2023_PWN_V5_No1_web

INDUSTRY DIRT
Meet the New Boss
PowerWash.com, a leading
one-stop shop for those in the mobile
power-washing industry, recently
announced the hiring of Christopher
Blann as CEO.
Blann is charged with leading the
company's aggressive retail-focused
expansion efforts while cultivating the
company's industry professional training
platform, PowerWash Academy.
Previously with Men's Best Primary
Care, Blann began transitioning into
his new role at the family-owned and
-operated business earlier this year.
"Christopher's operational and
retail expertise exemplify the 'power'
in PowerWash.com," said Powerwash.
com’s president Michael Hinderliter.
"His hands-on approach and leadership
experience will be an invaluable
asset as we elevate the business that
my father started nearly 50 years ago."
Blann is a retail industry veteran
with more than 30 years of experience
in e-commerce and operations. He
most recently served as president of
Men's Best Primary Care, where he
led the launch and 15-month growth
of the health care startup.
Prior to that, Blann served as senior
vice president of store operations at
Eyemart Express, where he oversaw
everything from retail operations to
supply chain to manufacturing at the
national optical retailer's more than
200 locations.
"I am excited to join a growing and
innovative company that is paving the
way in this niche industry," said Blann.
"The Hinderliter family has created an
impressive foundation and legacy, and
I look forward to building upon that
success with the team."
A subsidiary of Delux Cleaning
Supply, Inc., PowerWash.com is based
in Fort Worth, Texas, and offers a
complete selection of equipment and
supplies including detergents for all
aspects of power washing, including
truck washing, kitchen hood exhaust
cleaning, house washing, concrete
cleaning, wood restoration, awning
cleaning, and more.
The company also provides
comprehensive hands-on and online
training for industry professionals with
its own PowerWash Academy through
the Washaholic Program.
Power Play
Droning On
Charlotte, North Carolinabased
industrial drone maker Lucid
Drone Technologies’ Lucid C1
spraying drone was recognized as
the Best Power Washing Drone of
2022 at The Droning Company’s
annual Droning Awards, which
recognizes the year’s most impressive
drone innovations.
The nominees were chosen
by members of The Droning
Company, with a panel of drone
experts, pilots and enthusiasts
voting for the winners across
several categories.
Lucid was first profiled in PW
News in 2021.
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin-based
FNA Group also recently filed critical
circumstances allegations against
Chinese and Vietnamese producers
of gas-powered pressure washers.
Because of a surge of imports,
FNA Group has requested that the
U.S. Department of Commerce
impose early antidumping and countervailing
duties against imports from
these two countries, as part of its
trade case filed at the end of 2022.
Shipment data reveals that
Chinese and Vietnamese producers,
along with their U.S. importers and
customers, are trying to evade the
proposed additional import duties
by stockpiling their products in the
United States before a decision by
Commerce.
FNA Group, determined to put
an end to these unfair practices,
believes that the U.S. Department
of Commerce will substantiate FNA
Group allegations of a surge, and
backdate the additional duties to
dates as early as March 2023.
FNA Group's CEO, Gus
Alexander, stated, "Such practices
fundamentally contradict the
purpose of the duties and will not be
tolerated by the U.S. authorities. We
fully expect that the allegation will
succeed, and the retroactive duties
will apply. It is our hope that the
Department of Commerce and the
International Trade Commission will
make a rightful determination based
on the evidence available."
The case numbers of the investigations
are A-570-148, A-552-008,
and C-570-149. FNA Group is represented
by Matthew J. McConkey of
Mayer Brown LLP.
Data from the US International
Trade Commission (USITC) shows
that in 2021, Vietnam exported
about $430 million worth of the
investigated products to the U.S.,
accounting for about 44% of the
total export value from all countries
to the U.S. and increasing more than
1.5 times compared to 2020 and
25 times to 2019. The estimated
dumping margin for Vietnam is
110.23 - 225.65%.
At press time, the U.S. Department
of Commerce was still investigating
whether the named subject imports
are being sold to the United States
at less than fair value (“dumping”)
or benefit from unfair government
subsidies. ITC was also investigating
whether the subject imports are
causing “material injury” or “threat
of material injury” to the domestic
industry.
According to Adams Lee, attorney
with Harris Bricken, and author
of China Law Blog, these pressure
washers are just the latest gas powered
equipment to be targeted for AD
and CVD duties. In 2020, Briggs &
Stratton filed AD/CVD cases on large
and small gas vertical shaft engines.
Soon thereafter, U.S. producers could
no longer afford to import Chinese
engines or get enough engines from
Briggs & Stratton. Facing their own
import competition, they then filed
their own AD/CVD against imports
of lawn mowers and snow blowers
primarily from China. After very
high AD/CVD duties were imposed
in these cases, the volume of imports
from China dropped significantly.
“It is not surprising to see domestic
producers in other gas powered products
wanting to try to get similar AD/
CVD duties to protect themselves
from their own Chinese import
competition,” Lee wrote.
12 | PRESSURE WASH NEWS | VOL. 5, NO. 1 | SUMMER 2023