American Laundry News - October 2018

Laundry workers, others, to get wage hike at Disney

ORLANDO — An agreement has been reached for members of Teamsters Local 385 who work as laundry workers, bus drivers, characters, parking attendants and ranch hands at Walt Disney World, the union reports.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Walt Disney World workers will receive a minimum of $4.75 in wage increases over the lifetime of the contract, with everyone at the resort getting a minimum increase of $2.50 by March 6, 2019. Employees will receive retroactive pay back to September 24, 2017, as well as a $1,000 bonus. All employees will be at a minimum starting rate of $15 by 2021.

The contract has no cuts to healthcare or pension benefits. This comes after more than a year of negotiations with the company and the Service Trades Council Union (STCU), a coalition of Teamsters Local 385 and the five other unions who represent more than 39,000 workers at Walt Disney World. ALN

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — Relationship building is key to the success of all businesses. Customers and vendors must create a strong relationship built on trust to ensure the relationship continues to run smoothly over the course of time.

This could not ring truer in the laundry industry.

The relationship between a laundry and its chemical provider is absolutely critical and should be that of a “true partnership.”

“Building a solid relationship with a chemical supplier in an industrial laundry business is vital,” says Amanda Genthe, CITY Laundering|Clean & Simple in Oelwein, Iowa.

“It can take time and research to find the right suppliers for any business. Once you’ve found the right fit, it’s important to develop a productive and professional relationship. Each day we strive to provide our customers with responsive and dependable service.”

If that trust and strong bond between the laundry and the chemical provider is not there, both parties are at risk. The laundry is at risk of not being able to properly clean the linens, and the chemical provider is at risk of losing the account to a competitor. It is this partnership that brings increased value to the account.

“It’s not just a relationship; it’s a strategic partnership,” says Karineh Minissian, founder and lead innovator at Norchem, a clean-

Right relationship, right chemistry Remanufactured equipment programs

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — Laundry/linen service operations have to stretch every dollar as far as possible. Labor, textiles, utilities—plants are saving money everywhere they can, without sacrificing quality.

Equipment like washer-extractors and dryers may not seem to be an area where operators can save money on the purchase, and maintain quality, but there is an option: remanufactured equipment.

American Laundry News communicated with representatives from three companies that offer remanufactured equipment and programs to learn more about this option—Joe Gudenburr, president of G.A. Braun in Syracuse, N.Y.; Gabriel Camacho, president of Consolidated Laundry Machinery (CLM) in Pomona, Calif.; and Keith Ware, vice president of sales for Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. in Beacon Falls, Conn.

Why does your company offer a remanufactured program/ service?

Gudenburr: This program was born out of our relationships with our many client partners. We saw that as we replaced equipment

Panel of Experts

In this issue, the experts look at textile trends to be aware of and their operational impact.

The Man of Five Decades

technology engineering firm based in Los Angeles. “We value our customer’s trust and work hard to show that Norchem can provide value in more than one way to their operation as a whole, start to finish.”

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

that our product is so durable that it structurally still had a great deal of life left in it but required updates to align with the advancements

Richard Warren spent more than 53 years in laundry, and he finally retired eariler this year.

Financing for Cash on Hand

In this month’s OPL 101, learn how laundry financing can help with the front of the house.

Three laundry equipment manufacturers talk remanufacturing

Laundries, chemical companies share relational, processing success stories

Senior Norchem Service Engineer Jaime Gastelum (left) and Bud Hoffman, general manager of Topper Linen in Toronto, after successfully installing a new Norchem NorFlow-Win ® Chemical Injection System. (Photo: Norchem)

An open pocket washer-extractor receives new components during the remanufacturing process. (Photo: G.A. Braun)

Laundry safety efforts can always improve

CHICAGO — Efforts to create safe working environments in the laundry/linen services industry seem to be working somewhat effectively.

That’s what a recent Your Views survey conducted by American Laundry News indicates.

For nearly 45% of respondents, it’s been more than two years since the operation had a lost-time injury. About 29% say it’s been between 13 months and two years since such an incident has been logged.

More than 17% say the last lost-time injury took place more than six months but less than a year ago, while 19% indicate an incident has occurred within the past six months.

“Safety is an all-the-time thing—everybody’s responsibility, every day,” a survey taker writes.

“It’s about creating a culture where staff know safety is first and can question things when they feel at risk or identify something that isn’t safe,” adds another respondent.

When asked if new hires receive safety training or testing as a standard orientation procedure, more than 90% of respondents say, “Yes.” Less than 7% say their companies do not offer training or testing to new hires, while less than 2% didn’t know.

“Safety training cannot be a ‘check-off’ item,” stresses one respondent. “In-house trainers need to make it an interactive process with a facility tour to complement the initial Day One training and have an active (proactive) safety committee in place.”

The numbers fall almost along the same lines when it comes to offering continuing safety education and training to employees—90% do offer further training while 10% do not offer employees safety training on a continuous basis.

One survey taker shares, “We do two tool box talks a month on safety.”

“When making rounds in the plant, I ask employees in different areas if they have any safety issues,” adds another.

More than half of respondents indicate that their companies have had a consultant or other knowledgeable industry resource visit their plants to assess safety measures. Almost 42% haven’t had such a visit, and 3% didn’t know.

“Yearly, we bring our insurance group to do a safety meeting with all employees,” a respondent shares.

When asked, “Has a regulatory agency ever fined your operation for a safety violation during your tenure,” 87% of survey takers say, “No,” while just 12% say a fine has been levied.

One respondent writes, “We had a machine guard violation, which resulted in a fine.”

“We had equipment stored in front of an electrical box in the boiler room,” another shares. “We marked the area and posted it to keep it clear at all times.”

Other regulatory violations respondents say have had to be addressed include adding an exit sign in the middle of the facility to direct people to the nearest exit and having no hand rails on the stairs to the mezzanine.

“We resolved that within two days by adding a hand rail,” the respondent writes.

“Safety systems on equipment should be checked to make sure they function properly at the start of each shift by the equipment operators,” one survey taker advises.

The key for successful laundry safety programs for many survey takers is for management to lead the way.

“Management must live the safety culture,” writes a respondent.

“Safety is one of our values,” another agrees. “It must be owned at the executive level and be a critical part of an organization’s culture.”

“Staff safety should always come first, not just because it saves workers’ compensation claims, but also because staff who know you value them by promoting safety are more engaged and do a better job,” advises a respondent.

While the Your Views survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific. Due to rounding, percentages may not add up to 100%.

Subscribers to American Laundry News e-mails are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each quarter. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and identify industry trends.

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

David Barbe • Jim Buik

Tony Jackson • Janice Larson Tom Marks

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 10. 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.

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.

www.milnor.com

“When I saw an overhead sling automatically loading walk-off mats directly into a Milnor 450 lb open-pocket washer-extractor, I was sold!”

– Randy Clemens, General Manager of Clemens Uniform

How many years working?!

If you’ve ever listened to (shameless plug alert) the American Laundry News Podcast, you know that I’ve been in writing and editing for more than 25 years.

Sometimes I can’t believe it’s been that long. Can’t be. Really? Other times, one day feels longer than my entire career up to this point. But that’s a different topic for a different day.

I mention this because I feel like I have a few years under my belt, feel like a seasoned veteran, maybe even a little old. But then the folks from Linen King in Conway, Ark., gave me a call.

They wanted to honor and celebrate their general manager, who retired earlier this year.

In my few years writing and editing for the laundry industry, I’ve had the pleasure to work with person in question: Richard

From The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

Warren. He’s been a source of wit and wisdom on the American Laundry News editorial advisory board.

Richard has also written for the Panel of Experts over the years, and for good reason. He has a lot of experience in the industry.

So, it only made sense to note his retirement. Then, I found out

just how long Richard Warren spent in the laundry industry.

More than 53 years.

That sound you heard was my jaw dropping … again. My feelings of being a veteran, being old? Gone. Richard Warren was in the industry longer than I’ve been alive.

But it isn’t the mere number of years that make Richard’s career impressive. It’s the impact he’s had on his coworkers and the industry. You can read about his retirement starting on page 19.

For a more in-depth look into the career and knowledge of Richard Warren (shameless plug No. 2 alert), listen to the podcast I recorded with him in September.

RLLD

The patient perspective

I recently had the experience of being a patient in a hospital I serviced with linen during my 44 years of laundry management. I was in for a total left hip joint replacement surgery.

The patient perspective on healthcare is different from those that work in the industry. While my stay was brief, less than 30 hours, I did come away with several definite conclusions.

I have yet to find a comfortable hospital bed. The longer you stay in the bed, the more uncomfortable it becomes. Textile products should be used to make it more comfortable. Patients focus on the comfort of the linen: The feel of the wash cloth and the bath towel.

While I must admit that I made ample use of the available pain pills, the warmth and comfort of the bed linens were a strong secondary concern. Nothing more directly touched me, and for a longer period of time during my stay, than the textile products.

ARCO/Murray completes healthcare laundry renovation for Bay Linen

CLEARWATER, Fla. — ARCO/Murray recently completed a 74,000-square-foot healthcare laundry renovation for Bay Linen located here, the company reports.

The project scope included a complete renovation of the washroom, boiler room, cart wash and sterilization area. It also included the addition of new finishing equipment and a new soil sort system.

The existing washroom equipment was replaced with three new systems, including 12-mod tunnel washers, presses and batch dryers. Replacement of the existing equipment was performed in three distinct phases.

Each phase consisted of shutting down an operating tunnel line, removing the equipment, replacing it with a new tunnel, press and dryers, and bringing the new system on-line before moving to the next tunnel, the company says. With this approach, Bay Linen was able to stay fully operational during the project.

ARCO/Murray says Steiner Atlantic Corp. provided the equipment package, including Milnor,

It’s an amazing career, so check out the podcast, read this issue and remember to keep it clean, everybody.

ALN

When I arrived at my room, I had uncontrollable shakes as the pain medication I was given during surgery was wearing off, and I had yet to get any additional medication on the nursing unit.

company provided a complete design/build solution including design, permitting, building modifications, process utility work and final equipment connections.

ARCO/Murray says Nick Behm served as project manager with Alan Thompson as project superintendent. ALN

My room felt cold, so additional blankets were added to my bed to help warm me up. The nursing staff adjusted the thermostat in the room to create a warmer environment. The pain medication, extra blankets and increased temp did the trick, and the shakes were gone.

Patients have very little to occupy their time. Yes, nursing is always coming in to check vital signs, and food service will deliver a meal to you three times a day, even if you cannot stand to eat what they deliver.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as a member, I do not drink tea or coffee. My religious preferences were noted at my pre-admission check in. But for some reason dietary did not get the message. Coffee and/or tea was served with every meal. They must have looked at my medical chart because all my meals were for a diabetic, a condition I have not had in my life for the past 20 years.

I tried to sleep at night, but my room was near the nursing station, and the crew was having a wonderful time loudly discussing all manner of items and keeping me awake. I finally had to push my call button and ask them not so politely to shut up.

Why do I tell you all this? Because it frames my state of mind as I looked at my bed linen.

I felt disgust as I saw a small piece of tape stuck to my warm blanket. It was obvious that the tape had been there before it was washed and survived the cleaning process. I understood the challenge a laundry faced in dealing with this problem. But still, it left me feeling like a second-class patient. I could not even get a good, clean blanket.

When a patient goes into the hospital, they expect pain and discomfort. They expect to be missed by housekeeping and to be served mass-produced, bland food. But all patients are laundry experts, and they expect clean, comfortable linen to aid in the healing process.

They are not looking for a cut-rate service. They do not want cheap, imported textiles that can be used as scrub board. They expect the textile products to compliment the healing process, to be stain-free, tape-free and comfortable.

How does your linen service endeavor to meet those patient expectations?

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.

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick,

Chicago Dryer and Cleaver Brooks equipment. The

Bay Linen’s existing washroom equipment was replaced with three new systems. (Photo: ARCO/Murray)

But how does a laundry/linen service provider and its chemical provider create a true relationship, a successful partnership?

American Laundry News reached out and gathered success stories from several laundries and chemical companies as examples.

VISITS, TRANSPARENCY, DELIVERING RESULTS

United Hospitality in Atlanta found that frequent site visits, transparency and delivering results is what builds trust in a relationship between a laundry and its chemical provider when it partnered with Ecolab, a provider of water, energy and hygiene technologies based in St. Paul, Minn.

“United Hospitality upgraded their chemical program to OxyGuard40 based on the Ecolab team’s ability to demonstrate that the value offered in results, service and deep expertise, outweighs the increased chemical cost,” says Annie Thomas, manager of marketing communications at Ecolab in St. Paul, Minn.

In 2016, United Hospitality acquired Ivy Linen in Georgia, which was piloting the OxyGuard40 Program. At the time of acquisition, United Hospitality used a different chemical provider and shifted to that program.

During that time, while prospecting local hotels for the hospitality laundry business, United Hospitality approached Marriott.

“What they heard was that the Marriott was an Ecolab customer processing laundry on the OxyGuard40 program, and they were ecstatic with the consistent, high quality results the program was producing,” shares Thomas.

Understanding that Marriott was successfully producing improved quality wash results (softness, whiteness, odor) with OxyGuard40, and that customer complaints had increased after switching the newly acquired Ivy plant from OxyGuard40 to standard peroxide, United Hospitality reached out to Ecolab for a bid.

Thomas says Ecolab representatives Jeff Simmons and Mike Quinn strategized on the solutions they would bring to the bid.

The two knew that OxyGuard40 would ultimately be the best solution but took caution in pushing the program during their initial meeting.

“They had done their homework and knew that United Hospitality was processing with peroxide at 170 degrees,” she says. “They also knew that our standard peroxide program would far surpass the finished quality United was producing and the price point would be comparable. By assuring them improved quality at a price point that avoids sticker shock, Ecolab won the business.”

Quinn and Simmons built rapport and trust through regular and transparent service visits.

“Both have been in the industry for a long time and they know from experience that successful partnerships are created when both parties do what they say they will do, admit when they’ve made a mistake, volunteer information and show loyalty,” Thomas says.

“Authenticity goes a long way. They were up front with their goals for this partnership and made sure they fully understood the goals of United Hospitality at all levels of the organization as well. They are specific about what each is bringing to table and what they expect from one another.”

With the increased quality, United Hospitality won new business and grew its operation, installing a second tunnel.

Thomas says that with the growth, the plant was processing additional poundage, which created water and energy consumption concerns.

Municipality water discharge limits are set at 25,000 gallons per day, but the plant was discharging close to 75,000 gallons per day, causing increased costs and fines. In addition, an increase in energy consumption caused difficulties reaching desired ironing temperatures, causing increased stain rates.

It was time for Simmons and Quinn to work with United Hospitality to implement the OxyGuard40 Program. Thomas says water re-use optimization, combined with OxyGuard40 chemistry, reduced water discharge to less than 25,000 gallons per day.

In addition, OxyGuard40’s low temperature capabilities in the wash process created steam efficiencies that allowed irons to reach desired temperature, with overall improved efficiencies in the process flow.

Throughout the upgrade install, Quinn and Simmons partnered with the tunnel manufacturers, United Hospitality management and staff to provide additional expertise, help troubleshoot and collaborate on an effective strategy for managing operational efficiencies as production increases.

“After each transition, we reduced stain, improved whiteness quality and reduced utility consumption,” Thomas says. “As United continues to grow, we are now in the process of adding a third tunnel to this operation, and, of course, OxyGuard40, with its proven track record, will be the choice as we continue to grow together.”

VALIDATION AND VALUES

Faultless Linen is a provider of healthcare linens operating five facilities across Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. As part of its ongoing efforts to continually improve processes and deliver the highest quality products and services

to clients, Faultless asked Gurtler Industries, a manufacturer of laundry chemical products based in South Holland, Ill., to perform a survey at one of its Midwest facilities.

Tom Grawe, Gurtler’s technical sales representative who works with Faultless, says the Midwest facility survey was driven by a longstanding relationship between the Faultless Hamilton Linen Denver plant, which produces high quality restaurant and retail medical linens for the Colorado market, and the chemical provider.

“At their Denver facility, Gurtler implemented new chemical programs and wash technology that significantly improved their productivity and reduced their overall use of energy and water resources,” he says. “Due to this success, Gurtler was asked to look at how they could improve the processes at their other facilities.”

Grawe says after a comprehensive analysis of needs and a survey of conditions, Gurtler was able to identify opportunities to improve Faultless’ already high-quality standards by implementing an enzyme-based cleaning program along with a low temperature activated oxygen bleaching program. This included an anti-microbial

finishing product for better and more consistent product quality and microbial control.

“Experience in managing tunnel washer technology is important not only to Faultless, but to their clients as well,” says Mark Spence, COO of Faultless.

“Many of Faultless’ clients have a heightened awareness of infection prevention measures and these clients want assurances that there is consistency and accountability for proper wash technology.”

When Faultless contemplated the transition to Gurtler, some clients insisted on seeing the chemical provider’s credentials, he explains.

“They were especially impressed with how many healthcare tunnel washers Gurtler provides services to,” says Spence. “Gurtler also continues to assist on helping Faultless maintain its accreditation.”

“Now, the Gurtler-Faultless partnership has grown to include all of their facilities, and the cooperative commitment to quality, cost management and performance of both Faultless and Gurtler makes the partnership even stronger,” says Grawe.

Jake Gurtler, regional VP of corporate accounts for Gurtler, also believes that companies shar-

ing similar values add strength to partnerships. For example, West Michigan Uniform in Holland, Mich., has a slogan: “Our service is our ONLY contract.”

“It’s the importance of consistent, clean products,” Gurtler says. “The service and level of cleanliness of garments is their only contracts with their customers. They feel very strongly that they’re only as good as their last customer interaction.”

Gurtler has the same philosophy that it’s only as good as its last service call, shares Steve Tinker, senior vice president of research & development, marketing.

“Their philosophy with their customers reflected very much Gurtler’s philosophy with its customers, so they felt very comfortable working with us,” he says.

Gurtler says West Michigan Uniform wanted to enhance its quality, and it saw an opportunity with Gurtler Industries. But first, West Michigan Uniform wanted to validate Gurtler by visiting some of the chemical provider’s customers.

“As a result of visiting customers as references, they said, ‘We see there’s an opportunity; come in and prove it. If you prove yourself, you’re going to get a customer who’s going to be very loyal to you,’” he shares.

“After about a year of prospecting and validating, they gave us an opportunity to perform, and it was almost instantaneously that we knew that we were rock solid in that account with them.”

Another way the two businesses line up is that each is a family business.

“We’ve been able to develop a very tight partnership with West Michigan Uniform as a result of the level of service that our local representatives provide and the quality which we’re providing,” Gurtler says.

Gurtler Industries says that its philosophy and values align with those of West Michigan Uniform in Holland, Mich. (Photo: Gurtler Industries)

Leonardo Gastelum, director of customer care, with the Norchem NorFlow-Win G3 Chemical Injection System at CITY Laundering in Oelwein, Iowa. (Photo: Norchem)

Faultless Healthcare Linen opens new plant in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — Faultless Healthcare Linen opened its new, state-of-the-art, 83,000-squarefoot medical laundry plant here in July. The new facility replaces the company’s plant that opened just six years ago.

“Retaining the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in 2016 was a big win for the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri,” says Susan Witcher, president and CEO of Faultless Healthcare Linen. “The selected site for the Next NGA West location happened to include our then four-year-old medical laundry service plant, requiring us to relocate and build a new facility to make way for that project.

“This has been a huge undertaking for our company, but we are happy to have played a role in helping the city and state with the Next NGA West economic development win.”

Construction on the new Faultless Healthcare Linen plant began just a year ago, about the same time as it began its rebuild of the office portion

of the company’s Soulard-area plant, which was destroyed April 3, 2017, in the Loy Lange Box Company boiler explosion. That event resulted in the death of three Faultless Healthcare Linen employees.

“Managing through the trauma of the Loy Lange event and the subsequent rebuild of a 5,000-square-foot section of that building while we were planning and managing the build of an entirely new plant presented plenty of challenges to our organization,” Witcher says. “We are extremely proud of our staff who stayed focused on serving our customers through it all. All of us are looking forward to bringing our undivided attention back to customer service and maintaining our industry leadership.”

Faultless Healthcare Linen says it is the only company in Missouri and Kansas to hold all of these critical, third-party certifications: Hygienically Clean, HLAC, Infection Control University and Clean Green.

The new Faultless Healthcare

Linen plant has more than 110 employees and opened with the capacity to process 22 mil-

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Remanufactured

in technology, and to address those areas on a machine that wear over time.

We found that our clients have needs, but not an endless checkbook that they can simply always go and buy new. The light bulb went off, and we developed the remanufactured program. This program affords our clients exceptional value while presenting an extremely green alternative in the industrial equipment space.

At Braun, we have branded our Certified Remanufactured Equipment with a new logo and program description. We felt that it was very important that the market, and our valued clients, clearly understood that Braun is the only company that is certified to manufacture its products.

Too often we find clients who buy our products from used equipment resellers that claim that they have remanufactured these items. The reality is that these machines are at best reconditioned, and often are modified from our OEM specifications resulting in unsupportable units.

In our case, remanufactured means that we bring a machine back to our facility after we have evaluated it in the field and determined that it is a suitable candidate for this process. We then strip the machine to bare metal, inspect all structural aspects associated with the machine, and then start the process of repair and rebuilding. As we rebuild the machine, we bring it to a current-day state and then sell the machine with a new machine warranty.

Ware: Lavatec offers remanufactured machines for clients who want our equipment and its durability, but do not have the capital to purchase a new piece of equipment.

At times, we also have offered trade-in value on a used piece of Lavatec equipment as part of a new equipment purchase. Lavatec then remanufactures the trade-in and sells it to interested customers. We have customers who send us their equipment for remanufacturing, believing the equipment has more useful life but needs updating. We also have converted many older, hydraulic drive machines from the early 1980s and 1990s to AC inverter drive units as part of this process.

Camacho: Consolidated Laundry Machinery upgrades older CLM dryers because they possess a “work-horse” structure built to last—it never becomes obsolete. Upgrading provides an economical option for our customers.

On-site refurbishment includes a PLC upgrade, along with replacement of wheels, belts and all pneumatic and electrical components.

Factory remanufacturing provides all of the on-site work, but includes a complete teardown, clean-up, repair and repaint of structures. Plus, the dryer basket is removed and the old periphery is removed and replaced with removable panels. The basket itself is lathed so the rings run concentrically within the basket.

What are the benefits of remanufactured equipment to laundry operations?

Ware: Added life on their capital expense and a lower cost option than buying new, if the equipment has the capability to be remanufactured. This is often done on washer-extractors and presses but rarely with dryers; the cost of remanufacturing and the benefits of extending the life are usually not cost effective.

Camacho: CLM upgrades add as much as 10 years to the service life of the machine. They also improve the overall performance, ease of use and safety.

How does it benefit your company? Wouldn’t you rather sell a new equipment?

Gudenburr: We are not a transactional company who simply looks to move volume. We are a consultative solutions provider, and our goal is to provide our valued clients with solution alternatives that best support their short- and long-term business needs.

The remanufactured offering affords our clients great value, and the efficiency of our very structured process allows us to achieve a similar net position on the remanufactured equipment as we do with new equipment. Our business wins by growing our market share in the markets we serve and by growing our footprint within each and every client facility we support

Ware: This is an added service that we offer existing Lavatec customers. We would always prefer to sell new equipment, but we provide this service when necessary. If every laundry was cash rich, this would probably

not be a viable alternative. However, we realize some clients need to further extend the life of their equipment, so we offer this option as a partner solution.

Camacho: There are some customers who do not purchase new equipment, including many good CLM customers. The benefit to CLM is that we are able to keep these important customers instead of losing them to a used dryer purchase.

Does remanufactured equipment come with any warranties?

Ware: It depends on the level of remanufacturing the equipment. Warranties usually are provided only on the parts that were exchanged during the process.

Camacho: The CLM dryer factory remanufacture comes with a full new machine warranty.

How does the life/value of remanufactured equipment compare to new?

Gudeburr: The machines that we rebuild typically afford our clients savings over new, and these same machines can be expected to last as long as a new machine. This allows our client partners to stretch their capital dollar a great deal further as they look at executing strategic growth and cost management initiatives.

Ware: This is a variable that depends on the condition of the equipment and expected life cycle after remanufacturing. Lavatec normally inspects the equipment prior to beginning a remanufacturing process and will let the customer know if the equipment is a good candidate for this program.

If the frame or structure is damaged, it will not be remanufactured due to cost. But, there are many times when a 20-yearold washer-extractor can get 10-15 years of additional life if the unit is in good shape and can be remanufactured.

What goes into the decision-making process to purchase this equipment?

Gudenburr: First, we need to define the

needs of the client. From there we can start to look at the various options between new and remanufactured solutions.

We also want to understand the client’s budgetary situation so that we can work to stretch their dollar to achieve the greatest ROI. In some cases, the client may want a new “N2” designed washer-extractor from us as they have space limitations; in others, this may be a moot issue and the remanufactured unit makes best sense.

Every client and location’s circumstances can be unique, so we like to have this joint working session to make certain we support their needs.

The second thing we have to understand is if we have a used machine in inventory or in the client’s inventory that is available for remanufacturing. Typically, we have some units in stock, but because of the process we use and the experience our clients have had, the inventory typically does not last very long.

Ware: It is usually a cost-versus-reward decision. If a machine has been well maintained but needs upgraded components, motors and a drum, but the body and frame is in good shape, this process can be cost effective.

However, if the machine is in poor condition with cracks in its frame or washer body, it may not pay since the cost of rehabbing it could approach the cost of a new machine. If the cost for renovation exceeds 60-65%of what it would cost for a new machine, it is often a better decision to go with the new one.

Camacho: New CLM dryers incorporate the most sophisticated technology on the market. With our advanced controls and state-of-the-art heating system, they give CLM customers the best productivity and efficiency possible.

The decision to purchase new or remanufactured is typically economical. Our upgrade options push older models toward the high-end without the cost of a new purchase.

This dryer is undergoing a complete teardown, clean-up, repair and repaint of structures, plus new periphery, during the remanu facturing process. (Photo: CLM)

Gudenburr

Ware

Camacho

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Back-of-the-house financing to free up cash

Financing laundry upgrades frees capital

BY TINA GOUGH

RIPON, Wis. — When it comes to in-house laundries serving industries such as hospitality, long-term care, health clubs and others, there’s never really a great time to replace or upgrade laundry equipment.

Let’s be honest, the laundry isn’t a glamorous facility … there’s a reason it is commonly referred to as a “back-of-the-house” department.

As such, few facilities take a proactive approach to upgrading laundry equipment. Most adopt a replacement strategy that centers on when the machine breaks and can’t be fixed, or if it is too expensive to fix, it gets replaced. Not always a great strategy, since none of these industries can afford to lose a machine—laundry doesn’t stop and the need for clean laundry doesn’t slow.

However, on the surface, the strategy makes sense. Capital should be focused on elements at the front of the house.

FINANCE OPTION

Focusing capital dollars on things that improve the guest or patient experience makes total sense. New amenities, services and other items can help grow the business and directly relate to improving revenue.

This is where the value of financing equipment upgrades and replacement can really shine. Financing new washer-extractors, tumble dryers and other machines enables businesses to reach the best of both worlds: keeping capital for front-of-house updates and still getting new laundry equipment.

In addition to keeping dollars focused where they are most impactful, financing delivers additional value, with today’s rates being some of the lowest we’ve seen in some time.

Financing is a great answer for most facilities.

When I’ve worked with managers leaning toward paying cash for laundry upgrades, I suggest finance out of the gate and if at the end of the year they have not spent the capital reserves, they can pay off the note.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Paperwork and long approval processes are just two of the main

reasons I hear from general managers for why financing isn’t their first option. This is why you want to work with a lender who simplifies the process and understands the business of laundry.

Some equipment manufacturers offer financing that starts with a simple, one-page online application for pre-approval. Obviously, anything you can do to reduce paperwork up front is a great start.

Going the pre-approval route also enables you to begin assembling payment information, which will help you in the decision-making process. Worth noting is that a pre-approval is normally valid for 90 days.

You will want to have an idea on how quickly a deal and financing can be put together. Again, this is where some manufacturers, knowing the urgency of getting equipment replaced, can put together a plan within 24 hours, versus a couple of weeks going through a bank or financial institution.

Make sure there is no prepayment penalty. Many facilities choose to pay off notes early; you’ll want to make sure this is an option. Will the lender include installation and other equipment in the note (perhaps the project is a good time to upgrade water heating systems)?

Beyond that, it’s about having an understanding of the documents you will need, such as a driver’s license, proof of insurance and verification of who the officers are of the business.

THE BENEFITS

We’ve already discussed the advantage of keeping capital on hand to focus on front-of-thehouse areas. However, the true benefits that help contribute to making a financed purchase of laundry equipment a true advantage for the facility rest in the equipment itself.

A quality distributor can run an operating analysis that arms laundry managers with the specific savings that may be achieved by upgrading to new, more efficient equipment. Many general managers are surprised to learn that the operational savings can match or even exceed the monthly loan payment.

Facilities also reap additional tax benefits. In addition to the standard depreciation that comes with the equipment purchase, financing the machines allows the interest to be written off as well. There may be other financial benefits for facilities in the form of rebates from utility companies for upgrading to more energy/water efficient machines.

WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL

Financing a laundry upgrade can be made infinitely simpler by working with a full-service distributor, who can provide all the necessary services under one roof. Having one point of contact, who can guide you through the process and provide accompanying information (such as a laundry operating analysis) that helps a

laundry manager sell the need and efficiency benefits.

Financing through a distributor also simplifies financing further as they are best positioned to value the equipment versus a bank.

An experienced full-service distributor will ensure that equipment is properly sized and matched to not only the daily throughput volumes, but also how the laundry arrives. For instance, while volumes may be high, pieces rarely arrive in the laundry at one time. Thus, sizing the upgrade with too large of capacity may slow processing. Often multiple smaller machines best fit the flow of laundry in and out.

Skilled distributors often are knowledgeable about any incentives from utility companies for upgrading to more efficient equipment and can help guide managers through that process to reduce costs even further.

The bottom line is that there are a number of factors to consider beyond just the percentage rate of the financing. We are all busy and anything we can do to reduce paperwork, the approval process and documentation saves time in the end. So, I would recommend to take these factors into account; the lowest rate doesn’t always work out that way.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There’s no doubt of the positive impact that upgrading laundry

equipment can have on an operation—guest satisfaction, patient comfort, etc. Despite these benefits, it can be a challenge to spend money on a back-of-the-house department. This is where financing equipment is a smart choice that enables general managers to spend capital in more impactful ways.

When the savings from improved efficiency are factored in, quite often they add up to match or exceed what the monthly payment is for new laundry equipment. However, it’s important for managers to do their homework, as not all finance options are the same.

In a time-is-money business world, they must put a value on the amount of work necessary to apply for and close a finance deal. This is where manufacturer financing programs may have the upper hand in streamlining the process—particularly in the case of a piece of equipment that is down and in need of immediate replacement.

Facilities have finite capital. It’s important that managers spend it wisely and employ financing tools where it makes sense. ALN

Tina Gough is a senior commercial financial analyst for UniMac. She has more than 20 years of lending experience. She can be reached at tina.gough@alliancels. com. Gough

for front-of-the-house activities

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

a clean sheet

laundry has evolved...

Introducing EvoClean, the world‘s first venturi-based, water-powered laundry chemical dispenser. The system is available in 4, 6 and 8 product configurations with either a low or high flow rate. Its lightweight, compact design features an integrated flush manifold. Compatible with the Total Eclipse Controller, the system can accomodate up to 20 formulas and offers Auto Formula Select to simplify formula selection, as well as reporting capability on chemical usage, production, costs and alarms. There really is no comparison! With no chemical drop-off or deteriorating performance from worn squeeze tubes, EvoClean ensures consistent results and satisfied customers, wash after wash.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Talking textile trends and operations

box. These boxes are an excellent source of revenue, easily fitting on route trucks.

M odern-day towels date back to 17th-century Turkey, where woven cotton or linen towels called “pestamel” were used in Turkish baths. From Arkwright’s cotton spinning and carding machines to shuttle less looms that use air alone to weave, mill technology has been always been a hotbed of innovation.

However, the basics of textile construction remained pretty constant until the advent of microfiber in 1960s Japan. Now a staple of the linen rental industry, recent microfiber innovations are trending, and I believe not all of the changes are positive.

Microfiber resort towels are lightweight suede cabana towels that dry quickly. These towels do not trap sand and dirt like terry towels, so they are popular with guests and laundries. They’re light and thin, so more towels fit on the truck (and in towel hampers).

High-definition custom printing helps prevent linen loss and provides branded personality. They will not fade at the same rate as cotton but must be dried at low temperatures to preserve the best qualities of the towels. Two technologies are reducing the cost of microfiber cleaning cloths:

• Edgeless Microfiber—New “edgeless” microfiber uses laser technology to cut microfiber cloths to size, simultaneously sealing the edge with heat. Priced below traditional microfiber cloths, they are not as durable as stitched-edged equivalents. Several companies have recently entered the market with 12-inch by 12-inch, edgeless microfiber wipers presented in a tissue-style

• Cut & Sew Automation— Beware of new automated cutting and sewing microfiber technology. Microfiber is usually cut, sewn and sealed by skilled workers using industrial equipment. When machines take over the finishing process entirely, they cannot seal the corners. The corners will immediately start to fray which will drastically reduce the life of your microfiber investment.

Microfiber is naturally antimicrobial because its 100% synthetic construction cannot harbor and grow bacteria when adequately maintained. Infusing silver ions into microfiber takes the process a step further as silver actively damages critical enzymes in the membranes of pathogens. Silvering increases the cost of microfiber production, so is currently a niche product for high-pathogen environments (e.g., hospitals).

There always new products trying to make an impact in our textile rental industry. Some will find a niche market and be a good addition to the array of products offered by laundries. Others will just be a passing fad.

The three newest textile trends that I am hearing about are microfiber products, 100% polyester apparel and sheeting with higher thread counts.

Microfiber came on to the textile rental scene with bar mops and floor mops. Now, it is progressing to towels and sheets. When Amazon is starting to sell microfiber towels, then you know it is a product to be aware of.

The primary benefits of micro-

fiber are that it absorbs water four times faster than a regular towel and needs less heat in the drying cycle. The life expectancy of the microfiber towel, as compared to regular towels, is also greater.

The benefits of microfiber sheets are similar to the towels, along with the feel of the bedding. The diameter of the microfiber fabric is 1 denier. Fine silk measures out to 1.25 deniers. The smaller the denier, the higher the quality of feel. Customers are enjoying the silky-smooth feel of microfiber sheets. Microfiber sheets are thin; however, they are strong, smooth and comfortable.

Healthcare apparel companies are now marketing 100% polyester scrub lines. The old notion of a 100% polyester garment being hot and scratchy is being con-

verted. As the singer once said, “The times they are a-changing.”

The material is soft and is wrinkle resistant. The line of scrubs retains its color after repeated washings, last longer than blended garments and dry in half the time.

Sheeting with higher thread counts: Normally, the higher the thread count, the higher the quality of the sheets. Normal thread counts are around 150, and good quality, for sheets, start at 180. Good sheets range anywhere from 200 to 800. With a higher thread count, the sheet is softer and will last longer through multiple washings, which is better for hotel usage.

All three of these product innovations (microfiber, 100% polyester garments and sheets with higher thread counts) are

being used to lessen production and textile costs. Just as important, these new products also feel good to the touch. The smoothness of this feel is a strong selling point for our textile rental operators.

“It seems like I’m always hearing about a new, high-tech textile trend. What textiles trends should I be aware of? What trends could impact my operation? How can I stay on top of this?”

I f you are concerned with hearing too much about the latest innovation or trend, then you are doing the best thing you can do to stay on top of it; you are paying attention to it.

Textiles

Hal Kanefsky

Monarch Brands Philadelphia, Pa.

Consulting Services

Michael Dodge

Gotli Labs (GLOBE) Minneapolis, Minn.

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Healthcare Laundry

Richard Engler, CLLM

John Peter Smith Health Network Fort Worth, Texas

There is always something new and amazing coming at you, and if you are looking at these things with an objective eye and perspective, you will find things that just might be of value to your operation.

The things that I noticed the week this question came up included: ozone, cold wash detergent, silver ion linen, polyamide, C. diff kill claim chemistry, UV everything, and so on, and on, and on. It can be quite noisy if you don’t keep it at bay with a careful focus on what your operational priorities are and what value they bring specifically to your operation.

The new, high-tech trends that you can check into are not going to go away. They just keep coming up and don’t seem to stop. When you keep hearing about something, it may be time to learn more about it. I believe that the very best of the new persist, so you do not have to realize the potential the first time around or even the second.

Always examine the latest thing from your perspective first, second and last. Too often these items are pitched using a list of benefits that are not directed at your program but further downstream, perhaps for your customer.

I find it interesting that the pitch is made here rather than at the point the benefit becomes most meaningful, and I suspect that this is so because the beneficiary found the amazing improvement to be not so amazing after all. If so, then you can close the door on these items. If your customers want these things, you can be sure they will tell you so, both often and loudly, if you are not paying enough attention to them.

For some operations that I have been responsible for where cost savings is key, and particularly as an overhead department, any opportunity to reduce expense should be taken seriously—as long as it does not compromise the integrity of your operation. The math should be straightforward and clearly measurable.

Always do your own review and take the offered math with a grain of salt since it will be (at the least) highly optimistic. If it’s not both clear and evident, something is not as it was presented.

whether new machines, chemicals or textiles, a good, knowledgeable, trusted vendor is a very valuable asset to have.

You can have an industry friend that you’ve known for years, or now you can “surf the web” and with the touch of a button look at or read about any vendor and what’s new in the market.

Textiles, as in all other areas of the industry, are constantly making improvements and changes, some of which will profit your business and some of which will not. That’s where a

knowledgeable, trusted vendor is a great advantage.

A good vendor should:

• ave a working knowledge of your business.

• now what laundry items your business processes and provides.

• ave a knowledge of the new textile products that are being offered or tested in his company or any other company.

• Be in contact with you on a regular basis whether just to check up on you or to inform you of some new

trending textile products that may help your laundering process or those you serve.

• If you outsource, your vendor should meet with you and your laundry representative and discuss questions, concerns and the laundering of any new textile products that he/she is recommending.

• Be able to provide samples of new textile products that you can use for testing purposes.

A good vendor usually goes

unnoticed but can be invaluable when making major decisions for your company and the ones you serve.

I know the capabilities of the internet and what a valuable tool it is, but being “old school,” a meeting, an understanding and a handshake go a long way for me.

When possible, I like to meet with someone and talk things out. Being able to put my hands on the textile and feel the difference and see how it stands up to testing speaks volumes to me. ALN

Call me “Captain Obvious,” but when purchasing anything for my laundry operation,

“Your dryers are long-lasting. The PLC control is easy to use, helping to reduce cycle times, considerably.”

“CLM equipment has a good reputation: sturdy, reliable and e icient.”

“I’m really happy with my CLMs; they’re more than 20 years old and they just keep running.”

Since 1983, the CLM brand 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.

New equipment on campus

Growing California healthcare laundry specialist bulks up capacity with new system

BEACON FALLS, Conn. — Hall of Fame UCLA basketball coach John Wooden used to say it’s the little details that are vital; little things make big things happen.

Not far away on another campus in Turlock, Calif., this saying applies to Campus Laundry’s healthcare laundry services. Providing laundry and linen services to more than 30 major hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities mostly in the Bay area, the recent installation of a full array of Lavatec equipment is helping them make big things happen.

The new equipment was the end-all to a $3 million expansion program after Campus Laundry signed a new contract with a locally based large healthcare group. The deal added 11 million pounds of new, finished goods, raising annual volume to 40 million pounds produced in Turlock.

The integrated system of equipment at work since February includes a custom-built, 14-compartment 132-pound tunnel washer; a 4-pocket loading conveyor; an LP 572-40 bar press; six TT745 292-pound dryers; dryer unload conveyors; and lint collectors. The early results have been impressive, according to Campus.

“Everything’s been great,” remarks Campus Laundry COO Don Luckenbach. “We definitely see buying more from Lavatec in the future.”

NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ‘IN-GAME’ LAUNDRY EXPERIENCE

Performing on the big stage requires attention to the little details. Campus Laundry faces an array of laundry and linen issues that impact patient health, safety, security and sustainability while servicing healthcare facilities from the Bay area to Fresno. The Turlock location, which opened in 2013 and employs 135 people, operates 16 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, with 24-hour turnaround.

It helps that the management core of Luckenbach, VP of Operations Murray Smith and Operations Manager Miguel Gutierrez, have seen it all in the laundry business.

With a combined 90 years of experience, they’ve worked with many different systems over time, both good and bad. They understand the intricacies of all the various makes and models, from tunnel compartment construction techniques and press diaphragm designs to tunnel drive technologies and dryer efficiencies.

“I worked with Lavatec equipment early in my career,” recalls Smith, a 38-year industry veteran

about his good experiences in the 1980s. “They were great machines, simple to operate and maintain. But after seeing their latest models, they’ve raised the bar even higher. When we were looking for new equipment, we wanted a workhorse. We have it now.”

Some of the other tunnel washers at Campus Laundry are chaindriven, which often need timeconsuming regular maintenance, lubrication and service of drive components, sprockets, gears and other parts. Gutierrez noted the advantages of chainless drive motors in the new tunnel washer, and how they are less expensive to run over the life of the equipment.

“We don’t want to buy inventory and spend a lot of money to keep them running,” he says

Adding that it could mean decades of operation, Luckenbach talked about the decision to go with the manufacturer.

“We evaluated all the other brands, but in the end, we liked what we saw with the Lavatec system,” says Luckenbach, who has been at the helm since August 2017 and in the industry since 1982. “It perfectly matched our requirements for processing healthcare linen and achieving our productivity goals. Plus, we had to meet a really tight timeframe and Lavatec could deliver to hit the deadline with our new customer.”

FULL-COURT PRESS ON INSTALLATION

Meeting the tight deadline required a coordinated team effort between Lavatec’s service teams and manufacturing facility in Germany, Campus Laundry personnel and their laundry facility planning consultant, Bob Corfield of Laundry Design Group LLC.

“It was really a total team effort to bring this all together,” explains Keith Ware, VP of sales for Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. “There were not a lot of difficult issues up front. We worked with our engineering teams at our factory in Germany to configure their designs, and then we worked closely with Bob Corfield on the commissioning process.”

So Lavatec worked with another partner in the United States to have a shorter transfer conveyor custom-made, which fit the layout better and avoided delays. A full Lavatec engineering services team arrived in Turlock not long after and the commissioning process took two weeks to complete.

“The installation was quick. It was a pretty seamless transition to fire it up,” recalls Gutierrez, who has served as operations manager since 2013.

With all the equipment up and running, Campus Laundry could now put it to work and meet the

stringent requirements of its new healthcare clients. This required programming the new controls for tailored individual loads and managing different formulations of chemicals to treat a variety of soiled goods.

Smith said the team approves of the new and enhanced operating controls package that is easy to program.

“We appreciate the ease of use of the new operating system,” he says. “It is simple and user-friendly, and it has remote diagnostic support. It’s awesome and not complicated.”

WATER/ENERGY EFFICIENT, EVEN BY CALIFORNIA STANDARDS

In the Golden State, many healthcare organizations require their service providers to meet stringent standards for resource efficiency. The Campus Laundry team agrees the new tunnel washers and dryers use less water and electricity than their other equipment. Luckenbach says this will help them meet rising customer demands.

“We base all our production numbers on reality, so we run our tunnel washers at very low water consumption,” he shares. “The results have been great and the quality has been excellent.”

Lavatec’s TT-series dryers play a key role, with specially designed line burners and infrared sensors that measure linen surface temperatures. It all adds up to the shortest possible drying times with minimal energy consumption, which Luckenbach says will help Campus Laundry compete for more green-minded healthcare clients.

“Lavatec matches up well to our business,” he adds. “And it’s absolutely something that will help us attract new business in the future.”

The Campus Laundry team shows off its new Lavatec equipment: (from left) Bryce Amdur, chief engineer; Don Luckenbach, COO; Greg Anderson, CEO; and Miguel Gutierrez, operations manager. (Photos: Lavatec Laundry Technology)

Six TT745 292-pound dryers play a key role in the shortest possible drying times with minimal energy consumption.

A Campus Laundry employee checks the new tunnel washer control panel.

Soiled healthcare linens head for the new tunnel washer.

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Behind-the-scenes tour launches new washer

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

FALL RIVER, Mass. —

Maytag®Commercial Laundry customers, several Massachusetts government officials and Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry leadership took a behind-the-scenes tour of the company’s Fall River Manufacturing Facility Sept. 13 to launch Maytag’s new Multi-Load Washer and to see how the company is bringing its new platform and innovation to market.

“The Fall River facility allows us to expand our product capabilities and to provide our customers in the

vended and on-premises laundry markets with options for greater flexibility and control,” says Trey Northrup, general manager of commercial laundry and JennAir®for Whirlpool Corp. “With this capacity, we are able to be more nimble in our product offerings, delivering customized products and compelling solutions to our global customers.”

The Fall River facility represents a multi-million-dollar investment for Whirlpool in the commercial laundry industry. The 300,000-foot plant was part of the company’s acquisition of American Dryer

Corp. (ADC) in 2015.

Whirlpool has made upgrades and enhancements to the facility in order to continue to produce dryers, along with adding the new Multi-Load Washer production capability and various testing processes.

“One great area of opportunity for us in the industry in total is the commercial space,” says Northrup.

“Our commitment to this industry is steadfast. The No. 1 thing for us in this business in total was product quality, taking a leap forward in that, as well as innovation and technology.”

The company also sees the acquisition and upgrade of the facility as an investment in the Fall River community. More than 300 residents of the area work in the plant.

Chemistry

MORE VALUE ALIGNMENT

Brunson Laundry and Low Country Medical Linen in Brunson, S.C., has been in business since 1946. Russ Bullard’s— current owner of Brunson Laundry— great-grandfather started the business, which originally catered to the hospitality industry.

However, when Interstate 95 opened, Brunson Laundry started looking at other types of linen services to provide, from uniform rental to its main focus now as a medical linen provider, serving outpatient surgi-centers, doctor’s offices, assisted living facilities, hospitals and other medical facilities in the surrounding areas.

Brunson Laundry focuses on quality products and services to their customers— these same key values are the foundation of U.N.X. Inc., a chemical detergent and specialty provider based in Greenville, N.C., according to the company.

Since 2005, U.N.X. has been the chemical provider to Brunson Laundry and has watched Bullard and his business grow to close to three times its original size.

When asked how important the relationship between the chemical provider and the account is, Bullard says, “It is super important—if I don’t have U.N.X., I don’t have customers.

“The No. 1 thing that sold us on U.N.X. was the service. If I have a problem, U.N.X. is Johnny-on-the-spot. Any chemical company can get it clean—soap is soap— it is the service that comes behind the product.”

The knowledge of the U.N.X. team has helped Brunson run more efficiently and decrease its labor costs through the years. Bullard says his U.N.X. representatives analyze the formulas used and adjust when needed. The efficient wash formulas used allow Bullard and Brunson Laundry to “rent the linen” again without worrying about re-wash.

When asked if U.N.X. had been able to help solve problems at his facility, Bullard says, “Absolutely. We started having these ‘brown stains’ pop up, and we didn’t know why. But when I called my U.N.X. representative, he knew what they were and how to correct the issue. The formulas/ product selections were adjusted and just like that, there were no more stains.”

When an account continues to grow such as Brunson Laundry has over the decades, knowing that the chemical provider has the ability to grow with them and continue to provide the quality products, dispensing equipment and service is key.

Bullard recalls the need to purchase a brand-new Ellis washer and told his U.N.X. representative when it was planned for installation. Before the washer installation was complete, the U.N.X. team was there “waiting on us.”

“When we started with U.N.X., we had the smaller dispensing equipment, but as we have grown, we now have two U.N.X. DeltaTron dispensing units in our facility,” Bullard says.

“The dispensing equipment and the reporting capabilities of the DeltaTron are an integral part of the operation. You know what you are injecting into each load. You know each load is receiving the proper amount of chemical, and the reports I receive from the system are great. I can look at the end of each day, week and month and know exactly what my

costs are.”

RELATIONSHIP=TIMELY ACTION

Another example of the importance of the dedicated relationship between a laundry customer and chemical supplier is in the case of Topper Linen in Toronto, Canada.

In early 2017, Topper Linen experienced a plant fire that lost the company its chemical delivery system, which was manufactured by Norchem. Once notified that Topper was in desperate need of a replacement, Norchem took immediate action.

“We were proactive in getting a new system ready to their specifications, shipping it out on a plane and sending a technician to install the equipment,” says Leo Gastelum, Norchem’s director of national accounts, technical service and customer care. “Within five days of the fire, Topper was back up and running and able to resume normal operation.

“I’m passionate about my customers, and I give my customers 24/7 support. Without my customers, I wouldn’t be here. What I do as a manager is make sure I take care of my customer’s needs. What’s their priority is my priority. No matter where I am, I keep my phone on me because I know how important it is to keep a [production] plant running.”

“Their team of experts is always available to answer any questions and provide us with feedback on the best formulas to use for specific textiles,” says Genthe of CITY Laundering|Clean & Simple. “Any concerns are addressed in a timely manner, and their monthly service reports offer great insight and recommendations to improve quality and sustainability.”

When fostering a customer relationship, Gastelum says the service team builds

“We know of the great heritage here in Fall River in manufacturing,” Northrup says. “We also knew we needed to move fast; we knew we needed to be flexible. Not only the area embodies that, but at the time, American Dryer Corp. embodied that because of the people here.

“And we felt for us to be able to enhance the business in total in where we wanted to go in the time-

upon Norchem’s commitment to sustainability, reliability, integration and innovation with a formula of its own: Dedication + Communication + Collaboration + Investigation + Customization + Solutions = Quality (and Savings).

“An open and active communication channel allows for constant collaboration, informs of issues that require investigation and allows for customization that leads to solutions,” he says. “All of this is not possible without first understanding the expectations of the customers and then applying the expertise and technology that generates the right formulation programs for them—first by trial and then fully implemented.”

“While there may be something we can call the ‘right’ wash formula, that does not necessarily mean there is ‘one’ right formula,” Minissian says. “For example, the right formulas for one facility may not or will not be the best fit for another. There are many factors to consider that contribute to creating a right formula.”

He says that because there really is no “standard” right formula since every customer has different quality needs, it’s important for the operation and chemical provider to go over key factors in creating the right formula, like equipment type, soil characteristics, fabric type, water quality, chemicals and water temperature variation.

“We do our best to ensure that no detail about the facility is left unknown because ultimately this knowledge informs and impacts what makes for successful formulas, consistent quality, operational savings and compliance,” says Gastelum. “It is my responsibility to ensure this information is gathered at the start with every customer we onboard and continues throughout the relationship.”

Visiting dignitaries and Whirlpool Corp. officials pose with a pair of Maytag ® Multi-Load Washers fresh off the assembly line. From left, they are Michelle Suhy and Trey Northrup, Whirlpool; Paul Finkelstein and Andrew May, Hercules Corp.; Michael O’Sullivan, Bristol Co unty Chamber of Commerce; Adam May, Hercules Corp.; Massachusetts State Rep. Carole Fiola; Chad Lange, Whirlpool; Massachusetts State Sen. M ichael Rodrigues; Massachusetts State Rep. Alan Silvia; Fall River City Councilman Steven Camara; Bryan Rausch and Raul Rincon, Whirlp ool; and Leslie Duclos, district representative for Congressman Joe Kennedy III. (Photo: Whirlpool Corp.)

Joe Carrita (left), manager of technical support for Whirlpool Corp., describes part of the company’s machine assembly process for the invited guests.

frame we needed to do it, this rose to the top each and every time we looked at potential acquisitions.”

“We care very much about the jobs and the quality of jobs, and I’m very impressed,” says Massachusetts State Senator Michael Rodrigues, whose district includes Fall River and joined the tour. “I’ve been through this facility many times during my 20 years in office, and it’s vastly improved. It’s obvious it’s a 21st-century facility.”

While tour participants were able to see washers and dryers in production and testing in the huge facility, the star of the tour was Maytag’s new Multi-Load Washer and assembly line.

During the tour, attendees were able to see the new washers moving down the line in production. Various styles of the washer can be built, side-by-side, on the line.

Maytag spent $35 million developing the multi-load washer to provide laundry owners and operators performance and durability.

“Recognizing that productivity and managing labor costs are tied to moving laundry through the operation efficiently, the machine is equipped with 200 G-forces on rigid mounts and 400 G-forces on soft mounts,” says Nick Koukourakis, senior product development manager for Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry.

“Machines with such high G-forces help to provide max extraction for quicker drying times and increased throughput.

Koukourakis says both on-premises and vended laundry operators were consulted during the design process of the washer. Some of its features include a powerful drive system and wash unit; flexible, intelligent controls for workflow customization; a Wi-Fi enabled laundry management system; and an easy-to-use LCD screen.

The Multi-Load Wash is configure-to-order, which allows owners and operators to customize construction options to meet the needs of their businesses. The 30-pound rigid-mount washer will be available beginning in October. The remaining sizes (ranging from 20 to 65 pounds) and configurations will be introduced over the next nine months.

Representatives from Hercules Corp., a commercial laundry provider in Hicksville, N.Y., that was among the first to place orders for the new Multi-Load Washer, were on hand to see how the washer is made, along with seeing the revamped Fall River facility in action.

“For us, the Maytag brand has long since represented reliability and dependability,” says Andrew May, president and CEO of Hercules Corp.

“That tradition continues with the new Maytag Multi-Load Washer, which showcases the brand’s leadership in engineering, design and manufacturing. We are looking forward to how this new solution will help us meet the increasing demands of the industry.”

Long-time, respected laundry manager retires

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CONWAY, Ark. — Richard Warren has been involved in the laundry industry for more than 53 years. Most recently, he was the general manager of Linen King’s plant here, which serves the healthcare industry.

“Most of my life, I did a short

most of my life has been spent in laundries, one job or another in a laundry,” shares Warren. “It’s worked well for me.”

Earlier this year, he made the decision to hand in his gear and

tired,” he jokes. “It just looked like it was time for me to just move on, close that book, close the book on the laundry thing.”

“I have a lot of respect for Richard as a plant manager and

Linen King. “I think Richard brought a sense of calm and professionalism to the position. He taught me a lot because I came from manufacturing and not laundry.”

Warren spent 11 years as the general manager at Linen King’s Conway plant. Prior to that, he

Richard Warren spent more the 50 years in the industry, most recently with Linen King

Warren

worked 14 years at Institutional Services, first as plant manager and then as general manager.

Along the way, he’s held about every position available in the laundry industry.

“My first job was wrapping shirts in a shirt laundry, and then they moved me to a wash man,” recalls Warren. “I’ve done dry cleaning and all those things. I’ve held numerous positions: sales manager, service manager, route man,

supervisor, that kind of thing.”

One thing about laundries, he says, is that they’re always looking for people.

“Back in the days when I was starting, I was just looking for a job, and that’s where I ended up finding them,” Warren says.

“Come to find out I had some kind of ability, aptitude, talent, skill set, whatever you want to call it, to excel.”

In the laundry industry, he grew from a young man just looking for a job to being a professional who knows the value of hard work.

“I learned that when you really work, when you take some ownership of your surroundings where you are, the job you’re doing, management tends to look at that and smile,” shares Warren. “And then they give you another challenge, and if you succeed, they move you on. It wasn’t because of any special skills that I have. I just have skills getting along with people.”

“People knew what was expected of them, from the time they came in for a first interview to the time they were working,” says Hutchinson. “He set standards and held them to those standards, and that’s a big tribute to Richard because it’s very difficult to do, and he made it look easy over the years.”

Hutchinson adds that Warren always kept a sense of humor about him, even in difficult times.

“And he always said don’t worry about it, we’ll make it happen, we’ll get it done,” says Hutchinson. “We’ll miss that personality.”

What will Warren miss about Linen King? The excitement.

“Linen King is growth oriented. They look for opportunities and they take them. There’s always something exciting going on,” he says. “I’m interested when people tell me, ‘This is what you have to do, and I don’t know how you’re going to do it.’

“The fact that it was never a dull moment with Linen King was probably the most attractive thing about it.”

He’ll also miss the new, much larger Conway plant, which opened in 2017.

“Over the years, Richard outperformed much bigger plants with much better equipment and better facilities,” Hutchinson shares. “I have a lot of respect for that. He had systems in place and training took place.”

For a man who had a plan when it comes to laundry operations, Warren says he has no plans for his retirement.

“I’ll take it easy and just kind of play it by ear as it goes along,” he says. “We’re fortunate because we’ve got 10 acres where we live and there’s always something going on. It’s fun to work with this place I call home, to watch it develop.”

Richard Warren (right) listens to tributes from fellow employees at his retirement party. Linen King employees celebrate Richard Warren’s long career. (Photos: Linen King)

TRSA’s Annual Conference & Exchange heads to Napa

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — TRSA says leaders in the linen, uniform and facility services industry will benefit from new ideas, engage in information-sharing sessions and network with colleagues at TRSA’s 105th Annual Conference & Exchange, Oct. 16-18.

Bookending the Napa, Calif., conference are perspectives from these keynote speakers:

• Michael Mondavi of Michael Mondavi Family Estate, Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 person of the year, will impart the challenges and evolution of his family’s four-generation tradition in the Napa Valley and his growth from apprentice to international business icon.

• Vivek Wadhwa, tech entrepreneur, columnist and one of TIME’s Top 40 Most Influential Minds in Tech will firm understanding of the impact of rapidly emerging technologies on operations, customers and employees.

Industry management professionals—owner-operators, executives, directors, general, plant and purchasing managers, and other laundry-based department heads— will have the opportunity to learn about the latest product innovations and business solutions by participating in the Exchange, which has replaced traditional tabletop exhibits, says TRSA.

The association says operator and associate members praise the Exchange as an efficient use of time, since these customized meetings allow both parties to be prepared to discuss pressing challenges and product innovations or solutions.

TRSA will also host two interactive panels providing unique and relevant perspectives. The international panel, Global Opportunities and Challenges in the Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Industry, will explore how shifts in economic and political conditions impact the industry. Moderated by Joseph Ricci, president and CEO, TRSA, the panelists are:

• Jose Luis Jacques, CEO, Lavartex, S.A.P.I. de C.V.

• Enrique Jacques, COO, Lavartex, S.A.P.I. de C.V.

• Chris Sander, CEO and executive director, Johnson Service Group, England.

• Joe Sullivan, national technical operations manager, Spotless Laundries, Australia.

TRSA says the second panel, Legends of the Industry, will offer access to a rare gathering of industry leaders with more than two centuries of combined experience.

Moderated by Steve Fellman, principal, GKG Law, this panel will feature:

• Bruce Boynton, former senior vice president of operations, UniFirst.

• Alan Bubes, former president and CEO, Linens of the Week.

• Bill Evans, former CEO, AmeriPride Services Inc.

• Tom Storm, co-founder, Washing Systems Inc.

• Donald Struminger, chairman of the board and CEO, Mohenis Services Inc.

Breakout sessions will include the following:

• Employment Law Trials, Tribulations and Best Practices: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You (Joseph Shelton, part-

ner, Fisher & Phillips LLP).

• Textile Services BottomLine Performance (Andrew Wittmann, CFA, director, senior research analyst, Robert W. Baird and Co.).

Additional conference highlights

include the Chairman’s Reception and Awards Dinner, honoring individuals and companies for their exceptional service to TRSA and the industry. The association’s top awards will be conferred as follows at the Oct. 17 Awards Dinner:

• TRSA Operator Lifetime Achievement: Steve Larson, vice president of Alsco Inc.’s North American Linen Division.

• TRSA Associate Lifetime Achievement: David Hart,

chairman, president and CEO, Mountville Mills Inc.

Social opportunities perfect for networking include the Welcome Reception and a wine-stomping and pizza-making event at Peju Family Winery, and there’s also free time to explore the Napa Valley via free shuttle service to downtown Napa.

For more information, log onto www.TRSA.org/ AnnualConference ALN

Track Career

culture and commitment to the community.”

TLC Tri-State hires VP of sales

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Halsey M. Cook Jr. has been appointed president and CEO of Milliken & Co. by its board of directors, the company reports. The company provides a range of products and services, including textiles and workwear.

Harold Chandler, current board chair, president and CEO, will return to his role as chair of the board of directors. The changes were effective Sept. 1.

“The board of directors is confident that Halsey is the right leader for Milliken’s next era,” Chandler says. “He has the experience to accelerate what is working very well today at Milliken and, importantly, introduce change where the organization can further leverage our emphasis on innovation, manufacturing excellence and customer care. He will lead an organization with a proven management team that knows how to translate strategy into effective execution and sustainable results. His experience in growing diversified, global businesses and his leadership style are an excellent fit for Milliken’s values,

Cook’s 30-year career leading a wide range of large, diversified global businesses with significant manufacturing and distribution networks has prepared him to lead family-owned Milliken, according to the company. His leadership roles in sales, marketing and product development have included international- and U.S.-based assignments across a variety of companies such as United Technologies and Legrand North America.

Most recently, Cook was the president and CEO for Sonepar USA, a family-owned global distributor of electrical products and related solutions. These experiences provided opportunities for Cook to drive growth through organic innovation programs and strategic acquisitions, Milliken says. Cook has a Bachelor of Arts in economics and English from the University of the South and an MBA from the University of Virginia.

“I am honored and excited to have been selected to lead Milliken,” Cook says. “It is an esteemed company with talented associates and an opportunity-rich future. I am looking forward to meeting the team and listening to their ideas and aspirations for the next chapter of Milliken & Co.”

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Keith Quarles has joined TLC TriState Laundry Companies, located here, as its vice president of sales, the company reports.

In the position, Quarles will represent TLC Tri-State Laundry Companies in serving the equipment needs to a broad spectrum of laundry operations, from large industrial laundries, including hospitality, healthcare and institutional, to coin-operated laundromats.

“I have come full circle,” Quarles says of joining TLC TriState. Since 1986, “I have lived all over the United States and Canada, as I built my career within the commercial laundry industry. I’m glad to be home and close to my family now.”

Quarles is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He serves on the Valdosta Symphony Board of Directors-Music Scholarship Alliance Committee, assisting

percussionists attain their educational and professional goals in education and the performance arts.

“Working with TLC Tri-State has been my ultimate goal all along,” Quarles says. “They are a high-quality company with sound ethics that utilize cutting-edge technology to conserve water resources and utilities. They focus on sustainability, and that’s extremely important today.”

TLC Tri-State is a provider of commercial laundry equipment serving Georgia, North Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia since 1995.

Continental Girbau welcomes three to ranks

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Continental Girbau reports it recently welcomed a trio of new team members: National Accounts Manager Kylie McArthur, Technical Services Manager Shannon Rose and Consumer Financing Associate Grant Meerdink.

McArthur develops and executes strategies for achieving national account revenue, profit and market share goals. In doing so, she leads company efforts to maintain and

Milliken & Co. appoints new president/CEO

expand relationships with large, multi-location customers.

“Kylie holds solid experience in national account sales and results,” says Joel Jorgensen, Continental vice president of sales. “Her skill set will help Continental to pursue and grow new market opportunities and business volume.”

McArthur, who holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Marian University, Fond du Lac, Wis., most recently served in sales positions at Allergan Pharmaceuticals and Cintas Corp., both in Milwaukee.

“I am beyond excited to be a part of Continental’s close-knit group of employees,” she says. “All are equally motivated to contribute to the success of the company. I look forward to growing the national accounts program into something special.”

Rose is responsible for overseeing the technical services support required for the installation and repair of Continental commercial laundry equipment throughout North America.

His daily responsibilities include providing end-user and distributor support, as well as internal management of Continental’s technical support specialists. Rose also manages distributor training and field inspections.

“We’re fortunate to have Shannon on

board,” says Dave Mc Allister, Continental’s director of services and product management. “He will be involved in all technical aspects of commercial laundry products and take the lead on future growth and development of our customer-facing support.”

Rose launched his career with the U.S. Air Force in 2000, supervising a team responsible for the troubleshooting, diagnosis and repair of C-17 and F-15 airframes. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry (2009) and a master’s degree in business administration (2012), both from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Most recently, he served Galloway Co., in Neenah, Wis., as a value stream manager/ operations leader.

“I look forward to contributing to the laundry industry; taking the lead on the future growth and development of customer technical support; and learning the chemistry side of the business,” says Rose.

As a consumer financing associate, Meerdink is responsible for processing and monitoring all consumer finance transactions and programs with third-party finance sources, distributors, end users and company staff.

“Grant works daily by communicating with key stakeholders regarding loan financ-

ing,” says Pam Kuffel, Continental’s financial services manager. “His attention to detail and ability to juggle multiple projects makes him a valuable addition to the team.”

Meerdink, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Marian University, most recently served as a financial assistant intern with Reisterer Financial.

“I really like Continental’s family atmosphere,” says Meerdink. “Everyone here is very welcoming and makes sure you know that your contribution to the company is valued.”

Leonard Automatics appoints Watson president/CFO

DENVER, N.C. — Leonard Automatics has appointed Greg Watson to the role of president and CFO, the company reports.

Watson joined Leonard Automatics in January 2017 in the role of CFO. In just over a year, Leonard says he has achieved many impressive improvements and implementations of new systems within the company.

Watson will be responsible for the dayto-day operations of the company as well as mentoring the next generation of manag-

ers and leaders at the company, according to Leonard.

Because of this appointment, the company says Jeff Frushtick, chairman and CEO, will now be able to focus his time on growing Leonard’s international markets, work on acquisition opportunities, as well as continue the development of new products for Leonard’s traditional markets.

“Greg has done a remarkable job since joining the company,” Frushtick says. “He brings an amazing amount of experience from other manufacturing industries with a high energy level and a commitment to excellence through customer support. The combination of talent has meshed well in our culture and is establishing a foundation Leonard Automatics will use for our successful growth and development as a major equipment supplier in our industries.”

Watson had been the CFO of a manufacturing group in North Carolina for 11 years, managing the finances of four related companies with combined revenues of $40 million annually. His experience has gone from cost analysis on the manufacturing floor to managing treasury responsibilities and ultimately handling high level acquisition, joint ventures and divestitures.

Watson also served as board chair in multiple nonprofit organizations in the

McArthur

Rose

Meerdink

Watson

Career Track

Statesville, N.C., community.

He graduated from LaSalle University and was president of the Interfraternity Council.

Pellerin Milnor VP celebrates 30 years

KENNER, La. — Rick Kelly, vice president of sales and marketing, celebrated his 30th anniversary with Pellerin Milnor Corp. in late July, the company reports.

“Milnor is indeed fortunate to have Rick in top management,” says James W. Pellerin, chairman and CEO of Milnor. “His record of accomplishment over the last 30 years is very impressive as is his well earned reputation of the highest ethical standards and reliability.”

Kelly began his career with Milnor in 1988 as the marketing coordinator, where he entered orders for systems. The company says he then gained additional responsibilities, ultimately leading to his current position of vice president.

“I am proud to be part of a team that

focuses on working with our distributor network in solving our customers’ laundry issues and needs,” says Kelly. “With Milnor’s 71 years of experience and continuous direction by the Pellerin family, our team and dealer network look forward to many more years of serving the industry.

“Our current product offering and ongoing R&D efforts offer more exciting times ahead and continued success in the future.”

CLEC adds to leadership team for Houston office

GULF BREEZE, Fla. — Commercial and Coin Laundry Equipment Co. (CLEC) says it has hired industry veteran Mike Hand to take on the position of general manager of the company’s CLEC-West facility, located in Houston.

“Mike’s experience in the laundry industry and track record of success in leading projects makes him the ideal candidate to head up our CLECWest operation,” says Craig Dakauskas, president of CLEC. “He’s a seasoned sales professional, who is adept at building and leading teams focused on providing exceptional value. That focus aligns perfectly with CLEC’s values.”

Hand joins CLEC after working at Super Laundry for more than 20 years. Most

recently he served as regional vice president of sales and operations, overseeing five offices and a staff of 40. His region accounted for more than $22 million in total sales.

“I’m super excited to be joining the CLEC team,” Hand says. “This is a company and team that has rock-solid leadership and a clear path for aggressive growth throughout the markets it serves.”

Voltea names Lan He as chief financial officer

DALLAS — Voltea Ltd., a provider of membrane capacitive deionization technology (CapDI©), has hired Lan He as chief financial officer and as a member of the executive committee, the company reports.

Lan He joins Voltea from CECO Environmental, a player in the global pollution control market, where she was vice president of finance. She has an extensive background in financial planning and analysis, change management and mergers and acquisitions.

“Mrs. He’s experience executing on global growth strategies with successful multinationals brings value to the Voltea team,” says Bryan Brister, CEO of Voltea. “She has an extensive finance background and has built and implemented scalable cross-

functional processes that will benefit Voltea. These skills were precisely the expertise we were looking for to support our growth initiatives.”

Prior to her role with CECO Environmental, Voltea says Lan He held roles with Daikin AC (Americas), Siemens Transportation Systems and Siemens Gigaset Communications. She also holds an MBA degree from University of Mississippi and is a licensed CPA in Texas.

“I look forward to working with such a talented, entrepreneurial-minded team that delivers real solutions and innovation to our environment,” says Lan He about her new position. “I hope in some small way I can help contribute to the company’s global impact on a cleaner earth.”

Pickett joins market development at Gurtler

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. — Gurtler Industries Inc. has hired Andrew “Andy” Pickett as manager of market development in the Central Indiana and Western Ohio area, the manufacturer of laundry detergents and specialty chemicals reports.

Pickett joined Gurtler in August, and the company says he brings with him six-plus years of experience in the laundry industry. ALN

Hand Pickett

Lan He

Kelly

PARTS FOR SALE

PARTS &

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

Encore Textile Services acquires Emerald Textiles

SAN DIEGO — Encore Textile Services, a portfolio company of Los Angeles-based private investment firm Highland Avenue Capital Partners LLC, has completed its acquisition of Emerald Textiles, a healthcare linen service provider based here, the company reports. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition brings together the two largest independent healthcare laundry providers in California, with the combined entity having a total of five locations on the West Coast, the company says, adding that the combined business will have an unparalleled ability to better serve all the needs of its large regional customers in both Northern and Southern California.

“We are excited to welcome the Emerald team to the Encore family,” says Greg Anderson, CEO of the combined Encore and Emerald. “It is our belief Emerald’s team of experienced and respected professionals will complement the Encore team as we continue to scale the organization through organic growth, acquisitions and greenfield opportunities.

“Encore and Emerald are committed to providing the best value proposition for current and future customers and look forward to continuing to serve our combined customer base with continued high-level service.”

“I am tremendously proud of what the Emerald team accomplished over the past eight years, and I am confident that the business is well positioned to continue to grow and thrive,” says Tom Gildred, CEO of Emerald.

Chris Sznewajs, co-founder and managing partner at Highland Avenue, adds, “Highland’s original investment thesis centered around building scale while enhancing the company’s ability to service its consolidating customer base. The addition of Emerald to the Encore platform is a realization of that thesis and allows us to serve the entire California market.

“We are excited about the two entities coming together and wanted to thank Tom Gildred and the entire Emerald team for building a great organization focused on their customers.”

Horaczek appointed group show director for Messe Frankfurt

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — Kerstin Horaczek has been appointed group show director of Messe Frankfurt effective Sept. 1, the trade fair and event organizer reports.

In this position, she will be responsible for events worldwide in the safety, security & fire, food technologies, textile care, cleaning & cleanroom technologies and environmental technologies industry sectors.

“With the knowledge that she has acquired to date and the outstanding network that she has built up both within the Messe Frankfurt Group and within the technical industry sectors, Kerstin Horaczek is an ideal choice to expand the trade fair portfolio under her charge and to prime it for the future,” says Iris Jeglitza-Moshage, senior vice president of technology. “We are delighted that she has agreed to take on this challenging position.”

A graduate in business management, Horaczek began her career at Messe Frankfurt in 2001 as part of a dual work/study program. Following this, she worked in the mergers & acquisitions and subsidiary management divisions.

Since 2012, she has coordinated and advanced the expansion of the Group’s international technical trade fair portfolio. In this function, she reported to JeglitzaMoshage, and will continue to do so in her new position.

Horaczek takes over from Ruth Lorenz, who retired

in September after 27 years at Messe Frankfurt, 21 of which were in managerial positions.

“With her many years of service, Ruth Lorenz has paved the way for her successor, with whom she has worked closely together in the past,” says Jeglitza-Moshage. “We will continue to follow the course that Ruth Lorenz has set and would like to thank her most sincerely for everything she has achieved for the company and to wish her every health and happiness in the future.

“In Kerstin Horaczek, she will be succeeded by a prominent personality in the trade fair sector who has the energy and drive needed to expand our business field.”

Meese opens 5th U.S. plant in Florida

MADISON, Ind. — Rotomolding company Meese (formerly MODRoto) opened a new plant in Jacksonville, Fla., in June of this year, the company reports. The 50,000-square-foot plant is the fifth U.S. plant for Meese.

“The addition of the Jacksonville plant means we can reduce shipping costs for our Southeast customers while staying better connected to all of our customers throughout the U.S.,” says Dan Rodriguez, national sales manager.

Meese also launched its new website at www.meese-inc. com in July and says it will soon add e-commerce capabilities.

The company’s name change to Meese, made effective May 7, is a “nod to our company’s heritage and is just the beginning in our company’s plan for future growth,” says J.R. Ryan, the president of Meese.

Founded in 1931, Meese says it was the first rotomolder in North America to invest in fully automated rotational molding systems, adding two “Leonardo” machines in 2008.

Meese says its line of Poly-Trux, Bulk-Trux, Shelf-Trux, Utility-Trux and Tilt-Trux are built to serve specific hauling, transportation and storage needs of customers in a variety of industries such as laundry, recycling and materi-

Calendar

October

16-18 TRSA

105th Annual Conference

Napa, Calif.

Info: 703-519-0026

18 Continental Girbau West

OPL Service School

Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

Info: 866-950-2449

22-24 G.A. Braun

Service School: Washers Syracuse, N.Y. Info: 800-432-7286

als handling.

The company says its newest line of products includes the Linen Locker, created for secure and safe indoor/outdoor collection of bulk items.

UniMac appoints CLEC as distributor for Houston area

RIPON, Wis. — UniMac, a source of heavy-duty industrial laundry solutions, recently appointed Commercial and Coin Laundry Equipment Co. (CLEC) as its distributor in the Houston and south Texas area, the company reports.

“CLEC has been an on-premises laundry leader in Florida for decades, and its expansion West has made it uniquely positioned to represent UniMac in the Houston market,” says Bill Brooks, UniMac North American sales manager.

“CLEC staff not only has expertise in the UniMac product line and the unique requirements of on-premises laundries, but they also have built a stellar reputation within the laundry industry. I’m excited to see them expand UniMac’s presence in the south Texas market.”

Since 1982, CLEC has provided UniMac commercial laundry sales, service and parts in the Gulf region from its Gulf Breeze, Fla., headquarters, the company says.

The distributor expanded recently, adding a CLEC West office in Houston. The company has a staff of more than 45 employees, as well as expansive equipment and parts inventories.

“The last few years have been an exciting time for this company as we have continued to grow our presence in the Gulf Region. The addition of the UniMac line in Houston is a major component in that growth strategy,” says Craig Dakauskas, president of CLEC. “Clients in the Houston area will soon see what the ‘CLEC Effect’ means—industryleading sales, service and support.

“We are dedicated to earning and maintaining the trust of our clients. Being awarded the UniMac product line ensures we also are able to offer equipment that delivers maximum performance.” ALN

22-24 Performance Matters

Coaches Clinic Service Training

Fort Mill, S.C.

Info: 952-769-9283

22-24 G.A. Braun

Service School: Dryers Syracuse, N.Y. Info: 800-432-7286

25 Association for Linen Management

Webinar: Is Your Plant TourReady? Richmond, Ky. Info: 859-624-0177

November

13-15 G.A. Braun

Service School: Finishing Equipment Syracuse, N.Y. Info: 800-432-7286

28-29 TRSA

7th Annual Healthcare Conference Charlotte, N.C. Info: 703-519-0026

Horaczek