The IICRC will host its Instructors Symposium in Chattanooga, TN, Sunday and Monday, August 9-10. It is designed to update the instructors on innovations in the industry, IICRC regulations and procedures, audio-visual teaching aids, classroom strategies, and teaching philosophies and techniques. One day will consist of a full day of instruction custom designed for the carpet industry by a Fred Pryor instructor. The second day will include a variety of topics, including basic chemistry, Microsoft's Power Point, and the IICRC's new Scantron grading system. On Sunday evening, the instructors will attend a banquet, for a unique opportunity to interact with industry peers.

The Fred Pryor instruction will be conducted by Pat Foltz, Ph.D. The Basic Chemistry session will be instructed by Joe Domin, a chemist at Prochem since 1984. He will explain they chemistry of day to day cleaning problems in language that all cleaners can understand.

To give your presentations more impact, a Microsoft representative will present The Ins and Outs of Power Point. And Barry Costa, Exams and Standards Chairperson for the IICRC, will explain the new Scantron System, for quick grading IICRC student exams.

For information, call 360-693-5675

Stone and Tile Hotline Now Available

The National Training Center for Stone and Masonry Trades has established a new hotline answering service to provide free information to industry professionals. The hotline is designed to help cleaning and facility managers, architects, designers, installers, cleaners and homeownersóanyone who uses or maintains stone and tile. Worldwide contractor referrals will also be provided. The hotline number is 407-834-4800, and the fax number is 407-834-6610.

New Insurance Program For Janitorial Contractors

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., a leader in commercial insurance, has introduced a new broad-based insurance plan for janitorial contractors. "Our program reimburses revenue lost if an important customer's premises closes because of a covered loss such as fire or flood, or if the employees can't do their job because the janitorial firm's equipment and supplies have been damaged," notes Paul Joudrey, Program Manager for The Hartford. The plan also includes: coverage to replace missing keys or purchase and install new locks if a customer's keys are lost; coverage for personal property in the care of the janitorial firm; and liability-based crime coverage which applies to such losses as theft of a customer's property that results from a janitorial worker's failure to lock upóor even if a janitorial employee steals from a customer!

Workers' compensation, employment practices liability coverage, and auto and umbrella coverage round out The Hartford's new package. For more information, see your local Hartford representative.

Omni Announces Acquisitions

Omni Facility Resources, Inc., one of the most rapidly growing specialty facility maintenance companies, has recently completed three important acquisitions: (1) OSS, Inc., a leading Chicago-based facility maintenance company specializing in providing mission critical sanitation services to food processing plants. The company and its subsidiaries also provides janitorial services, contract painting, and supplemental labor to corporations, property managers, hotels, and retailers in the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. (2) Heyser Landscaping, Inc., the premiere landscaping company of the Middle Atlantic states for commercial and corporate and business properties. (3) Acme Service Corp., the largest air filter sales and service company in the US., which also provides full service janitorial and facility maintenance to corporations, universities, commercial properties and municipalities in Indiana.

Bettina Browne, President and CEO of Omni Facility Resources, Inc., states that "the current market conditions demand that specialty maintenance service providers be able to serve the divers needs of customers. Therefore, Omni will continue to grow and acquire additional specialty service companies throughout the United States."