Jay Skinner came to Cleaning Processes with Jerry through a referral from Brad Anderson at Royce Rolls — if you haven't heard Brad's episode yet, go back two and check it out.

Jay is the Marketing & Sales Manager at Integrity Commercial Products, the proprietary product arm of Integrity Rotational Molding. Owner Terry Stemple — 25 years in custom rotational molding — brought Jay in last June to launch a line of heavy-duty waste receptacles, tilt trucks, and dunnage racks built to NSF, USDA, and FDA standards. Jay spent 30 years in plastic pallets before this, including a startup called Stratus Plastic Pallets that owned the URL pallets.com back in 1993, before most people knew what a URL was.

What we covered:

• Why Jay scrapped the direct-sales playbook and went all-in on manufacturer's reps
• The 85 booth swipes at ISSA Vegas that completely rewired his go-to-market plan
• The structure: manufacturer → rep → distributor → end user, and who pays who
• How he built the rep network region by region — Buzzeo and Associates in the Midwest, Lifespace Innovation Group on the East Coast, Genesis Supply in Florida and the Caribbean, Durable Safety Products in the Southwest, RPM Co. across Texas and the Plains, and Clint Close in Iowa
• Why regional relationships and "the language" of a territory matter more than most manufacturers think
• Building a website where reps and customers can grab brochures without playing "go fish" with their suppliers
• Terry Stemple's working definition of integrity: "What you do when nobody's watching."

Quick note from Jerry: I had to wrap this one a little faster than I wanted — I was in a rented studio, and the next session was knocking at the door. Jay was a good sport about it, and he'll be back on the show down the road for the longer version of this conversation.

Connect with Jay: Jay Skinner, Marketing & Sales Manager Integrity Commercial Products, Plainfield, IN Cell: 317.922.7526 | Work: 317.837.1960 ext. 210 JSkinner@ICP-Sales.com IntegrityCommercialProducts.com

Got a story worth telling in cleaning? I'd love to have you on. Drop me a line — the door is always open.

Head over to HospitalityCleaning101.com and check out the new resources page while you're there.

Want to level up your operation?

Visit HospitalityCleaning101.com — home to 120+ practical, no‑nonsense articles on cleaning, sanitation, and chemical management built specifically for hospitality and food service pros.

If you’re looking to break into the hospitality market, check out the consulting page to see how Jerry partners with manufacturers and distributors to build real traction and real revenue.

Jerry Bauer
Hospitality Cleaning 101
Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com

Episode Title

Who Squeezed My Lemons? Turning Grit, Risk, and Real-Life Lessons Into a Book with Eric Montes

📄 Episode Description

In this episode of Cleaning Processes with Jerry, Jerry reconnects with longtime industry colleague Eric Montes—chemical‑industry veteran and now author of Who Squeezed My Lemons: 100 Unfiltered Truths About Grit, Risk, and Turning Sour Into Sweet in Business and Life.

Eric shares the story behind writing his first book, why he kept the project secret until the final days, and how a single viral LinkedIn post sparked the idea to turn years of personal notes into a published work. He talks openly about vulnerability, authenticity, and why short‑form, straight‑to‑the‑point content resonates in 2026.

Jerry and Eric also dig into:

• How Who Moved My Cheese inspired the structure of the book
• The power of capturing ideas in your phone’s Notes app
• Why perfection is the enemy of shipping meaningful work
• The emotional side of creating public content
• How Eric’s company, Magnus, built a razor–blade recurring‑revenue model in a commoditized chemical market
• The importance of trust, storytelling, and staying connected with good people

Follow Eric on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmmontes/

🍋 Special Listener Giveaway

Want a chance to win a free copy of Who Squeezed My Lemons?

Email Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com with the subject line LEMON and you’ll be entered into a drawing to have a copy of the book sent directly to you.

Want to level up your operation?

Visit HospitalityCleaning101.com — home to 120+ practical, no‑nonsense articles on cleaning, sanitation, and chemical management built specifically for hospitality and food service pros.

If you’re looking to break into the hospitality market, check out the consulting page to see how Jerry partners with manufacturers and distributors to build real traction and real revenue.

Jerry Bauer
Hospitality Cleaning 101
Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com

We trace the stainless path from a rolling mop bucket to a century-long presence in healthcare and education, guided by end-user feedback and an engineer’s eye for design. Brad Anderson shares how modular carts, autoclavable builds, and a reseller-first approach keep a legacy brand future-ready.

• mission to connect the cleaning ecosystem
• origin of the rolling ringer mop and down-press design
• why 304 stainless steel and how to spot grades
• VA partnership history and scope
• modular carts, autoclavable options, and retrofits
• bestsellers like the TP2 dispenser and F36 cart
• direct plus distribution strategy and partner support
• culture of long tenure, humility, and shop-floor learning
• trade shows as a feedback engine and growth lever
• legacy, succession, and a modern 100-year-old startup

Please subscribe, like, and share
If you have a question that you would like answered on the show, then just please make that request in advance
If you have any questions, ideas, or comments, or would like to become a guest, please send an email to Jerry at hospitalitycleaning101.com

Want to level up your operation?

Visit HospitalityCleaning101.com — home to 120+ practical, no‑nonsense articles on cleaning, sanitation, and chemical management built specifically for hospitality and food service pros.

If you’re looking to break into the hospitality market, check out the consulting page to see how Jerry partners with manufacturers and distributors to build real traction and real revenue.

Jerry Bauer
Hospitality Cleaning 101
Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com