REGULAR Membershipmatters
Nick Thompson, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), lets us know why joining a trade association is important.
The decision to join their relevant trade association is not an obvious one to every business. It comes with a cost – both financial and time – and the value can feel intangible, difficult to measure.
Industry community
At their simplest, trade associations bring their members together. This was the initial purpose of the CHSA when it was founded as Jansa in the 1970s. Today, in a highly competitive and uncertain world, this is not enough.
Members need to get clear and unequivocal value. Commercial reality means our members, their customers and end users – many of whom operate in the tough FM arena – need to benefit commercially from their suppliers’ membership. They need to minimise their purchasing risk. They need confidence in their suppliers and to know they offer products of a proven quality, are consistent in their supply and have ethically and environmentally sustainable business practices.
Representing manufacturers and distributors of cleaning and hygiene products, we recognised this and responded, addressing these issues. The value of CHSA membership is tangible.
Supporting business growth
Fundamentally, we must deliver real value by supporting the growth of our members. At the heart of this is our commitment to standards, embodied by our Accreditation Schemes. Guaranteed by Independent Inspection, the Schemes are a verified mark of quality that reduces purchasing risk and increases customer confidence. The value of this to our members is clear – it boosts their reputation and offers competitive differentiation.
Shaping the industry
future Those who are actively involved in the CHSA can shape future industry standards. Our manufacturing and distributor members
lead the evolution of their Accreditation Schemes as
market and customer demands change with time. It means
they make sure the Schemes are commercially valuable to customers
26 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
and end users, and reflect modern manufacturing and business practices.
Collaborating to lift industry standards
Bringing together our members, we use their collective power to add value. For our manufacturing members we highlight and tackle rogue business practices, including spurious product claims and inadequate products. This gives them competitive differentiation, reputational advantage and protection from unfair competition.
For our distributor members, we offer opportunities to influence manufacturers and build strategic connections with associations representing their customer groups. To this end, new networking opportunities are to be delivered during autumn 2026 and spring 2027.
Run by our members for our members
The CHSA is run by our members for our members. This philosophy means we’re well placed to work with the British Cleaning Council and other industry trade bodies to represent members’ interests with Government, regulators and key stakeholders. The two-way communication adds value – we amplify members’ voices and share important information on policy and legislative changes.
The assurance and credibility of
product standards Members get value from the active support we offer around quality assurance and inspection readiness. The annual accreditation process is rigorous and comprehensive. We expect a lot of our members. However, we want them to be prepared so they can glide through the process, and offer a range of additional services accordingly.
Supporting education
We also offer value by encouraging the next generation while giving our members the chance to say thank you to their employees. Our Bursary offers substantial financial support to young people, who are the children of our members’ employees, heading to universities. We know from the feedback we receive every year that this makes a big difference to the young people, and is something many members don’t have the resources to offer.
Ultimately, however, membership is not simply about what the trade association can provide to the individual business. It’s also about participation: contributing to discussions, sharing knowledge, supporting common standards and helping shape the direction of the industry. In a market, that collective role is at the heart of why trade associations matter.
www.chsa.co.uk x.com/TomoCleaning
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