The Award wording, as presented by Ranger Kidwell-Ross, the Editor of WorldSweeper.com and Director of the World Sweeping Association:
Everyone in this room knows this year's winner of our Award of Excellence in Power Sweeping. Today we are honoring a company that's over 100 years old and that makes sweepers that many, if not most, of you have operated at one time or another through your years in the sweeping industry.
The company was founded in 1914 by pioneering automobile enthusiast John Murphy, who was a resident and alderman of the town of Elgin, IL. Mr. Murphy recognized the serious health hazards caused by polluted streets and set out to invent the world's first machine that would automatically pick up street debris.
Just before World War I Mr. Murphy brought his design for the first mechanized sweeper to American Tower and Tank Company of Elgin. After two years of trials with the original design, the company was ready to go to market. After a couple years of testing, the first motor sweeper, a three-wheeled machine, was sold in April 1914 to the City of Boise, ID.
Although unquestionably a worthy recipient as a result of what the company has brought to the power sweeping industry in the 105 years since it was started, they were chosen as this year's Award recipient for another specific reason.
This year's Award recognizes the extraordinary expenditure of effort and investment the company made during the development of its newest product, the RegenXTM. To come up with a final design for its RegenX product, the company's representatives traversed the United States, speaking to hundreds of customers at all levels within the street sweeping industry, both municipal and contractor, in pursuit of what it termed "true voice-of the-customer insights."
For its willingness to conduct such extensive, real-world prototype testing and feedback before bringing its RegenX model to market, at this time it is my great honor to present the WorldSweeper.com/World Sweeping Association's 2020 Award of Excellence in Power Sweeping, the United States power sweeping industry's highest honor, to Federal Signal Corporation's Elgin Sweeper Company.
The Award was accepted by the General Manager of Elgin Sweeper Company, Mike Higgins, along with two key members of the Elgin Team.
Read the full press release here.