The Cleaning Process For Vacation and Short-Term Rentals with Sean Kemper

Making The Cleaning Process Easier and Cost-Efficient with Sean Kemper 

Many people are reluctant to clean their homes and workplaces because they feel it is time-consuming and tedious. However, when renting places and coming out of the pandemic, you need to put your best foot forward to get protect your guests and get great ratings.

In this amazing episode, Jerry Bauer, podcast host, and Sales Consultant of ChemStation Boston, interviews Sean Kemper. Sean is the owner of ETI solutions and Kemper Industries, which focuses on helping vacation & short-term rentals understand the cleaning process.

Sean shares how Kemper industries formulate and manufacture their chemicals and how they sell their products. Moreover, he shares how the Drop n Go program helps transport their products and how it helps their clients operate on a small budget by using minimal cost-efficient products.

Time Stamps

[00:02] Introduction to the episode

[00:44] What’s in for you in today’s episode

[02:01] What Kemper industries deal with

[02:09] Why Sean moved from Ecolab to Kemper industries in Alabama 

[03:13] How Kemper industries sell its products 

[03:55] How his father started Kemper industries 

[05:55] The end-user of the industry’s products 

[06:20] How Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals (VRHP) has enabled him

              to get new distributions and grow their industry 

[07:24] Kemper’s carpet care services 

[07:51] The effect of COVID-19 on the chemical and cleaning industry that deals

              with vacation & short-term rentals

[10:18] The ETI disinfecting company he started during COVID-19 pandemic 

[11:16] The performance of the ETI company after the COVID-19 pandemic 

[16:22] The services his companies offer to hotels and casinos 

[17:14] How Kemper industries formulate and manufacture their chemicals 

[18:19] The geographical region served by Kemper industries 

[18:42] How the Drop n Go program that he built works

[19:51] The products available in the Drop n Go program 

[22:03] Sean’s mentors in business 

[23:11] How to connect with Sean 

[24:35] Jerry Bauer’s gift for the audience 

 Follow Sean Kemper on;

• Website: http://www.kemperindustries.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-kemper-51958312/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KemperIndustriesInc
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kempercleaningproducts/

For cleaning, disinfecting, and specialized solutions: https://etisolutions.co/

More Information

To listen to more amazing podcast episodes by Jerry Bauer: https://www.hospitalitycleaning101.com/podcast/

For the latest blogs on hospitality cleaning:https://www.hospitalitycleaning101.com/

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Jerry Bauer
Hospitality Cleaning 101 | Bauer Consulting
Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com

Transcript

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Jerry 0:03

Hi, and welcome to clean processes with Jerry. My podcast is dedicated to building an online community of like-minded individuals and businesses in the chemical and cleaning industry. We're going to share some ideas. Tips solutions and even stories to solve problems and to expand our markets. I worked for Kim station of Boston where I'm based out of new England. I also run the blog, hospitality cleaning 1 0 1. If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to me and we will answer them on a future podcast. If you saw. At the end of the show, you'll have my contact information as well as my guest. Also at the end today's show, we're going to be giving away gifts today. I'm with Sean Kemper who runs the Kemper industries and assists helping in short term rentals. Understand the cleaning process. Sean, are you there?

Sean 1:04

I'm here. How's it going to do great.

Jerry 1:06

Thanks for joining me today. I will tell the listeners who are with us today, I had met you through LinkedIn, like many people do. We had some common interests, some of the same groups that we belong to.

Sean 1:20

Definitely

Jerry 1:21

Also, you had worked for Ecolab. I had worked for Ecolab. It's not uncommon for a lot of the people in this industry to start their career or. With Ecolab.

Sean 1:31

Definitely.

Jerry 1:31

There's a couple of things that, you know, come out on your LinkedIn profile about Kemper industries and company you have is some of the new things you have coming out as well. Just want you to share. So if you don't mind, tell us a little bit about yourself and the companies that you, that you own and what all you do.

Sean 1:50

Yep. Awesome. Well, I appreciate the opportunity. With the camper industries I've been there probably 18 years now. We manufacture cleaning chemicals based out of south Alabama. And, uh, I did get my star with Ecolab was there for several years before my dad asked me to come down and get the family business going. So coming down to moving down, Alabama from Chicago was a, was a good time. wife's from new Orleans, so we were close to home for her, but, you know, just my goal was to pick up distributors, grow our line, you know, any way from private labeling to our brand. And we only had two distributors at the time. So I came down. Uh, I went immediately after our local distributors that were close by to, you know, local family business from Alabama to Alabama companies working together. So I started picking up distributors all along the state and then went over to Mississippi over to Louisiana, which is where I originally grew up. So kinda whenever to mold something grounds, you could say, um, pick it up distributors and then just continue to evolve our line and pick up distributors and grow and, and educate and train throughout the whole process. So it's been busy.

Jerry 2:57

So now, do you also sell to the end user directly as well as everything through distributor?

Sean 3:04

Most of it's through distributors, but if there's a territory or a market that we do not have, um, obviously we'll get those end-users on the product. People relocate and move all the time. So they love a product and they'll call, Hey, I need this. Do you have a distributor here? And if we don't, we'll get them set up and start. Element to them where they have relocated. And then we'll try to eventually pick up a distributor in that market because we sell both. We sell pallets, you know, it's we don't do cases.

Jerry 3:29

Right, so now was your father already in the chemical industry when you joined Ecolab?

Sean 3:35

Trying to think so I was, I graduated Louisiana tech, moved to new Orleans. I was with another chemical company called Magnolia, which was basically a raw materials, drums tank, or truckloads totes. And I think in that process, they just moved. My dad bought the company out and in south Alabama, but he was a big company up in, Davis and petroleum. He worked for a shell or Chevron over in Shreveport. So he did all bulk chemicals. He bought the plant down here in Alabama thinking that his raw materials would blend into our finished product. So he's like, okay, I'll do this. And so my older brother came to work for him. I was never really planning on coming to work for the family business. I was, I was doing my own thing and having fun and whatever, you know, moving away, lived in new Orleans, Chicago, but, eventually he wanted me to come down and take over the sales and grow the distribution arm of our business. So he had never been in the manufacturing side, like what I've done. So my background was Ecolab and Magnolia. It gave me a good jumpstart.

Jerry 4:33

So now do you have children where the next generation is going to come on board?

Sean 4:37

I don't know.

Jerry 4:38

I know it's a personal question here, but

Sean 4:41

There's too many family in it right now. I've got my older brother, my younger brother, my mom answered his phone, you know, dad's 72 now, but he's still, he's still plugging away. My older brother, his two kids who've already graduated college. one's We can try to be a CPA. The other one just graduated Southern miss. So, none of them are coming into the company, at least not yet. Um, I started late in life. I got a 13 year old, 11 year old and an eight year old son. So my might have a little bit of time.

Jerry 5:08

Got a little time there. So that's, a great story. So on the existing business you have now through the district, The end-users is it primarily hospitality, hotels, schools, or what's the what's the end user? Not the exact ratio, but what does the end user look like? Well, a couple passions I've had, you know, over the last probably 10 years is one of my distributors down in the beach here in orange beach, Gulf shores market.

Sean 5:39

They, they do a lot with the short term vacation rental and. So I've been working with those guys for years. I actually joined a VR HP, which is a vacation rental housekeeping professionals. Um, I was part of that organization for years and years and years then. 2016, they asked me to come on board and be a board member with them. So I've been sitting on the board of the VHP since 2016 and which has helped kind of catapult me into new distribution points along beach communities. Um, I've got a distributor up in, uh, outer banks in North Carolina and I've kind of become an expert in the vacation rental short term. So I helped. A mold and mildew. I helped with cleaning the floors cause everybody has the black foot in the industry where they're mobbing with a degree, sir, they're mobbing with the Fabuloso and something's just sticky. And it just builds up all that oil grease fats, whatever the heck's coming into these properties and the floors are terrible. And nobody has, they've had a tough time trying to figure that out. So I put together a program, we've got two great products that can help eliminate that, but just anything that they need to do to clean. We got equipment. We got chemicals.

Jerry 6:45

I was on your website this morning. you do have equipment in your, even in carpet carer as well. I imagine carpet care is pretty big in the rental arena, I should say.

Sean 6:56

Yeah, but a lot of them, outsource all that. So it's, it's, you know, it's really not a big niche for, for that property. I mean, w thing, what I could do is train them on a. You know, somebody spills a glass of wine, maybe a pet goes to the bathroom or, or you got spring breakers going on now. And they got beer everywhere. Whatever else there they're getting into. So you help them do these quick fixes, but they'll, they'll get a, just a carpet professional that's local and have them come in and do the extractions.

Jerry 7:22

Now, did the business, that industry did that suffer during COVID or did it pick up because of Covid.

Sean 7:30

Well, it paused at least down here in the south because we're renegades and people weren't believing what was going on and I'm not going to wear a mask and all that political stuff. And we're not going to get into that. But, so it paused. I guess it was April and may. And then, you know, the sand down there in Florida, governor, he opened up the state back and most Southern states kind of opened back up the outer banks. And it was, it was the wild west. Everybody was like, let me get out of the house. Let me get to this beach. There's air. There's the mountains. Yeah. So it was, it was wild. And then the supply chain started getting, you know, hurt down the road and people weren't getting sanitizers disinfect this. I mean, it was just, it was crazy. Um, it was a shit show to be blunt, but it was insane. And people were, didn't know where to get supplies. The supply chain was so messed up and our distributor chain that we had. We're not able to get certain supplies. So then I jumped in and I had connections throughout the industry where I was supplying them with gowns. I was supplying them with, with mask. I was supplying, you know, whatever they needed. I would just use my network to get my distributors products. So. Yeah, well, back to the vacation rental, it blew up,

Jerry 8:45

it blew up and it's still going strong. Now

Sean 8:48

It's crazier now, you know? So that was such a spotlight on them. Companies that made the most money they've ever made before and now these, these hedge fund and all of these, uh, investing companies are coming in and they're gobbling up, you know, all these smaller guys that wanted to get out of the business or don't have any kids to take over. So it's, again, it's a different wild west right now, but you got Bokassa out there which is probably one of the bigger ones. I'm sure you've heard of them, but, they've got the properties all over the country over there, even expanding into South America, Europe, so they're very aggressive.

Jerry 9:23

So, what are some of the newer items that you've seen or help develop? And for the industry, there's always, there was a lot of things that came out because of COVID. Is there anything that you see coming out new that you see exciting that you're working with?

Sean 9:38

Well, there's so many things. When w during the height of the pandemic, nobody, you know, we didn't understand the virus enough, you know, how did it spread? I mean, there was so many scary questions. And during that process, I actually started another company called ETI and, uh, ETI solutions I had, I actually was disinfecting companies. We had the electrostatic guns already. I've got 20 plus years of experience in disinfecting and sanitizing. So it gave me an opportunity to, to help my community. So basically I had the equipment, I was in spraying restaurants. We had some Chick-fil-A contracts, um, pharmacies, I mean, whoever needed was getting positive cases, we came in and helped them.

Jerry 10:18

This is fascinating because all I know is what I've read and what I've seen. I haven't dealt with that. So is that industry still very viable today or in other words, are people still having you come in and. What is it weekly, monthly, or how often do people like a Chick-fil-A how often were they having you come in?

Sean 10:38

That was just an as needed basis. So if somebody came in was positive, then they would call us and we would go in at 10 o'clock late at night and spray the property and then move on to the next location. it's, it's died down. I haven't done one since, probably August of last year when, I think it was Delta spike. And, when the, you know, the variants came in. So yeah, I mean, now it's, you know, people are kind of over at the Omicron virus. It's kind of, it's gotten weaker. The strands have gotten weaker, so it doesn't seem to be as critical right now.

Jerry 11:10

And I could be wrong and tell me if I am. I would think that I I'm surprised that it, it be stopped in August completely. I would think that even though I know it's not your decision, I would think some of those people would still want you to come out today once a month, you know, does that, do you have that same feeling and it's not on a sales aspect, it's almost like a preventive maintenance aspect. It's worth something.

Sean 11:44

Yeah. I mean, it's definitely a good security blanket. I mean, I, you know, I started selling the electrostatic guns and the disinfectants and educating and training, you know, the customers in our area, my distributors and things like that. But I mean, yeah, you would think it was, I mean, they had already had general service companies that were probably doing the commercial cleaning anyways, so they just are letting them properly handle the general disinfecting. Now, since it's not as scary.

Jerry 12:11

I understand. there's not necessarily on this podcast, but in, in talking to different people, there's a percentage of me that just as scared, we're going to go back to something, not necessarily a pandemic, but another words we're falling back into some old mistakes. my favorite story is you still go back out and I'm sure it happens. You and it has nothing to do with customer. You still go to the restroom and they still don't have scans, soap, dispensers at work. You just, you just shake your head. Like what, what did we learn? Anything through the last two years? I guess that was the point I'm trying to make. It's just that sometimes I shake my head and go, I don't want to go back because we're too, I think sometimes, and probably has nothing to do with the chemical industry or sanitation. Sometimes we're too. It's not even political. We're too ignorant. We just all, oh, we got that problem taken care of. Now we'll go back to it.

Sean 13:11

It's a habit. You go back to your ways. Didn't do anything. You didn't think anything about it? I mean, the pandemic definitely scared everybody and you know, sanitizers soaps, but now you're listening to. So other podcasts where they're saying that, you know, the percentage of, of washing your hands is down there's national, you know, companies that have all this stock pile of sanitizers or whites or, or whatever it might be. It's like, okay, obviously we forgot what's happened. And we're just, we went back to old ways.

Jerry 13:38

Yeah, it's my number one fear personally. of course I have like you, I have an interest in it. I sell chemicals. Of course. I want people to continue to buy, but I hope we don't. We don't go back to, that again. Any other new things coming out in the industry for yourself or your company, if something you might be looking forward coming out next. I mean, we all don't want another pandemic, but, with rentals and stuff like that, have you gotten into pools at all? Because I know some people are looking at the pool services. Is that something big down there.

Sean 14:12

It is it's it's I guess it's kind of a niche thing. A lot of people have cool cleaning services that go that way. you know, I do have access to some pool chemicals. one of our bacteria products are used by some folks that will run those through the filter and they break down the organics and help to filter through and smoother. But yeah it's, I haven't really jumped into that too, too much. I deal with some casinos over in Mississippi and you know, they, they deal with some stuff like that, but it's usually almost, I think that's more of a raw material or a direct sale.

Jerry 14:41

Right. you know, Ecolab went into it and I've seen what they charge. I don't, understand it. It's, one of those other things that, you know, it's a lot of show with the dispenser and stuff like that, but it just comes down to putting it in at the correct time, I would think so.

Sean 14:57

I got some neat remote technology that I had read about where they get. You know, up in St. Paul, Minnesota, wherever a corporate is, but they could, they could test the pool water and they could inject the chemicals if they needed it. And I'm like, well, that's kind of, that's cutting edge. That's interesting.

Jerry 15:11

Most definitely. of course then there's, the cost for that dispenser. It doesn't matter what business we're in. There's a cost for that dispenser and it has to be covered. So, do you do many restaurants in hotels? I mean, casinos, are you doing just a casino? Are you doing the hotel at the casino?

Sean 15:27

Well, my background and I'll do all aspects. I mean, we've got the EVs team, we've got the housekeeping team, we've got the food and beverage. So I can pretty much as Ecolab would say, circle the customer, circle the globe. But, I can help them out in every direction.

Jerry 15:42

And you are the manufacturer. Of course you, you have distributors, you probably, you have to be the manufacturer. So, did your father help out a lot with that, with the chemistry and stuff like that or were you able to, take up, I'll use the word recipes along the way?

Sean 15:58

Right.

Jerry 15:59

So, yeah, because I used to work for an independent chemical manufacturer. And everybody wondered if we could be competitive against an Ecolab, and all you have to do is go back to the person who sells you the raw ingredients, and they'll show you how to make the product because they want to continue you selling the raw ingredients and stuff like that.

Sean 16:16

I got a couple of raw material guys that, you know, they have starter formulations and things like that, but we've always, you know, we'll take it into the lab and we've got a chemist and, and we'll, we'll look at stuff too. And I'm out in the field, I'm hearing what this is doing and that is doing so then I can come back and say, All right, this is the type of product we need. We've got some safe, molded, mildew products that we, that we're making with essential oils. So that's been a real big hit, especially for the vacation rental, because they're trying to get away from bleach and, you know, screwing up the carpet or uniforms or clothing. And, and I mean, bleach is, you know, it's corrosive, so it's damaging to materials in those properties to.

Jerry 16:51

Bleach has always been the most misused product in America. It's it's abuse very much, and it is very damaging and stuff like that.

Sean 16:59

Its cheap.

Jerry 17:01

And, they like it for that. So how Large is your geographic region?

Sean 17:05

I mean, I I've, I've got distributors out west. You know, California, and it's just whoever I've met through the industry. Cause I do a lot of vacation relative trade shows. When I do these trade shows, I, they see that I'm an expert in the industry and they want to get our products. And so then I'll start sending the products to them and then we can pick up distributors right now, mark and trying to get a new one over in Houston, um, vacation rental company. So our score go and our Kim's I'm and the drop and go product behind me, which is a new program I did. It's a cartridge system. So you drop in the cartridge in there and it releases to concentrate is tiny. So there's stuff like that. That makes sense to the vacation rental, because there were so remote, you know, they got a central warehouse, but then they can be 20, 30 miles down the road. So it's for these vacation rental beach properties or mountain homes, cabins, whatever it might be. And so if they go down the street slam on their brakes and they spill their liquid. they're kind of SOL they're going to have to go back to the warehouse refill, back up. So with my drop and go program that solid cartridge, they just bring it to the property, fill the spray bottle up with water, drop in the cartridge. And when they tighten it down, it releases the concentrate.

Jerry 18:12

Fascinating and then I know other people have tried something similar. How many items do you have in that line? I mean, I know you have a glass. Probably I have a neutral, cleaner. What other items do you have in that line?

Sean 18:25

That's simple because another thing that I trained with the short-term Airbnb's vacation rentals is to lighten the load. So we've got a glass multipurpose cleaner. We've got a degreaser. We've got the disinfectant and then we have a acid bathroom cleaner. So we try to just keep it minimal.

Jerry 18:40

It's the proper way I had so many places use way too many chemicals I got until you walk in there, they've got 10 different things. I'm like, I went in this one the other day and she had buddy jugs, the five gallon jugs and she had 10 products. I'm like, what are you doing? She's like, well, this cleaner likes this one. And this cleaner likes that one. I'm like, no, you got to dictate what they can use. Lower your inventory, your budget. I mean, this is coming out of your bottom line. So again, then it comes into training and education. Just getting them back on path. The first time I did a tour of a casino for chemicals went in this casino and they were just showing me what this had nothing to do with the hotel. This was just the casino floor, I should say. And the persons, they had a little cart just like in housekeeping type cart. And they took me back. They had 14 different products just for the casino floor. You know, they had a glass clean. And then they had a plexiglass cleaner and you're looking at them going really, you know, and they said, do you think he can save us money? I said, I don't have to quote you. All I have to do is get rid of half the existing products. Have you used them up? You're going to save a ton of money right there. So yeah, it's, it's keep it simple.

Sean 19:58

Yes you built the relationship right there. I mean, you're saving them money or eliminating products.

Jerry 20:02

And you're not trying to sell him something. You're trying to be the consultant, stuff like that.

Sean 20:07

Exactly.

Jerry 20:08

Well, as we're coming up toward the end, I always have to throw one odd question out along your way. Whose the biggest mentor or hero you've had along the wayof learning and because I have many. Have, you had, through the sales process possibly might be your father through manufacturing. Who do you look up to for advice still?

Sean 20:29

It's tough, you know, cause as along the way with different positions, I've had some, some managers that have really stood out and made a lasting impression on me. I've, had some VPs with Ecolab that I still connect with now that are just, just amazing people, you know, in general. So it's nice to stay in touch with them. My dad is a hard worker. He comes in, you know, the first one in the last one to leave, which I don't necessarily believe that philosophy. I work hard during the day, but he gave me a strong worth at work ethic. So there's the respect there. And it's, you know, I, I do a lot of reading. I work with some other professionals on the board with me. There's other owners that I've met that own vacation rental properties and distributors. a nice little group you link to.

Jerry 21:11

Great answer. I appreciate it. And I, I respect it as we close. How would some listener get a hold of you? especially now that you've shown me and introduced me to this new product line and stuff like that. If somebody would have a question about rentals or distribution, what's the best way to contact you

Sean 21:29

I mean, one of the easiest ways is just to go find me on LinkedIn. I mean, Sean Kemper is easy, but I mean, I have Kemper industries.com. I have ETI solutions.ceo. I mean, so you can reach me at, you know, Sean S E a N N E T I solutions.ceo. And, again, LinkedIn, I'm out there. I'm very visible.

Jerry 21:50

Well, I appreciate the time you've given me today. I've learned a lot. I hope other people listening have learned more about the industry about yourself. I appreciate you joining me today. I hope you have a great day and a great weekend and please stay in touch and, I will follow up with you as well.

Sean 22:09

No, I appreciate it, say Jerry that was fun.

Jerry 22:11

Have a great day. Thank you I want to thank Sean for being here today. You really exemplifies what we're trying to do. Here's a gentleman who has a company manufacturing and he went out and found a new marketplace by honing in on going after the short term rentals and vacation properties throughout the south. Done a great job with that. I also wish today to Thank you. The listeners for joining us. As we're slowly and subscribers to our show currently we're on most podcast apps now, including iTunes. If you have time, please like, and share any of our episodes. Also I promise you something special. If you hung around. If you're one of the first people who sign up today at hospitality cleaning 100. Sign up for my newsletter. I will send you a $10 gift certificate to Amazon. No strings attach. If you go to the site, hospitality cleaning one-on-one within 10 or 15 seconds, a pop-up will come up. Just sign up, not selling anything not selling your name. What we're trying to do is build up a list so that I can give you advance warning. When new podcasts are coming out of new things or added new blogs onto my website. I hope you have a great day. Continue to wash your hands, stay safe. And thank you.