Blog | 1-800-SWEEPER- Part 13

1-800-SWEEPER Blog

Saying Goodbye to Partner Debbie McCaskill

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It is with great sadness that we inform you Deborah Pace McCaskill, owner of SouthCo Commercial Curb Appeal in Darlington, SC, passed away on June 15, 2018.  Debbie fought a brave seven-year battle against metastatic cancer and departed peacefully, surrounded by her family.

Prior to running a sweeping business, Debbie was a dedicated educator for more than 16 years with the State of South Carolina.  Her students remember her providing them with respect, encouragement and opportunity. Debbie left teaching to support her late husband Dale McCaskill’s company, SouthCo in 1990. SouthCo provides commercial property maintenance, landscaping and sweeping services in the coastal portions of North and South Carolina.  Dale and Debbie worked side-by-side, building a successful business until Dale’s untimely death in November 2011.  Despite her cancer diagnosis, Debbie assumed full-time management of SouthCo after her husband’s death.  Debbie underwent extensive treatment and surgery but never lost her fighting spirit nor did she diminish her commitment to customers and employees.  She is remembered as a compassionate employer who shielded her employees during lean times and provided extra support for staff during times of need.

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Important Tech News: Avoid Your Company Website Appearing as “Not Secure” Beginning July 2018

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This important tech-related blog post is brought to you by NetTrack Marketing, our digital marketing vendor partner.


July is shaping up to be a milestone month for website owners and webmasters alike. All 1‑800‑SWEEPER partners should take note – effective July 2018, Google’s Chrome browser will begin explicitly marking all non-HTTPS websites as ‘Not secure.’

If you go to your website, and “https://” is not showing in your browser’s address bar, this change will (negatively!) impact your site.

Indications of an HTTPS secure website – note the green “secure” messaging and the website address beginning with “https://” – if you don’t see these indicators on your own website, this change is going to negatively impact your business!

Beginning with Google Chrome’s next version update in July, the new ‘Not secure’ warning/messaging for websites that are not utilizing HTTPS will look like this in a user’s browser:

Google Chrome identifies HTTP-only website as ‘Not secure’

As you can see, not properly updating your website for this critical change has the potential to seriously hurt your online presence.

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Being a 1-800-SWEEPER Partner – Priceless! [VIDEO]

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Prospective Partners considering joining 1-800-SWEEPER are sometimes surprised by how quickly the cost savings and marketing benefits add up. Check out this 1-minute recap video showcasing some of the benefits over 50 other best-in-industry owners already enjoy in the power-sweeping industry’s only co-op. We’re More Than a Number!

Keep your company name and enjoy the many benefits…

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More Than a Number – Why We Changed Our Slogan

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When the 1-800-SWEEPER co-op was created in 2011, our tagline “Nationwide Service Alliance” told a story about our goals- offering a coast to coast contingent of individually owned power sweeping service companies. In addition to sharing valuable knowledge, a joint marketing platform and buying group opportunities among the participating companies, “Nationwide Service Alliance” showcased our ability to service multiple locations using a unified billing and providing consistent service.

As the organization evolved, adding new sweeping Partner companies along the way, we added “Experience the Difference!” as our slogan. This update recognized that as “insiders”, we knew the benefits but potential customers should look at things that set us apart from others in the industry. Customers looking for sweeping services – or potential Partners thinking about joining the organization should take a closer look at 1-800-SWEEPER to appreciate attributes that set our organization and our members apart.

Recently, we realized that some in the industry had a perception – really a mis-perception – that our recognizable toll-free number was “THE ONLY” benefit of joining 1-800-SWEEPER.

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Look Who’s Turning Forty!

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Milestones are something to celebrate. And Progressive Sweeping Contractors, LLC. headquartered out of Toledo, Ohio just hit the 4-decade marker.

Started by 1-800-SWEEPER Board President, Mike Lucht in 1978 with a single sweeper truck, ProSweep is celebrating its 40-year anniversary in March 2018.

Over the years, Prosweep has grown from a 1-truck operation to a multi-city operation with a second location in Redford Michigan, outside Detroit. The Redford operation is helmed by one of Mike’s sons, Jason. To help commemorate the milestone, their website www.ProSweep.com was completely overhauled.

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