Annual Convention

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Cleaning Equipment Trade Association (CETA) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995 to recognize those who have achieved excellence in the Pressure Cleaning Industry and to honor those who have made significant contributions.

Nominee must have made a significant contribution to the industry and will continue to distinguish their work in the improvement of our industry.

The prestigious CETA Life Time Achievement Award honors an individual or individuals who have made significant contributions to the pressure cleaning industry. The CETA Board of Directors is pleased to present this year’s honorees with this award for their many achievements and contributions to the Pressure Cleaning Industry.

Please contact Awards Chair, CETA, with suggested nominations and requests for information at info@ceta.org.


 

2023 CETA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Mr. William (Bill) Sommers 

Mr. William (Bill) Sommers

One of our recipients for the CETA Lifetime achievement award this year is a local Distributor and served on the CETA Board of Directors 2008-2010 on the executive committee.

Let me share a little timeline of accomplishments.

1958 – began working on steam cleaners in Tucson where the Capps Steam cleaner was manufactured.

1962 – He was back in Phoenix and owned Banner Sales Company selling Malsbary’s and Electro-Magic plus Sioux.

1963- served in the United States Army

1965- returned to Phoenix and reinstated the repair business under the name Arizona Malsbary.

1971 – Became the area Rep for Malsbary in the Southwest.

1972 – Became owner of The Southwest Malsbary and expanded to 3 more locations.

Over the next 40 years many Steam Cleaners and Pressure washers were sold and serviced, and Bill designed and engineered cleaning equipment that is still in use today such including:

  1. truck mounted carpet cleaner
  2. The Phoenix valve flow switch that General has
  3. Oxygen booster on exhaust outlets to produce temperatures for heat exchanger.
  4. Original Clean and Capture hard surface assessor for water recovery.
  5. Wastewater Treatment used with Phosphating compounds.
  6. Automatic circular metal treatment system.

Thirty years ago, Bill changed the way the US Armed Forces de-contaminated their personnel and field equipment under a secreta agreement with the Battelle Corp.

Twenty-seven years ago, what has gained everyone’s attention for the high pressure outdoor colling systems impact for cooling, humidification, and dust control.  In our little corner of the world when you say COOL you are saying Mistairaz.com

Please welcome William “Bill” Sommers, Pressure Systems Inc. recipient of the 2023 CETA lifetime Achievement Award.

Past CETA Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

  • 1995 Walter Malsbury Walters Manufacturing
  • 1996 Jack Simpson Simpson Company
  • 1997 Jim Coleman Mobile Sales & Service
  • 1998 Jerry Alexander KO Manufacturing
  • 1999 Gene Bowling Alkota Cleaning Systems
  • 2000 Dwayne & Gale Whitmire Whitco, Inc.
  • 2001 Michael Christopherson General Pump Inc.
  • 2002 William Bruggeman Cat Pumps
  • 2003 Larry Linton Landa Water Cleaning Systems
  • 2004 Charelen Laymon Hotsy Bay Area
  • 2005 Cliff and Betty McGinty General Equipment Company
    Royce Rasmussen Royce Industries LLC
  • 2006 Charlene Yarbrough Advantage Publishing
  • 2007 James A. Scott Alkota Cleaning Systems
  • 2008 Jim Prosser J Prosser Enterprises
  • 2009 Ben Benefield Etowah Chemical Sales and Service Inc
  • 2010 Bob Griswold Apache Industrial Cleaning Systems
  • 2011 Bob Farley Farley’s Inc.
  • 2012 A.J. Speigel Mi-T-M Coproration
  • 2013 Roy & Linda Chappell Chappell Supply & Equipment Co.
    John Sr & Brenda Purswell Alklean Industries, Inc.
  • 2014Gary Scott Alkota Cleaning Systems
  • 2015 Ralph A. Notch AR North America, Inc.
  • 2016Charles Tibboles R.W. Beckett
  • 2017 Tim & Karen Layden High PSI
  • 2018 Dr. Marlo Dean Karcher NA
    Mr. Roger Walz Alkota Cleaning Systems
  • 2019 Gregg Brodsky Alkota Cleaning Systems
  • 2020 Patrick G. Wingen Aaladin Cleaning Systems
  • 2021 Sam Humphrey Mi-T-M Corporation
  • 2022 Terry Murray Etowah Chemical Sales and Service
  • 2023 William (Bill) Sommers Pressure Systems Inc.
  • 2023 Jim O’Connell Pacific Bay

 

2023 CETA Lifetime Achievement  Award Recipient – Mr. Jim O’Connell

Mr. Jim O’Connell

Jim O’Connell joined our industry in 1980 when he joined the team at Hotsy Pacific as a service technician.  He is now President of Pacific Bay Equipment (formerly Hotsy Pacific) and has been an owner of it since 1991.  During his time with them they have grown their business from one location to 3.

 

Jim joined the CETA board in 2013 and since then has been of the most active (non-staff) members of CETA.  I believe he has served as the Secretary, Vice President, President, and Past President of CETA during two consecutive terms on the board.

 

Immediately after his terms on the CETA Board, he served as a trustee for the Education Foundation.  Jim was key in helping focus the vision of the foundation to focus on what it was doing.  Thus the change of name from the CETA Education Foundation to the CETA Scholarship Foundation.  He has been an important part of the Foundation during his time with it and also served as its Chairman.

 

I had the pleasure of working very closely with Jim on the CETA Board from 2013 until 2019.  Some join the board to have another thing on their resume or to be able to visit different places and call it work.  Not Jim!  He has never been a big fan of traveling and had plenty to do back home.  He believes in the mission of CETA.  Over the last ten years he always knew when to take off his company hat and put on his CETA hat.  His contributions to CETA have not been in voice only.  He has worked like few have and was never one to say he was going to do something and then forget about it.  He helped to grow membership, implement procedures, asked through out provoking questions, and was not afraid to ruffle feathers if there was good reason to.  I have never met someone that was so good at bringing up a difficult topic, describing it in a few words, briefly explaining why he didn’t like it, and do it in a way that you still liked him (I was the one he was having these conversations with more often than I liked).

 

Not least of all, Jim is also a Veteran having served seven years in the military.

 

As Jim is approaching the end of an illustrious career, this opportunity to recognize his efforts seems fitting to me.  I know there are many that have been incredibly involved in CETA over the years.  And some have yet to be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award even if they have been more visible in the association and industry

CETA Distinguished Service Award

2023 Distinguished Service Award Recipient – Mr. Melvin Farley

Mr. Melvin Farley

Melvin, began his career in this industry in the
late seventies, with Farley’s lnc. He worked there for 35 years with his father Bob Farley. He started out with a
welder in his hands and testing coils. He went on to design complete machines and gas fired burners. ln
2010, he branched out on his own and created Coils-R-Us. Which is when I began working in this
industry, myself. He has continued to supply most of North America with the niche product of
replacement coils as well as truckloads of coils for OEM’s.
There is a wealth of history in this industry, and he has been actively involved since its infancy (almost).
He remembers selling Landa the equipment to make their own coils (way back when) for instance.
It has always amazed me at how many people call and ask for Melvin, because they are at the end of
their rope, and they finally talked to someone somewhere, that said “Call Melvin Farley.” He carries a
wealth of knowledge inside that head of his, and he is always willing to help anyone on the other side of
the phone with whatever tricky application or trouble shooting they need. He is always fair and honest.
lf we ship something that isn’t right, he makes it right. Every time. Not to mention, he pays his bills.
Melvin has designed burners with Beckett and Wayne through the years, specific to individual coils, to
make them efficient and insure the most heat transfer per foot of pipe, so the customer gets what they
need (not just what they want). He is also a big fan of safety in our industry. Always recommending all
the things that a machine needs to not only operate properly, but safely.
He is very humble and is unaware of this nomination, but I can’t help myself. He is so deserving and
knowledgeable and known by so many in this industry. I may be a tiny bit biased, but he really is smart
when it comes to all the ‘science’ involved with making water under pressure hot.

Past Distinguished Service Award Winners

  • 1986 B. H “Bud” Benson L & A Products
  • 1987 William Lindsay L & A Products
  • 1988 Robert Borden
  • 1989 John L. Roy
  • 1990 Warren Jarvis
  • 1991 Patrick Wingen AaLadin Cleaning Systems
  • 1992 Charlene Laymon Always Under Pressure
  • 1993 Ben Benefield Etowah Chemicals Sales & Service
  • 1994 Larry Linton Landa Inc
  • 1995 Dave Wyett Kleen Quip
  • 1996 Mark Adams Hydro-Blast Inc
  • 1997 ORIX Credit Alliance Inc.
  • 1998 Tom Martin Elite Manufacturing Corp.
  • 2000 Roy Chappell Chappell Supply & Equipment
  • 2002 Charlene Yarbrough Advantage Publishing
  • 2003 Robert Griswold Apache Industrial Cleaning Equipment
  • 2005 Paul Lombard Service One LC
  • 2006 Karl Loeffelholz Mi-T-M Corporation
  • 2007 R. Calvin Rasmussen Royce Industries, L.C.
  • 2017 Gary Weidner
  • 2019 Dick Johnson Alkota Cleaning Systems
    Paul Linton Karcher NA
  • 2021 Jack Hill General Pump
  • 2022 Ben Hagemann – CEO & GM – American Pressure Inc.
    Chad Rasmussen – CFO – Royse Industries, L.C.
  • 2023 Melvin Farley – Coils R Us

CETA Community Service Award

2022 CETA Community Service Award Recipient – Roy Accepting Award from the OKCPD

Mr. Roy Chappell – CEO – Chappell Supply & Equipment Co.

Community has always been important to Roy Chappell, founder of Chappell Supply & Equipment Company. When he heard about Oklahoma City Police Department’s initiatives with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, he immediately wanted to find a way to get involved. In 2022, 17 bikes were donated to two different precincts as part of Roy’s contribution to OKCPD’s program. The bikes were awarded to children who had done good deeds for their community throughout the year. Even something as simple as being kind to a neighbor or helping someone cross a deserves to be recognized.

When asked why he chose to get involved Roy replied with, “I am grateful to be in a position where I can help. Because anything you do to give back to your community and build it up, just continues to grow it and encourage others to get involved.”

The biggest reason that Roy continues to give back is because of the joy it brings to each of the kids, “I don’t need thanks,” he says, “Just the smile on those kids faces makes it all worthwhile.”

Roy received the Medal of Commendation Award from the Oklahoma Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association for his leadership and commitment to giving.

Past CETA Community Service Award recipients

  • 1994 RGF Environmental Systems Inc West Palm Beach, FL
  • 1995 Royce Industries LC Salt Lake City, UT
    Royce & Julie Rasmussen
  • 1996 Landa, Inc. Portland, OR
  • 1997 Steam Cleaners, Inc. Fresno, CA
  • 1998 Mi-T-M Corporation Peosta, IA
  • 1999 Elite Manufacturing Corp. Decatur, AR
  • 2000 Pressure Systems Industries Phoenix, AZ
    Robert Fowler
  • 2001 Beaver of Wisconsin Plover, WI
    Chester Biadasz
  • 2002 Bozeman Distributors Baton Rouge, LA
  • 2003 Not awarded
  • 2004 A.J. Spiegel, Mi-T-M Corporation Peosta, IA
  • 2005 Sioux Corporation Beresford, SD
  • 2006 Alfred Karcher GmbH Company Germany
  • 2007 Pat Wingen, Aaladin Cleaning Systems, Inc. Elk Point, SD
  • 2016 Rodney Adkins – CTS Cleaning Systems, Inc. Fayetteville, NC
  • 2022 Roy Chappell – Chappell Supply & Equipment, OKC, OK