TruckMount Builder Designs Machine To Clean Oil in Gulf



Largo, Florida -- John Hurtubise is no stranger to cleaning up big messes.

He's operated John's Custom Machines in Largo for more than 12 years, manufacturing carpet cleaning machines for vendors country-wide.

So, when he saw the images of oil soaked beaches and marshes splash across his television screen in April, he got to work on what he knows best... cleaning up.

"I figured there would be some way to be more effective and more efficient and that's what we believe we have, " Hurtubise told 10 News as he pointed toward the portable oil skimming machine he developed.

He developed the machine with shallow waters in mind.

"We just modified some of our equipment that we've been making for years to do the job we intended it to do," he added.

Hurtubise estimates his machine, which is small enough to be carted around by one person or put on a boat, can suck up to 2,000 gallons of oil in one hour, using just a half tank of gas.

"We believe very much in our product, but the main hurdle we knew to get over was to get the right people to look at it.," he said.

Hurtubise submitted his idea to BP and even spent a week in Louisiana to show off his product to clean-up crews.

While he says it got rave reviews, no one could buy the machine until BP approved.

"There just seems to be too much government paperwork and not enough common sense," he said.

He says he's made several phone calls, from BP to Governor Charlie Crist's office and got no where, so he called 10 News for help.

We called BP to find out where Hurtubise's machine is in the review process and we are told, he's made the cut of approved devices.

This means, clean-up crews can buy his device and use it, if they want to.

But, this was news to Hurtubise who says he hasn't heard anything.

Frustrated, he pointed toward the machine in his Largo shop, "It's sitting here, doing absolutely nothing."

BP says Hurtubise's skimmer is among 51,000 products and services in a catalog available to clean-up crews, but this is not where he's going to get the most attention.

That would be in the Alternative Response Technology database which a BP rep says they are moving his machine into.

He should get more attention in this database, a BP rep said.

Now, he sits and waits for a phone call, ready to send his machine where it's needed most.

If more are needed, that's not a problem either, he says.



"We could produce 10 or 12 of these per week," he said.

The machines run at about $10,000 to $15,000 each.

But, Hurtubise says it's not about the money. He just wants to play a role in helping the Gulf recover.

"This is our attempt at it," he said.

BP tells 10 News, since the spill, it's taken in more than 120,000 ideas from the public.

The ideas are then divided into two categories: source control and oil spill response.

BP says:

New White Paper from Racine Industries Questions Validity of the Carpet & Rug Institute Seal of Approval Program

Paper examines XRF testing methods and suggests further testing necessary to confirm validity of CRI SOA Program
June 03, 2010 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

RACINE, Wis. -- Racine Industries (RI) today released a new peer-reviewed white paper that examines the methods of using x-ray spectrometry (XRF) for testing carpet cleaning extractors, systems and vacuums. These methods are used to establish rankings in the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval (SOA) program. Findings from the study released today suggest that it is premature to conclude that the testing accomplishes the stated objective of quantifying soil levels in carpet and encourages further research before there is widespread acceptance of the SOA program.

“This method has not been scientifically validated. It has not been reviewed by independent peer reviewers. Also, scientific accuracy, precision and bias have not been determined. It is our objective to encourage careful examination before the program sees mainstream adoption through any additional environmental certification standards or legislative entities.”

The current SOA program created in a partnership among CRI, Professional Testing Laboratory (PTL) and a manufacturer of XRF technology, was developed with the intention of establishing an industry standard for testing cleaning performance.

“Our study raises questions about the methodology used to establish SOA rankings of cleaning performance,” said Deborah Lema, Research & Training Associate, Racine Industries. “This method has not been scientifically validated. It has not been reviewed by independent peer reviewers. Also, scientific accuracy, precision and bias have not been determined. It is our objective to encourage careful examination before the program sees mainstream adoption through any additional environmental certification standards or legislative entities.”

Further, no correlation between field and laboratory results has been established.

Questions arising from the RI study include:

* Will an independent validation study be planned and completed?
* Will a protocol be released?
* Will the reported concentrations of the compounds be reproducible outside of the one licensed laboratory performing this method?
* Will a Determination of Relevance be conducted to see if the laboratory-generated results actually apply to the field?
* Will accuracy and bias be determined and published if not improved?

Without these determinations, the question of whether or not this method generates useful and relevant data cannot be answered. The RI study suggests that consumers and carpet industry professionals should be hesitant to rely on SOA approvals for decision making, and should question the appropriateness and merit of SOA approval being requisite in carpet warranties, environmental standards and legislation.

For a full copy of the study, go to www.carpetdiemblog.com.

About Racine Industries Inc.

Founded in 1935 as the Rench Manufacturing Company, Racine Industries Inc. is known for its innovative dry extraction carpet cleaning system which is used in commercial, institutional and residential carpet cleaning in 60 countries worldwide. They are the pioneers of the concept of extracting during carpet cleaning…either wet or dry extraction. Racine Industries is headquartered in Racine, Wisc. For more information, go to http://www.hostdry.com/.

Bogus Rug Cleaning Inquiries

Received the bogus rug cleaning inquiry below from several of our website forms.

Name: Deb Adams
City: LOUISIANA

Email: debell002@gmail.com

Comment: Hello good day this Deb Adams and i would like to know if you do rug cleaning at the office and accept credit cards and can i speak with the owner .ok fine actually am relocating from my old house from LA LOUISIANA down to your city and i would like to know how much will 10 x 14 rug cost for cleaning and actually i have 15 rugs of that, can you do the total calculation for the cleaning for the 15 rugs sized 2500 square feet

---

Text Relay Calls

Received several Text Relay calls from i770.com lately. This is a legitamate service for the hearing impaired that is being abused by scam artists, prisioners, as well as pranksters.

In most cases they offer "payment" for more than the asking price, with a request for the mark to send them the balance as a refund (an example of the 419 fraud, which is commonly committed via email and is named after the section of the Nigerian legal code that outlaws it).

The only way to fight against the scammers is by educating everyone on this issue.

The Summerfest Committee is proud to announce the

12TH ANNUAL SUMMERFEST

by Carpet Cleaners, for Carpet Cleaners.

Date: Sept. 9,10,11 - 2010
Where: Salt Lake City UT
Host: Superior Cleaning Soutions

Please check back for updates.
SummerFest WebSite - www.GoToSummerFest.com

"OCIBR helped us so much. Can we buy you lunch (or dinner) for this?"

We have had several clients recently say something like, "I owe you dinner (or lunch) for this. I wish I was closer so I could thank you."
Absolutely, you can buy us dinner or lunch — virtually.

CLICK HERE TO BUY DINNER

We really appreciate the fact you'd like to buy us dinner as a way of saying thank you. If you were particularly thrilled with the level of help, education or support you received you are welcome to send us out to more than one meal.

Ultimately we leave it up to you as to how much of a night out you'd like to share. You may use the button below and fill in any amount


P.S. If you prefer to just send a check, please drop us an email and we'll pass along our mailing address

---

"Can Andrechelle help with a smaller project, just a half-hour of your time. Can we buy you lunch (or dinner) for this?"

Call us first to see if we can do what you want, and we'll let you know if it's worth Lunch or Dinner for two.

Oriental Rug Repair

Oriental Rug Repair Hardcover by Peter F. Stone is becoming available again. Be sure to reserve your copy today!

Amazon book description:
A definitive, step-by-step guide to the reknotting, reconstruction, care, and preservation of oriental rugs The demand for oriental rugs has increased dramatically in recent years. Many owners now put more value on their rugs as works of art than as floor coverings, and current prices reflect their status. As a result, rugs that may once have remained stored in attics or been destined for the junkyard are being revived, repaired, and restored.

Rug repair services are more popular than ever, but many repairs are not as difficult as you may think. Anyone who can learn needlecraft can acquire the necessary skills.

This comprehensive guide covers all the essential techniques, materials, and tools required to repair oriental rugs. The accessible text is accompanied by clear step-by-step diagrams and illustrations that teach you how to:

• assess damaged areas


• understand rug structure


• select yarn


• reknot


• reconstruct warp and weft


• use patches


• repair selvage and edges


• repair ends and flatweaves


• wash rugs, remove stains, and carry out general maintenance

Oriental Rug Repair is a must-have reference for beginners and a useful source book for dealers and collectors. 40 color and 370 b/w illustrations.

Available for pre-order now and will ship when available. Scheduled release June 10 2010.

More Books About Oriental Rugs

If you are new to the Internet, you may want to get your feet wet by creating a free website; however, it may be better for you to begin by having your own website hosted. How to choose?

Queensboro is waiving the 4 piece minimum and would like to give you a FREE shirt with your logo!

This free sample Queensboro shirt, embroidered with your logo is a two ply pima jersey classic polo. Available in white, navy, burgundy, black, royal, hunter green, red, island blue, heathered grey, and grass green.

Solid, substantial and soft. Jersey is a very "flat" stitch and gives maximum contact between the fiber and the skin. When that fiber is ringspun, combed 100% Pima cotton, you experience a whole new level of comfort. Pima is the softest, silkiest and strongest cotton on the planet! We've used this luxurious cotton to create a polo specifically designed for office wear. The professional cut was engineered to help you make it through those long office hours and still look good at the end of the day.

Features include a ribbed knit collar, taped neck, and classic two-button placket. Once you experience the long-lasting pleasure of wearing a pima jersey polo, you'll never want to wear an ordinary, department store polo again!

http://www.queensboro.com/ref/ECEMCCCQMRB

It’s here again, the time of year filled with hope and promise of a New Year filled with Health, Happiness & Prosperity.

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.

I can’t think of a better time to reflect on your business than right now. Re-focus and re-commit yourself to make 2010 your best year.

The beautiful thing about our business and our industry is that each one of you will determine the level to which you want to take you business. It really boils down to investment of time, personal focus and consistency of effort. The question is, where do you want to be this time next year?

Now is the time to make the changes and commitment necessary to become a leader and to make 2010 your year.

Happy New Year and all the best of Health and Wealth
Andrechelle & Mark Cermak
Andrechelle.com | OCIBR.com

Andrechelle.com knows websites and Internet Marketing systems that work to help small businesses like yours. If you have any questions, contact us anytime.

Intuit has introduced the QuickBooks 2010 financial software.

With its new online capabilities, QuickBooks 2010 delivers valuable features to help your carpet cleaning businesses save and make money, such as an e-mail marketing service to attract new customers. For millions, QuickBooks is an essential part of their business. Nearly 70 percent of small businesses recently surveyed say the financial management software helps their business be more profitable.

“In a tough economy, small business owners scramble for every dollar. That’s why we’re focused on delivering bottom line value when it really matters,” said Kiran Patel, executive vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Small Business Group. “QuickBooks 2010 builds on the strength of past versions by continuing to streamline critical accounting tasks and connecting to new online services to meet small business owners’ varied needs.”

QuickBooks Pro and Premier 2010 feature the all-new Intuit App Center, providing users access to scalable, Software-as-a-Service business applications directly from within QuickBooks. Currently more than 25 applications are available, including a service that helps track and manage marketing campaigns and sales leads to maximize profits. All applications offer free trials, and many work directly with QuickBooks data, extending the value of the information and eliminating the need for double data entry.

Other new features in QuickBooks 2010 include an improved Company Snapshot, giving the small business owner a tailored visual overview of how business is performing, and Intuit Check Solutions, which allows small business owners to scan or key in checks for immediate deposit.

Save Time

In a recent survey, QuickBooks users said they save an average of four hours per week managing their business finances compared to their previous method. An array of new features help small businesses save precious time by making important jobs and key tasks easier than ever, giving entrepreneurs more time to focus on their business, so that they can spend less time on their bookkeeping. New and improved time-saving features include:

• Express Install: A new productinstallation option cuts the number of startup steps in half.
• Add/Edit Multiple List Entries: Users can save time by editing multiple long lists of items, customers, or vendors, rather than edit each item individually. They can also copy and paste data into QuickBooks directly from Excel with a simple key stroke, eliminating the unnecessary steps of inputting the data directly.
• Forms Customization: More customization options, including free professional design templates for commonly used forms such as invoices and estimates, give QuickBooks users the ability to apply the same design to multiple forms at once. Those who want help designing a unique look can connect with a community of professional designers through Intuit Creative Solutions.

“The Add/Edit Multiple List Entries features is one of the greatest updates I have seen in years,” said Christine Bailey, owner of Small Office Solutions in Daphne, Ala. “It is so much easier to add customers, vendors and items, all at one time versus going into each one and saving and then adding the next one. Wow, what a time saver!” Make Money

QuickBooks 2010 also helps small business owners gain valuable insights into how their business is performing so that they can make better decisions and increase profitability. New features to help customers improve their bottom line include:

• Company Snapshot: QuickBooks users can now create a customized report to display on their computer screen, getting an immediate view of their company’s bottom line. Previously, the Company Snapshot was a static view that could not be personalized. Users can choose from several reports, including new ones for yearly expenses and income comparisons, detailed expense and income breakdowns, and a top customer list. Plus, the reports can be changed instantly.
• Report Center: This radically re-designed report center gives users access to more than 100 reports and makes it easier to find the right report in order to make better business decisions. Different views make it easier to navigate quickly between reports. These include a carousel view to flip through the reports, a list view to see all reports at once, and a ‘favorites’ view to keep track of frequently used reports. A new search feature helps users find the report with the specific information they want.

“The new Company Snapshot gives you great information at the click of a button,” said Debbie Kirkland, president of Kirkland Services in Christmas Valley, Ore. “This is a great place to go to pinpoint problem areas or to just determine your strengths and weaknesses within your company.”

Do More with Connected Services

Building on Intuit’s Connected Services Strategy announced last year, QuickBooks connects to several new online services that enable small businesses to extend the power of their information already in QuickBooks:

• Document Management: Users can now scan their documents directly into QuickBooks, attaching files to any vendor, employee, account, or transaction. These documents are stored securely online, giving users the flexibility to access them on the go or share them with their accountant or other employees. Online storage also provides confidence that important paperwork is backed up online and will be easy to find.
• Intuit Check Solutions for QuickBooks: Offered as an add-on service through Intuit Payment Solutions,small businesses can get paid faster by scanning or keying checks into QuickBooks and electronically sending that information to the bank.
• Marketing Center: This e-mail marketing service helps QuickBooks users sell more by helping them design targeted e-mail campaigns. The professional quality designs and pre-filled templates can be customized based on a company’s business needs. The service, currently in beta, also enables users to see how each campaign performed by analyzing the results with data from QuickBooks.
• App Center: Users now have access to additional Web-based business applications created by Intuit or members of the Intuit Developer Network, a group of independent software developers, to further expand the value of QuickBooks. Applications include the Intuit Green Snapshot, which uses businesses’ QuickBooks data to show them how to be more environmentally-friendly while saving money, and Fuel Station from ClickFuel, which helps track and manage marketing campaigns and sales leads while synchronizing customer information with QuickBooks.

“With the Marketing Center, you can notify customers, solicit new business, get repeat business, send thank you emails and more, all with one click,” said Danielle Lonich, office manager of Clements & Knock Law Firm in Pleasant Hill, Calif. “It’s a very simple, great service that will simplify my life.”

Intuit also launched the new version of QuickBooks Premier Accountant, the company’s premier bookkeeping, write-up and financial reporting solution for accounting professionals. The latest edition provides tools for accounting professionals to help increase productivity create seamless integration with clients and expand their practices. Improved features include:

• Client Data Review: Accounting professionals can now troubleshoot inventory and reclassify hundreds of transactions or write off multiple invoices in batch.
• Intuit Statement Writer: Users can now create Microsoft Word-based letters, cover pages and documents in financial reports to produce a complete, polished financial statement package for their clients.

Pricing and Availability

QuickBooks 2010 products are available direct from Intuit at www.quickbooks.com and will be available beginning Oct. 7 at leading retailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, CDW, Circuit City, Costco, Fry’s Electronics, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Sam’s Club, Staples, Target and Wal-Mart.

• Buy QuickBooks 2010 Pro @ Amazon
• QuickBooks Premier Industry Editions 2010
• QuickBooks 2010 for Mac
• QuickBooks 2010 The Official Guide

 

Suggested retail prices are:
Intuit QuickBooks Accounting Pro Edition 2009: $199.95.
Intuit QuickBooks Accounting Premier Edition 2009 (including industry-specific editions for accountants, contractors, manufacturers and wholesalers, nonprofits, professional service firms and retailers): $399.95.

QuickBooks 2010 is part of a family of financial software and services from Intuit.

At Andrechelle.com, we get a lot of requests for us to guarantee #1 Google rank. We also receive the same spam emails and telemarketing calls that you do, from one "expert" or another who promises to make our website #1 in Google. There are a ton of companies out there looking to make a quick buck from unsuspecting business people who don't understand the complexities of getting to the first page of Google and why it is not possible for anyone to guarantee #1 results for you.

Is it possible for anyone to guarantee #1 spot in Google or other Search Engines?The short answer is NO.

Why? The easiest way to answer this question is to quote Google directly ...

From Google Webmaster Central

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.

"Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap ...

While SEOs can provide clients with valuable services, some unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye through their overly aggressive marketing efforts and their attempts to manipulate search engine results in unfair ways. Practices that violate our guidelines may result in a negative adjustment of your site's presence in Google, or even the removal of your site from our index. "

There are no SEO professionals, website optimization experts or Internet Marketing specialists that can guarantee you #1 position results on Google or any other search engine for that matter. In fact you should be very weary of WebMasters or SEO pro's that do offer these sort of guarantees.

It is simply not possible or legitimate to offer #1 position guarantees for any type of organic SEO on any type of website on any search engine (least of all Google). Good search engine optimization relies on optimum on-page and off-page optimization. There are too many variables to make any these types of guarantees.

Although we cannot guarantee positions on Google (or any other search engine) we can assure you that we always aim for the very best results with all of our SEO, Internet Marketing and Search Engine Domination packages and our higher end packages will certainly help ensure more prominent results even for tougher and more competitive search phrases.

We have a long proven track record of achieving #1 and other 1st page rankings for thousands of keyword search terms.

Sample of Organic Website Search Engine Results by Andrechelle.com

FREE Website & Blog for YOUR Carpet Cleaning Business

Compliments of Andrechelle.com

iCleanYourCarpet About to Launch! Sign Up NOW!!

Finally after months and months of set up and testing (thank you beta testers), iCleanYourCarpet is officially opening on Jan 1st 2010. Although you can get in on the action early by registering your account today – most features are up and running so get building!

iCleanYourCarpet is a website & blog service exclusively for carpet cleaning business owners compliments of Andrechelle.com. The features in our members area reflect this and we have lots of future plans as well!

Official public release was delayed, a few months longer than expected, due to technical issues and time constraints.

Any questions please e-mail ocibr AT yahoo.com or check Club Greenhorn Carpet Cleaners Chat room

On display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York is an 11 x 4 foot rug / tapestry made completely of spider silk.

It took 4 years (and half a million dollars) to weave this one of a kind rug / tapestry. The only other known spider silk rug / tapestry was shown in Paris in 1900 but has since disappeared.

This radiant gold rug is made from the dragline silk from golden orb weaving spiders of the Nephilia genus, known for the impressive webs they weave. The name of the golden silk orb-weavers refers to the color of the spider silk, not the color of the spider itself.

96 twisted silk lines compose the main threads while the brocaded patterns (Malagasy motifs of animals and birds) are woven with threads made up of 960 spider silk lines.

The production involved 70 people who collected spiders during the rainy season, the only time when they produce silk. Dozens of native Malagasy "handlers" are employed in the spider collection, harnessing, silk extraction and weaving. A dozen more people were needed to draw the silk from these giant spiders with hand-powered machines, with each spider producing about 80 feet of silk filament.

Spider silk tensile strength is 5-6 times that of steel by weight yet this rug is soft as cashmere.

Madagascar Spider Silk Rug

Las Vegas - The LMCCA (Low Moisture Carpet Cleaners Association) becomes an IICRC shareholder.

The LMCCA is a strong and vocal advocate of the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification), including many LMCCA members that are IICRC Instructors, IICRC Master Textile Cleaners, and IICRC Certified Cleaning technicians, it makes perfect sense for the LMCCA to have ownership shares in the IICRC.

Andrechelle Cermak signs the documents to make it official at the LMCCA Board of Directors meeting Sept 10 at Connections in Las Vegas NV. Also pictured IICRC Chairman Paul Pearce and LMCCA President Mark Warner.

SummerFest XI Updated Schedule Oct 1- 3 2009

Atlanta, Georgia

Thursday Oct 1, 2009

8:00-5:00 IICRC OCT Certification class - Odor-SF Special ONLY $89 @ Truckmounts & Cleaning Solutions Norcross GA 30071

6:00 Dinner @ Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

7:00- 11:00 pm Meeting Room -

Friday Oct 2, 2009

9:00am - 1:00pm Carpet Mill Tour - - Shaw Carpet Mill and Labs

1:30pm - 3:00pm PTL Tour - - Tour the independent accredited laboratory (Professional Testing Lab) and see how and where the CRI Seal of Approval Program testing takes place.

ANNUAL FRIDAY NIGHT BANQUET

6:00pm Annual SummerFest Friday Night Banquet -

The cost is 40.00 per person.

The deadline for the banquet is Sept 20th, so please, if you are thinking of attending, please reserve your seat ASAP.

Saturday Oct 3 2009

@ Truckmounts & Cleaning Solutions Norcross GA 30071

9:00am to 9:30am - Thomas Cermak - How networking with other cleaners can help your business

9:30am to 10:00am - Cary Mitchell - Shaw / CRI

10:00am to 11:00am - Bruce DeLoatch - The Cleaners Coach

11:00am to 11:30am - Annual Round Table - Nominate locations for 2010 SummerFest XII

10:30am - 11:30am - Presentation TBA

11:30am - 1:00pm - Lunch - @ Five Guys Burgers and Fries

1:00pm - 2:00pm - SFSMC - SummerFest Spot Master Championship - Who will be crowned 2009 Spot Master? Friendly competition with prize and trophies for winners. Think you are the best? Prove it!

2:00pm - 6:00pm - Demos. Various equipment, products and methods on display. Hands-On.

6:30pm Dinner Location: Ted's Montana Grill Norcross GA -

For more information on this years' event please visit www.GoToSummerFest.com or contact Andrechelle Cermak at 440-257-6705