With an attendance of just 10 people, comprising executive committee members and associate partners, the National Cleaning Suppliers’ Association (NCSA) AGM was testament to the message implored by national president Stuart Nicol – members must support the Association for it to flourish.
Held on 25 August at St George Rowing Club in Wolli Creek (Sydney) the lunch event saw an intimate gathering of NCSA members along with representatives from the Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA) and INCLEAN magazine.
Nicol offered his reflection on the year that has passed making special mention of the decision to not appoint a new CEO but instead take on the industry experience and knowledge of Geoff Thorpe as the NCSA secretary.
“Geoff’s experience in the industry from his days at Oates and Sabco have given him a great insight into our membership and their needs,” Nicol shared. “I would like to thank Geoff for stepping into this role and speak on behalf of the board in commending him for the work he has done and continues to do.”
Web development was another trending topic for the Association with much of its focus and budget attributed towards improving the NCSA website, which now enables regular communication to its membership – a key link, Nicol stated, that was previously missing. “Our website now has the ability to increase member participation to advertise and promote their products and services,” he explained. “The search directory is much easier to navigate and we can include updates from industry partners with the latest and most relevant trending news on our blog.”
However, this opened a can of worms with Nicol’s next statement being that he is disappointed and surprised by the lack of contribution from members. “It reinforces the difficulties we face in getting this organisation up and running. It’s not an easy task and without the support of its members, it’s almost impossible,” admitted Nicol. “In fact, I’d like to thank the board members that have participated this year for all their effort and input.
“It is not an easy role giving up your time for no monetary reward and too often be criticised for the lack of progress or purpose,” added Nicol. “But I can assure those that care to listen, that we have a vibrant and interesting board that is willing to make this contribution to the Association happily and without complaint.”
The committee for 2016 was re-elected with no changes; Stuart Nicol (Quipment) as national president, Sue Wilton (Oates) as vice president, Ivan Imerman (IBS) as treasurer, Craig Jones (White Magic) as company secretary, Geoff Thorpe as secretary and Greg Podjoy (Whiteley) and Peter Langbart (Pall Mall) as board members.