10 Questions with... Ian Knowles
Each month we ask a cleaning industry professional the
Tomorrow’s Cleaning 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Ian Knowles, UK & Ireland Sales Manager at Legend Brands Europe.
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WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Mechanical and Production Engineer for a pipe and structural steelwork fabricator.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE CLEANING INDUSTRY?
When Legend Brands Europe restructured its sales team about four years ago, we merged Restoration and Cleaning sales teams into one.
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WHICH THREE WORDS DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Enthusiastic, hardworking, and driven.
IF YOU COULD VISIT ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO AND WHY?
I’d sail into Cape Town, South Africa, with the backdrop of Table Mountain from the sea. My father has done on many occasions whilst in the Royal Navy, and always said it’s the one place in the world he always made sure he was on deck to witness.
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HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE CLEANING INDUSTRY?
We need to cut out the ‘cowboys’ giving the industry a bad name. To be able to call yourself a ‘Cleaning Technician’, you need to go on a mandatory training course/program run by organisations like the NCCA, IICRC etc, and only then can you call yourself a ‘professional cleaner’. So, when you turn up on a job, you can show your ID to demonstrate yourself as qualified.
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IF AN INTERN WERE TO START TOMORROW, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?
Before starting any job, properly identify the type of fibre you’re cleaning. Do a sample test, check for damage, and take photos before and after.
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IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY TOMORROW, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR FORTUNE?
Depends on how much, but I would be straight down to the Porsche dealer.
IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY AND INVITE ANY PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THEY
BE AND WHY? The Duke of Edinburgh, thanks to his sense of humour, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, otherwise known as ‘Pelé’, the greatest footballer of all time, and Barack Obama, one of the truly great US Presidents.
WHAT, DO YOU THINK, IS THE FUTURE OF THE CLEANING INDUSTRY?
The outlook is positive. Manufacturers are coming out with more and more innovative products, both equipment and chemicals. You only had to be at Interclean Amsterdam this year to realise this industry has a bright future.
Andrew Donaghy, Regional Ambassador UK & Ireland at i-team global, asks:
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AS DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TO FORGE FORWARDS IN ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS, HOW DO
YOU SEE THIS EVOLVING OVER THE COMING YEAR, AND WHY? Robotic solutions rightly have their place in the cleaning industry, but we need to not lose sight of the human touch and interaction that has made this industry successful.
www.legendbrandseurope.com
Check out next month’s issue to see what Ian asked our next industry professional...
58 | 10 QUESTIONS
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