Janitorial Distributors Offer Mid-year Biz Evaluation: Most Distributors Anticipating Sales Grow

May 31, 2011 - PRLog -- West Chicago, IL –  With June fast approaching, Tornado Industries, a leading manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment, recently surveyed its distributors throughout the U.S. about current and future economic expectations for 2011.

Asked about their overall 2011 business outlook, nearly 20 percent answered, “We are projecting record sales this year.”  However, most, two-thirds, indicated they were anticipating good but modest growth.

“Fortunately, no one said they were projecting a decline in sales,” says Jolynn Kennedy, who prepared the survey and is marketing manager for Tornado.

The distributors were also asked if they were projecting business growth in 2011 and in what product categories did they most expect it.  Their responses included:
•   Paper and plastic products: 36 percent
•   Green/sustainable cleaning products: 27 percent
•   Equipment sales: 27 percent
•   Chemical sales: 10 percent.

“We also had a few non-economic questions,” says Kennedy.  “For instance, we are continually tracking the impact of social media in the industry.  The numbers still appear to be low.”

Asked if they use social media sites to communicate with their clients, the sites most frequently mentioned were:
•   LinkedIn: 29 percent
•   Facebook: 29 percent
•   YouTube: 14 percent
•   Other: 29 percent (sending out e-mail blasts was a common item noted).
Finally, the distributors were asked if their customers are “becoming increasingly interested in conserving water and chemical use during the cleaning process:” sixty-seven percent answered yes; 22 percent, no; and the remainder had no response or indicated “not sure.”

Kennedy says the big “takeaway” from the survey is that most distributors are anticipating sales growth in 2011 “and that equipment sales are likely to improve.  These are high [profit] margin items, which if true, bodes well for many distributors,” she adds.

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About Tornado a Tacony Company
Tornado Industries has been engineering quality cleaning equipment for more than 80 years. The company has a long history of developing innovative products and applying the latest technology to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve safety. Tornado prides itself on always being on the cutting edge of cleaning solutions. For more information:

Tornado® Industries, Inc.
333 Charles Court #109
West Chicago, IL 60185
Phone: 800-Vacuums (800-822-8867); Fax: 630.818.1301
Chicago Phone: (630) 818-1300
e-mail: info@tornadovac.com