Disinfecting & Sanitizing, Educational, News
How Disinfectants & Sanitizers Help Jan-San Distributors Reach End-User Markets
The need for quality disinfectants and sanitizers continues to grow as more end-users work to protect their properties and building occupants from harmful viruses and bacteria. Maintenance Sales News recently interviewed John Wunderlich, Nyco’s Vice President of Sales, to find out more about how these types of products are helping jan/san distributors reach key markets. Following is a reprint of this interview, as it appeared in the July/August 2015 issue of Maintenance Sales News.
Understanding that not every disinfectant will kill every pathogen is important knowledge for distributors and their end-user customers. Providing a wide variety of disinfectant and sanitizer products, proper education and training, therefore, are major focus points for officials at Nyco Products Company.
“It’s important to move away from the idea that every disinfectant is the same, and that they all kill the same microorganisms,” Nyco Products Company Vice President of Sales John Wunderlich said. “Distributors should be comfortable with the fact that they may need to offer four or five different disinfectants, based on specific needs of their customers. For example, a school may have a different need than an animal control shelter; and a long-term healthcare facility may have a different need than an acute care location.
“All these facilities may be similar in disinfection desires, but can come with variations. It’s important, therefore, to ask customers what they are most concerned with in terms of controlling microorganisms. They can then choose the best products and protocols to address these different needs.”
Founded in 1920 and family-owned, Nyco Products Company is a premier manufacturer of liquids, powders, solids and portion control chemical products used in a variety of market segments. This includes facility supply, MRO, transportation, marine, hospitality, HVAC, heath care, government and education.
“We also come with a tremendous amount of marketing capabilities to help our customers grow their own markets,” Wunderlich said.
Pertaining to disinfectants and sanitizers, the company offers several choices, including its Uno line that features a wide range of efficacy claims against bacterial, virual, mold and fungi issues. Many of these products are also designed for veterinary care.
Another offering is Nyco’s Sani-Spritz Spray, which is a one-step disinfectant cleaner often used in facility supply, foodservice and healthcare markets.
Wunderlich said the call for disinfection products continues to grow as a heightened awareness of microorganisms builds with each new outbreak.
“I see a greater awareness from the public about the benefits of proper disinfection. Many people also now recognize that there is no need to over-disinfect surfaces,” he said. “This awareness has been brought about through better eduction. Training and education is a big part of Nyco Products. We provide education in a variety of ways. This includes on-site seminars, webinars, speaking engagements, blogs, emails, and various training materials. Nyco Products also provides a tremendous amount of marketing support to heighten the awareness about disinfectants and sanitizers for the benefit of our customers.
“Nyco has developed training programs as well, that address serious issues with bloodborne pathogens. For example, we have worked with various airports and transportation companies, helping these places become first responders.”
Officials at Nyco Products took the approach several years ago to market its products based on efficacy. According to Wunderlich, this process has turned out to be a good move.
“When looking at our disinfectant products, a person will see items that come with 60 to 70 different kill claims pertaining to different types of viruses, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, fungi and mold,” he explained. “Nyco has spent a considerable amount of time and effort developing formulations that feature the widest possible kill claims, along with added cleaning power and being cosmetically appealing to consumers.”
He added that the company’s customer service team is at the heart of what Nyco Products does each day.
“These are the people on the front lines with customers. They work eight or more hours a day helping people. We try to give our customer service personnel as much support as possible. This all centers on our effort, as a company, to provide customers with accurate and timely information,” Wunderlich said.
Nyco Products remains a distributor-focused organization. Company representatives work with distributors in a wide variety of market segments.
“We also interface with consumers through blogs, emails, seminars, and tradeshows. Those who use our products come from many different segments — from the home owner to those in charge of hospitals, building service contractors, government and industrial facilities and the military,” Wunderlich said. “Our products can be found in several countries around the world.”
As a company, Nyco Products also has a very strong sustainability position. It remains active in the development of environmentally friendly products, with approximately 35 to 40 different green-certified items available, across a wide market space.
When it comes to disinfectants and sanitizers, however, Wunderlich cautioned that kill claims may be lacking for those products found in the marketplace that claim to be “green.”
“It’s good to be ‘greener,’ and I think for many years companies have been trying to develop formulations that are effective in the disinfecting area and also ‘greener.’ This focus has centered on neutral PH products,” he said. “It’s important to pay attention, however, to a disinfectant’s kill claims, which should be the main focus for these products anyway.”
As a company, Nyco Products has experienced strong growth in recent years, and Wunderlich expects this to continue. Officials have also been busy focusing on labeling compliance issues pertaining to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).
Remaining compliant in all areas of business is very important at Nyco Products.
“We heavily focus on regulatory compliance. This is especially important when manufacturing disinfectants and sanitizers,” Wunderlich said. “It’s essential that distributors make sure all of their suppliers are in compliance with government regulations.
“We take this very seriously, and is one of the main reasons why many distributors do business with us.”
