Markus Asch, Deputy Chairman of the Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG Management Board, has been elected president of EUnited Cleaning. The main focus of the Association, the new president believes, is closer cooperation between companies to protect intellectual property rights and the establishment of binding guidelines for eco friendly cleaning technology (“green cleaning”), a highly important topic for manufacturers.
EUnited Cleaning, the European Cleaning Machine’s Association, represents the leading suppliers of floor cleaning machines and pressure washers for professional use. EUnited Cleaning is part of EUnited, the European Engineering Industries Association.
In an email interview with Clean India Journal, Asch wrote, “The Association provides a platform for knowledge exchange on which various firms bundle and supplement their competencies. The aim of this is to enhance the competitiveness of participating companies, generate growth and safeguard employment. Specifically, we aspire to develop and expand a competence centre for our industry on issues of sustainability and energy efficiency. EUnited Cleaning aims to advise and support its members in implementing CO2 reduction targets. Kärcher, for instance, plans to cut its emissions by 20%, taking 2007 as the basis for comparison.
“I believe another important task is to put in train the standardisation of norms for the cleaning industry in Europe, North America and Asia. The need to align European standards for similar product categories such as cleaning technology and power tools is another highly relevant issue. EUnited Cleaning’s Green Cleaning Project is about drawing up an industry standard for the criteria that particularly eco-friendly cleaning technology must meet. Green cleaning products optimally combine the customer’s wish for sustainable cleaning technology that is efficient, cost-effective and environment friendly. Implementing technical improvements in this area is the industry’s own responsibility. EUnited’s job is to work with policymakers in drawing up the necessary framework requirements.
“With regard to tackling intellectual property rights, we are concerned at the increase in high-quality imitations, more and more of which deliver performances similar to those of the original devices, but at much less cost to the product pirates. If this trend continues unchecked, it will be of the greatest disadvantage to those manufacturers who invest heavily in research and development. We therefore believe that one of the association’s main tasks is to concentrate the strengths of reputable companies, and to do so in collaboration with trade fair operators, for instance. The aim is to create a climate that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for providers of counterfeit equipment to be economically successful.
“Regular capture of market exploitation, capacity and demand data is very important for assessing the sales situation correctly and being able to make reliable statements about its development. To gain an overall picture, as many market players as possible must be involved. Since market data is extremely dynamic, regular data capture is indispensable.”