Licensees from across the country met in Boston in January for the Annual Meeting of New England Sanitone Licensees. The group celebrated their 75th consecutive year with top-notch speakers, networking and dining at the Four Seasons Boston.
The program kicked off with Fabritec President John Jordan reflecting on 75 years of meetings and sharing updates from the company, including product innovations and industry trends. Norb Tamblyn, Sanitone Area Manager, provided news from the cleaning room around the New England area.
Hailing from Massachusetts General Hospital, J. Stuart Ablon, Ph.D., gave a crash course in clinical psychology and human behavior. His speech focused on how to collaboratively solve problems by understanding the causes of behavior that lead to conflict. His takeaway of “reasons aren’t necessarily excuses” challenged the audience to be curious instead of stubborn when addressing problems.
Jeff Jordan, VP at Fabritec, followed with his topic of saying “Thanks” in the workplace. Jeff emphasized the need for daily appreciation and ways that employers can implement low-cost and highly effective recognition programs.
Addressing how to market to fashion trends was Jackie Brown of INITIAL Social Media. Jackie brought with her a degree in Fashion Design and briefed the group on trends that are popular in the marketplace. She sees the “fast fashion” trend slowing and being replaced by a demand for higher quality garments and care.
Sharing his life journey from India to Southern California was Bobby Patel of Kona Cleaners/BeCreative 360. Bobby took the audience through the purchase and growth of his business, shared stories of successes and failures and divulged some life lessons he gained along the way. His customer first attitude shined brightly in his approach to marketing and promotion.
Closing out the afternoon was Michael Schapiro of Wedding Gown Preservation Co. He detailed with the group how he uses temporary staffing agencies to build his staff in a business that has seasonal demand. His by-the-numbers approach showed that staffing agencies can be a practical solution to staffing in a production environment.
The meeting was book-ended by social events at the hotel that allowed Licensees from across the country to network and share ideas on how to improve their business. The meeting takes place annually in January and is open to all Sanitone Licensees.
