GMS Podcast Features Jeff Cross

NORTHBROOK, Ill.—June 22, 2020— Jeff Cross, ISSA Media editorial director, was recently featured on the GMS Podcast hosted by Gerrett Stier, owner of GMS Distribution. The GMS Podcast features Stier having conversations with manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, educators, and others in the restoration industry to explore equipment, techniques, strategies, and issues relevant to the industry. In this episode, Cross talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the industry, as well as some of the ways ISSA is serving the industry, including its publications, digital content, and the new GBAC STAR Accreditation program.

Cross points out that one lasting effect he sees from the pandemic is the shift to online content and online learning. “I just think that’s going to kind of shape our future,” said Cross. “We’re still going to have events, we’re still going to have education in person, we’re still going to go to trade shows, but I think we’re going to just see so much more available online.”

Cross also talks about the shift from print to digital media over the course of his career. He says digital content, such as e-newsletters, social media, and digital issues, will continue to grow, but there is a steady demand in the cleaning and restoration industry for print magazines, so he believes that ISSA’s publications will stand the test of time both in print and online.

When asked what ISSA is working on right now, Cross pointed to the GBAC STAR Accreditation program as one of its newest and most exciting initiatives that is especially relevant in the midst of this pandemic. The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, is unrolling GBAC STAR as a way for businesses and facilities to demonstrate that they have met rigorous requirements for maintaining a clean environment and mitigating biological risks. For facilities such as restaurants, hotels, convention centers, offices, and other public venues that commit to the program, GBAC STAR assesses the facility’s preparedness and provides staff with training for biorisk prevention and containment.

For more on GBAC STAR, ISSA, and how COVID-19 is impacting the industry, listen to the full podcast with Jeff Cross here.