American Laundry News - May 2018

WILMINGTON, Mass. — UniFirst Corp., a North American provider of customized work uniform programs, corporate attire and facility service products, has been recognized for the second time in two years as a 2020 Women on Boards Winning Company, the company reports.

Winning companies are recognized for championing diversity with their boards of directors by having 20% or more of board seats held by women.

“We’re incredibly honored to be recognized, once again, by 2020 Women on Boards for our commitment to board diversity,” says UniFirst Executive Vice President and board member Cynthia Croatti. “We hope that more companies, both large and small, will embrace corporate diversity and continue to advance women to positions of leadership. Good corporate decision-making requires the ability to hear and consider diverse points of view. It’s just smart business.”

UniFirst says women currently make up 29% of those who have a seat on its board of directors. ALN

From healthcare to high-end hotels

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — Jason Holmbo, director of Kalispel Linen Services, sees his operation here as unique, a bright star in the Pacific Northwest.

Many laundry directors likely consider their operations to be special, but Holmbo has good reason for his viewpoint.

“From an operations standpoint, we are kind of a unique plant because we process both healthcare and high-end hotel linen, which is truly at both ends of the scale,” he says.

It’s especially unique since the laundry operation, part of the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, has only been online since 2012.

And its new facility just opened in 2016.

“The plant in its current state has a capacity of 30 million (pounds), which is

a luxury almost unheard of for most laundries,” Holmbo says. “And in the 18 months this plant has been open, we have been able to receive HLAC (Healthcare Laundry

Accreditation Council) accreditation, which makes us the only facility in Eastern

Proactive PR in laundry/linen industry

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — On a normal, day-to-day basis, laundry/linen services are focused on processing soiled goods and providing clean, quality textiles to their customers.

Public relations (PR) isn’t likely top of mind.

However, Jerry Martin, vice president of sales and marketing for Prudential Overall Supply in Irvine, Calif., believes it’s important for businesses to have some type of PR outreach plan to highlight the positive things that it is doing for employees, customers and the local community.

“There should be some kind of a structure in place in order to address whatever your

outreach might be, like any business, not specifically just to our industry,” he says.

Katie Garcia, account manager for Sturges Word Communications in Kansas City, Mo., a marketing communications company that

Panel of Experts

Our experts offer insights on using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking in linen services.

works with laundry/linen services, agrees that every business or organization should have media relationships.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

UniFirst again honored by 2020 Women on Boards

Inspected and Confirmed Sharing the value of accreditation/certification with current and potential customers.

Experts say businesses should have public relations strategies at all times

Kalispel Linen Services has carved a unique niche for itself in Eastern Washington

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Kalispel Linen Services/Tribal Economic Authority personnel (from left): Teresa Mally, laundry manager; Jason Holmbo, laundry director; Amber Reese, laundry supervisor; and Tim Nydegger, executive director of small business operations. (Photo: Kalispel Linen Services)

MISSION, Kan. — The American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) and the International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM) have completed life-cycle research on behalf of the textile services industry, showing a sustainability advantage of reusable surgical gowns over disposables, ARTA reports.

The study was conducted by Environmental Clarity LLC.

“The results of the surgical gown LCA (lifecycle analysis) support the conclusions from six other reusable/disposable studies that showed reusables provide a significant improvement in energy, environmental footprint, water and energy-associated emissions,” says Michael Overcash, Ph.D., of Environmental Clarity.

Disposable and reusable surgical gowns were studied from their inception as raw materials in the earth to manufacture of the coverall product, to use/reuse, then to final end-oflife disposition. The scope and the results emphasize transparent, science-based life-cycle analysis.

ARTA says the study found that choosing reusable isolation gowns instead of disposable alternatives decreases the environmental footprint by:

• 64% lower natural resource energy consumption.

• 66% lower greenhouse gas emissions (measured as CO2 equivalent emissions).

• 87% lower total water consumed (blue water).

• 83% lower solid waste generation at healthcare facility.

According to ARTA, end users can count these improvements as a credit toward improving their sustainability programs.

In the study, ARTA says surgical gowns were first defined as single-piece, size extra-large (XL) or one-size-fits-most, long-sleeve tie-up

garments with ANSI/AAMI level 3 barrier protection rating.

The functional unit, or basis of comparison, was 1,000 surgical gown uses in an operating room setting. For the reusable gowns, this was 16.7 new gowns each used for 60 cycles. For the disposable gowns, this was 1,000 new gowns.

The reusable surgical gown market was compared to the disposable surgical gown market based on a set of representative gowns.

The representative reusable gowns weighed 474 grams (17 ounces) and were composed primarily of woven polyester fabric in the noncritical zones. The critical zones contained a barrier material sandwiched between two layers of knit polyester fabric.

Two barrier materials were considered and weighted based on market use: an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) barrier and a breathable polyurethane (PU) barrier membrane.

The impact of the barrier material used

was small, because the barrier materials made up only 5% by weight of the gowns.

The representative disposable gowns weighed 224 grams (7.9 ounces) and were composed primarily of nonwoven polyester in the non-critical zones and laminated with polypropylene film in the critical zones.

The reusable and disposable gown systems were compared on a cradle-to-end-of-life basis. The starting point for analysis was natural resources in the earth, such as fossil materials and ores. The entire supply systems required to manufacture a final surgical gowns and packaging were included.

The use phase included laundry and wastewater treatment for reusable gowns and sterilization for all gowns. The endof-life phases included landfill for both reusable and disposable gowns.

Recovery of lost instruments was also included for disposable gowns, as instruments are often sent to the landfill with disposable textiles, such as drapes, towels and gowns.

A second end-of-life scenario was considered for reusable gowns in which the gowns were reused in other industries.

Transportation was included within each of the applicable stages of the life cycle.

The study was organized by ARTA’s LCA Committee, which contracted with the independent research firm Environmental Clarity. The research team included Overcash, Eric Vozzola and Evan Griffing. The LCA Committee members and sponsors include:

• Myles Noel of the International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM)

• Duane Houvener of ADI American Dawn

• Janice Larson of Encompass Group

• Robert Long of the European Textile Services Association (ETSA)

• Scott Delin of Fashion Seal Healthcare

• Shelley Petrovskis of Lac-Mac Ltd.

• Brendan O’Neill of London Hospital Linen Service, and ARTA president

• Dan Sanchez of Medline Industries

• Joseph Ricci of TRSA

An abstract on the study is available at www. ARTA1.com.

ALN

CORRECTION

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein

Phone: 312-361-1682

E-Mail: dfeinstein@ ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs

Phone: 312-361-1683

E-Mail: bbeggs@ ATMags.com

Editor

Matt Poe

Phone: 866-942-5694

E-Mail: mpoe@ ATMags.com

Production Manager Roger Napiwocki

Digital

Media Director

Nathan Frerichs

Phone: 312-361-1681

E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

Advisory Board

Jim Buik • Greg Gurtler

Phil Hart • Janice Larson

Tom Marks • Gerard O’Neill Richard Warren

Main Phone: 312-361-1700 Fax: 312-361-1685

Subscriptions

630-739-0900 x100 www.americanlaundrynews.com

American Laundry News (ISSN 1091-9201) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S. 1 year $46.00; 2 years $92.00. Foreign, 1 year $109.00; 2 years $218.00. Single copies: U.S. $9.00; Foreign $18.00.

Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Laundry News Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 44, number 5. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Laundry News is distributed selectively to qualified laundry and linen management and distributors in the United States.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2018. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Laundry News does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within.

Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Laundry News or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

MEMBERSHIPS

Due to an editorial department error, the listing for Texas Microfiber Inc. was inadvertently omitted from the March Buyer’s Guide issue. American Laundry News regrets the error and apologizes for any inconvenience it may have caused. ALN

Life-cycle analysis supports the conclusions from six other reusable/disposable studies on the advantage of reusable surgical gowns for sustainability. (Photo: ARTA)

Milnor has a better solution through dilution.

When Milnor introduced PulseFlow® technology, CBW® washing was thrust into the future. The idea of balancing time, temperature, mechanical action and chemistry was missing one critical piece of the pie – DILUTION through the efficient use of water.

PulseFlow combines the innovative RecircONE® fast wet down and chemical immersion in the first module with standing bath washing in every spacious process module. Thorough and efficient dilution occurs by way of intermittent high velocity counterflow rinsing and traditional True Top Transfer.

The result is hygienically clean linen using less water (as low as 0.3 gallons per pound/2.5 liters per kilogram) and less energy as proven time and again by hundreds of PulseFlow tunnels in a variety of laundry applications worldwide.

Contact an authorized Milnor distributor or call 504-712-7656 to find out more.

www.milnor.com

Promotional strategies

In the laundry/linen service industry, promotion is vital.

No, I’m not talking about personnel promotions (although it is a good thing for employees to take initiative and move up in the ranks; you can check out some company moves on page 25). I’m talking about a commercial laundry company promoting itself, its services and its qualifications.

If you need an example, read the profile story starting on our cover about Kalispel Linen Services in Washington. Within a span of six years, the commercial laundry, part of the Kalispel Indian Tribe’s family of businesses, went from not existing to processing more than 10 million pounds of goods a year.

And they did it by promoting the fact that the Tribe conducts honest, customer-friendly busi-

The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

ness, and that principle carries over into the laundry business. Sometimes promotion is necessary to hold on to business, like a healthcare laundry being sure to have, and promote, accreditation and/or certification. Turn to page 14 to read how three laundries have shared and promoted the industry

designations they’ve earned.

It’s also a good idea for laundry/linen services to be active in public relations. The experts we talked to, starting on the cover, share how it’s important to foster good relationships with the media so that a company’s message and public perception is a good one—especially when the news isn’t so good.

Of course, suppliers want to promote their products to you, the laundry operator. We have a Product Showcase starting on page 18 highlighting flatwork folders. And I know our advertisers would appreciate you taking a look at what they have to offer throughout the issue.

If you don’t promote, you don’t get noticed.

And that’s one reason why I always remind everybody to keep it clean. ALN

ARCO/Murray completes renovation for Alsco

Upgrades part of 18th project in partnership between companies

HOUSTON — ARCO/Murray recently completed a 45,000-square-foot laundry renovation for the Alsco linen/uniform rental facility here, the national design and construction firm reports.

The project scope included upgrades to the storm and sanitary sewer, installation of a new wastewater pit, construction of new soil and clean docks, a complete office renovation, and the conversion of an existing dock location into a new building facade.

Construction was performed in multiple phases and took place while the facility was fully operational.

The project was a complete design/build solution with ARCO/Murray handling the architectural design, engineering and permitting. The company says Max Potvin was project manager and Alan Thompson served as project superintendent.

ARCO/Murray reports this is the 18th project it has delivered in partnership with Alsco. ALN

Employee-manager leadership lessons

A s a youth, I played a number of team sports. I found that we succeeded the most when the players worked well together as a team. Individual talent was important, but team spirit and unity were the most important factors. I carried this lesson into my career as a laundry manager.

Early on, I tended to downplay my role in the organization. I always thought my employees were looking to the corporate leaders or my immediate boss as the key representative of the company.

During my time in Milwaukee, Aurora Health Care did a number of surveys of their employees. These surveys gave me great insight into my employees, and the lessons I learned stayed with me for the rest of my working career.

The first lesson I learned was that when asked questions about leadership or those in charge of the direction of the healthcare company, they only focused on my performance. I was the top level of management. This lesson made me realize how important it was for me to personally keep my employees informed on everything that was going on, not only in the laundry, but also with other developments in the corporation.

The second major lesson I learned from the surveys was the reluctance of my employees to ask questions of management. They wanted to be informed and kept abreast of important developments but would never ask questions. This reluctance to ask questions was a part of their natural fear of authority.

I had always told my employees that I had an open-door policy, but this policy did not meet my employees’ needs. The door to my office was an insurmountable barrier to the majority of my staff. So, I looked for ways to find opportunities to improve communication with my employees.

I started eating lunch at the same time and place where my employees ate their lunch. I would talk to the employees about the weather or local upcoming events. I felt the need to break down that unnecessary barrier between my employees and me.

I made a habit of walking through the laundry every morning and saying good morning to the staff. I could tell from their broad smiles that they really appreciated the gesture.

Every summer I would personally cook the majority of the hot dogs and hamburgers served to the employees on Employee Appreciation Day. I tried to build a strong relationship with my staff.

WEBSITES

When winter came and the snow made driving hazardous, my staff would show up for work because they knew they were an essential part of a healthcare team. I made sure to thank each and every employee for their efforts. My official policy was to forgive tardiness on snow days, but only under the worst of conditions would I forgive absences.

As the years went by, I was convinced that the respect I showed to my employees, the open and honest communication, resulted in a lower turnover rate and a more productive staff. Each laundry employee felt like they were an essential member of a team.

Eric Frederick served 44 years in laundry management before retiring and remains active in the industry as a laundry operations consultant. You can contact him by email at elfrederick@cox.net, or by phone at 540-520-6288.

From

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

Kalispel

Washington to have this and it’s something we are proud of.”

Tim Nydegger, executive director of small business operation for the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority (KTEA), says the laundry is part of the Tribe’s wide range of business interests.

“KTEA ensures overall economic success and diversification for the Tribe, with the ultimate goal of providing stability for essential tribal healthcare, education and social service needs,” he says.

Prior to the development of Kalispel Linen Services, Nydegger says KTEA had expertise in tribal gaming, resort operation, food and beverage, spa services, and entertainment, in addition to successful operation of several other small businesses, including two Chevron fuel stations and convenience stores.

But not linen services.

KTEA’s foray into commercial linen began as a necessity, he says, when the Tribe wasn’t able to source quality linen services for Northern Quest Resort & Casino, its four-diamond, four-star resort.

“Initially, we didn’t have any experience in commercial laundry,” shares Nydegger. “The majority of what we knew came from being a client and purchasing laundry services from other third-party vendors. In 2010 when our hotel first opened, we didn’t have any laundry facilities in-house.”

He says that Northern Quest only uses the finest linens for its 250 rooms and suites. However, the resort’s linen inventory had to be replaced on a regular basis because of damage, which became quite costly.

“The linens were not being delivered back to us in the condition we expected,” says Nydegger. “They didn’t meet our standards, and we certainly weren’t willing to pass along those conditions to our guests. Once we realized there was a pattern and the linens were consistently not meeting our expectations, we knew we had to make a change.”

After some extensive market research, he says KTEA hired someone who had commercial laundry expertise and built its first, small operation, an internal facility of 7,500 square feet.

“Within a few months, we realized a return on investment, not only by reducing our number of linens that didn’t meet our four-diamond standards and saving the Tribe money, but by ensuring we have accurate inventory levels at all times,” shares Nydegger.

But the Tribe immediately saw the potential of expanded laundry operations. As a former laundry client, he says KTEA was familiar with the market and knew there was an opportunity to fill a niche.

“Because of our own experience, we knew there was a gap in the marketplace and that there weren’t a lot of commercial linen options in the Spokane region,” says Nydegger. “We put together a business case study and explored the idea of building a much larger facility on our property that could service several million pounds of laundry.”

In addition, KTEA identified potential clients in the area and began some initial fact-finding discussions that were positively received.

“We identified several areas, but healthcare organizations floated to the top just because of the sheer volume of laundry and

the prescribed way the laundry must be processed,” says Nydegger.

He says KTEA was able to secure a major client and then build its larger, high-tech commercial laundry facility with a focused attention to quality, detail and customer service.

“Our new facility was specifically designed to meet all healthcare requirements,” shares Nydegger. “We’re the only purpose-built facility in our area that is able to process both healthcare and four-diamond hospitality linens at the same time.”

Since the new facility opened, he says the laundry has brought on additional pieces of equipment that allow it to provide a consistently high-quality product.

“We currently have three Hypro 141 ironing lines with both JENSEN as well as Chicago finishing equipment,” Holmbo says. “On the wash aisle side of things, an ETECH rail system is feeding an eight-mod (Milnor) PulseFlow with five batch dryers, along with both Ellis and Milnor washerextractors.”

Nydegger says the new facility features environmentally friendly machines with the highest energy-efficiency levels available to conserve natural gas and water.

Besides the energy-efficient equipment, he says the plant also has an energy reuse system.

“When the Kalispel Tribe designed the facility two years ago, the full intent was to minimize our carbon footprint and ensure that the equipment and the operation was environmentally friendly and sustainable,” shares Nydegger. “Our water conservation ratios are very good, and we always look for opportunities to reduce the impact to our environment.”

The new plant has 45,000 square feet under roof, Holmbo shares. Of the total square footage, 30,000 are being used for production at this time. The other 15,000 square feet have been set aside for future expansion when the need presents itself.

The facility is currently processing around 10-11 million pounds annually through a seven-day-a-week, single-shift operation, he says. Nydegger adds that the linen service has a combination of 70 part-time and full-time team members.

“The design and layout of our new stateof-the-art facility helps ensure that all of our linens are separated by barriers,” says Nydegger. “Most of the linens we process are customer-owned goods. We have procedures in place that ensure separation of the hospital-grade laundry from the hospitality linens. Thanks to the design of our facility, we’re able to maintain functional separation of linens.”

Not only are goods processed in stateof-the-art machines, pickup, tracking and delivery are state-of-the-art as well.

“All linen is scanned in using a bar-code system, tracked throughout the production process and then all the way back to the customer’s door,” Nydegger says. “We partner with our clients to identify locations and times that work best for their pickup and delivery needs, and have implemented technology systems that allow us to track our clients’ goods. We also are able to provide real-time tracking of those goods throughout the processing cycle.”

He says the linen service expanded its client list and markets served by utilizing previous long-term relationships the Tribe had built within the community.

“The Kalispel Tribe has a reputation for running quality businesses in an ethical and efficient manner,” shares Nydegger. “We approach each client, no matter their spe-

cialty, with a focus on collaboration and partnership. Add that to our convenient location and availability to provide high levels of customer service to clients and make last-minute deliveries for changes in volume needs, and you have successful two-way client-vendor partnerships.”

As with any service business, he says Kalispel Linen Services will continue to identify opportunities within the marketplace and approach those businesses it believes can benefit from another choice in commercial laundry service.

“Our approach has always been peopleand relationship-based,” says Nydegger.

“We discuss the needs of our clients and are transparent in our business practices, which allows us to forge great partnerships and find the best ways to provide the services they need.”

Like Holmbo, he sees a bright future for Kalispel Linen Services.

“We’re proud of our community and the high-quality services we provide,” shares Nydegger. “We think we have a great opportunity to grow our business and work with additional partners. We are poised and ready for growth and have the capacity, quality and expertise to continue experiencing success.”

The new plant is less than 2 years old and features state-of-the-art equipment. (Photos: Kalispel Linen Services)

The linen service utilizes an eight-module tunnel washer.

Finishing goods well is important for the laundry, since it serves the Kalispel four-diamond, four-star resort.

Tools f the Trade

Diversey, a provider of cleaning and hygiene technologies, has introduced its IntelliLinen laundry dispenser powered by Diversey’s Internet of Clean (IoC), the company reports.

The IntelliLinen system provides real-time and remote transparency of energy and water consumption, chemical accuracy, machine downtime and day-to-day operational costs to prevent costly disruptions and errors within laundry operations, according to Diversey.

“Technology for laundry operations needs to evolve in order for businesses to improve productivity,” says Hans de Ridder, vice president, global fabric care and laundry platform. “By harnessing the power of the IoC, IntelliLinen dispensers pull essential data for managers to bring laundry care to a whole new level.”

Part of Diversey’s Internet of Clean™ platform, the

Standard Textile and Precision Fabrics Group report that a clinical trial evaluating DermaTherapy® technology, published in the November 2017 issue of the American Journal of Critical Care, concluded: “The use of specialty linens in addition to standard techniques for preventing pressure injuries can help prevent pressure injuries from developing in high-risk patients in intensive care units.”

Authors of the study were from Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan.

Standard Textile says DermaTherapy® is the first and only silk-like therapeutic bedding linens to receive FDA 510(k)1 clearance as a Class I medical device that helps to reduce the likelihood of patients developing pressure injuries.

IntelliLinen dispenser connects to any mobile device to give teams visibility of the entire wash process together with actionable insights. It highlights where laundry managers can reduce water and energy consumption, where chemical dosage can be more accurate, rewash levels can be reduced, which machines are being underutilized or creating bottlenecks, where hygiene compliance is compromised, and more.

The company says this in-depth insight helps minimize disruptions and improves a laundry’s wash results, productivity, budget control, sustainability and hygiene compliance.

“Whether used by on-premises laundries at hotels or hospitals, or industrial facilities servicing numerous organizations, IntelliLinen enhances control over, and improves the transparency of, the laundry operation,” adds de Ridder.

www.diversey.com 800-668-7171

The Colmac CHS-2 Jr. has been added to the Colmac Automated Hangering System (CHS-2) line of finishing products, says Colmac Industries, which produces garment finishing equipment, and automated soil-sorting and -counting for the laundry industry.

The new CHS-2 Jr. continues to offer improved operator productivity over traditional manual

garment-hanging methods in a smaller space, the company says.

The CHS-2 Jr. offers a reduced footprint, compared to other systems, consuming as little as 4 by 4 feet, and allows users to easily change hanger size/type.

Operators expect to achieve 300-plus garments per hour using the redesigned machine, Colmac says. www.colmacind.com 800-926-5622

Nearly 4,000 patients were included in the evaluation of DermaTherapy® on the rate of pressure injuries (PIs) in high-risk patients in the cardiovascular and surgical intensive care units at the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich.

According to the study, the 46% reduction of posterior PIs led to a potential cost savings for the health system of nearly $4 million. The article states that “cost savings more than covered the increased cost of the specialty linens.”

In addition, Michigan Medicine’s laundry manager, Rolando Croocks, indicated in the article that the specialty linens have withstood “repeated use and laundering for three times longer than cotton linens.”

www.standardtextile.com 800-306-6366

Hydro Systems, a manufacturer of proportioning and dispensing systems, has introduced EvoClean, a venturi-based, water-powered laundry dispenser for on-premises laundry (OPL) applications with three to eight chemical products, the company reports.

“The EvoClean is revolutionary because unlike other laundry dispensers, it does not require squeeze tubes. This drives dramatic reductions in service parts and maintenance costs,” says John Goetz, global product manager.

According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, water represents more than half of a laundry’s total operating costs. To reduce water and energy consumption, Hydro Systems says the EvoClean employs an eductor that restricts water flow to 0.5 GPM or 1.0 GPM (nominally) and forgoes the use of AC and DC motors, which require more power to operate.

The company says EvoClean is 50% lighter than other tra-

ditional peristaltic pumps and takes up less space within a laundry facility, leading to simplified installation and maintenance.

The system is available in four-, six- and eight-product configurations for two flow rates and is compatible with Hydro Systems’ Total Eclipse Controller.

The Total Eclipse Controller features a 20-formula capacity and Auto Formula Select, along with a large LCD that displays formula names, dispenser status and various diagnostic reports. Users can access reports on product usage, costs per formula, system settings and more through the controller.

www.hydrosystemsco.com 800-543-7184

Low-maintenance OPL chemical dispenser introduced

Laundry dispenser said to offer visibility to entire wash process via high-tech platform

Garment hanger offers reduced footprint for laundries with smaller spaces

Clinical trial confirms bedding linen technology reduces number of pressure injuries in high-risk ICU patients

Notice Anything?

InkGo® Is Now Odor Free!

InkGo has been reformulated to remove its odor… and to improve its performance.

InkGo is still the environmentally friendly,* safe way to remove ink stains from all types of fabric. It’s still great at removing autoclave tape and adhesives. And since it’s odor-free, InkGo is more pleasant to work with.

Does odor really matter? As more drycleaners position themselves as good environmental stewards, keeping chemical odors in the plant to a minimum can help them differentiate from their competition. And odor-free is a real plus if you’re working on ink for an extended period of time.

Now that’s worth noticing!

*InkGo is Biodegradable and is California Prop-65 and California VOC Compliant.

Become a STAIN WIZARD at ALWilson.com

To learn more, visit ALWilson.com or call 800-526-1188 A. L. WILSON CHEMICAL CO.

“Laundry/linen organizations should have media relationships for two main reasons,” she says. “One, you never know when your company could be in crisis, and you want to have already established media relationships to communicate effectively with reporters. Two, media placements are some of the best third-party credibility markers your brand can garner.”

THE VALUE OF PR

Dianne McKay, president of Mustang Marketing in Thousand Oaks, Calif., says that unlike traditional marketing, in which a company delivers messages directly to its audience, PR relies on relationships with the media, community, elected officials, influencers and others to facilitate positive exposure. Not only does this offer another way to reach potential customers, but, as Garcia mentions, it also helps add to credibility.

“When your audiences hear about your company from a trusted third party, such as a familiar media outlet, they are likely to place greater value on the information,” she points out. “An effective PR strategy helps earn your company recognition, keeps your brand top of mind, supports your reputation in the industry, and fosters organic conversations and positive wordof-mouth about your products/services among your audiences.”

McKay says it is essential for a laundry/linen company to communicate day-to-day “good news” to the media on a regular basis.

“If the first, or only, time the media hears about your company is when ‘bad news’ happens, the impressions they form—and the articles they write—will be based on that alone,” she says. “And if you don’t already have positive relationships with writers and reporters, the middle of a crisis is a terrible time to try to form them.”

However, McKay points out that if the company already has wellestablished connections with the media and they are familiar with the company from a “good news” standpoint, it will have an easier time working with them to communicate messages if “bad news” happens.

“Not only that, the more ‘good news’ you share with potential customers through your media relationships, the more awareness and positive public perception you’ll generate for your company,” she adds. “Being proactive pays off.”

Garcia shares an example of a campaign her company worked on with Faultless Healthcare Linen to demonstrate how media relations can positively impact a laundry’s brand.

Last November, Faultless Healthcare Linen teamed with a laundry starch company and the United Way of Greater Kansas City

to raise money for washers and dryers to be installed in local schools through a campaign called Loads of Love.

“Sturges Word worked with all partners involved to write quotes, prep the team for interviews and ensure all local Kansas City media knew about the campaign,” shares Garcia. “The results were astounding. The team raised more money than expected and was able to donate more washers and dryers to local schools. In addition, the campaign and the Faultless Healthcare Linen brand received coverage in all local major newspapers and TV stations in November and then again in March when the machines were delivered.

“This is a perfect example of how a great news story can help advance your brand and do something good for the community at the same time.”

PR STRATEGY/ RELATIONSHIPS

Working with the media isn’t something that can be done on an “as needed” basis. Laundry/linen services need to tailor PR strategies that effectively share their news and pique the interest of media outlets.

A simple PR strategy that Martin advocates is to develop a company media kit. This would include a fact sheet on the company, marketing literature, a catalog and an overview of who the point of media contact is.

“That way, if you need to send that media kit out to the various media sources that are asking about the company, then you would already have something put together and you could get that out quickly,” he says. “It could be in e-form, too, so you could just get that out to the media contacts that might be interested in learning more about the company.”

Martin also suggests developing a media section on the company website.

“It should be something that is kept current,” he points out. “If it’s old information, people coming to the website looking at those types of things aren’t going to give it a lot of credibility.”

In terms of sharing news with the media, Martin says his company has an outreach program through which it sends out press releases on a periodic basis, highlighting new things that are happening with the organization or even within the industry.

To achieve this distribution, he says Prudential Overall Supply has a list of media contacts that are within the company’s service territory, including industry publications. That list includes contacts with customers, prospects and employees.

“We’re pushing things out that we think are relevant for our audience,” Martin says. “Sometimes we’ll tailor the audience, if it’s, say, a division that specializes in this, that would only go out to those customers and those prospects, and maybe not associated media

and employees. We try to segment things depending on who our audience is.”

Beyond press releases, Martin shares that the company pushes news through its social media channels, which include Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Often, McKay notes, companies struggle to differentiate between what is “news” and what isn’t.

“On a day-to-day basis, one of the most important things you can do to work with the media is to share real news about your company, usually via a media alert or press release,” she says. “However, it is equally important to avoid ‘spamming’ media outlets with content that isn’t relevant to their audiences.”

Examples of “newsworthy” topics, according to McKay, include new services or products a company is offering, new locations opened, awards or certifications a company receives, public events the company is hosting, and significant charitable efforts a company makes.

Garcia says Sturges Word uses a “pitch grid,” which details a company’s ideas, pitches and media targets in four news categories. These include news about what the company does (acquisitions, new products and anything companyrelated), news tailored to media editorial calendar features, news based on “regular sections” (columns, radio shows, TV segments), and news the company creates (events, charities, etc.).

McKay notes that several factors can make what a laundry/ linen service sends to the media not newsworthy. The first is outdated material, (e.g., sending out a press release about a product that has been offered for several years with no new updates to report). Or if the release is overly promotional (e.g., press releases that are worded like ads rather than like a news article).

A company also has to consider whether or not the news is relevant to the media outlet’s audience (e.g., sending a press release about a new service offered to customers in New York to publications in Colorado

wouldn’t be relevant).

However, McKay says there are other ways to further PR efforts beyond news releases, especially during those times when a laundry/ linen service doesn’t have news to share.

“Another great way to get coverage for your company is to author articles for publications or participate in interviews as a subject-matter expert,” she recommends. “This helps to establish credibility for your company, generate awareness, educate your audiences and position your company as the industry expert.”

Of course, with any PR effort, it is important to keep the differences between types of media in mind.

For McKay, there are two major differences between local and national media. The first is the amount of content the outlets receive to cover. National outlets receive story pitches and press releases from organizations across the country, meaning they have a much broader selection of content to choose from.

“To break through this intense competition and get national coverage, your story needs to be especially compelling,” she says.

This is closely related to the second major difference McKay notes: the types of content local media and national media cover. National outlets are typically only interested in content that is significant to readers throughout the country, whereas local outlets are also interested in content specific to the regions they serve.

“For example, if your company exclusively works with customers in Southern California and you are opening a new location within that same region, local media outlets are more likely to cover the story than national outlets,” shares McKay.

“On the other hand, if your company donated a large quantity of supplies to help victims of a major natural disaster, both national and local outlets may be interested in sharing your news.”

Garcia says her company categorizes the media into three groups:

national, local and trade publications. Each is unique and looking for different story angles.

“For example, the local media will be interested in hyper-local stories such as new hires, promotions and new brick-and-mortar locations,” she says. “National media is interested in broad story angles that could be of relevance to someone no matter if they live in North Dakota or Miami Beach. Trade media are interested in stories that could help others in your niche do business better or more efficiently.”

Beyond being familiar with a media outlet’s audience and scope, a company needs to be familiar with how it operates. McKay points out that media outlets often require significant lead time for stories. This is especially true for print publications, where it is not unusual to have content mapped out up to three months in advance.

“Even with digital outlets, if your story is more of an ‘evergreen’ topic, meaning it will not become significantly less relevant to readers over time, you may not see coverage for several weeks,” she says.

It’s valuable for a laundry/linen service to create a PR schedule to work into media plans and meet deadlines, according to Martin.

“From a schedule standpoint, we’re putting things out that are relevant at that time,” he shares.

He says press releases are put out when something important happens at the company or within the industry.

“From a social media standpoint, we are posting daily,” he says. “There are things that we’re talking about, and we’re revisiting topics that have occurred in the past and we’re reminding our followers on those channels what potentially may be an update or why it’s still important, those types of things.”

Martin also says a public relations strategy should include a plan for how the company wants to respond to the media in various instances. This includes having an assigned spokesperson and a backup if the main contact

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Processes make the difference in the laundry

BY BILL KIMMEL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Last month in this column, UniMac North American Sales Manager Bill Brooks discussed features that are worth paying for in new equipment. He positioned that they have to deliver a benefit to the laundry—and not all features benefit all operations.

On-premises laundry (OPL) managers must always keep an eye on the benefits. However, equally important is having an eye on the processes that are costing the operation money or quality.

On-premises laundries are busy environments. Staff works hard to make the daily throughput volume to ensure clean linens for the floor.

It’s important, however, to note that because there’s never a shortage of clean linens, it doesn’t mean there aren’t serious issues or process breakdowns costing the operation money. I have walked into laundries where this was the case.

Managers saw the totals being hit on a daily basis and were adamant that everything was fine. That is not always the case.

Process breakdowns may be costing in efficiency, quality and linen life. While new equipment can solve some issues, sometimes problemsolving can be as simple as a manager watching his/her staff work.

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

In a column about process improvements that may be right in front of our faces, but we missed them, I wouldn’t be doing justice to the topic if I didn’t say something about laundry management systems. How do you know there is a problem if your only measurement is taken if all the laundry was processed? Laundry management systems bridge this data chasm.

Unless you are operating with benchmarks, the laundry has no way of measuring the overall efficiency. As I tell managers, “You can’t improve what you can’t mea-

sure.” So, when I visit with managers to discuss processes and efficiency, one of the first questions I ask is what their baselines are.

Today’s laundry management systems are one of the biggest process improvement tools managers have at their disposal. I can’t recommend more strongly the value they bring to organizations—and I have seen it firsthand. Many of our customers have uncovered issues they didn’t know they had, and still wouldn’t have, if not for the system showing the problems through the actionable data.

THE INVENTORY ISSUE

Here’s an example of a problem that may be invisible if the only measure is laundry totals being met each day. I ran across an onpremises laundry operating with inadequate par levels. The problems this creates are many.

The process is flawed and inefficient from the start. Staff was spending a significant amount of time oscillating between floors, collecting soiled linens and transferring clean linens as quickly as they were processed. This is quite obviously an inefficient use of labor, but they made it work.

Inefficiency of the operation grew on the wash side. Resources were lost as machines were only loaded to half, and sometimes

quarter, capacity, which wastes water and chemistry. In addition, partial loading means chemicals exist in higher concentrations in the wash cylinder (the pump is injecting enough chemicals for a 60-pound load, but it’s only a 25to 30-pound load).

This higher concentration of chemicals leads to the next issue, which is linens aren’t fully rinsed. Fibers enter drying or finishing with chemicals still present. “Baking in” the chemicals can result in staining, which leads to rewash. With the pH off in linens, they will have a coarse feel and, in hospital/long-term care environments, create bedsores for those with sensitive skin.

While it may have seemed less costly to get by with low par levels, the inefficiency, poor quality, higher rewash percent and reduced linen life make this process/inventory issue a financial drain.

MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN

I’m not sure if this is just an ignored condition or if staff doesn’t fully realize what’s happening, but drain and fill-valve issues are quite obvious, yet a high percentage of the time not addressed. If I walked into 10 nursing homes today, I would bet three or more have this process issue.

Diagnosing it is simple. If you

hear water running when the machine is not operating, there’s an obvious issue with a fill valve. If there is steam flowing out the open washer door, same deal.

Likewise, if the washer is filling, yet water is flowing into the drain trough, there’s a stuck drain valve. A simple process improvement means making staff aware that these are issues to be on the lookout for. Don’t forget that a leaking drain valve impacts the operation in poor wash quality as well, as chemistry is leaking out. Leaking chemistry means the formula is diluted.

CLEAN VENTS

Another process no-brainer that is overlooked on the drying side is clogged makeup air vents. The results are inefficient drying (longer cycles) and igniter issues. Making periodic cleaning of makeup air ducts part of processes for the laundry team ensures optimal efficiency on multiple levels, including staff time.

Over-drying is another process issue that is easily correctable through technology. Moisturesensing systems take operator error out of the picture and ensure loads are dried correctly (not over-dried) every time. It’s a fairly inexpensive feature that corrects a costly process issue.

Most laundry staff will always dry to the longest time possible to make sure when they open the door, the load is dry. So, the process correction is either using technology or reinforcing the correct drying times for specific loads. Whatever the case, this process issue is a big one that costs laundries significantly in wasted utilities, labor and linen life.

ADDITIONAL IDEAS

As we all know, it’s important to have carts reserved for soiled linens and

separate ones for clean linens to prevent cross-contamination. Too often, however, laundries merely mark carts of the same color as “clean” or “dirty.” I always recommend utilizing different colors for the carts. It’s a quicker awareness that requires no reading.

For managers not utilizing laundry management systems, they should work with their distributor to better understand the productivity their operations are capable of with the installed equipment. This at least will provide a rough baseline to gauge productivity of their staff and shifts. Reviewing utility bills more closely also will help keep an eye on any potential inefficiency.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In the past, managing the daily laundry volume was the best measure of an operation’s success. However, today’s technology has simplified management immensely. Laundry management systems have provided managers with truly actionable data to gauge not only the overall efficiency of the laundry, but also information on where process problems exist.

While it seems daunting, setting baseline key performance indicators and checking against them periodically will help increase productivity and keep staff focused on correct processes. The important thing to know is that small changes to processes can have sizable impacts—either positively or negatively—to a laundry in productivity, efficiency and quality.

Keeping an eye on process today is non-negotiable. It’s up to managers to identify the most streamlined approach to gathering data. ALN

Bill Kimmel is president of RJ Kool, a UniMac distributor with offices in St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo. He can be reached at bkimmel@rjkool.com or 800-345-4551, ext. 102. Kimmel

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Does your laundry need a workhorse?

Our M-Series Washer-Extractors are built for optimum performance and easy service access. The simple design with single pivot two-way tilt and large door provide safe, fast and efficient loading and unloading. The open access allows for easy and simplified maintenance. Milnor’s unique and innovative SmoothCoil™ Suspension System means maintenance-free, superior vibration dampening with less wear and tear. Our intelligent bearing design provides three water seals and an excluder seal mounted on an easy-to-replace seal sleeve, along with a leak-off cavity to keep water and chemistry away from bearings. All of this and more, built to Milnor’s legendary ruggedness and durability.

Contact an authorized Milnor distributor or call 504-712-7656 to find out more.

For more information, scan this code.

www.milnor.com

Optional integrated load chute door for automated washer-extractor systems. 275 lb., 400-500 lb. and 600-700 lb. capacities available.

Sharing the value of certification, accreditation

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — Johanna Ames, president of Ames Linen Service, Cortland, N.Y., says it is important for her company’s healthcare customers that it is certified by a third party.

“They live in a data-driven, ‘validated’ world, and our accreditation reassures them that we are following best management practices and driving outcomes that serve them and their patients well,” she shares. “It is expected by our customers. Period.”

That’s why Ames Linen Service pursued and achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification through TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services.

Cassandra Geske, director of marketing for Angelica, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., says the company pursued certification because it strives to provide the best service and quality to customers.

“As such, we wanted to achieve the highest level of certification in the healthcare laundry industry,” she says. “Even more so, we didn’t just want to do our largest plants or even the ones with the most capacity—we wanted to do it for all of them. As a national company, servicing national customers, we wanted to make sure that they always had a TRSA-certified plant servicing their hospitals.”

Gregory Gicewicz, president of Sterile Surgical Systems in Tumwater, Wash., says his company pursued HLAC (Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council) accreditation in 2011 in order to distinguish itself “by committing to the ‘Gold Standard’ of healthcare laundry standards.”

“We believe that because HLAC promotes the most rigorous accreditation standards, it sends a powerful message to our healthcare customers that we are committed to patient safety,” he shares. “Going through this process also allowed us to implement mechanisms to ensure continual improvement in our services to healthcare facilities.”

All three companies, whether they have achieved certification or accreditation, make a point of sharing the value of their designations with customers and potential customers. Ames, Geske and Gicewicz all say it’s necessary in the healthcare environment to have and share certification/accreditation.

Gicewicz says that HLAC accreditation is critical to his company’s healthcare customers. Most importantly, it confirms that the laundry is committed to the most rigorous healthcare laundry standards ben-

efitting patient safety. He adds that healthcare customers are similarly inspected by various accrediting bodies and government agencies.

“Often sections of these inspections focus on the laundry provider,” he says. “If the hospital’s laundry provider is HLAC-accredited, it gives the hospital peace of mind to know that they can confidently have the inspector check those boxes confirming that the laundry meets and/or exceeds the most rigid requirements for healthcare laundry.”

According to Gicewicz, once his company committed to achieving accreditation, the preparation process took about nine months before Sterile Surgical Systems was ready for inspection.

“It would take up hundreds of pages describing our preparation process,” he says.

Healthcare professionals are already becoming increasingly aware of accreditation, Gicewicz shares. In general, they understand the value to their facility and to their patients.

“As the threat to patient safety of healthcare-associated infections (HAI’s) becomes better understood, it follows that ensuring hygienically clean healthcare textiles must be a critical part of any hospital’s infection prevention strategy,” he points out. “We stress to our hospital customers that HLAC accreditation can help prevent HAIs. Hospital personnel may not understand healthcare laundry but they all understand the disastrous impact of HAIs.”

Gicewicz says Sterile Surgical Systems makes it a point to share its accreditation designation with all current and potential healthcare customers.

“We feature this prominently in our marketing materials, including our company website, our marketing brochures, our business cards and our e-mail signatures,” he shares.

Gicewicz says that his company doesn’t actively promote accreditation to the public; however, he shares that Sterile Surgical Systems participates in many community outreach activities where it actively promotes its accreditation.

“For example, we frequently host student groups, military groups, various association meetings and community gatherings,” he shares. “During these events, we make it a point to promote our HLAC accreditation and explain why this is so important.

“Again, tying accreditation to healthcare textiles often draws confused stares. Linking our accreditation to reduced healthcareassociated infections translates its importance into terms every-

one understands.”

Ames says her company has been accredited by a third party for several years.

“When we first sought accreditation, we felt good because we historically operated in a world driven by standard operating procedures and employee training,” she says. “As a result of our accreditation, we did enhance our programs with six-month self-inspection protocol, annual emergency drills and more frequent safety and quality trainings outside of those required by regulatory bodies.”

According to Ames, the company talks to its customers about the certification regularly. She says customers value that the company’s current accreditation is outcomes-based and continual over the life of the accreditation cycle.

For potential customers, Ames points out that facts about the company’s accreditation are available on its website.

“In addition, we wrote some short pieces that are included in our proposals for new partnerships,” she adds.

Geske says that having certification tells Angelica’s customers that it is doing everything it can to provide the cleanest and safest linen in the industry.

“That means a lot to them,” she says. “We aren’t cutting corners or trying to simply meet the industry standard; we are striving to exceed the standard and provide them with the best, which is what matters most to them at the end of the day.”

Tony Long, vice president of risk management for Angelica, says the company started on the path to certification by reviewing and understanding the standards.

“We were able to accomplish this with internal resources and TRSA’s knowledgeable inspector,” says Long.

From there, Long says Angelica conducted internal audits and training at each plant, utilizing the TRSA standards as its guide and audit checklist.

“After successfully passing three consecutive rounds of monthly

biological testing of clean healthcare textiles, we received the thirdparty inspection,” shares Long.

Geske adds that the certification is highly important to infection prevention teams at hospitals that have HAIs at the top of their priority list.

“Every other quarter, we go through the testing method USP62, which targets the top seven HAIs in the industry, and we have never failed one,” she shares. “Our customers appreciate that we are doing everything we can to provide the best linen for their hospitals, which results in a better overall patient experience.

“If we are being audited by an objective third party that holds us to strict standards for clean linen, then the hospitals are able to take this certification into consideration as they choose their linen service provider.”

According to Geske, Angelica has a partnership with TRSA, which has a marketing committee that creates collateral for use by laundry operators. The company shares this collateral with its customers, vendors and community so that those involved are well-versed in the type of value it is providing.

“In addition, we have our own marketing campaigns, proposal speaking points and linen awareness days that help educate our customers about the value that TRSA’s certification brings to their hospitals,” she says. “We want to make them aware that we are striving to provide above-industrystandard cleanliness because this makes us a better partner.”

Besides promoting certifications within its collateral material, Geske says the company does so in other ways, such as with signage at plants and on the sides of its trucks.

“We are proud of the accomplishments we have, and, as such, we want to promote this through those avenues that are public and/ or customer-facing,” she says. “It’s important to make sure that our customers know the efforts (and the investment) we are putting in to provide them with the cleanest possible linen.”

What else can a laundry do to promote and share the value of its achieved designation?

“Having an active role within TRSA will significantly help when it comes to promoting the certification,” shares Geske. “Those involved with this association have access to the materials that are created collaboratively by vendors and operators, achieving all perspectives.”

She adds that it’s important for a laundry’s marketing department to have relationships with the safety, risk management and operations teams so that everyone can understand the ins and outs of the process.

“The plant has worked hard to achieve this level of certification, so being conscious of the holistic scope of how they were able to do that is a crucial step,” Geske points out. “Marketing collateral cannot be created in a bubble; you have to be able speak the language of those digesting the content. Working alongside these teams will help in creating, and promoting, this certification.”

Ames says that details are important and will make the difference on the path to accreditation.

“It is important that you ‘do what you say you do’ every day, that your adherence to proper policies and procedures and best practices is continual, and that you do not take your eye off the ball,” she says. “The process of accreditation should make you a better operator if you are disciplined in your approach to achieving it.”

Gicewicz points out that earning accreditation shows that a laundry takes patient safety seriously, and that the company has committed the resources necessary to achieve the distinction.

“Then I would tell them to be proud of their accreditation and to promote it to their future and potential healthcare customers,” he says. “Send out an announcement. Promote it on your trucks. Put it on everyone’s business cards. Write about it on your company website. Mention it in your interactions with all current and future customers.”

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

isn’t available.

“There may be a case for companies to outsource media relations,” says Martin. “There are very qualified PR firms out there that can help you in the event of bigger media events that occur, or to employ a contractor because not all of us are in the media business, especially some of the regional or smaller players within the industry.”

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

The PR firm help Martin mentions can be especially vital when a negative event or crisis occurs at a laundry/linen service.

“When something negative happens, silence speaks volumes—and not in a good way,” says McKay. “Staying silent can make your company look guilty, uninformed and/ or insensitive. On the other hand, transparency can do wonders for mitigating potential reputation damage. But, while you should address the media as soon as possible, doing so without a plan can make the situation worse.”

Before approaching the media, McKay stresses that a laundry/linen service needs to develop a strategy (selecting a spokesperson, identifying unified messages and developing talking points).

“I think you certainly want to be sure that you are engaged, that the media has a point of contact within the company that is established— that you have established guidelines of how and who communicates with the media,” Martin says.

McKay adds that it is best to have a crisis management strategy in place before anything negative happens, so the company is able to respond quickly.

“If possible, it is a good idea to issue your own press release on the subject before the news reaches the media another way,” she shares. “This will help you start off with better control over the angle of the story.”

“We always say it’s not if a crisis will happen to your brand, it’s when,” Garcia says. “Our No. 1 tip when a crisis happens is to act with speed by responding factually to a basic set of questions that will satisfy the media and minimize the potential damage to your reputation and credibility until more definitive information is available.”

During a crisis or negative event, McKay agrees that it’s important to be proactive. The company needs to develop a plan for how it will address the damage caused by the incident and prevent future incidents from occurring, and then share that plan with the media.

“When something negative occurs, how your company responds goes a long way toward shaping the lasting impression the situation leaves,” says McKay.

“When working with the media, it is important to be accountable

and take responsibility for your company’s role in the situation. Never blame others, make excuses or attempt to cover something up. Chances are, the truth will come out eventually, and your company will look that much worse for being dishonest.”

Sometimes, McKay notes, a laundry/linen service will need to speak with the media before a plan is finalized. In that event, she says to share as much as possible, even if it’s just “we’re evaluating the situation to identify exactly what went wrong, and we will be revising our procedures to prevent future problems,” without making promises

that can’t be followed through on. “Finally, remember to be human,” McKay suggests. “Put yourself in the shoes of those affected by the situation. Offer a genuine apology, and let them know how you plan to address the problem. Your communications should show those affected that your company is made up of real people who have their best interests at heart.”

IMPROVING PR

For a laundry/linen service looking into improving its PR (or to initiate a public relations program), McKay has two suggestions. First, she emphasizes the impor-

tance of strategy.

“Before beginning a public relations campaign, it is important to identify clear goals you hope to accomplish, the audiences you need to reach and the messages you want to communicate,” she says. “From there, you will be able to better prioritize which public relations efforts will deliver the best results.”

McKay’s second suggestion? Be patient.

“When you first begin implementing public relations efforts, it can take several months to really see the return on your investment,” she points out. “Keep in mind that

building relationships with the media and other influencers takes time. As you identify which outlets are the best match for your company (no media outlet wants to cover a story that doesn’t align with its audiences’ interests), and begin to establish rapport with the individuals that represent those outlets, you can expect to see your coverage increase.

“You may even find that what was once a one-way street, with you always initiating opportunities for coverage of your company, turns into a two-way street, where media outlets begin reaching out to you for content.” ALN

“Your

“CLM

“I’m

more

old and they just keep running.” Since 1983,

has delivered the most cost-e ective, most money-making shuttle conveyors, vacuum feeders, mat rollers, towel folders and its mighty line of 200-1200 lb. dryers. Come to the brand where long-lasting and low-maintenance equipment is standard.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

RFID and customer, linen types

orders for the customer are automatically generated utilizing the return data.

Throughout the process, RFID allows us to assign the products to orders automatically without using pick lists or any counting. Outgoing orders are verified easily, so you know the customer receives an accurate order.

Iam a big believer that RFID (radio-frequency identification) is the future of the laundry industry. The value position of RFID in bulk linen should be viewed from two perspectives: the customer and the laundry.

From the customer perspective, RFID provides the ability to track lost linen and damaged linen accurately, allowing the operator to recover the cost from the customer.

This data and tracking capability can be used to provide the customer with detailed usageand-loss data. The customer can use that as a tool to manage and reduce losses, as well as product misuse or waste. Some of our customers reduced their usage by more than 10% with the data feedback provided.

A customer can also manage his/her inventory properly, stock closets properly, and not have to spend time calculating and ordering linen.

RFID also allows an operator to bill by item easily, and this eliminates a trust issue with the customer, as they can verify the orders and know that their invoices are accurate.

All this helps convert the relationship with the customer from a vendor to an added-value service provider. The operator recovers losses, and the customer reduces cost. It is a real win-win.

From the laundry perspective, RFID offers many additional benefits. Knowing what your customer has and being able to track usage accurately allows the operator to easily manage and reduce inventory.

Designing your process around an RFID system allows you to optimize operations. In our plant, the receiving side does not need to log anything. The data is captured in real time and the

Tracking life-cycle data allows for better cost modeling and smarter linen purchasing.

That’s what can be done today. The RFID system is going to easily allow for a lot more automation in the future. This includes robotic sorting, auto pack-out, and automatic storage and retrieval systems that will eliminate a significant number of personnel, allow for an unlimited number of SKUs, and reduce the amount of real estate required, freeing up space for additional capacity.

The challenges with RFID are hardware integration and software account and ordering management. The operator has to have a process design and a clear specification and understanding of what the RFID-based system will provide. We have spent an enormous amount of time working through every step of the process, but every minute was well worth it.

Our belief is that it makes sense to tag anything that costs more than 60 cents. The type of item does not really matter. However, different textiles require different methods of tagging and sometimes the choice of the tag.

RFID is a significant investment, but done right, it pays for itself really nicely. I am happy to share my experiences with RFID integration.

thousands of tags simultaneously, even containers fully filled with linen items, in just a few seconds—with a high reliability even in high density of products.

However, there is a cost that needs to be understood and managed.

There are different UHF chips, for various laundry types, that are specially designed to withstand the sometimes harsh washing processes in industrial laundries. There are some UHF chips that are specially designed to withstand strict sterilization processes.

Due to their construction and selection of non-ferrous materials, UHF RFID tags do not have any effect on magnetic fields associated with typical MRI systems. So, they are highly suitable for usage in linen and garments in healthcare.

Advantages to (heavy-duty) industry:

The tags are also highly suitable for heavy-duty industrial laundry applications. The new advanced mechanical design gives the RFID chip extra strength and reliability in heavy-duty industrial garment and flat linen applications.

opening the hem, inserting the tag and closing the hem again.

• By using a pouch—this can be a blank pouch or a pouch with the logo of the client.

The tags are suitable for all kinds of tracking of garments, linen or dust control items. Some laundries are introducing the RFID tags in new products and change, over time, from bar-code ID systems to UHF tags.

Using UHF tags for tracking and tracing of linens gives the customer the possibility to read

The UHF tags also provide useful information to management (lifetime, amount of washing cycles, compare batches, repair, rewash). The RFID (radiofrequency identification) tags are reusable and the history of the tag’s former linen item will be kept.

Advantages to healthcare (and hospitality sector):

The type of fabric does not make a difference in usage. However, it is important that the fabric does not shrink too much and that the tags are attached to the linen in a preferred method.

RFID tags can be attached by:

• Inserting them into the hem during the production process.

• Excising linen/garments:

Remember the reasons and advantages for investing dollars into collecting this important product data. The investment is not only scanners and RFID chips. It also involves software and systems needed to utilize this data in a profitable manner.

The first important question to ask: What is your expected savings or additional revenue going to be with this RFID process? Almost all products can now include a RFID tag; however, there is a cost.

“My service processes linens for many types of businesses (healthcare, hotel, etc.), and I’m looking at tracking options. Is the use of RFID for tracking better suited in some businesses more than others, depending on usage? Does fabric type make a difference?”

Consulting Services

Michael Dodge Softrol Minneapolis, Minn.

Commercial Laundry

Brian Polatsek

EcoBrite Linen Skokie, Ill.

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

“Casual Dress” Redefined.

Milliken Chambray Signature Stripe Napkins are an excellent way to bring people together. With a variety of colors, our Chambray works for any occasion or location - from formal to casual.

With a new twist on an old tradition, your linen will speak their language... fresh, clean, consistent and stylish.

Together, ADI and Milliken have set the standard of linen excellence for decades.

ADI American Dawn. The world’s leading supplier of Milliken Signature table linen products. Count on us!

Signature Plus is a registered trademark for Milliken & Company for fabrics.

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

four working lanes, with one lane for sheets, two for table linens and four for small items, such as pillowcases and napkins, Continental Girbau says the Compact 5-in-One delivers highquality ironing and folding.

G.A. BRAUN INC.

According to Braun, its Precision Series® Folder/Cross-Folder provides high-quality folding for items as large as 130 inches by 120 inches to as small as 12 inches by 12 inches. The folder automatically makes two primary folds, and up to three cross folds, keeping selvage edges neatly tucked inside the folded package.

Configurations include one-, two- and three-lane models ideal for varying sizes of linens, fourand five-lane configurations for processing multiple small pieces, and a single lane for larger items.

Braun says the folder/crossfolder can be ordered with a first cross-fold air jet or knife-fold option. The knife-fold option is ideal for processing linens, while the air-fold option is optimal for sheet folding. Certain models can also process blankets.

The Precision Series® Folder/ Cross-Folder also has a dynamic fold feature, the company says. The folder is programmed to

determine whether an item should get two or three cross folds on the fly. This feature allows for different-sized goods to be processed without changing programs. It includes queensize, king, and full-size sheets, one after the other.

www.gabraun.com 800-432-7286

CONTINENTAL GIRBAU INC.

Continental Girbau Inc. says its Compact 5-in-One delivers a compact design and superior flexibility that allows mediumand high-production laundries to quickly feed, iron, fold, stack and accumulate a variety of items using up to four lanes.

The space-saving machine generates processing speeds up to 49 feet per minute, is available in 24- and 32-inch diameters with 130-inch finishing widths, and features natural gas or liquid propane heat sources, the company says.

Configurable for one, two or

A vacuum-assisted feeding table simplifies linen feeding, maximizes processing speeds and ensures stellar results. The integrated folder creates one to two lengthwise folds, and one, two or three cross folds to meet specific needs. An optional stacker, available for right and left output, further boosts productivity.

www.cgilaundry.com 800-256-1073

B&C TECHNOLOGIES

The PS Folder and Stacker from B&C Technologies offers highquality construction with a simple design for ease of use, the company says.

Service is easy, says B&C, because common components are used, and the simple design utilizes fewer parts. Fewer parts means fewer breakdowns and more productivity.

The powerful controller is fully programmable and includes built-in diagnostics for easy troubleshooting and repair. Easy programming leads to perfect results time after time, according to the company.

B&C says the folder can be configured with one, two or four lanes with two primary folds and optional three cross folds. The company suggests combining the folder with the labor-saving B&C Stacker for greater productivity. The stacker creates stacks of folded goods and the conveyor takes the goods to either the front or the rear of the machine.

B&C says it’s simple to operate, built to last and easy to afford.

www.bandctech.com 850-249-2222

JENSEN USA

JENSEN says the latest addition to its equipment portfolio is Alpha by JENSEN, which are products targeted at those customers that require fewer machine options, thus allowing JENSEN to streamline the manufacturing process.

All machines in the Alpha by JENSEN line are the same European-engineered machines, built with the same materials, components, and to the same European standards in JENSENowned and -operated factories in China.

Within that product line is the Alpha T5 small-piece folder. The foundation for the Alpha T5 is

the Jenfold Tematic Pro, one of the most dominant small-piece folders available on the market, the company says. The Alpha T5 is the same machine, but with fewer available options.

JENSEN says notable butterfly blades still make perfect lateral folds, and an air blast with reversing belts still make the cross folds on items up to 47 inches wide and 79 inches long. It’s available in a single-sort or triple-sort configuration, and the folded goods can be directed as a return-to-operator or awayfrom-operator design.

www.jensenusa.com 850-271-5959

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR

[G.A. Braun]

[B&C Technologies] [JENSEN

CHICAGO DRYER CO.

The Skyline™ Series by Chicago® completes the flatwork finishing process with accurate, crisp and consistent folding of ironed or tumble-dried items, says manufacturer Chicago Dryer Co. With more than 35 different models, they can process everything from sheets and tablecloths to blankets, pillowcases, napkins, scrubs and aprons.

The company says its flagship Skyline models are highly customizable, with multiple-lane, cross-fold, stacker and accumulator options and are recommended for all applications.

For ironing lines dedicated to the production of folded or flat, stacked small pieces, the company says the Skyline SP can simultaneously process a variety of items in multiple lanes. For smaller tumble-dried items not requiring ironing, such as airline blankets, knitted fitted sheets and bath or thermal blankets, the Skyline Mini can fold substantial quantities while occupying a compact footprint.

All Skyline series models are controlled by CHI•Touch, the most advanced PC-based touchscreen control on the market, according to Chicago Dryer Co. It has an intuitive, easy-to-learn interface for effortless program customization to meet flatwork processing needs.

The company says CHI• Touch gives superior control over machines while maintaining a consistent user experience across all CHI•Touch-controlled Chicago equipment. It is also flexible enough to record, store and export virtually any production parameter desired for monitoring.

www.chidry.com 773-235-4430

LAPAUW USA

The UniFold is the workhorse high-production folder/crossfolder for healthcare, hospitality, or food/beverage applications from Lapauw USA, the company says.

Thanks to its modular design, the UniFold offers complete flexibility to fit every requirement, Lapauw says. The standard UniFold offers two primary folds by air and three cross folds by

mechanical blade.

The machine can be configured for one or multiple lanes, with automatic lane coupling for on-the-fly automatic selection of single- or multiple-lane operation, and can be purchased with single or double stackers, as well as small-piece accumulation/stacking in multiple lanes.

The UniFold is available in a variety of widths, including 3.0, 3.3, 3.5 and 4.0 meters. www.lapauwusa.com 855-751-5872

RAMCO LAUNDRY MACHINERY INC.

RAMCO Laundry Machinery Inc. says its Mercury Plus Linen Folder is used for folding large linen.

The company says it is low on noise and energy consumption, yet high on performance and design. It is fully adjustable, with two to five folds, and can be programmed according to the range and thickness of fabrics via the touch-screen controller.

RAMCO says knife blade or air blast on first cross-fold and positive-reverse control on the fourth and fifth folds is used to ensure accuracy. It has the ability to provide two primary folds in up to four lines for small pieces.

Lane counters are incorporated into the touch-screen controller for management reporting.

The machine has adjustable speed, the company says. It can sync with the ironer to make sure the folding speed matches the ironing speed. This saves on static, which causes poor folds.

It also has built-in safety devices. RAMCO says the Mercury Plus Linen Folder is equipped with automatic diagnosis, safety system and I/O viewpoints for quick testing along with other safety devices located throughout the machine.

The company points out that buyers can add the option of multiple Apollo stackers to sort large piece sizes.

Based out of Dallas/Fort Worth, RAMCO says it carries a full line of commercial laundry equipment, including large-capacity washer-extractors.

RAMCO says it can assist with laundry design, layout, installation and maintenance—the single source for all commercial laundry needs.

www.ramcolaundry.com 800-878-5578

LAVATEC LAUNDRY TECHNOLOGY

Lavatec Laundry Technology says its FRB flatwork folder epitomizes the efficiency and toughness necessary for perfect folding. It provides total control of production and is flexible enough to offer one, two or four feeding lanes, depending on the dimensions of the linen to be folded.

The company says the unit can make two of three cross folds as the standard working on one lane. Fold quality is maximized by its ability to adapt to any type of linen. With longitudinal folding, two primary folds are standard with two- or fourlane capability. An optional third primary fold is available to handle larger items.

Accessibility and visibility is enhanced with transparent windows, and easily accessible doors make for better control and maintenance support, the company says. Lavatec says the FRB flatwork folder offers outstanding basic options such as a sliding table; ionized air and antistatic bar; a small-piece counter and tray (for four lanes); and a “dirty/torn” selection with light, plus others.

For more than three decades, Lavatec has manufactured and delivered dependable and reliable commercial laundry equipment that can operate for more than a quarter century. Hallmarks including simple design, user-friendly operation and low maintenance aptly describe the company’s full product roster, which includes an agreement to sell select Girbau equipment in North America.

www.LLTusa.com 203-632-8777

KANNEGIESSER ETECH

Kannegiesser ETECH says the CFM-S Speed and Precision Folder is primarily used for large pieces and is an upgrade from the previous model in terms of speed.

With the advanced technology of the new three-station cornerless feeders now on the market (Kannegiesser model EMH), the company says it was important that the ironer and the folder keep up with the demand of up to 1,800 healthcare sheets per hour.

The main design principle of the folder remains the same, with the combination of air blasts used in the primary fold and reversing roller belts/ mechanical blades in the crossfold section. The continuous measuring and stable linen flow process creates a high-availability environment for product and throughput for the line.

The company says the new CFM-S model was developed to combine the precision folding technology with rapid movements to allow the laundry to produce at an extremely high level, utilizing a single highspeed ironer line.

www.kannegiesser.com 972-602-8766

primary-, dual- or triple-sort unit.

The two models available are the JBP—a primary folder only—and the JBX, which offers two primary folds and three crossfolds. Both models are inverter-driven with a microprocessor control.

The control is operator friendly, fully programmable, and has a self-diagnostic program for ease of maintenance. Manufactured in the United States, JB Industries says its machines contain readily available “off the shelf” parts. www.jbilaundryfolder.com 561-863-9696

GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL

Girbau Industrial offers two highvolume flatwork folders that work seamlessly with any model ironer

its counterpart, and premiumquality folding consistent with the needs of the hospitality market, says Girbau Industrial.

Both models are equipped with the Inteli control system, a touchscreen control offering 99 program options; a series of graphic menus to eliminate operator language barriers; and management capabilities, including reporting on item/program counts and overall operating time.

The company says the FRB and FR+ can also be used on any number of lanes—required at any moment—to make folds that adjust to varying items and dimensions.

The folders are equipped with a laundry-feeding belt with a multiposition design, which Girbau Industrial says makes it adaptable to any ironer on the market, no matter the manufacturer or roll diameter.

The design of the primary folder and the adjustable speed control with inverter make the FR Folders capable of processing up to 164 feet per minute to match specific ironing speeds and production requirements. Finally, the company says both folders can be used in sync with a drop stacker.

www.girbauindustrial.com 800-256-1073

ELLIS CORP.

JB INDUSTRIES

JB Industries says it has been manufacturing JBX Folder/ Crossfolders and Stackers for more than 20 years, along with the latest addition of SelfContained Ironers.

The JBI Folder/Crossfolder is available in one, two, four or six lanes with widths at 120, 130 and 144 inches. The company says the sheet stacker is offered as a

or stacker: the FRB and the FR+. Each folder features one, two or four feeding lanes and the ability to automatically perform two to three primary folds and up to three cross folds. Ideal for the automated and high-quality folding of small and large items alike, they are backed by an industryleading warranty, according to the company.

While the FRB delivers highvolume production and quality folding, the FR+ offers more options than

Ellis Corp. says the Vegafold S is the ultimate space-saver folder with four to five drop stackers built directly inside the framework of the machine.

The company says it’s not only compact, but also highly versatile taking materials, including duvets and banquet table linens.

With high-speed variations and compact construction, Ellis says the Vegafold S will fit in almost any laundry, creating an efficient and ergonomic working environment.

www.elliscorp.com 800-611-6806

[RAMCO Laundry Machinery Inc.]

[Girbau Industrial]

[Kannegiesser ETECH]

CONSOLIDATED LAUNDRY MACHINERY

Intended for high-speed folding and occupying minimal floor space, Consolidated Laundry Machinery (CLM) says its SPF-1 Towel Folder is ideal for highoutput plants.

The CLM SPF-1 design is simple and silent when compared to competitive products, the company says. It uses mechanical and pinch-roll folding techniques to French-fold faster than operators can feed, according to CLM.

To install the advanced CLM

Industrial laundry ITU AbsorbTech acquires rental, supply company Spic and Span

NEW BERLIN, Wis. — ITU AbsorbTech, an industrial laundry based here, has acquired assets from Spic and Span, a uniform rental and industrial supply company based in Milwaukee, the company reports.

“Spic and Span has been a great competitor of ITU AbsorbTech for a long time,” says Jim Leef, third-generation president and owner of ITU AbsorbTech. “Its customers are a great fit for us. We look forward to providing them with the high level of service they’re accustomed to receiving.”

Spic and Span Inc. ceased operation at the end of business March 30. ITU AbsorbTech says it began servicing the acquired customer locations April 2 out of its processing plants in New Berlin and Neenah, Wis.

“The time was right as a number of our employees, including myself, wanted to retire,” says Bob Miller, president of Spic and Span. “It was important that our 116-year commitment to customer service continue and turning that responsibility over to the Leefs will make it so.”

ITU AbsorbTech says it has provided industrial services in support of cleaner, safer and more productive work environments since 1930. ITU AbsorbTech’s sustainable solutions include reusable and professionally laundered absorbents, towels, mops, floor mats and cotton roll towels.

The company is familyowned and -operated with 13 locations throughout the eastern half of the United States. ALN

SPF-1 towel folder, CLM says a laundry simply has to wheel it into the plant on its heavy duty locking casters, hook it up to electrical and air supplies, and then it is immediately ready to be put to work.

CLM says its sophisticated programmable logic controller (PLC) features a vivid touchscreen display that is easy to program and to operate. Items are automatically measured, French folded and stacked to a predetermined quantity and desired fold width.

CLM says that since 1983,

the company has focused on building high-quality, durable dryers and other outstanding wash aisle equipment— known for heavy-duty, highefficiency and high-productivity output.

www.clmco.com 940-447-7710 ALN

[Consolidated Laundry Machinery]

ALM IMPACT 2018 conference attracts nearly 200 attendees

Executive director credits growth to educational programs, location

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

SAVANNAH, Ga. —

The Association for Linen Management (ALM) boasted an increase of more than 40% in attendance at its IMPACT 2018 conference staged here at The DeSoto Hotel, March 19-21, compared to the event held in 2016 in Arizona.

“We had knockout attendance,” says Linda Fairbanks, executive director of ALM. “We’ve passed our target goals. We’ve passed our stretch goals, and we had to stretch to get all of the people in. We’re closing in on the 200 mark. We’re excited about that.”

Location was part of the strong showing this year. Fairbanks says Savannah is near the center of where ALM’s membership is strongest.

“We try to alternate between the East Coast and the West Coast (for the conference),” she explains. “The South was the desirable location for this time of year. Plus, it’s a lovely city. It gives plenty of opportunities for entertainment and events in the evening, as well as a great meeting site at The DeSoto.”

Another reason for the increased turnout, according to Fairbanks, was the education opportunities available.

“What a lot of our education is about how to create win-win opportunities,” she says. “I think we’ve got some great programs, and it’s showing by the attendance.”

“This is an interesting group of people here this year,” adds Cindy Molko, director for linen and central services for Mayo Clinic and current ALM president.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Before the educational portion of the conference kicked off, ALM conducted its annual business meeting, holding elections for leadership roles.

For the first time in association history, the vote for president-elect ended in a tie between two candidates: James Mangini, RLLD, senior director sterile processing and linen services at Maine Medical Center, and Richard Bott, director of supply chain services at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City.

Mangini conceded to Bott at the end of the meeting.

“The tie result for presidentelect shows how our members recognize the strong leadership we have throughout our asso-

ciation,” says Fairbanks. “Every candidate would be a wonderful addition to our board, and we look forward to working with all of them going forward.”

Bott will assume the role of president-elect at the end of

June. Judy Reino, CEO of Reino Linen Service, headquartered in Gibsonburg, Ohio, and current ALM president-elect, will take the reins from Molko at the end of June through 2020.

“I have very much enjoyed my

time leading ALM and look forward to continued efforts to build education and information sharing across the multiple segments of our industry,” says Molko.

“This fantastic group of people shows why ALM remains the

textile industry’s best resource, and they are positioned to take the organization to the next level.”

Re-elected to director slots were Nathan Rivers, sustainability officer for Bay Pines VA

David Bernstein, president of Lapauw USA, delivers the opening keynote to a standing-roomonly crowd. (Photos: Matt Poe)

ALM Executive Director Linda Fairbanks (standing) conducts the first-ever hospitality roundtable.

During “Lunch & Learn,” attendees ate a four-course meal and heard from six sponsors.

ALM IMPACT 2018 offered more than 20 educational sessions for attendees.

The first evening event of IMPACT 2018 took place on the grounds and inside the 1842 Harper Fowlkes House.

During breaks, attendees visited sponsor tables and enjoyed refreshments in The Hub.

Healthcare System in Bay Pines, Fla., and Kathy Harris, laundry manager for Sea Island Laundry in Sea Island, Ga.

Harris and Rivers both currently serve on the board as an appointed director and the vice president, respectively. ALM members previously voted to change the board structure, eliminating the position of vice president and having the presidentelect act as primary support for the president.

ALL ABOUT THE EDUCATION

As Fairbanks noted, the educational programs attracted a lot of attention for IMPACT 2018. Each day of the conference was highlighted by general session keynote speakers.

“We had three great keynotes,” she points out. “A state of the industry and the changes that are happening in hospitality and healthcare. Looking at how to motivate employees, as well as we’re really delighted we’ve got a past president of Value Analysis Professionals, and we’ve been working with them a lot this year, trying to discover for our members what their customers are looking for from them, to bring about a win-win partnership.”

David Bernstein, president of Lapauw USA, kicked off the conference by talking about the future of healthcare and hospitality laundry/linen service markets, examining how people, processes and businesses are going to change.

“We had a great opening speaker in David Bernstein,” Bott says. “He got a lot of people excited about what was going to be covered and explored during the day, as well as the following days.”

Kris Boesch, founder and CEO of Choose People, delivered the keynote on day two. She shared her experience on making work “happy” and creating an “extraordinary workplace culture.”

The final general session keynote was delivered by Melanie Miller, president of Healthcare Value Analysis Management Experts, during which she talked textile purchasing decisions being a partnership between healthcare personnel and laundry services.

Beyond the keynote presentations, ALM provided more than 20 educational sessions throughout IMPACT, ranging in topics from equipment to chemistry, from continuous improvement to creating good department relationships. There was also a “Lunch & Learn” session, where attendees enjoyed a four-course meal and learned about new products and services from six sponsors.

At various times during each day, attendees took a break in “The Hub,” where they were able to visit sponsor tables and enjoy some refreshments.

ALM also offered something new this year: sessions for hospitality laundries. The opportuni-

ties included a hospitality roundtable and a discussion about wash formulas.

“I hope it continues,” says Phil Jones, from Vistana Signature Experiences in Orlando. “There are more and more hospitality organizations (at the conference), and it’s needed.”

EVENING EVENTS

The evening events Fairbanks mentioned featured plenty of Southern hospitality.

The first night, ALM participants enjoyed an evening at the historic Harper Fowlkes House. Outside, under a tent, food and

music were offered. Inside, tours peered into the home, a Greek Revival mansion built in 1842.

On the second night, attendees took to the water, enjoying a cruise on the Savannah River aboard the riverboat Georgia Queen. The evening was filled with music, dancing, food and the sights and sounds of the river, including cannon fire from Fort Pulaski.

A big boom from the fort and for ALM.

“Everyone we’ve talked to enjoyed the conference,” Bott says. “We’re excited to see what’s coming next.” ALN

EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Conference Overview

Wednesday, July 25

Noon

Registration open 1 p.m. Plant tour (HLS Linen Services) 6 p.m. MIP Reception

Thursday, July 26

8 a.m.

Continental breakfast 9 a.m. Sessions begin 10:45 a.m. Exhibits open Noon Lunch

1:00 p.m. Sessions resume 3:30 p.m. Break/Exhibits 4 p.m. Sessions resume 5 p.m. Sessions end 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ARTA Sponsor Reception

Friday, July 27

8 a.m. Continental breakfast 8:30 a.m. Business Meeting/Election 9 a.m. Sessions begin 10:30 a.m. Break/Exhibits 10:45 a.m. Sessions resume Noon Adjourn

The final evening event was a cruise of the Savannah River aboard the Georgia Queen paddlewheeler.

TRSA hosts eighth annual Leadership & Legislative Conference

ARLINGTON, Va. — TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, hosted its eighth annual Leadership & Legislative Conference, March 21 and 22.

Despite heavy East Coast snow that snarled airline schedules, nearly 100 attendees made their way to the Washington, D.C., area to take part in preparations and visits to Capitol Hill.

Activities during the first day included preparations to speak on behalf of the industry and companies on visits to Capitol Hill the next day, the association says.

Keynote speaker Kirk Lippold explained how attendees can strengthen the foundation for their companies’ success in adverse circumstances. Now retired from the Navy, he commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked by alQaida in 2000.

He explained how his officers minimized casualties and saved the ship by making time-critical decisions, and noted parallels between this crisis and those faced in business. His crew succeeded because of exceptional integrity, vision, sense of personal responsibility and professional competence.

Businesses that identify trustworthy leaders should invest in developing these characteristics in these individuals, he contended, so they can lead effectively when pressured to act in dire circumstances.

That evening, 2017 awards were handed out that would have been presented at the TRSA Annual Conference in September 2017 in Miami, but that event was canceled due to Hurricane Irma.

The TRSA Operator Lifetime Achievement Award was presented, posthumously, to Ronald Croatti. The UniFirst Corp. CEO sparked the Wilmington, Mass., (Boston area) uniform service company’s growth from $100 million to $1.5 billion in annual sales during his 25-year tenure in that position.

The TRSA Maglin-Biggie Associate Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to James Pellerin, chairman and CEO of Pellerin Milnor Corp. A 40-year participant in TRSA activities, he served two terms on the Board of Directors and has been a member of four committees, including chairing the Associate Committee.

Under Pellerin, the Kenner, La.based manufacturer has become one of the New Orleans area’s largest exporters, with 40% of its revenue in such business.

TRSA Chairman David Potack (Unitex, Elmsford, N.Y.) presented the following corporate awards: • Clean Green Innovation Award: Huebsch Services, Eau Claire, Wis., for its solar energy system that provides more than one-third of the power needs of its laundry there, contributing to overall

sustainability.

• Above and Beyond Service Award: Up to Date Laundry, Baltimore, where more than 70 employees executed an emergency snow plan that kept healthcare linen customers well supplied with linens when a three-day blizzard dumped more than 29 inches on the city.

Potack hailed three member companies (Community Service Awards recipients) for continued exemplary corporate citizenship:

• AmeriPride Services Inc., Minnetonka, Minn., for its annual “Day of Service,” when employees at all locations identify service opportunities and then spend all or part of the workday volunteering or making a product or service that benefits their locations’ communities.

• Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., for its extensive community relations department, which involves present and past Ecolab employees in a variety of programs that focus on education and community partnerships.

• Wildman Uniform and Linen, Warsaw, Ind., for exemplary support of employees, customers and communities at home and abroad. Company staff receives free counseling, YMCA membership and monthly social events.

EXPOdetergo International space nearly sold out

About 200 companies confirmed for October trade show

MILAN, Italy — EXPOdetergo International 2018 is close to selling out its exhibit space for the Oct. 19-22 show, organizers report.

Of nearly 183,000 square feet available, more than 161,000 has been sold to approximately 200 companies for the 18th edition of the show

EXPOdetergo International, which is held at Fiera Milano, includes machines and technologies that have never been seen before, the most innovative and useful services for professionals, and, for the first time, an observatory dedicated entirely to the market of interest, according to show organizers.

Innovation, efficiency and low environmental impact are the buzzwords for the next edition of EXPOdetergo International.

Organizers say only new products are on display, to offer professionals the best machines, services and products for washing, ironing and cleaning textiles available on today’s market.

There will be completely automated, large treatment lines, which are extremely careful about energy consumption; compact washing machines, which can hold more than 220 pounds of

laundry; RFID labels for garment recognition and sorting, which reduce the number of lost items; machines that can iron more than 100 shirts an hour, with significant savings; and zero-impact detergents.

Beyond exhibition offerings, the show promises to be an essential observatory of the changing market, say organizers. Two studies will be presented at the show “to stimulate new ideas among all the players in the sector and to help entrepreneurs, professionals, salespeople and operators in the cleaner-related industry to identify new, promising paths for their own businesses,” organizers say.

More information can be found at http://www.expodetergo.com/ index.php/en/ ALN

Employees volunteer locally, and Wildman funds such work internationally.

A personal accolade went to Mark Brim, Brim Laundry Machinery Co. Inc. (Hutchins, Texas) for his completed term on the TRSA Board of Directors.

Potack credited him for generously giving his time, knowledge and energy to advance the industry and TRSA programs that bring value and success to members. Outgoing board members receive a plaque to acknowledge their service.

Potack also noted the generosity of many Annual Conference registrants who were willing to donate their registration fees from that event to hurricane relief. This enabled TRSA to provide more than $80,000 to charities serving Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas.

On day two of the conference, TRSA members made the case for pro-business regulatory and legislative policy on Capitol Hill in the morning and huddled in association committee meetings in the afternoon. Both activities combined their voices and knowledge to prime their companies individually and collectively for further growth, says the association.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) kicked off the day’s agenda with a Capitol Hill breakfast presentation highlighting the importance of addressing China’s impact on U.S. business. He correctly foretold that later in the day, tariff measures would be announced. To keep America competitive in the global economy, he noted the importance of fair government regulations and tax relief, pointing out that the recent tax reform bill lowered rates for pass-through entities (sole proprietorships, partnerships, S corporations) as well as larger corporations.

In 51 meetings in Congressional offices, a higher total than any of the seven previous conferences, TRSA says its contingent promoted the economic and environmental benefits of linen, uniform and facility services. Visits to legislators’ offices enabled TRSA members to detail their concerns regarding the following issues:

• Infrastructure. The federal Highway Trust Fund is facing a revenue shortfall with

a current $15 billion annual gap in what fund receipts can support and the existing investment level. To properly facilitate commerce and safety, TRSA supports establishing a steady, reliable source of revenue for improving the nation’s roadway system and protecting the fund from being used for other expenses not related to highway transportation.

• NLRB Overreach. NLRB’s (National Labor Relations Board) facilitation of microunions and “ambush” organizing elections and redefinition of “joint employer” reflect the board’s lack of interest in fulfilling its charge to act as an impartial referee. Under the Obama administration, the NLRB chose instead to carry out a one-sided agenda aimed at growing labor unions at any costs. TRSA supports passage of legislation addressing ambush organizing to help reverse the trend.

• Joint Employer Rule. When a linen or uniform service (or any other type of business) stations an employee on a customer’s site, the service provider can be considered a joint employer with the customer. That makes the provider responsible for the customer’s staff and vulnerable to becoming a party to the customer’s union obligations. TRSA supports passage of the Save Local Business Act, which would limit the extent to which affiliated businesses are considered joint employers for wage-andhour and collective bargaining liability purposes.

Following the morning Hill visits, conference attendees returned to the host Sheraton Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., where seven committee meetings took place. Some combined face-to-face interaction with teleconferencing to accommodate members who couldn’t fly to Washington due to inclement weather.

TRSA says ideas abounded for new professional development programs, research projects, certification activities, publications, videos, webinars and industry customer outreach campaigns. ALN

TRSA’s 2018 Leadership & Legislative Conference boasted successful meetings on Capitol Hill. (Photo: TRSA)

Participants brave East Coast travel delays; record number of Congressional office meetings held

EXPOdetergo International 2018 has nearly sold out its exhibitor space for attendees in October. (Photo: EXPOdetergo International)

Track Career

Kemco Systems adds three to engineering department

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kemco Systems Co. LLC, a global water and energy technology company, has made three key hires in its engineering department, the company reports.

Automation Engineer Tyler O’Grady joins the team with more than 23 years of experience in manufacturing, automation, programming and design. O’Grady was in the U.S. Army Reserve and graduated from the University of Missouri, Rolla.

Process Engineer Brian Martin joins the team with more than 10 years of applications and process engineering experience. With a focus around microfiltration and reverse osmosis technologies, Martin is excited to start work with the company’s wastewater systems.

He is a native of Florida and graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering.

Project Engineer Al Mitrovic joins Kemco with four years of water/wastewater treatment experience in a variety of projects, including refineries, desalination and power plants. Mitrovic is looking forward to channeling his passion further into the water/ wastewater treatment industry with Kemco.

He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.

Leonard Automatics promotes Farnsworth to plant manager

DENVER, N.C. — Equipment manufacturer Leonard Automatics has promoted Mark Farnsworth to the position of plant manager, the company reports.

The company says Farnsworth spent the

last two years as the lead project manager in charge of fully managing customer orders. This role required him to work very closely with the Leonard sales team and its base.

The experience allowed Farnsworth to be involved with the entire life cycle of equipment builds at Leonard, from the initial sales order, to purchasing, engineering, to production, shipping, installation, and fulfillment of the project.

“The hands-on knowledge that Mark gained during his time as project manager provided him with the tools and experience to start his new role as our plant manager, and we are excited to have him on our team,” says Scott Abernethy, general manager.

Leonard says Farnsworth spent 20 years as chief engineer with Seneca Foods in Rochester, Minn., running unlimited horsepower boilers, water feed systems and compressors.

Prior to that, Farnsworth was in the U.S. Navy for six years, working as a gas turbine specialist.

“Mark brings a continuous improvement mentality,” says Greg Watson, president. “He is process-driven, has excellent attention to detail, and possesses the interpersonal skills to manage a diverse workforce.”

Bates Troy hires chief maintenance engineer

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Bates Troy Inc. has hired Ray Karleski as chief maintenance engineer, the company reports. He will oversee all aspects of maintaining the company’s 53,000-square-foot plant and its equipment.

“Bates Troy is excited to have a laundry engineer-veteran like Ray join our team,” says Brian Kradjian, Bates Troy president and CEO. “He brings a lot to the table while ensuring the wellness of our plant and equipment.”

Karleski has 27 years of commercial laundry experience. He is a graduate of TRSA’s Maintenance Management Institute (MMI).

Mitrovic

Martin

Farnsworth

Karleski

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Pellerin Milnor Corp. P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Penn Emblem Co. celebrates 70th anniversary by ‘giving back’

PHILADELPHIA — To celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2017, Penn Emblem Co. says it focused on giving back to the community that has made it so successful throughout the years.

Since its incorporation in 1947, one of the core values of the company has been, “To do the right thing.” The company

says all employees and processes are expected to abide by this value every day.

The company focused on several charities and causes throughout the year with fundraisers and volunteering. It created patches to support Breast Cancer Awareness, the Houston Hurricane Disaster and Alzheimer’s Awareness, donating the proceeds to support research and relief.

In Philadelphia, employees had the opportunity to volunteer at the National Greyhound Rescue, which is located next door to the office, shares Penn Emblem. Early on a Saturday morning, employees walked and spent time with recovering greyhounds. One employee was so inspired, he even adopted one of the dogs.

Penn Emblem says it has provided many companies and organizations with high-quality, innovative decoration solutions for three generations and continues to uphold its products and employees to the highest standards every day.

Distributor Aaxon donates laundry equipment to high school athletic team

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Aaxon Laundry Systems, a laundry equipment distributor located here, recently donated a Huebsch washer and dryer to the wrestling team of Cardinal Gibbons High School, the company says.

The washer and dryer is installed in the locker room area and allows the coaches and student wrestlers to be able to wash their athletic wear, towels and other supplies needed for

Career Track

Karleski is from the Syracuse, N.Y., area and previously worked at Clarus Linen Systems and International Wire.

“The opportunity to become a part of the Bates Troy team is an honor,” he says.

Bates Troy is a family-owned and -operated healthcare linen service, drycleaning and tailoring, and fire and water restoration firm serving New York’s Southern Tier, Central New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania for more than 85 years.

to St. Paul, it was a bigger operation, and there were more people to get to know. I think being in and running a family business is all mostly positive.”

Baker adds that at MCC, the intergenerational transitions and relationships have been free from drama. Although he might sometimes see things differently with his partners, Mike and Dan, they’ve never had serious differences.

“In many ways, our different personalities and management styles have served our business and customers well,” Baker says.

The downside of working in a family business? Baker finds that it’s a challenge to “turn it off,” feeling a bit like he’s on duty whether at work or at family gatherings.

“It feels great to know these machines will really help out the students, not to mention the coaches who have to make sure all the wrestling gear is clean and ready to go for the next match,” says Frank P. D’Annunzio, the Aaxon sales consultant who worked with Cardinal Gibbons High.

The South Florida award-winning wrestling team has placed top in many competitions in the state during its history, according to Aaxon. Many students go on to wrestle during their college careers.

The company says it is proud to have helped Cardinal Gibbons in their locker room upgrades and is always looking for opportunities to positively impact the local community.

After working more than 42 years in the laundry and drycleaning industry, Baker has handled a variety of challenges.

Baker says he hopes to do a bit more volunteer work in his retirement. He is currently a reading tutor with Reading Partners and is a 32-year charter member of the St. Paul Sunrise Rotary Club.

He’s also looking forward to spending more time with family, “Especially with our first grandchild who will be relocating to Minnesota with her parents.”

Baker and his wife of 33 years, Lisa, hope to spend some time traveling around the United States and have planned an expedition cruise around southern Japan and Korea in 2019. ALN

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Steve Baker has retired as vice president of The Minnesota Chemical Co. (MCC), effective April 1, the distributor reports.

Baker’s full-time employment with MCC began in 1975, after he graduated from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. But his career with the company actually began earlier than that, doing odd jobs at the Milwaukee office, like cutting the lawn, cleaning the office and working the warehouse during the summer months, the company says.

He also spent time in his younger years working at Milwaukee Electric Tool as a parts runner, a student loan bill collector at Career Academy, and at McDonald’s as a fry cook.

Baker jokes about his time at McDonald’s, “I wasn’t sophisticated enough to work the counter.”

Joining a family business can prove challenging for some people, but MCC says Baker wasn’t worried about working for his father and uncles.

“I never really had concerns about working for my dad, Robert Baker,” he says. “He was easygoing. When I moved

May

1

15 TRSA

KeeWes Equipment Co.

Spring Show

St. Louis, Mo. Info: 800-383-9274

2 Kannegiesser ETECH

Spring Service Seminar: Rail Systems and Logistics St. Paul, Minn.

Info: 612-248-2175

2-3 Northeast Laundry Association

2018 Spring Seminar and 24th Annual Golf Outing Hogansville, Ga. Info: 706-637-8871

2nd Annual Workforce Management Summit St. Louis, Mo. Info: 703-519-0026 16 TRSA

7th Annual Safety Summit St. Louis, Mo. Info: 703-519-0026 23 Wisconsin Association of Textile Services (WATS)

Annual WATS Brewers Game Milwaukee, Wis. Info: 608-743-9696

23 TRSA

Webinar: Laundry Marketing Secrets Revealed! Alexandria, Va. Info: 703-519-0026

June

13 TRSA

Inaugural Leadership Summit Chicago, Ill. Info: 703-519-0026

Baker retires as Minnesota Chemical VP after 40-plus years of service

daily practice and tournaments at the local school.

Penn Emblem Co. supported Breast Cancer Awareness by creating patches and donating the proceeds. (Photo: Penn Emblem Co.)

Aaxon helped the wrestling team at Cardinal Gibbons. (Photo: Aaxon Laundry Systems)

Baker

Venus has often been described as a “hidden gem” which the dictionary defines as “something which is extremely outstanding and not many people may know about.”

Let’s change that. For over 45 years, Venus has been providing smart technology-driven solutions to the hotel, hospitality and institutional industries, and continues to expand our product lines to meet the evolving demands of our customers and their customers alike.

We invite you to Discover Venus for yourself to learn more about our complete line of products. From terry towels to table linens, and aprons to bar mops, we’re here to make you look good.