BIM: And you’re calling that the clean facility approach.
THOMAS: Yes. The clean facility approach is a concept but it’s also the future of the way an end user looking at controlling their contamination in their facility. They’re asking the question, where is the contamination coming from that’s getting into the core areas where the products are being manufactured? In most cases, it’s coming in from human interaction and yes, when they get into the gowning area they are putting on the protective gowning to protect the stuff that may come off the body onto the product, or even, that protective garment to protect the product is actually put on their bodies also to protect themselves from the product. That’s also a fact.
But the bottom line is, humans are bringing in a big amount of that contamination that’s in the actual core cleaning room itself. And the clean facility looks at all the key areas where the personnel who are inside their core cleaning room may be coming from. Places like the QA area or the laboratory, production area, the processing or packaging area. Potentially even the warehouse. And obviously the gowning area where they get set up before they go in. And the clean facility approach now takes a look at the whole facility and says, “Hey, now let’s reduce the contamination in all of these areas so by the time you get into that core cleaning room, the amount of risk is reduced dramatically.”
BIM: So you have an entire holistic approach looking at the whole facility, not just the clean room, which has been the main focus of manufacturers for a long time. I can tell you’re very passionate about what you do. So what drives you? What gives you that passion to get up in the morning and help the end users and the distributors that you’re working with?
THOMAS: For myself, this has been a career. I’ve been doing this for 23 years. I’m personally excited for the challenge to bring solutions to the marketplace. I’m excited about the team that I have, who are professionals in contamination control. We have a representation throughout the Americas. I’m excited about the technical department that we have and the marketing folks and customer service. And I’m also excited about Vileda Professional’s commitment to innovation. Our innovation pipeline in the controlled environment space in extremely healthy, with new products being introduced every single year and a pipeline that is healthy for the next five years. And with that in mind, with people and product and happy customers, it allows me to get up easily in the morning with a smile on my face.
BIM: What would be your best advice to an end user manufacturer who’s considering this whole clean facility approach?
THOMAS: The best advice really is to sit down with one of our sales managers and best understand how Vileda Professional and their systems can help bring the customer to their goals, which are typically to control contamination. But also to keep complete open mind that we can’t look at product and price in the marketplace. We need to look at solution-based approach. And what I mean by this is: let’s look at all the areas of potential contamination within the facility. So let’s look at any potential area that can bring in the most amount, or the gross amount of stuff all the way into that core cleaning room, and allow us to show you how we can get the gross contaminants all the way to the fine contaminants and help you can control that. So let’s not just look at a mop or a wipe for a solution. Let’s look at the total system in removing the spills that are on the floor, cleaning the floor, sanitizing the floor, cleaning the surfaces themselves, with wipes and sponges and things of that nature.
BIM: That’s great advice. So if the end users would like to find out more about your company, your product, your clean facility approach as well as contact you and possibly even set up a facility visit, how do they go about doing that?
THOMAS: We can do this at our website at ce.Vileda-professional.com. Or they can call 630-270-1437 and let Gina know that they’d like a site visit or a phone call, or call 1-800-838-0151 extension 1437 and do the same.
BIM: Thank you, Tom. You really have given us a lot of golden nuggets for our readers.
