and underlying, that a well-uniformed crew can send out about a facility, its clientele and your business.

CFC editorial assistant Michael Chmielecki puts the cap on the Winter 2003 features with “Floor Care Machines for the Commercial Environment.” Chmielecki spoke with four of the top manufacturers in the floor care industry, and asked them for their opinions as to the importance of employing heavy-duty equipment in the commercial market.

Enjoy.