Industry News > Hospeco Brands Group Celebrates ISSA’s Summit Award from ASAE for End Period Poverty Campaign

Hospeco Brands Group Celebrates ISSA’s Summit Award from ASAE for End Period Poverty Campaign

Hospeco Brands Group is proud to announce that ISSA’s End Period Poverty campaign is being honored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) with the highest honor for associations, the Power of Associations Summit Award. Fighting period poverty is a cause long championed by Hospeco Brands Group, leading to the founding of its own Period Partner program eight years ago. Hospeco Brands Group’s president and CEO, Tom Friedl, is also the chairman of ISSA’s government advocacy committee and was instrumental in developing and implementing ISSA’s End Period Poverty campaign.

Through End Period Poverty, ISSA advocates for public policies to increase access to menstrual care products, dispensers, and disposal solutions in away-from-home venues. The association also educates and engages the cleaning industry community about period poverty issues as well as providing proper training related to removing potentially harmful bacteria and blood-borne pathogens in bathroom facilities.

“Change isn’t happening fast enough or broadly enough, and our industry is uniquely positioned to further the cause of universal access,” said Friedl. “Through these efforts, we will achieve our goal of making free menstrual care products the rule, not the exception, in all public restrooms. I’m proud of the work Hospeco Brands Group and ISSA have done and am humbled that ISSA is being recognized by ASAE.”

The statistics are staggering. 86% of women have started their period unexpectedly in public without supplies. More than 4 in 5 teens have either missed class time or know someone who missed class time because they did not have access to period products. One in three low-income women report missing work, school, or similar events due to a lack of access to period supplies. These instances were linked to reported feelings of embarrassment, disappointment, and depression. Lack of access to period supplies is also linked to stretching product usage and using substitute products like toilet tissue or even socks.

ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning, hygiene, and facility management industry.

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), known as “the association for associations,” is the membership organization and voice of the association profession. The Summit Award celebrates the invaluable contributions that associations make to America and the world.

ISSA will receive its Summit Award at a special ASAE ceremony on Sept. 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

About Hospeco Brands Group

Hospeco Brands Group brings more than a century of know-how and innovation to cleaning, protecting, and caring for public spaces – workplaces, offices, schools, restaurants, stores, and more – as well as for the people who work in and patronize these facilities. The company delivers best-in-class products and customer support. Hospeco Brand Group’s people are smart, creative problem solvers whose focus on continuous innovation empowers them to meet the ever-evolving needs of customers. The resulting product mix is tough enough to perform consistently in demanding environments yet designed with the comfort and protection of the public in mind. For more information, contact Hospeco Brands Group at 26301 Curtiss Wright Parkway, Suite 200, Cleveland, OH 44143. Email: [email protected]. Web: www.hospecobrands.com.

PHOTO: Award presented to US Rep Grace Meng of New York for her partnership with ISSA and the Period Poverty initiative. Photo from ISSA’s 2023 Clean Advocacy mission in Washington DC.

Pictured left to right: 

  1. Tom Friedl, president and CEO of Hospeco Brands Group’s parent company, Tranzonic, and chairman of ISSA’s government advocacy committee
  2. US Congresswomen Grace Meng, U.S. Rep., New York’s Sixth Congressional District
  3. John Nothdurft, Director of Government Affairs, ISSA