Daniel Pisaniello , General Manager Commercial, Godfreys

How was 2021 for Godfreys? What were the highlights? What were the challenges?

What an interesting year! With COVID-19 presenting various challenges, we continued to offer our support, expertise and ongoing commitment to our customers.

Like most businesses we navigated a continuously changing landscape. We embraced remote working, implemented new business processes and procedures and developed innovative methods to showcase our range of products to our customers. Store closures and regularly changing restrictions added an additional layer of complexity to operations.

We continued to identify opportunities, despite these challenges and moved forward with our business strategy.

Investment in infrastructure, innovative new products and passionate employees ensured strong foundations for 2022 were developed. We are excited to build on these with our team members and customers to ensure the strategic growth of Godfreys.

Our growing commercial division secured the exclusive distribution rights to Comac floorcare equipment in Australia and New Zealand, and the Rosemor brand of escalator cleaning machines for the Asia-Pacific region.

What will be the immediate focus for Godfreys in 2022?

Our immediate focus is to continue investing in and supporting our people. Building a motivated and passionate team, excited to contribute to improving the cleaning industry, will result in the retention and attraction of customers, enabling us to achieve our anticipated growth in 2022.

Developing and manufacturing key product lines for the industry will also remain a key focus. Ongoing conversations with our trusted vendors throughout 2020/2021 have allowed us to commit to our new product development pipeline and reduce delays in the value chain. A great result for our customers!

What are the opportunities and challenges you see for the wider market in 2022?

Embrace change. Encourage your teams to seek out and pursue new initiatives created by the dynamic changes in the market.

It’s also a great time to consider new verticals, target growth industries and provide on-going education or training to existing customers.

The needs of customers are likely to change in 2022. Listening and providing new technologies and innovations to meet their evolving needs will build strong, long term, and mutually beneficial relationships.

How will the impact of the pandemic re-shape the cleaning industry in 2022?

The ‘new normal’ is a phenomenon all businesses are adapting to. From ongoing conversations with our customers, we believe there will be an increased focus on preventative cleaning and comprehensive sanitation.

The level and type of product education will become a key differentiator in the market, providing a competitive edge for those within the cleaning industry, that have and continue to invest in its development.

The pandemic has transformed the way we operate and many facets of our business. At Godfreys, we see this as an opportunity to lead the way for the industry through the years to come.

What do you expect to be the big floorcare trends of 2022?

More and more robotic cleaning manufacturers will continue to develop their fleets and technologies within this space. We will see more of these companies rising in Australia, those that truly specialise in this area will secure a larger market share.

What is one issue in the cleaning industry that you would like to see addressed?

Certification and education. Our market continues to see many low-end and non-compliant machines being imported and sold. This can increase the safety risk for customers and damage the reputation of the industry.

Investment in machinery that has undergone proper testing and certification, according to Australian standards, must continue to be supported.

These assurances build trust with customers and the confidence they are investing in quality, sustainable and risk-free products.   A timely reminder to always check if your equipment provider has been tested and certified to meet Australian standards.

What advice would you give to fellow leaders in the cleaning industry?

There is no doubt that 2022 will be a year of continued transition. Set and build the foundations to respond to the changing needs and wants of your customers.

Test and learn, identify on new opportunities to gain momentum and build success as you head into 2023.

This article first appeared in the January/February issue of INCLEAN magazine. 

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