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Call for Nominations for PRSM Board of Directors and PRSM Awards

Dallas, Texas - January 15, 2010- The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association Nominating Committee announces nominations are open for the 2010 Board of Directors.

The Nominating Committee is charged with ensuring that all Board nominees are fully qualified and experienced, bringing the maximum amount of expertise and value to the membership and Association.

It is established each year to review your recommendations and to use the following criteria for consideration in determining the eligibility of potential candidates for open Board of Director positions. Please use the detailed criterion listed in the 2010 Board of Directors Nominations Packet to make your nominations. Some criteria to consider include:

Leadership abilities and business acumen and expertise.
Credibility, character and reputation.
Length of time as a PRSM Association member and in the retail facilities maintenance industry.
Overall contribution to PRSM Association and involvement in PRSM Association.

Click here to access the 2010 Nomination Packet.

After the review of the submitted nominations, the PRSM Nominating Committee will select the candidate based upon the set criteria of the recommended members. There are two open retailer positions and two open vendor positions. Also, a retailer and vendor alternate will be selected. This proposed slate will be presented to the Board of Directors for approval. After approval, the slate will be sent via electronic ballot to the primary member of each Professional Corporate Retail Member and Allied Corporate Member company. Only one vote per member company is accepted.

Nominations must be received by the PRSM Association no later than February 1, 2010. Self-nominations are accepted and you may nominate more than one individual. Contact Jennifer Pratt at PRSM Association office at 972.231.9081, ext. 120 with any questions.

Your participation is very important in this democratic process of acquiring qualified board members to guide the future direction of PRSM. Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate.

Nominate Your Colleagues for PRSM Awards

The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association Awards Committee announces nominations are open for the prestigious awards that will be presented on April 20 at the PRSM2010! National Conference Awards Ceremony at the Rosen Shingle Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

The Awards committee encourages PRSM members to recognize colleagues for excellent performance in their workplace as retail facility maintenance professionals.

To this end, the PRSM Association Awards Committee is looking for individuals with impeccable accomplishments from a company and/or organization who have impacted the field of retail facility maintenance through innovation, operations or outstanding work performance within the industry.

The following awards are open for nominations.

Retailer of the Year is the Association's most prestigious award recognizing excellence of performance by a retail facility maintenance professional in their workplace.
Vendor of the Year is the Association's most prestigious award recognizing excellence of performance by a vendor/supplier/consultant to the retail facility maintenance profession in their workplace.
The Lawrence W. Whelan PRSM Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes extraordinary accomplishments by PRSM members and recognizes people-living or deceased-who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to the facility maintenance profession over a long career.

To be considered for the 2010 Awards, nominations must be received no later than February 1, 2010. For more information on the PRSM Association Awards Program and to download the Awards Nomination Form, follow this link. Celebrate the highest honors the retail facilities maintenance industry can bestow on its professionals. Submit your nominee today!

About PRSM
The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) is comprised of North America's most innovative and reputable retailers and suppliers that need an equally dynamic organization committed to advancing the industry and the careers of those engaged in the retail facilities maintenance profession. PRSM's commitment to its members is to be the industry leader by providing continuing education and information about current events as well as a thriving market place for the industry's best products and services.

PRSM Association Hires Director of Vendor Relations

Dallas, Texas - Jeffrey Bond has joined PRSM Association as the new Director of Vendor Relations. He has responsibility for enhancing relationships with PRSM's vendor members, enabling vendors to realize 365 days of opportunities available with PRSM via exhibits, sponsorships, membership, programs and non-dues revenue opportunities for PRSM.

"We are very excited to have Jeff as a member of the PRSM team," said PRSM Executive Director Patricia Dameron. "His extensive marketing, sales and retail knowledge are a great enhancement to our management team. He has a passion for excellence and his superior customer service will elevate our vendor relations to the next level."

Prior to his new position, Jeff worked as Director of Marketing for Bluewater Learning, Director of Corporate Events and Hospitality for The Marketing Arm and has retail work experience with Radioshack Corporation as Director of Events. He is a board member of the American Marketing Association -DFW Chapter and has past success developing corporate events and driving sales growth.

Jeff can be reached directly at jbond@prsm.com or 972-231-9810 extension 108.

Ecoxera Announced as Sustainability Consultant to PRSM

Dallas, Texas - November 6, 2009 - The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) has chosen Ecoxera as its sustainability consultant. Ecoxera will work with PRSM to develop a robust sustainability program for its members.

"We are excited to have Ecoxera on board to help us deliver a more robust program for our members," said Patricia Dameron, PRSM Association executive director. "Ecoxera's support will be pivotal in meeting our Green Initiative mission of positioning PRSM as the voice of the retail facility maintenance industry on greening initiatives."

Since the establishment of the Green Initiative in 2007, PRSM has made great strides in raising awareness about the impact retail has on the environment by educating members on the benefits of sustainability and greening operations as well as building a foundation for further program development. As part of the initiative, the Green Council was formed to recommend and develop programs in response to member needs.

"There are many great opportunities in retail for green initiatives," Ecoxera President David DeVos said. "We are thrilled to be working at the forefront of the eco era movement with such a progressive association to deliver green programs for their forward-thinking retail and vendor members."

There is confusion in the sustainability market place - Ecoxera and PRSM's collaboration will bring clarity and direction for programs and practices that make business sense while helping retailers deliver on environmental commitments. The program will include innovative, revenue-generating tools, education and resources such as guides, articles, best-practice sharing, white papers and a number of interactive features such as a discussion forum and "Ask the Expert" Web feature on sustainability topics.

A survey revealed members were most interested in topics related to retrofitting stores, energy management, efficient lighting, waste management and recycling, eco-friendly products and services and water conservation.

The greening retail landscape continues to be driven by a variety of factors such as code compliance, energy and water-use reduction, waste management and shifting consumer buying behaviors. Together, PRSM and Ecoxera will bring valuable resources to retailers and vendors to tackle the every changing landscape.

About Ecoxera
Ecoxera, based in Austin, Texas, is an innovative team of experienced professionals in the field of sustainability who are driven to help the retail industry implement innovative and sustainable business models. Comprised of LEED®-accredited professionals who have developed retail sustainability programs for prominent corporations as well as the United States Green Building Council, Ecoxera has the unique ability to develop effective, integrated green approaches that yield lasting bottom-line results and provide green equity into a retailer's brand. Ecoxera's expertise extends across four main sectors: Building Efficiency & Green Operations, Innovative Design & Construction, Sustainable Products & Supply Chains and Greentelling^TM.

For more information, visit ecoxera.com.

PRSM Association Sets Record Attendance at Mid-Year Conference

Dallas, Texas - October 23, 2009 - The PRSM Mid-Year Conference concluded last week in Dallas, Texas with rave reviews. This two-day event brought together over 400 retailers and vendors from all over the U.S. and Canada. Held October 14-15 at The Fairmont Hotel, the conference was an extremely positive event for PRSM members surpassing the previous retailer attendance record by 60 percent.

"The Mid-Year Conference far exceeded my expectations and has certainly raised the bar for future PRSM events. I heard so much positive feedback about not only the excitement that surrounds facility management but how much of an impact PRSM has made in this industry," said Duane Smith, 2009-2010 PRSM Board of Directors President.

The Mid-Year Conference featured a sold-out Maintenance MarketPlace representing over 125 companies showcasing their products and services.

Education sessions were very well attended. Session topics were based on Best Practices in facilities and included energy management, efficient facility management, dark store programs and many more.

Jim Harris was the keynote speaker for Wednesday. His session "Going Green Drives Bottom Line Benefits" encouraging businesses to cut waste and to strive for greater efficiencies in business operations. He backed up his statements with research and outlined functional drivers and trends that predict retailers, who practice environmental leadership, will capture better long-term, bottom line results.

During the Conference, The PRSM Best Practices Committee released a new Best Practices White Paper on Lighting Retrofits featuring Limited Brands as the retailer prospective and Wiedenbach and Brown, Inc. as the vendor prospective. This White Paper can be downloaded from www.prsm.com.

A new networking event for the Conference was Facilities Connection held on Tuesday, October 13. It gave retailer participants the opportunity to spend quality time with PRSM member vendors and hear presentations about their company. The Facilities Connection enabled vendors and retailers to interact in a one-on-on setting to discuss their critical issues/needs affecting their retail facilities.

With The Mid-Year Conference complete, excitement is building for PRSM2010!, to be held April 18-20 in Orlando, Florida. For more information on PRSM2010!, visit www.prsm.com.

PRSM Releases Best Practices White Paper on Lighting Retrofits

Dallas, Texas - October 22, 2009 -The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association released the white paper, Lighting Retrofits at the PRSM Mid-Year Conference, October 15, 2009 in Dallas, Texas.

The White Papers are a key component of PRSM's Best Practices Program as they answer a current need of the PRSM Association's membership to acquire and share information about the industry's best business practices being utilized by retailers and vendors concerning retail facilities maintenance and management. Driven by PRSM's Best Practices Committee, and written by individuals who are at the top of their careers, these papers are designed to share what other industry professionals are doing along with their successes and failures.

This White Paper released in collaboration with the PRSM Best Practices Committee, examines a Lighting Retrofits project implemented by Limited Brands and offers a vendor perspective presented by Wiedenbach-Brown Co in 2009.

Lighting retrofits nearly always make sense....and cents, and dollars. Unfortunately, lighting retrofits are often not conceived or executed with a true, clear understanding of the possible and/or the necessary. The emphasis on lowest acquisition cost overwhelms the potential for a truly intelligent, thorough, thoughtful analysis of all of a retrofit's potential problems, and all of its potential benefitsbeyond simple energy cost savings. Problems can include inadequate and incomplete site surveys, labor scheduling issues, product availability in general and on-site, rebate form completion and monitoring, post-install verification of energy reduction, post-install analysis of store conversion and sales changes, among many other problems and potential pitfalls that are discussed in detail in this White Paper.

PRSM members can download the complete white paper from the PRSM website through this link.

About the PRSM Best Practices Committee

This Committee is charged with capturing and conveying to the members information and resources about current business practices, processes, and issues being dealt with by retail facilities maintenance professionals. The goal of this Committee is to enable members to share the "best of the best" of what they are doing to effectively and efficiently manage their FM departments. Vendors' business practices are also solicited to encourage suppliers to share what they are doing in working with retailers. The committee also reviews discussions during the Retailer2Retailer Best Practices Events to identify future white paper topics.

About PRSM Association
The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) is comprised of North America's most innovative and reputable retailers and suppliers that need an equally dynamic organization committed to advancing the industry and the careers of those engaged in the retail facilities maintenance profession. PRSM's commitment to its members is to be the industry leader by providing continuing education and information about current events as well as a thriving market place for the industry's best products and services.

PRSM Association Announces Upcoming Best Practices Mid-Year Conference

Dallas, Texas- August 25, 2009 -The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association will bring together leaders in the field of facilities management for a comprehensive overview of retail best practices. The Mid-Year Conference will be held on October 14-15 at The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, TX.

The Mid-Year Conference is an intimate learning event for retail facility decision makers. Attendees will learn from FM industry leaders on their best practices about energy management, efficient facility management, dark store programs and many more.

The Mid-Year Conference will feature two keynote presentations. Jim Harris is the keynote speaker for Wednesday. His session "Going Green Drives Bottom Line Benefits" encourages businesses to cut waste and to strive for greater efficiencies in business operations. He backs up his statements with research and outlines functional drivers and trends that predict retailers, who practice environmental leadership, will capture better long-term, bottom line results. Dean Lindsay is the keynote speaker for Thursday. His session "The Progress Challenge-Working and Winning in a World of Change" challenges attendees on how to work and win in this complicated, stress-encouraging, wonderful world of retail.

Approximately 100 companies will showcase their new products and services with table-top exhibits in the Maintenance Marketplace. Visit www.prsm.com for a list of all exhibiting companies.

PRSM's Mid-Year Conference is a great opportunity to learn useful and practical information about FM best practices, recharge your energy level and focus on what is new and upcoming in the industry that can help you meet the daily demands of a retail facility professional.

For more information about attending the PRSM Mid-Year Conference visit: www.prsm.com. Retailer registration is free for PRSM members.

PRSM Releases Best Practices White Paper on EMS Systems

Dallas, Texas- May 29, 2009 -The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association Best Practices Committee recently released the white paper, Energy Management Systems (EMS). EMS is a series of industry best practices white papers to be released in 2009.

These papers are a key component of PRSM's Best Practices Program as they answer a current need of the PRSM Association's membership to acquire and share information about the industry's best business practices being utilized by retailers and vendors concerning retail facilities maintenance and management. Driven by PRSM's Best Practices Committee, and written by individuals who are at the top of their careers, these papers are designed to share what other industry professionals are doing along with their successes and failures.

"We welcome our members' white papers on the issues they are addressing each day. Over time, we envision a library of papers to be an invaluable resource to our members on all kinds of industry issues with helpful tips, strategies and analyses that enables members to share and learn," explains Patricia Dameron, Executive Director.

Energy Management Systems explores the EMS Systems implemented by Nike's Retail Facilities Department and offers a vendor perspective presented by McKinstry Company.

Due to the changing climate and scarcity of resources, an EMS is fast becoming a necessity in the Facilities Management industry. Selecting the right EMS for your facility can improve energy performance, reduce operating costs, and lessen the environmental impact of your facility. The wrong system can just as easily reverse those benefits. In order to optimize your facilities and meet performance goals, you and your vendor must be aware of the opportunities and challenges related to Energy Management Systems.

PRSM members can download the complete white paper from the PRSM website through this link.

About the PRSM Best Practices Committee

PRSM Association Forms Alliance with ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Association

Dallas, Texas- April 20, 2009 - The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) announced today that it has formed an alliance with ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association.

PRSM and ISSA will work together to educate members on the value of both associations. This alliance creates a broader awareness of PRSM within the cleaning industry. ISSA will provide PRSM members with the ISSA's expertise on cleaning issues through educational articles in the PRSM magazine, educational sessions at conferences and other added values for the PRSM membership.

"We are very excited to have an alliance with ISSA, who is a leader in the cleaning industry," said PRSM Executive Director, Patricia Dameron. "This partnership will enable our membership to become more familiar with the cleaning industry and to share their expertise with both our retail and vendor members." We look forward to working with ISSA to provide our members with quality information and education on cleaning issues."

"We regard PRSM's members to be the experts in retail maintenance and are delighted to embark on this new relationship," said John Garfinkel, ISSA Executive Director. "We also believe the cleaning expertise of ISSA's members, both on the product and service sides, can provide great value for PRSM's members."

The PRSM Association Board of Directors approved this partnership at their March Board meeting along with setting partnership guidelines for other industry relationships that will bring added value to PRSM's membership.

About ISSA

The leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide, ISSA has a membership that includes more than 5,500 distributor, manufacturer, manufacturer representative, building service contractor, in-house service provider, and associated service members. ISSA offers the industry's largest cleaning shows in conjunction with Amsterdam RAI under the brand name ISSA/INTERCLEAN®, the popular Web site www.issa.com, educational products, industry standards, periodicals, and legislative and regulatory services that specifically focus on the professional cleaning industry.

The association is headquartered in Lincolnwood, IL, USA, with regional offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Leicester, United Kingdom; Monterrey, Mexico; Singapore; Shanghai, China; and Warsaw, Poland. ISSA also works with more than 75 associations, alliances, and government agencies around the world to represent the cleaning industry. For more information, visit www.issa.com.