Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 9

100 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 9 policies, because there’s more than enough in the marketplace.” ACI also had to pivot their operations during COVID by embracing virtual communication, something Hockstad says they were prepared for. She notes, “Thankfully, we have a phenomenal guy who runs our IT department, so we had a lot of the tools in place, although we were using some of them a little bit differently.” Unable to have the annual convention in 2021 resulted in a virtual summit which was well received by the over 850 members who participated, down only a few hundred from the previous in-person attendance. “We were able to host a range of educational programs, we had an online trade show type component to it. We felt the numbers were very, very good,” reports Hockstad. Enhancing online education offerings in the way of monthly webinars and regular newsletters was another way ACI stayed connected with members, sharing the continued work on their behalf, while keeping them updated on the latest industry advancements. Thinking about the next five years, Hockstad sees innovation and growth for the cleaning products industry, with a continued focus on sustainability. “We know many of our companies are very focused on reducing emissions and greenhouse gas, and as an organization we strive for our industry to reach net zero global emissions by 2050. Although that is a long-term goal, I think what we will see over the next five years, are the steps that our member companies are taking, and where ACI can support and really drive them to help reduce emissions overall.” As the American Cleaning Institute moves forward, while continuing to serve the innovation and growth of the U.S. cleaning products industry, they are contributing to a clean and vibrant future for us all.