My PWNA membership is about to expire.

Clean County PW

Active member
I just received a notice in the mail from the PWNA that my dues will be owed for 2008. To re-up I have to pay $350 and I have at most 90 days to renew or my membership will be voided/suspended.

Decisions decisions. On one breath $350 is not a whole heck of alot of money but the economy being the way it is every decreasing value US currency counts. I've been a PWNA member now for at least 8 consecutive years and the last two years have been somewhat of a disappointment to say the least.

So now there like a shell of what they were two short years ago. Can they turn it around...maybe. Is it worth $350 for me to stay on to find out?? Most likely not.

I always sang the praises about the PWNA back in the day when they deserved it and I also was a harsh critic of them when things got weren't going so well. I always felt I had that right since I was always an on time paying member. But to pay $350 now for not much return is a hard nut to swallow.

I decided I am going to wait to near the end of my 90 days to see what news they have to relay to the public. I am rooting for them to dig out of this rut they got themselves into and from what I last heard they do have that opportunity since some of the heavy financial burden they had has and is being taken care of.

Decisions decisions...............
 
John
I've never been a member and don't see any advantage to being one.

I joined the NJ Buisness and Industry Association and the benfit I get from them is discounted auto insurance (20%) and discounted workers comp (15%). Nobody can beat their price on these two insurance policies.

If pwna offered something like that on Liability Insurance or some other useful thing like discounts on Ford trucks I might consider but it seems to me to be a very disorganized organization that wants my money and I get nothing.

So far you gave them around $2800.00, what did you get?
 
John
I've never been a member and don't see any advantage to being one.

I joined the NJ Buisness and Industry Association and the benfit I get from them is discounted auto insurance (20%) and discounted workers comp (15%). Nobody can beat their price on these two insurance policies.

If pwna offered something like that on Liability Insurance or some other useful thing like discounts on Ford trucks I might consider but it seems to me to be a very disorganized organization that wants my money and I get nothing.

So far you gave them around $2800.00, what did you get?
I got a few jobs thru my membership over the years with one totaling up to about $13,000. For years my PWNA membership cost $195/yr and in that I got a year subscription to the "Cleaner Times" Magazine and of course my membership I always claimed as a business write off when Tax time came around.

Today the PWNA organization is nowhere near as good as it was just a couple of years ago. They are trying to re-group and hopefully they can turn it around. Until then there is not much that they are offering. What they really need is to come out somewhere with some positive news.......
 
I would wait and see if they make it better and turn it around.

If they do, then I am sure you could join, if not, smaller groups are starting to try to get setup all around the country as local organizations. You could even start one up for your area since you already have a lot experience and know what you want and expect.

Kind of like what Celeste is doing for the Carolina's.
 
John,
I'm in the same boat as you. My membership fees are due April 1. I'm electing to not rejoin as the only benefit I have ever received as a member was a subscription to Cleaner Times. The only job referral I have EVER seen from PWNA was that RFP for Wal Mart last year (big joke). I have many commercial accounts, and have pointedly asked the PM's about PWNA. All I ever heard was "whats that?" $350 for a year of nothing is crazy. I'll spend the $350 on advertising instead, because thats always money well spent.

On a side note, I received my bill from them in a hand written envelope from St. Paul, MN. I know the address to be the headquarters for Roof to Deck Restoration and headquarters for Mike Hilborn. Is this now the headquarters address for PWNA?? Too many questions and not enough answers. I'll wait and rejoin in the future if it looks like they're turning things in the right direction.
 
Most know my roller coaster history with the PWNA...I did get out before the train wreck though. John, bottom line is, if you still believe that YOU and your business have received ANY kind of benefit from your participation (and I don't mean just monetary), then the answer is a no-brainer.

I'll be quite up front......if the PWNA would clear the Exec Committee and the BOD of ALL past participants and start brand new & fresh, I would likely send a check. But leave one name that has any tainted history in any perceived manner and nothing will ever change and I'm not hopping back on the bus of doom.

Celeste
 
Hey John...I feel your pain. When i was a member i usually paid my dues at the convention. Unfortunetly i had to cancel at the last minute for the back east convention and simply forgot to reup. I never got a 90 day notice, a cancellation notice, or even a audios and goodby. To this day i have not received any correspondance from PWNA.Now if they told me i can go to a convention sit at the bar and BS with you and your bride,im good to go.And i still covet your "red rig". Dan Cosgrove
 
Danny boy--you are a legend. Where has all the good times gone and may they come back again. My bride and I would love to share some drinks with you again in the future...and man was that great when the Prosoco guy was picking up the tab...SWEET:)

I've joined two other orgs which I am now marketing on some brochures and soon to be on my websites. The PWNA I am leaning towards renewing mainly for two reasons. One I still Market them and the other one is because I hate to see them just go poof and disappear. To many people put in there blood sweat and tears in the past to see this org thru. I may be one of the few that was given a ciest and desist letter when I was on the board but I did make it thru the end of my term which seemed to be a rarity then.

Hopefully they can turn it around and I feel the pain for the few that are trying to do this....I wish them luck.
 
Board members received cease and desist letters?
 
Board members received cease and desist letters?
I did and its a long story but it never mattered then. I did what I had to do regardless and it all worked out for both sides. It was just mass confusion that caused that letter to go out to me and its like they say "Its water under the bridge"......................
 
John, you are a good and loyal guy. Honestly man, there is such a thing as throwing good money after bad. Your annual donation to the PWNA is not going to mean anything if everyone else is continuing to jump ship. Like has been mentioned above, if the PWNA can get its act together at a later date, you can always rejoin.
 
Back
Top