A Next Step Toward Transition of WorldSweeper.com
by Ranger Kidwell-Ross, editor
WorldSweeper.com
In my November/December 2025 editorial, I shared that I am moving toward retirement and that it is time to entrust "Earth's Largest Power Sweeping Resource" to new hands. I also said then that my ideal outcome would be for the site to become the backbone educational resource for a manufacturers' association or similar industry-wide organization, rather than a private marketing tool or a short-term investment vehicle.
In the weeks since that editorial, I have taken concrete steps to try to make that happen. I prepared and distributed a detailed proposal to the manufacturing community, outlining how a consortium of leading sweeper manufacturers and major suppliers could collectively acquire and operate WorldSweeper.com through a new non-profit association. That concept, tentatively called the Power Sweeping Industry Association, would share acquisition and operating costs, preserve the site's neutrality, and use our 20-plus-year archive as a foundation for industry-wide education, research and advocacy.
For those interested in the specifics – including the suggested governance framework, phased acquisition process, and the broader benefits for manufacturers, suppliers, and customers – you can read the full consortium proposal here: Securing the Future of the Power Sweeping Industry's Most Comprehensive Asset. It lays out why allowing this resource to fall under the control of a single competitor, a purely profit-driven third party, or a foreign entity would undermine the neutrality, breadth and credibility that have made WorldSweeper.com valuable to the entire industry.
In that proposal, I asked the leadership of the major sweeper manufacturers and key suppliers to indicate their interest, lack of interest, or desire for more information by mid-February, and I offered to convene an initial Zoom discussion to explore the idea. The goal was not to dictate an outcome, but to invite shared ownership of a platform that has always been intended to serve everyone in the power sweeping ecosystem – not just one company, one country or one business model.
I'm glad to report there has been some movement toward manufacturer recognition of the value of working within the stormwater community. Some months ago I introduced manufacturers to Seth Brown, head of the National Municipal Stormwater Association (NMSA). In the last month a total of five industry entities has started working with NMSA to develop how the industry can better educate and integrate the stormwater community. That's the kind of progress I have long championed.
My commitment remains the same as it was in November/December: to do all I reasonably can to see that WorldSweeper.com remains a neutral, technically sound, and globally relevant resource long after I step back from day-to-day operations. If a manufacturers' association ultimately chooses not to pursue the consortium option, I will continue exploring other ownership structures with the same core criteria I outlined previously: a long-term view, respect for the site's archive, and a willingness to keep information accessible to the public works officials, contractors, and environmental professionals who rely on it.
In the meantime, I invite any reader – whether you represent a manufacturer, a supplier, a contractor, or a public agency – to review the consortium proposal and share your thoughts, questions or ideas. The decisions made in the coming months will shape not only the future of this website, but also how effectively our industry can continue to educate the broader world about the proven value of power sweeping in protecting our shared environment.
As always, if you have questions and/or any news of potential interest to the power sweeping community, please let us know. Between this publication, the WorldSweeper.com website, and the World Sweeping Association, we'll be sure to get the information passed along to interested readers.
Good Sweeping,
Editor, WorldSweeper.com
Executive Director, World Sweeping Association
Member, PAVEMENT Hall of Fame
PS If you're a contractor I urge you to check out the many benefits of membership in the World Sweeping Association. Also, if you haven't 'liked' our WorldSweeper Facebook page, what are you waiting for? That's where we offer a variety of industry previews and updates on an ongoing basis.
For our January/February stories click on links below.
- Street Sweeping and Microplastics: An Update on the Clean Streets, Clean Seas Project
- Sweeping-Educational Clean Streets = Cleaner Waters Initiative
- Pioneering Collaboration: Toward a Unified Street Sweeping Optimization Platform
- Fayat Praises New Made in Britain Certification for Adding "Trust" and "Credibility"
- WSA Offering "Essential Tips for Contractors" Handout to New 2026 Members
- Global Environmental Introduces New CITYJET Vacuum Sweeper
- Reprising Our Special Report for Black History Month
Street Sweeping and Microplastics: An Update on the Clean Streets, Clean Seas Project
The pervasive issue of microplastic pollution continues to be a significant environmental concern, with these tiny particles infiltrating our waterways, wildlife and even our bodies. As you may have read in a previous issue, in response to this growing crisis, the City of Santa Barbara, in partnership with several research institutions, launched the "Clean Streets, Clean Seas" project.
This initiative aims to develop effective strategies for removing microplastics from urban environments before they can pollute our creeks and oceans. This article provides an update on the project, focusing on the key findings from the microplastics test conducted last July and contextualizing them with recent developments in microplastics research.
Click here for the info.
Sweeping-Educational Clean Streets = Cleaner Waters Initiative
A clean water initiative has been started involving the street sweeping industry. It is led by National Municipal Stormwater Alliance and, so far, supported by 1-800-SWEEPER, Elgin Sweeper, TYMCO, Schwarze, and Stewart-Amos. The CS=CW project has been established to bridge the gap between research and policy and drive a broader adoption of power sweeper technologies to address stormwater pollution.
The CS=CW Initiative is currently engaged in an exploratory effort to compile research on street sweeping and stormwater management as well as collecting information on regulations and policy to capture the current status of street sweeping and stormwater treatment. Additionally, this initiative will develop a pathway forward for the stormwater sector and power sweeper industry to use as a blueprint for future growth in overall adoption on the use of power sweepers for cleaner waters.
Here is the complete information
Pioneering Collaboration: Toward a Unified Street Sweeping Optimization Platform
An intriguing collaboration is taking shape between two leaders in environmental modeling whose software innovations could redefine how cities manage street sweeping and stormwater pollution. Facilitated by WorldSweeper's Editor, Ranger Kidwell-Ross, the discussion brought together Andrew Sheerin, PhD, founder of the SWPT program, and Roger Sutherland, well-known sweeper tester and the developer of the SIMPTM model, to explore how their respective tools might be combined into a more powerful, integrated solution.
Check out the story.
Fayat Praises New Made in Britain Certification for Adding "Trust" and "Credibility"
Scarab Sweepers has been awarded the new Environmental and Social Value Certification for its commitment to people, planet and place. Scarab Sweepers, which is part of the global Fayat Group, is on a mission to continuously improve its environmental and social practices – focusing on methods of sustainable procurement, the impact it has on the environment and local area and how it supports its employees.
Now, the ESV Certification is complementing this mission by communicating the organisation's commitments to the environment and society to customers and stakeholders. Says Callum Huthwaite, Marketing Manager at Scarab Sweepers, "In the last couple of years, we have started looking into what we can do as a large, global-reaching company to restrict our environmental impact and improve our efficiency and safety. As part of this, the ESV Certification was a perfect fit for us and came at the perfect time – we were really delighted to receive it."
Here is the complete information
WSA Offering "Essential Tips for Contractors" Handout to New 2026 Members
The WSA website stresses education: It offers over 500 educational articles; more than 100 interviews with contractors; ratings for third party vendors and much more. As an initial thank you gift for any contractors joining WSA, the organization has developed a 13-page handout entitled "Essential Tips & Resources for Power Sweeping Contractors." WSA membership is $385/year and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Whether you're just starting out or have been in the sweeping
business for years, this guide is designed to help you succeed. WSA has put
together practical tips and resources based on real challenges that
contractors face every day. Everything here is written in plain language
because running a sweeping business is hard enough without complicated
jargon!
Here is where you can review the WSA Membership Benefits. To join, go to this link.
Global Environmental Introduces New CITYJET Vacuum Sweeper
Global Sweepers has unveiled its latest advancement in street-cleaning technology: the Cityjet, a model designed to deliver unmatched durability, versatility, and performance in municipal and industrial sweeping operations.
The CityJet's pure vacuum sweeping system offers strong versatility, capable of collecting heavy materials like rocks and sand while still handling fine dust, leaves, and light debris. This adaptability ensures thorough cleaning across various types of terrain and debris loads.
Click here to learn more.
Reprising Our Special Report for Black History Month
We received so many positive comments about this article last February that we are reprinting these two of the many examples why black history deserves to be celebrated by the power sweeping industry.
First Self-Propelled Sweeper in the U.S. Patented by a Black Man
Charles Brooks earned a rightful place in history with his first U.S. patent for a self-propelled sweeper. Since that time, there's little doubt that no one in the industry prefers operating one that isn't self-propelled!
If you want to know more about Charles Brooks remarkable invention of a self-propelled street sweeper in March of 1896, including drawings and a brief video, check out the article on Brooks in WorldSweeper's expansive History Section.
See more on Charles Brooks and his invention.
MLK Jr.'s 2nd Most Famous Quote: Has it Inspired Your Sweeping Excellence?
On April 9, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered words that may have significantly influenced the evolution of the sweeping industry into its current esteemed position. His profound statement, second only in fame to his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, eloquently elevates the profession of street sweeping:
"If it falls your lot to be a streetsweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets like Beethoven composed music.
Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say here lived a great streetsweeper who swept his job well."
A lesser-known yet equally impactful sentence precedes this quote: "Set out to do a good job and do that job so well that nobody can do it any better." This powerful call to excellence is also included in the free downloadable certificates we offer.
In today's United States and many other countries, operating a street sweeper is a high-tech endeavor, with machines valued at over a quarter million dollars. It's imperative that operators receive thorough training, whether through our website or other means, to ensure both safety and proficiency.
For over 18 years, WorldSweeper has proudly featured MLK Jr.'s inspiring quote on our homepage, believing it can play a role in fostering a positive transformation within the industry. Maybe it has: Observing a skilled sweeper operator at work today can be as captivating as watching a meticulously choreographed dance.
We invite our readers to download a frameable certificate featuring the complete quote, available in either block print or script, via the links below. Although the full transcript of MLK's speech on April 9 remains elusive, his words from an April 26, 1967 speech, delivered to a predominantly young, black audience at a high school, continue to resonate and inspire.
Download a print ready PDF of the certificate on the left side of the header... or, download the PDF for the right side image. Note: If you would prefer a certificate without the 'new preface words,' click here.
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