From Technical Expert to Innovation Leader: Avi Yeshurun Leads the Cleaning Revolution

In the cleaning industry, when discussing the revolution in professional cleaning, one name comes up repeatedly – Avi Yeshurun. The man who began his career as an electronics technician and developed a career managing a large and challenging technical field, has become an innovation leader in an area no one thought would be a focus for technological advancement – the world of cleaning.

In his dual role as Head of Innovation Technology & Integration and Manager of the Haifa and the North Branch at TAVAS, Yeshurun oversees a team of 850 employees and a growing community of innovation. He clearly describes the professional journey that led him here, a journey that began at Cellcom nearly two decades ago.

“I was at Cellcom for 18 years”, he shares with a smile, “and I always looked for ways to introduce innovation and technology into everything I did.” This spark ignited fully when he decided to make a change in his life and look for work in the northern region, closer to his home.

An introductory meeting arranged for him at a coffee shop in Yokneam changed the course of his professional life. “I met with Ilan Shimoni, CEO of TAVAS, at Aroma in Yokneam,” he recalls. “Within a short time, I knew I wanted to work with a special personality like Ilan.”

When he joined TAVAS in 2016 as the first Northern Branch Manager, the office was small, modest, and combined with the materials distribution warehouse. But the vision was enormous. Yeshurun entered the professional cleaning field without prior experience, but with a passion to learn the intricacies of the profession in depth and apply his technical and managerial knowledge to a new world.

“I learned from the field”, he explains, “I dove into this world, learned every corner and niche, and quickly realized there was an opportunity to introduce innovation to a field typically perceived as traditional”.

This opportunity became his life’s mission. As Head of Innovation Technology & Integration at TAVAS, he tours cleaning exhibitions worldwide, meets with manufacturers in China and Europe, and brings the most advanced technologies to where they are most needed.

Recently, he returned from ISSA’s mega-exhibition in Shanghai, where he was particularly impressed by the development of robotics and AI technologies. He speaks professionally about the new robots he plans to bring to Israel: “The shortage of cleaning workers is a global problem, and autonomous robots are an important part of the solution”.

But it’s not just about workers; Yeshurun believes that technology also enables more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and safer cleaning for employees. “When we introduce a robot that can clean large floor areas, or a high-reach steam system that eliminates the need to climb ladders, we’re not just improving efficiency – we’re also protecting our workers”.

Yeshurun’s achievements in the field of innovation have not gone unnoticed. The project he led to promote innovation implementation in the industry won first place in the Joint’s 360 program, the Technion, and the Ministry of Economy. After the holiday, he will lecture on innovation in the program’s 3rd cycle and has been invited to participate in a roundtable with government ministries to promote innovation in the public sector. Yeshurun is an active partner in the innovation leaders community of the service industries and promotes collaborations with leading importers and manufacturers.

His outlook for the industry’s future is optimistic yet pragmatic. “We will continue to face a shortage of manpower”, he predicts, “but technology will help us overcome this. In the near future, smart robots will perform a large part of cleaning tasks, from inspections to actual execution”.

Yeshurun presents his goals for the coming year clearly: “We have already held a very successful innovation conference for our company’s clients, and we are working on direct imports of innovative products at competitive prices”. He also describes the opening of TAVAS’s innovation community, which will include 18 innovation ambassadors from all branches.

As Passover approaches, bringing with it the traditional spring cleaning, Yeshurun offers some professional insights that can help us all. “Always start cleaning from top to bottom”, he advises, “so you don’t dirty what you’ve already cleaned.” He encourages the use of ecological materials available today in every retail chain and recommends natural vinegar for removing mold and lime-scale instead of harsh chemicals that harm the respiratory system.

He points out the advantages of a home steam machine in practical terms – “efficient technology for thorough disinfection and cleaning of sofas, mattresses, and sanitary equipment with relative ease”, he explains, drawing from rich professional experience in the field.

Perhaps it’s time to adopt Yeshurun’s approach – combining tradition with innovation, manual work with advanced technology. Whether it’s using a steam device or simply choosing ecological cleaning materials, we can make the cleaning experience a little easier, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly.

Just like Avi Yeshurun himself, perhaps we too can find ways to transform our daily tasks into an experience of innovation and renewal – exactly as symbolized by the spring festival of freedom that we celebrate.