American Laundry News - October 2019

Late News

Grant aids California laundry recovery from 2018 Malibu wildfire

MALIBU, Calif. — Royal Quality Laundry, a professional full-service laundry company here, reports it was awarded a $10,000 grant in May 2019 from Women’s Economic Venture (WEV) to help it recover from the Woolsey Fire of Nov. 2018.

The wildfire blazed for 13 days before it was contained, affecting many local businesses, including Royal Quality Laundry.

“We lost about 80% of our business after the fire,” says Natalie Camacho, founder and president.

WEV, recently funded by Wells Fargo Works for Small Business: Diverse Community Capital program, awarded the business a $10,000 grant after Camacho applied. WEV is a nonprofit based in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

The grant helped Camacho to recuperate her business this summer, using it for marketing, supplies, employee uniforms and more. The program also offers training and consulting. ALN

Wash chemistry basics

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — The wash formula.

It’s essential for laundry and linen services to use the correct wash formula to process goods.

“Wash formulas are tailored to each classification depending on soil type, color, soil degree and fiber content,” says Amanda Steffen, marketing director for Ecolab, which provides water, hygiene and energy technologies and services.

A key component to a wash formula is the chemistry.

“The effectiveness of chemistry is equally important as the time, temperature and mechanical action of the entire wash process,” Steffen says. “It’s a balance of these four factors.”

That means laundry operations need to make sure they are using the right chemicals, and sometimes that means going back to the

basics of washroom chemistry to make sure the right chemicals are being used.

ESSENTIAL FORMULA ELEMENTS

As Steffen notes, the basic elements considered in designing an effective and efficient wash chemistry formula include soil types

and levels, fabric composition, wash temperatures and the type of wash equipment.

Steve Tinker, senior vice presidentresearch and development, marketing for Gurtler Industries Inc., a commercial laun-

Laundry technology saves lives

BY JORDYN SCHRAEDER

RIPON, Wis. — For firefighters, danger does not end when a fire is extinguished, but rather when their personal protective equipment or PPE is clean. While fighting fires, toxic carcinogens that originate from synthetics and plastics absorb into the fabrics of PPE through smoke, which can cause cancer.

Bill Brooks is the UniMac North American sales manager and has been a firefighter for more than 30 years. He says that when he was a newcomer to the firefighting industry, having soot-stained gear was a badge of honor.

“Today, we know the dangers that lurk in the gear,” Brooks says. “Ours is a dangerous profession, and that danger lives on in our soot-covered gear well after the flames are extinguished.”

Chief Joseph Hicks and Assistant Chief Michael Dutcher of the Framingham, Mass., Fire Department took this into account when they gained leadership of the department a few years ago. The department consists of 150 uniformed firefighters dispersed among five different fire houses.

Improving Workplace Safety

Panel of Experts

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

“There was a gap in our overall safety,” says Dutcher, a 21-year

Properly cleaned firefighter PPE removes toxic carcinogens, saves lives

How a laundry can move from safety as an ideal to making a realworld impact

Ways to reassure employees, customers and vendors about the health of an operation

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Assistant Chief Michael Dutcher of the Framingham, Mass., Fire Department scans a piece of protective firefighting equipment. (Photo: Framingham F.D.)

Experts offer refresher in chemical element of wash formula

Smart portents for Texcare International in June 2020

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — With just under a year to go before doors open on Texcare International, the world’s most important trade fair for textile care, preparations are in full swing, according to organizer Messe Frankfurt. All market leaders have already registered with the signs pointing to a significant increase in exhibition space compared to the last event.

The next Texcare International will be held in Frankfurt am Main from June 20-24, 2020, and, as in 2016, will occupy Halls 8 and 9.

“We are very pleased that our concept for expanding the fair has been so successful. At the coming event, we aim to take particular advantage of the potential for growth offered by Hall 9.0,” says Kerstin Horaczek, group show director-technology of organizer Messe Frankfurt.

“This means we will be able to react much better to market developments, such as the growing significance of IT and logistics solutions in the sector.”

Messe Frankfurt says the rapid spread of digitalization continues to be the driving force of innovation in the sector with the trend shifting from digital to smart (e.g., intelligent textiles communicate with intelligent machines and organize themselves). The basis for this is

a smart flow of data, as well as the use of RFID and robot technology.

“Digitalization is already widespread in the textile-care sector, especially when it comes to logistic processes,” explains Elgar Straub, managing director of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies. “Accordingly, the industry will present numerous innovations that go a step further and take account of the demands of the smart factory at next June’s Texcare International.”

Other facets of digitalization include new business models between laundries or dry cleaners and their customers and/or suppliers. Online

shops and apps are gaining in significance to cater for the demand for readily available fresh and hygienic laundry. The digital-transformation process is also impacting on the fields of training and professional development with, for example, more and more e-learning units being offered.

All these themes will be covered by the complementary program of events at Texcare International. In this connection, the Texcare Forum plays a vital role in the international transfer of knowledge and the exchange of ideas and opinions between experts and business partners.

When it comes to planning the conference, Messe Frankfurt says it works closely together with the German Textile Cleaning Association (Deutscher Textilreinigungsverband–DTV), VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, and other organizations.

Awards ceremonies, competitions and a fashion show round off the program of events at the trade fair.

According to Messe Frankfurt, Texcare International is the leading fair of the worldwide events held by the company for the laundry, dry cleaning and textile services sectors. ALN

TRSA 8th Annual Healthcare Conference & Exchange heading to San Diego

ALEXANDRIA, Va. —

The TRSA 8th Annual Healthcare Conference & Exchange will be hosted against the backdrop of Mission Bay in San Diego Nov. 19-21, and attendees will have an opportunity to participate in scheduled one-on-one interactions that will enable them to learn about products and services in a focused setting: The Exchange.

Set as the first order of business on Nov. 20 and 21, each morning will offer up to four 15-minute sessions, each with a different associate. Linen, uniform and facility services operator participants may share pressing challenges and learn about the latest product innova-

tions and custom solutions, and associate supplier partners are assured of spending that time with those who are anxious to hear of their products and services.

TRSA says operators who participate in at least six of these meetings will generate a $500 rebate from the operator registration fee.

The 2018 Exchange was offered as part of TRSA’s 105th Annual

Conference in Napa last October. Exchange participants Keith and Julia Pooler, vice president and president of Sacramento Linen Co., say they liked the sessions because they gave both sides an opportunity to zoom in on issues and solutions.

“It’s focused on what we’re looking for, rather than them saying something to a group,” says Julia, who is a co-owner of the company with her husband, Keith, who adds that the meetings were simpler and more direct than calling up a vendor to visit the plant, allowing them to explore new vendors.

“It gave us that opportunity to approach them and let them know what we’re into,” he says.

Steve Twombly, president of Automation Dynamics Inc., Independence, Mo., says when The Exchange program was launched by TRSA in 2016, he was skeptical about the value a company such as his, a vendor, would receive by participating in the initiative.

By last October, Automation Dynamics was participating in its third Exchange opportunity.

“We feel it’s been very, very valuable each time,” he says.

The TRSA 8th Annual Healthcare Conference will welcome keynote speaker Josh Luke, Ph.D., who will provide an engaging and entertaining healthcare executive’s perspective on Selling to Hospitals in the Value Based Care Era. Dr. Luke is a healthcare futurist, ForbesBooks featured author, leading international speaker and social media influencer who writes for LinkedIn’s Healthcare Pulse.

Attendees will also hear from industry and market experts on

the following subjects via general session presentations:

• Current Healthcare MarketRelated Research Review

• Healthcare Benchmarking/ Survey Report

• Legislative and Regulatory Update

• Long-Term Care (LTC) Marketing Opportunities

• SmartTalks featuring Healthcare Conference Facilitators

Breakout session topics being offered are:

• Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification: Preparation and Audit

• Innovations in Transportation

• Navigating the Supply Chain in an Era of Hospital Consolidation

• Recruiting and the Labor Shortage

Networking receptions are set for Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. On Thursday morning following the final Exchange meetings, attendees will tour Emerald Textiles, a technologically advanced 111,000-square-foot hospital linen and healthcare launderer that saves an estimated 120 million gallons of water and more than 750,000 therms of natural gas each year due to its environmental practices.

TRSA says linen, uniform and facility services operators who serve the healthcare market will benefit by attending this conference, specifically independent owners/operators; executive management; regional, general manager, and production managers; and next-generation managers

Visit www.trsa.org/healthcare for registration information.

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 • Tom Marks

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

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© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2019. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Laundry News does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Laundry News or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

MEMBERSHIPS

The 2020 Texcare International will be held in Frankfurt am Main from June 20-24. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt/Jens Liebchen)

Milnor has a better solution through dilution.

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

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

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

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

www.milnor.com

Back to the basics

E very now and then, I go to my bookcase and dig out one of my most treasured volumes: my grammar textbook from college. Why a grammar textbook? Especially one from nearly 30 years ago?

First off, it’s not as if the rules of grammar change frequently. Stylebooks, like AP and Chicago Manual of Style, those are updated on a regular basis as things change in industry, online, etc. Not grammar rules, so quit making fun of my old book.

Second, I wasn’t willing to take such a loss selling my textbooks back to the university, so I kept most of them. I figured I’d get more value out of the books than the pittance the bookstore was willing to offer.

But the real reason I pull that old grammar textbook off the shelf is that I need to go back to the basics. Sometimes after putting together so many words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs,

The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

etc., my brain feels muddled and I need to go back to the basics to refresh and be reassured.

Maybe you feel that way in your laundry operations. Washers, dryers, chemicals, linens, employees … it can feel like it’s all wadding up into a big bundle instead of smoothly folding and stacking.

Time to step back and refresh with the basics. That’s what this issue has to offer, like the article

about wash chemistry basics on page 1.

Or how about keeping employees safe? Turn to page 12 to find out how to improve your plant safety—and avoid common mistakes.

But not everything in this issue is basic.

Our Panel of Experts (page 14) tackles the difficult issue of reassuring employees, customers and vendors about the health of a laundry business against rumors and stories about consolidation.

You’ll also see on this page EricFrederick’s monthly column. This time, he offers up ideas on how to attract employees when there are more jobs than people looking for jobs.

And as always, we’ve got news from around the industry to keep you informed.

Basically, we’ve got the basics, and more, in this issue to help everybody keep it clean. ALN

ARTA C. diff study available for

download, accepted by AJIC

MISSION, Ks. — The American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) reports that its study on the effectiveness of peracetic acid (PAA) to kill C. diff spores is now available for download from Science Direct (www.sciencedirect.com). In addition, it has been approved to appear in an upcoming edition of the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC).

ARTA says the peer-reviewed work on behalf of the industry reveals peracetic acid (PAA) kills C. diff in a study designed to replicate the mechanical action of a tunnel washer.

The ARTA study “The efficacy of a simulated tunnel washer process on removal and destruction of Clostridioides difficile spores from healthcare tex-

tiles” is “In Press,” which means it has been accepted for publication but has not yet been published in hard copy by the AJIC.

AJIC is a peer-reviewed scientific journal produced by the Association for Prevention and Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

“We have purchased Open Access for this article, which means everyone can easily view this study now,” says ARTA President Brendan O’Neill of London Hospital Linen Service, London, Ontario.

AJIC editors say a publish date for the article has not been determined yet, but will likely be published in the next six months or as soon as October.

ALN

Recruiting in a tight job market

Today there are more jobs available than there are people looking for jobs. Over my years in management I have seen the job market fluctuate but never quite to this extreme.

The laundry industry is an entry-level industry, usually staffed by the latest wave of legal immigrants, but the potential pool of employees is shrinking at a very fast rate. The current administration is doing all it can to reduce immigration and make sure that those who do come have job skills that would exclude them from the laundry industry.

So, what should a manager do during these times?

The first thing they should do is look to reduce their turnover as much as possible. Carefully conduct exit interviews to determine why people are leaving and then actively work on eliminating those reasons.

Contrary to popular opinion, salary is not the No. 1 reason people leave. Working conditions and how an employee is treated have far more to do with their happiness than money.

Employees want to be treated fairly and equally with their fellow employees. The concept of shared pain is well understood. A work schedule that unfairly burdens a small group of employees with most of the weekend work is not well accepted.

Employees like to feel part of a team and want to know how their company or branch is doing. Frequent communication from their supervisors and managers about how the business is doing is important.

I managed a healthcare laundry for 44 years and always wanted my employees to know how important clean textiles were to the successful operation of the hospitals we served.

“EMPLOYEES LIKE TO FEEL PART OF A TEAM AND WANT TO KNOW HOW THEIR COMPANY OR BRANCH IS DOING. FREQUENT COMMUNICATION FROM THEIR SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS ABOUT HOW THE BUSINESS IS DOING IS IMPORTANT.”

They understood the special commitment our customers (hospitals) had to the community they served on a 24-hour-a-day basis, 365 days a year. They understood that when strong storms passed through the area, the demands on these customers greatly increased, so it was important for them to make it to work. I always took time during and after these occasions to thank my employees for their dedication to the patients we served.

I also listened to my employees as they expressed their preferences and needs. I had one employee who was a great worker and would have excelled wherever I put her, but she preferred to run towels through a towel folder. Her production on this machine exceeded anyone else in the laundry. Some employees asked to be able to change work assignments on a daily or half-day basis.

In talking with many of the employees, I found an equally large group that liked the job they were doing and did not want to move around. I was able to keep both groups happy because we listened to their needs, wants, and desires and accommodated their preferences into our system. An employee could request a singular work assignment or a rotating job assignment based on their needs.

Sometimes the desire to rotate was driven by a religious aspect of their lives. During the month of Ramadan, many of my Muslim employees did not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. While the dates of this celebration changed year to year, they often fell in the heat of the summer. These employees request more frequent job rotation during this month to help them meet their religious goals. We were happy to comply.

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Much has been written lately about hiring the disabled to work

From

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

dry products supplier, says that production needs, which helps determine maximum wash times, are also considered.

“Knowing all these factors allow the chemical technician to select the right combination of washing chemistry, detergents, builders, water and soil conditioners, bleaches, and specialty products,” he says.

“Quality standards are a critical component of the overall formulation. The final equation includes the overall cost impact, which includes chemical costs, water and sewer costs, energy costs, productivity inputs, and even textile life analysis.”

Wash chemistry is guided by the pie chart giving equal weight to time, temperature, mechanical action and chemical, says Scott Pariser, president of Pariser Industries Inc., which manufactures specialty cleaning chemicals for commercial, industrial and institutional end users.

“As each of the pieces of the pie are changed, other parts of the pie must be modified in order to make sure the overall ‘cleaning’ process is the best it can be,” points out Doug Story, president of sales and marketing for UNX, a company that provides chemical detergents and specialties to key consumer industries.

“Soil loading and equipment type will affect how the pieces of the pie are developed but all components of the pie must exist in order for proper cleaning in a laundry process to occur. For example, if an operator wants to speed up the formula, reducing time, there has to be an increase in one or more parts of the pie— increase chemical usage, increase temperature would be one strategy.”

Pariser agrees that product lineups and respective wash formulas are best conceived when appropriate consideration is given to soil classifications, linen specifications, operating conditions (i.e., water hardness and quality, hot water temperatures, etc.), and production requirements.

Bill Mitchell, vice president of customer care and national sales for Norchem Corp., a clean-technology engineering firm, says a laundry washroom has an effect on several areas of the plant’s overall operation.

“Wash quality is, of course, a top priority, as that is what their customers expect and are paying for,” he says. “Beyond finished quality, a laundry should consider the impact of the wash process on the longevity of their textiles, the efficiency of the wash process in producing more pounds per hour, the cost of utilities needed and the effluent water discharged to the local treatment works.”

Mitchell points out that wash

chemicals can have an effect on all of these areas, and chemical suppliers should be able to work with the laundries to ensure all opportunities of efficiency and compliance are recognized and accounted for in an overall chemical supply program.

ESSENTIAL CHEMICALS

Kevin Minissian, president of Norchem, says, “The foundation for any successful wash program starts with the following: Good soft water, effective detergent, and stain removers, such as chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide.”

Pariser shares that, generally speaking, an alkaline builder, a surfactant, a bleaching agent (whether it is chlorine or oxygen bleach in nature), a neutralizing sour and a softening agent are the basic components of a chemical menu.

“All plants will use alkali, surfactants, chelating agents, oxidizing agents, sours and fabric softeners,” adds Story.

Tinker shares the following details on each of the essential chemical elements used in a laundry:

Alkalis: Break-down and neutralize soils and condition natural textiles to help release soils.

Detergents: The most important element in the wash formula. Emulsify, lift away and suspend oily and greasy soils, and are especially effective on synthetic fibers.

Detergents are designed to work at various temperature ranges depending on the needs of the laundry. They are also engineered to have a controlled level of foaming, which is also temperature dependent. Excessive foam can be a detriment, as it reduces the mechanical action of the washer.

All these various considerations—textiles, soils and temperatures—are taken into consideration when selecting a detergent product.

Conditioners: Help suspend soils and isolate water hardness ions that can interfere in soil removal. Phosphate and nonphosphate conditioners are available, depending on local requirements.

Bleaches: Chlorine, oxygen and peracetic acid are the basic choices for bleaches. Each has its advantages and issues. Selecting the right bleach is an important part of designing the right wash process for the laundry.

Specialty Products: Pre-washes, solvents, softeners, anti-chlors and sanitizers are all optional products.

Neutralizers (Sours): Used in the final rinse to reduce the pH of the textiles to about 5-6.5, which is the pH of human skin. This not only helps reduce any skin irritation that may occur from detergent residues, but it also aids in ironing.

Beyond the essential elements, there are several additional options laundry operators can use to boost cleaning.

“Depending upon plant conditions, linen type and soil clas-

sifications, a specific degreasing adjunct, a water softening conditioner, an anti-chlor (chlorine neutralizer), and a bacteriostatic agent may also be employed to enhance linen appearance, longevity and hygiene,” Pariser says.

Minissian says alkaline builders can be used to boost up alkalinity in the wash for better and more aggressive soil dispersing and cleaning effectiveness.

Healthcare laundries can leverage an EPA-registered laundry disinfectant oxidizer with proven kill claims against healthcare-related microorganisms of concern that help contribute to the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), according to Steffen.

“Water softening is an important part of a laundry operation,” Tinker says. “If the water is not soft—zero grains per gallon hardness—the laundry will have to use more chemistry and additives to ‘condition’ the water.

“Solvent-based detergents can be added in a prewash step to help remove oily/greasy soils form heavily soiled items.”

And Story shares that there are new developments in technology based on enzymes and other bioactive agents that have the capability of enhancing quality in lower temperature and reduced chemical intensity laundering programs.

COMMON MISTAKES

There are several common mistakes made in the industry when it comes to chemistry and the wash formula.

Story shares that laundries sometime reduce and change parts of the pie without changing the other components of the total process (e.g., lowering chemical usage without changing other parts of the pie).

“This type of action will generally cause the quality to suffer due to insufficient usage, assuming initial usage was set at proper level before the changes,” he says.

Steffen says that sometimes operations utilize the wrong wash formula for the classification of goods laundered.

“Using the wrong wash formula on goods processed is not effective,” Story adds. “As stated, chemistry and wash formulas are designed for specific soil and fabric types. For example, processing bar mops on a sheet formula will not yield acceptable quality results for the bar towels.”

He goes on to re-emphasize that chemistry and wash process is generally designed for a specific load size, soil type and process procedure. That means underloading and overloading washers will cause quality and utility usage issues.

“Although not chemical, laundries need to make sure the washers are in good to great operating condition,” adds Story. “Make sure the incoming water is softened and treated to minimize minerals, iron, etc. Make sure the heating systems—boilers, steam valves, etc.—are in good working condition and rated to meet the needs of

the washers and equipment.

“If the washers are leaking or you can’t achieve temperatures that are needed or water is too hard for the system, the chemistry will be limited in its ability to perform. Make sure all chemical dispensing systems are working to set standards as well.”

Tinker says that one of the biggest errors in terms of laundry chemistry is the over-use of bleach, especially chlorine bleach.

“Since bleach is a relatively inexpensive wash chemical, some will reduce detergent levels and increase bleach to reduce chemical costs,” he says. “But excessive bleach usage can have a major negative impact on textile life which can be a greater cost impact than the savings in wash chemistry.”

Another issue Tinker sees is insufficient soil sorting.

“If you don’t sort soil levels, then you have to design a wash formula that will clean the heaviest soil level, which means that textiles with light soil levels are over washed. This impacts the overall chemical costs.”

Tinker also sees “merry-goround” washing as a common error. He says that if an item is rejected due to stains or other soil issues, it should be washed in a special stain removal wash process to be reclaimed. If after the stain wash the item is still unserviceable, it should be discarded or turned into a rag.

“The merry-go-round issue is with laundries that just rewash stained items time after time after time in the regular wash process, wasting chemistry, water, energy over and over, and never removing an item from service,” he says.

Pariser says that all too often he sees laundries where the wash chemistry is dictated by the vendor’s one-size-fits-all approach to washing.

“Every laundry has nuances and variables that make a custom approach to washing an imperative one for maximized results and economy,” he points out.

Speaking of economy, Minissian has observed laundries struggling to maintain quality with the leastexpensive option.

“While the cost of the products is always key in any laundry’s decision-making for wash chemistry, choosing the cheaper option doesn’t necessarily equate to automatic savings,” he shares.

“Most important is partnering with a supplier whose representatives can fully assess your operation’s needs for wash formulas and quality so that a customized program can be determined for optimized efficiency and consistency.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wash chemistry is only effective when water levels and operating conditions in a laundry are consistent, Pariser says. For example, if the quantity of water changes in the washer, the strength of the wash liquor will change accordingly.

“If water quality, soil sorting procedures or hot water temperature changes, so too will results,” he points out. “As such, good chemical supervision/service includes and requires the provision of comprehensive oversight of water levels, washing machine and chemical dispenser performance, and operational practices.”

Tinker agrees and says it’s best for laundry operations to look at wash chemistry as just one part of the overall wash process. It’s not just achieving an acceptable level of soil removal and whiteness and brightness.

“A holistic approach helps you look at how the chemistry can impact resource (water and energy) usage, productivity (wash times), and how you can meet the quality standards of the operation,” he says. “The objective is to design a wash process that delivers the cleanest possible textiles at the lowest possible total cost.”

Minissian recommends that laundries always conduct swatch tests to make sure whiteness, tensile strength loss and soil removal are above average.

“Wash chemistry is 80% of the wash formula equation,” he says. “If the chemistry does not perform, neither mechanical action, temperature or the amount of water used will clean the fabric.”

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

GROWTH COMES FROM SOLID ROOTS

Tools f the Trade

Central dosing offering to on-premises laundries expanded

Hydro Systems, which delivers chemical dispensing and dosing solutions, reports it has released its Dositec PCB Controlled Multi-Washer dispensers to meet the unique needs of on-premises laundries (OPLs).

Developed as more economical solutions for laundries with four or more smaller washer extractors, the units allow the benefits of centralized dosing to be adopted at a wider range of accounts, according to the company.

“This expansion to our Dositec portfolio of products brings the benefits of centralized reporting, easier installation and space savings to OPLs,” says John Goetz, global product manager. “Rather than managing numerous dispensers across multiple machines, facilities only need to install one of our new units to serve several washers.”

The new central dosing systems bring many of the same benefits as the larger and more advanced Dositec systems. The company says these benefits include:

• Quick and easy installs—With less materials like tubing and controllers needed, the installation process is much easier, reducing time for

first revenue.

• Compact equipment—A sleek design ensures a smaller footprint. In fact, the new Dositec systems take up 35% less wall space compared to four 1-to-1 dispensers.

• Flexibility and scalability—The dispensers can support up to six washers and eight products and can be fitted with either an electromagnetic or pneumatic pump depending on the size of washers. The electromagnetic option is built for washers handling up to 125 pounds of laundry, with a max capacity of 750 pounds across six washers. The pneumatic pump is to be used with washers handling up to 250 pounds each, or a total of 1,500 pounds.

• Centralized reporting—The PCB-controlled units are compatible with Hydro Connect, the company’s cloud-based platform that gathers and stores dispensing data. Laundries can download reports in seconds that detail shift efficiency, chemical, water and energy usage, costs, and alarms.

“Previously, technology like this has only been available to industrial laundry operations due to budget restrictions,” adds Goetz. “With the addition of these Dositec units, Hydro Systems now offers a complete family of products with a range of controls and pump options for multi-washer setups to drive ROI in both industrial laundry and OPL environments.”

www.hydrosystemsco.com 513-271-8800

Apparel, bags and caps catalog released

SanMar Corp., a supplier of uniform apparel and accessories, says it has launched 102 new looks in it 2020 Apparel, Bags, and Caps Catalog, in time for key fall and fourth-quarter selling. These offerings include more modern uniform choices like the debut of OGIO’s Urban Shirt (OG1000) the brand’s first-ever woven shirt, styled to follow the current trend of wearing shirts untucked, and the Port Authority Broadcloth Gingham Easy Care Shirts (W644/ LW644) that have wrinkle-resistant convenience paired with classic menswear patterns.

There are also new additions in tri-blends, one of today’s fastinggrowing fabrics from District, Sport-Tek and New Era. District’s Perfect Tri family is expanding to include the Women’s Perfect Tri Sleeveless Hoodie (DT1375). In Sport-Tek, the popular PosiCharge

Tri-Blend family is also growing with the introduction of the Full-Zip Hooded Jackets (ST293/ LST293), Short Sleeve Hooded Pullovers (ST297), Ladies Crop Hooded Pullover (LST298) and Ladies Jogger (LST299). New Era is expanding its tri-blend game with a boxier, shorter, cropped silhouette, the Ladies Tri-Blend Fleece Varsity Crew (LNEA513).

Eye-catching new colors meet high-performance sun protection technology with the new SportTek Posi-UV Pro Tees (ST420/ LST420) and Polos (ST520/ LST520). Their UPF 50 protection, moisture wicking and colorlocking technology come together with classic styling in styles designed for year-round function and versatility.

www.sanmar.com 800-426-6399

Textile program said to extend linen life

Domestic Fabrics & Blankets reports it has released its launderable healthcare laundry cart cover. The company says the exchange cart cover is durable and easy to use and is designed to be sanitized after each use.

Domestic Fabrics says the flexible, water-resistant cover attaches to the top and front openings of the exchange cart to protect contents during transit and to keep linen covered, but accessible, while in service.

The cover design also keeps linens securely in the cart even if jostled during transit, and

JENSEN-GROUP reports a recent addition to its equipment portfolio unveiled at the Clean Show 2019 in New Orleans—a compact folder/cross folder solution, the Katana.

The company says this solution offers high production with high quality, with up to six inline stackers and conveyors, which greatly reduces the required floorspace to sort large flatwork pieces such as bed and table linens.

The cross folds are performed using reversing belts and a knife (the Japanese call it a “Katana”) in order to achieve optimum control and the best

sizes are available to accommodate 4-foot and 5-foot carts. The company says colors available include royal blue and blazing yellow, and edge-binding color options are available.

Domestic Fabrics says the covers follow 2016 HLAC Accreditation Standards for Processing for Use in Healthcare Facilities since they can be sanitized after each use.

The company adds that the launderable cover saves money and generates revenue when used as an alternative to plastic disposable covers.

www.domesticfabrics.com 252-523-7948

Textile degradation is an ongoing problem in the hospitality industry. To prevent these problems, Riegel, a division of Mount Vernon Mills, says it has created Linen Life Solutions™, a worryfree textile program that uses colorGUARD™ technology to extend the lifecycle of the textile and ensure a color-rich product from the first wash to the last.

“Laundries have been dealing with shade variation since the beginning of time,” says Bob Pestrak, supply sales director. “When table linen starts to discolor, laundry facilities throw out the faded pieces or sort through similar colors to get bundles of napkins and cloths that match as best they can before delivering them to an account.”

developed a proprietary application that makes it impossible for the color to get washed down.

possible fold quality. The multiblade technology replaces an airblast, thus reducing compressed air consumption by up to 50% and reducing operating noise.

The Katana is available in working widths of 118, 130, 138 and 157 inches, in one-lane operation with up to three lateral folds and three cross folds, and two-lane operation with up to three lateral folds and two cross folds.

By design, JENSEN says the Katana is very simple and service friendly.

www.jensenusa.com 850-271-5959

With more than 180 years of combined fabric-engineering and laundry-processing service, Riegel says its Textile Service team tested and analyzed its fabrics in their own government-certified lab to identify the root cause of textile degradation. After significant troubleshooting, the company developed Linen Life Solutions to ensure that:

• Whites Stay White—Riegel

• Bistros Won’t Fade—Riegel designed its Bistros with the best solutions so the stripes do not fade or bleed and the white background fabric stays white.

• Ivory, Sandalwood and Black are Colorfast—Riegel recognizes that ivory is processed like white with higher concentrations of chemicals to eliminate mold, mildew and stains, so the company created an ivory that is stable and mitigates shade change.

www.riegellinen.com 800-845-2232

Manufacturers: Have you introduced a new product? Revamped your system? Released a new catalog?

E-mail your product news, along with a high-resolution image, to mpoe@atmags.com and we’ll consider publishing your news free in Tools of the Trade.

Compact folder/cross folder added to equipment portfolio

Laundrable healthcare linen cart cover made available

Notice Anything?

InkGo® Is Now Odor Free!

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

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

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

Now that’s worth noticing!

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fire industry veteran. “The rates of cancer for firefighters versus the general public were astronomical. All these carcinogens were being trapped in firefighters’ PPE. We realized, ‘Wait a minute, we can’t allow this to happen to our people.’”

The impact of cancer on firefighters is clear. According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, in 2016 70% of line-ofduty deaths for career firefighters were a result of cancer. Even Chief Hicks’ father, who was a firefighter, died from cancer.

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate— it doesn’t matter if you’re a small house or a major metro department,” Dutcher says. “We have to do something about it.”

Previously, the Framingham Fire Department’s 150 firefighters packaged their PPE and sent it to headquarters to be washed by one crew. Often, the crew was responsible for washing and tracking the maintenance of 20 to 30 bags of PPE at once.

When gear was returned mismatched, many firefighters grew frustrated and avoided the laundering process all together, even though the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 regulation suggests that PPE be washed after each fire.

Hicks and Dutcher wanted to

find a more efficient and organized method of washing equipment to help keep their firefighters safe from dangerous carcinogens and adhere to safety regulations.

In order to finance their quest for safety, the department turned to the city leaders and citizens of Framingham, a city of around 75,000 people. They explained that firefighters were getting cancer from the gear meant to protect them and were met with immediate support.

First, they ensured that each firefighter would have two sets of PPE, so they would always have a pair to use if the other was being cleaned or repaired. Second, they needed a trusted laundry machine for each of the five fire houses. Lastly, they had to find an easy process for tracking the cleaning and maintenance of PPE.

“The UniMac machine that we had had for 10-plus years had served us well,” Dutcher says. “So, we reached out to our local distributor and we said, ‘How do we become more efficient with our system?’”

That is when UniMac Regional Sales Manager Phil Lapenta introduced Hicks and Dutcher to FireLinc, a service offered through UniMac that simplifies the process of tracking equipment maintenance using an application on a tablet.

“Each machine has a FireLinc module inside an iPad,” Dutcher says. “It’s a quick barcode, we

scan it, it’s tracked, and now a system that used to take one or two days [now takes] five or six hours between washing and drying, a complete set is done. So, we can get back in service that much quicker.”

The Framingham Fire Department has had a seamless transition to the new laundry equipment. The new protocol is to wash gear after any significant event and hang it to dry in the bay.

“It’s easy to do … the simplicity of the machines and FireLinc, that’s the key,” Dutcher says. “The UniMac machines and FireLinc have helped us do a 180 among the staff. The days of salty, filthy gear are gone.”

Not only does the FireLinc system track which gear is washed and when, it also syncs with the department’s inventory-tracking system, shows on which setting the equipment was washed and exports the wash history to a spreadsheet.

“It helps us adhere to NFPA 1851,” Dutcher says. “Part of that

standard is tracking the gear, how it’s washed, when it’s washed, [and at which] temperatures it’s washed. That would be impossible for us to track. We would have to have multiple people dedicated just to that.”

Brooks mentioned that laundry equipment is one of the most important tools to protect firefighters from cancer, but the FireLinc technology is key to effortlessly adhering to NFPA regulations.

“It’s important for firehouses to follow NFPA’s standards, which are put in place for the safety and protection of firefighters,” Brooks says. “Instead of using time and resources logging and tracking the maintenance of PPE, why not have a machine that does it for you?”

The data is easily accessible on a website that allows the user to search the wash date, wash operator, equipment barcode and location. This technology helps hold firefighters accountable for their safety and effortlessly keeps the firehouse prepared for an

audit.

“This technology is vital in a busy firehouse,” Brooks says. “It takes away the stress of tediously tracking each firefighter’s PPE maintenance and more importantly, it keeps their gear clean and carcinogen free. The brave men and women serving their communities deserve this peace of mind.”

Thanks to top-of-the-line laundry technology and the dedication of Fire Chief Hicks and Assistant Chief Dutcher, the 150 Framingham firefighters and their families can rest easy knowing that their gear is up to safety standards and well suited to protect them.

“We need to move forward in the fire service and keep our people safe,” Dutcher says. “Not only should every department have machines to clean their gear—they should be mandatory. Keeping our people safe should be our highest priority.” ALN

Jordyn Schraeder is a freelance writer.

The rates of cancer for firefighters versus the general public used to be astronomical because of unwashed firefighting gear, n which was trapped harmful carcinogens after handling major fire events. (Photos: Framingham F.D.)

In the old days, soot-covered gear was a badge of honor among firefighters.

Improving workplace safety in an operating industrial laundry

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — There are many slogans in the industrial world regarding safety.

“Safety is our priority.” “Safety is Job One.” “Safety doesn’t happen by accident.”

Whatever the quote, many industrial plants, including laundry/linen services, strive to keep workplace safety top of mind.

But there’s a lot more to safety in the plant than catchy posters and slogans.

For Hector Durand, safety isn’t just a slogan; it really is his job.

As production safety coordinator for Prudential Overall Supply, a uniform and textile rental/laundry company headquartered in Irvine, Calif., he is responsible for maintaining a safe working environment in its plants.

But how does workplace safety go from being a slogan to a reality? How can a laundry up its workplace safety game?

“I think the key is continuous employee safety training, with an emphasis on both management and employee participation in the safety process,” shares Durand. “Operations need to further focus on leading indicators, such as safety audits, near-miss investigations and employee safety suggestions.”

FALLING SHORT

Steven Wright, vice president of business development for insurance program administrator Irving Weber Associates Inc.

in Smithtown, N.Y., sees shortfalls in regards to safety occurring in laundry plants as a result of spreading resources too thin and not allocating enough attention to safety.

“Oftentimes, plant personnel wear multiple hats and find themselves dividing their time among safety, production, people management, etc.,” he says. “In some cases, laundries are reactive toward losses and not proactive in preventing them.”

According to Wright, the “multiple hat” effect can be a major factor in safety issues in on-premises laundries (OPL). OPL management, like an environmental services team (EVS), may be overseeing multiple functions, like textile or janitorial functions, and plant safety takes a back seat in priority.

“For an OPL run by a hospital, for example, since safety does not generate revenue or is not a core function, resources, time and attention are scarce,” he says. “Often OPLs are found in basements under poor conditions using outdated equipment. How qualified is an OPL maintenance engineer to work on a tunnel washer or flat ironer? Have they had proper training and certification?”

Wright goes on to say that processing done by a commercial launderer, in its own plant, falls more in line with a safety culture expected from the laundry industry.

“Most (commercial laundries) have safety directors and safety

teams or committees,” he points out. “The best step an OPL can take is to outsource their laundry function to a professional firm for handling. It likely will save them time, money and resources.”

Many safety slogans say it’s a priority, but by definition, priorities change. Safety needs to become a value, a principle or standard. As such, laundries often overlook the impact of culture in their approach toward safety, Wright says.

“Culture starts at the top, with ownership/leadership setting the tone for a theme of safety throughout the organization,” he shares.

“The safest companies typically start backward by asking themselves, ‘How can we safely provide this service or safely deliver our goods,’ before determining costs and margins. They effectively know that safety in the operation will lead to exceptional service, reduced downtime and better profits at the end of the day.”

“I am not sure if it is a shortfall, or companies just needed to find the proper balance between production and safety, but, for us, ergonomic injuries are the most prevalent and need to be evaluated and taken into consideration in every area of our plants,” adds Durand.

EDUCATION, TRAINING

Earlier, Durand mentioned that the key to improving workplace safety is continuous employee safety training, with an emphasis on both management and employee participation in the safety process.

He goes on to say it’s vital that operations ensure employees are given the time and resources to assist and contribute to their own safety.

“Our employees have the most knowledge and insight as to the safety issues they experience in their daily jobs,” Durand says. “Their input is invaluable to creating a safe work environment.”

He says that at Prudential, the company has created safety committees in which all employees participate. These committees give the employees an opportunity to address any safety issues they may have experienced and/ or offer any suggestions that they may have to improve company safety processes.

“We also include a safety component in various events, such as employee appreciation or safety-

specific events, held throughout the year to reinforce a safety mentality,” adds Durand.

Both Wright and Durand have specific suggestions for all levels of a laundry operation to improve workplace safety.

First for Durand, he says management needs to support a safety culture, participate in the safety committees and become an example to the laundry’s employees.

Wright says the most effective systems he’s seen in the industry involve a team approach toward safety on the plant floor. He says laundry managers who involve their leaders and/or management team get the best buy-in from their staffs because they have a team of like-minded individuals delivering a consistent message to processors, sorters, ironers, folders, drivers, etc.

“The use of a team approach effectively reaches the entire staff on a more consistent basis,” he says. “The C-suite sets the tone from a strategic perspective. They develop the environment and provide the resources necessary to build and maintain an aura of safety in the company.”

According to Wright, managers deliver the message of the leaders, they set policy and measurement matrices and hold employees accountable.

“Employees on the floor, or behind the wheel, carry the responsibility to understand, appreciate and adhere to the messages devised by their leaders,” says Wright. “They carry the highest risks for loss and the largest exposure for injury or accident.”

Durand agrees that employees have to be aware of safety at work. He also recommends participating in safety committees.

“Do not accept unsafe actions as just part of doing the job,” he stresses.

Durand says the key to safety knowledge and education is continuous training, learning and keeping safety at the forefront of every discussion.

“Safety is easily forgotten when everything is quiet,” he adds.

Wright says that safety education starts with awareness and recognition of hazards, even if they have not yet led to incidents.

“The best operators put safety near the top of the company’s mission statement,” he says. “They involve personnel from the top of the organizational chart to the bottom and include functions across all spectrums.

“Creating expectations for safety, measuring results, sharing knowledge and holding people accountable gets the best results.”

How does a laundry move from safety as a slogan and an ideal to making a real-world impact on the floor?

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Since 1966, Direct Machinery has grown to become New York’s #1 Milnor and Chicago Dryer dealer

Andrew Hirsch opened his one-man shop 53 years ago. Today, with 26 employees, Direct Machinery is New York metro’s most trusted dealer for Milnor and Chicago laundry solutions. From design, planning and layout, to installation, service and parts, no other company has greater talent, resources and experience. Whether you process 60lbs per hour or 160,000lbs per day, you can rely on Direct Machinery today, tonight, tomorrow and for many years to come. For a free laundry performance evaluation simply call (516) 938-4300.

Ron Hirsch, President Direct Machinery at the recent Hyatt Regency installation

Proud distributors of the two most respected manufacturers in the laundry industry:

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Addressing employee, customer, vendor business concerns

normally decline due to internal breakdowns that are within our control. It is our job to build the environment that creates and sustains a culture of success.

W

ithout trust and confidence, the game is already lost!

This applies to governments, financial markets, orchestras, football teams and even laundries.

Therefore, it is vital that we establish with our employees, customers and vendors certainty that our laundry is healthy and poised to thrive into the foreseeable future. Truth and openness are paramount.

We never want to hide, pretend or lie if our organization is imminently in trouble or transition. If this is the case, deliberately prepare your employees, customers and vendors for your closure. Employees should be given as long as possible to secure other employment.

Customers need usually several months to find an alternative laundry. Help them prepare and even give them suggestions for service.

Empowered employees are well motivated and, therefore, superior employees. Be transparent with your team about the health of your laundry. Explain the threats and don’t sugarcoat them. Who are your competitors? What do they do better or worse? What do your customers value?

Describe the pricing pressure. Explain the company’s expenses and financial health. Explain the opportunities. Help every employee understand how their work directly impacts the bottom line and the reputation of the company. It is inspirational how much employees will impact the health of an organization when they are given true ownership and their roles align with those of the company.

In our laundry, financially astute line workers have come up with innovative, new revenue streams to strengthen our bottom line. This was not by accident. We share daily with all employees our revenues, our quality and our costs. Each employee is encouraged to impact these key metrics.

Likewise, customers must feel assured that your operation is healthy and around for the longterm, producing quality product and service. If appropriate, share your financials.

years. Give them a reason to do business with you. Share credit references to show your credit worthiness. Again, share your five- and 10-year plans and ask for theirs.

Vendors are often a key part of a laundry’s growth strategy. Give them a reason to invest and grow with you.

ly making ends meet as it is.”

Ms. Cline took the opportunity to share a similar situation she had experienced a decade or so ago, when she was the sole provider for herself and two teenagers. She advised Eli that while the future is never certain, the same loyalty, experience and professionalism Eli processed now would carry him into the future.

industry is a unique business model and notorious for selling,

Honesty and timely information are always the best policy.

In the majority of cases, a thriving empowered professional workforce, with some strategic vendors sprinkled in, creates a prosperous enduring organization.

Conversely, failing enterprises

It is often smart to describe current and future capital investments. After all, a healthy laundry is a laundry that is continually investing in its people and its infrastructure. Share your five- and 10-year plans and ask for theirs. If you are experiencing healthy growth, share this information. A thriving enterprise is a growing enterprise.

Finally, vendors, an essential part of your ecosystem, must have confidence in your ability to pay them on time for many

“Have you got a minute?” Eli asked, as he poked his head into the doorway of the laundry managers office. “I hear we may be shutting down the laundry. Hey, I know it’s not your fault but I have kids, a mortgage and a sick wife. Honestly, I am bare-

If the laundry outsourced, changed management or sold, there may be an opportunity to remain in the current or similar role with future owners. If there were no opportunities withstanding, the company may be able to help with resume and reference assistance.

After a good discussion, the two agreed that, thankfully, laundry is sort of recession proof. Everyone has “dirty laundry,” figuratively and literally speaking, and opportunities in this industry abound.

The bad news … the laundry

buying, centralizing, outsourcing and downsizing.

The good news … the textile industry is a large network of skilled professionals, a tightly woven group that expands beyond the state they are in. At any given space, place or time, there is an opening for an experienced administrative specialist, an operator, mechanic, engineer, etc.

employer can lessen

“Several laundry operations have shut down recently, and I can feel concern around this rising. How can I best reassure my employees, customers and vendors about the health of our operation so that productivity isn’t impacted?”

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

—JANICE AYERS DAVIS, TLC TRI-STATE

the stress by getting ahead of the curve and addressing the problem and outlaying the solutions. Team meetings with your employees are helpful to connect, encourage and provide assistance.

Employees have the ability to remain calm and committed via not participating in the whispers and wonders of what is going on. Every employee, regardless of the position, has a remarkable influence on others by our actions, attitude and speech.

Customers will remain calm when you assure them your team is committed to the same level of excellence and ensuring their contracts will be filled promptly and the linen supply and quality will be of the utmost priority.

For vendors, credit concerns can be headed off at the pass by proactively contacting the vendor and assuring they will be paid for materials and goods. If your company gets caught in the crosshairs while final details are being ironed out, call your supplier and make a new payment arrangement.

Remember, the vendors would be at a loss without clients and are happy to provide payment arrangements.

Finally, communication and a “plan b” is the key. Begin and finish your day in the same dedicated way and identify your objectives with your employees, your customers and/or your vendors.

As an employee, it never hurts to reassure your employer you are standing strong and alongside your company, regardless of the outcome.

They should have no reason to question the viability of your business.

More concerning for me is determining the “root cause” of this issue with your employees and customers.

Is a competitor spreading false rumors or is a disgruntled employee (or former employee) the possible source? When confronted with the rumor mill, ask where this concern originated. In most cases an honest and open conversation will follow.

Reassure your customers by providing the best possible quality and service. Customer con-

cerns will only increase if they notice a dip in the service you provide. Exceed their expectations and they will stay loyal to you.

Finally, do your best to create a culture of respect and open communication with your employees. Communication should go beyond addressing the immediate question of company (and ultimately job) security to include basic business and operational matters.

Relatively simple and common occurrences such as touring a group of people through your plant or even losing a customer can cause concern for your employees. When people do not know why something is happening, human nature often fosters rumor and unnecessary

worry.

A great communication tool is the morning huddle. Dedicate five to 10 minutes at the start of each day to a quick meeting with the team. Review any quality concerns, lost business, production numbers, etc.

Allow time for discussion and encourage team members to speak up and respectfully ask questions without fear of reprisal. This open exchange of information, good, bad or otherwise, will help to relieve concerns, temper the rumor mill and promote a well-informed team.

ALN

W

hile it is true that consolidation, with the national companies in buy mode and many independents considering selling, is certainly trending, most independent suppliers remain healthy and profitable entities. For this reason, I believe two points should be considered when addressing your concern.

First, is there something more than just industry trends causing this concern with your team, and if so, what is the best way to address it? Ultimately, both questions should be managed through open and honest communication.

Although your vendors are likely aware of the happenings in our industry and often foster rumor, their primary focus is maintaining your business. Keep your accounts payable current and your vendors will be happy.

Consulting Services

Sam Spence TBR Associates, Saddle Brook, N.J.

“KEEP YOUR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CURRENT AND YOUR VENDORS WILL BE HAPPY.”

—SAM SPENCE, TBR ASSOCIATES

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL

Girbau Industrial says its PC120 and PC80 flatwork ironers produce a flawless finish at rapid speeds, while maintaining up to 93% energy efficiency. In addition, the ironers offer a highly flexible touch-screen control with up to 100 customizable programs, rigid chest technology for consistent heat circulation and uniform ironing pressure for unsurpassed results.

The PC120 chest ironer is available in three finishing widths and up to three, 48-inch diameter rolls, processing up to 164 feet per minute. The PC80, available in three finishing widths and up to three, 32-inch diameter rolls, offers ironing speeds up to 147 feet per minute.

Girbau Industrial says both ironers feature a mirror-polished ironing bed with a full-coverage heating circuit for unmatched heat transfer to linens. Equipped with the flexible Inteli Control, the PC120 and PC80 deliver complete control over ironing speed, bed temperature, ironing pressure, oil temperature, boiler exhaust temperature and AutoSpeed®, among others.

AutoSpeed® automatically adjusts ironing speed and temperature according to fabric type and moisture content. In doing so, it eliminates temperature fluctuations and ensures quality finishing and even drying.

Both ironers are available in natural gas, steam or thermal oil and are backed by 7/5/3-year warranty.

www.girbauindustrial.com 800-256-1073

LAVATEC LAUNDRY TECHNOLOGY

Lavatec Laundry Technology says its LavaRoll Fl-120 is the most advanced flatwork ironer available on the market.

The company adds that the ironer is designed to meet the demands of high-volume laundries and delivers quality performance by offering total control over a variety of functions, including ironing speed and pressure and bed temperature, and requires less energy and labor.

The FL-120 ironer also offers one-pass finishing without dryer conditioning, high productivity and excellent flexibility. The exclusive and patented AutoSpeed® system adjusts control speed variables to properly dry and finish all linen according to fabric type and moisture content. Ironing pressure can be varied and configured for each ironing program. It also features a self-centering system so linens pass perfectly between the ironer chest, cylinder and union bridges.

Built for superior heat transmission, Lavatec shares that the

FL-120 delivers the highest quality finish at the highest speeds possible—the chest ironer processes up to 164 feet of linen per minute.

It is available in 118-, 130- or 138-inch finishing widths with up to three, 48-inch diameter rolls. These machines are also supported with the company’s 7-5-3-year limited warranty. www.llt-usa.com 203-632-8777

VEGA SYSTEMS USA

VEGA Systems USA says its VEGAROLL G1600 self-contained, gas-fired single roll ironer was designed by engineers to offer efficiency, reliability, quality, performance and sustainability.

The company says the ironer combines its unique modular design and proven chest technology, along with developed innovations that provide both superior efficiency and performance to the world of flatwork technology.

The G1600 features a program controlled multi-port twin chest design, 290 degrees of contact surface and the elimination of the need for ironer tapes. The single, thermal-fluid-heated roll features a 62-inch diameter and a working width up to 166 inches.

In addition to chest pressure

control and temperature control through the modulating burner design, VEGA Systems USA says the state-of-the-art network control also allows for adjustable VFD speed synchronization between the feeder, ironer and folder.

The result of this large singleroll design yields a high production, high quality finished product, the company says. This is due in part to the design benefits of a more consistent temperature control with a single roll, and no ironing tape; therefore, no tape lines in finished flatwork.

www.vegasystems-group.com 855-834-2797

G.A. BRAUN

G.A. Braun shares that it manufactures Precision Series® flatwork ironers with deep chest heating and large diameter rolls to apply a superb flatwork finish.

Some of the key features noted by the company include:

Torsion bar suspension— assures uniform side to side pressure.

Powered guide tape support—easily accessible at the front of the ironer, preventing operators from opening the front access window to reposition the guide tapes.

Less to maintain than others on the market with easy access points, which equates to low maintenance cost.

Single inverter drive system—lower operating cost vs. multi-inverter/more drive systems.

The company adds that heavy wall ironing surfaces provide excellent heat retaining capabilities, requiring less energy to keep chests heated during operation. The dependable chest design enables the working surface to be repaired if a piece of metal should go through the ironer and gouge the chest, so replacement is not necessary.

Braun shares that

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR

[G.A. Braun]

[VEGA Systems USA]

[Girbau Industrial]

[Lavatec Laundry Technology]

Your table linens touch every Customer at every event. Your linen needs to speak their language… fresh, clean, safe, consistent, reliable, and yes elegant. They count on it.

Together, ADI and Milliken have set the standard of linen excellence for decades. USA made Signature Plus fabric. Soft luxurious hand, consistent long-lasting color. Whites that stay white, and colors that stay bright.

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

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

both the Precision Series® standard and self-contained thermal ironers have proven to provide years of exceptional high-quality output.

www.gabraun.com 800-432-7286

and energy savings. For safety, a highly sensitive hand protection mechanism ensures ultimate safety in each phase of the ironing process.

Sea-lion America says its YZ ironers are very afford-

SEA-LION AMERICA

Sea-lion America says its flatwork ironers are smooth running, highly efficient machines built with heavy-duty construction. They offer ease of operation and convenient service points, all in an attractive exterior.

The company says its YZ series of ironers are ideal for mediumto large-size laundries, including resorts, hospitality, healthcare and commercial facilities. These ironers produce crisp, high quality linen finishes easily and efficiently.

Sea-lion America says the ironers possess high-powered heating that is well insulated for energy efficiency. The frame is built with strong carbon steel primed and electrostatically painted to ensure a long life. The cylinder is mirror polished and supported by heavy-duty lubricated bearings, while a large, efficient fan pulls excess moisture away from the cylinder.

The seal system uses a highquality swivel joint, which ensures a reliable seal and allows for easy and simple maintenance. Nomex ironing straps prevent absorption of moisture and extends the life of all feed components.

The compact design occupies very little floor space. Finished linens can be discharged returning to the front or in the back to a folder.

An inverter-controlled drive allows for smooth, consistent speed adjustment, ensuring a continual even throughput resulting in consistent quality

able ironers in terms of capital investment, operating expense, maintenance and floor space requirement.

www.sealionamerica.com 860-316-5563

UNIMAC

UniMac shares that its FCU20X126 model heated roll flatwork finisher features a 126inch finishing width to produce superior results for on-premises laundries, while also delivering maximum efficiency to reduce utility costs and speed processing times.

The efficiency story starts with the ironer’s thick steel and a 300-degree angle of contact that enables the unit to achieve a lower Btu consumption. In addition, the ironer’s control also offers a wide array of energysaving settings.

UniMac adds that its micro control allows for presets of temperature and speed settings, ensuring the precise speed for the linen type and moisture content. When finished at the end of a day, operators simply press the stop button and the control will allow the roll to continue to turn until it reaches a safe temperature before the roll completely stops.

www.unimac.com 800-587-5458

JB INDUSTRIES

JB Industries Inc. reports it has released its new KING ironer, which is a self-contained, gasfired thermal fluid chesttype ironer.

The company says the ironer offers 287-degree contact between chest and roll and has a patented air-stream flexible chest.

Rolls come in diameters of 32 and 48 inches, while roll lengths include 118, 130 and 138 inches.

Advantages JB Industries shares about its KING ironer include that it uses less than onethird the energy of a cylinder finisher of similar capacity. Also, it produces more than a standard 52-inch diameter thermal fluid ironer in the same space as a 32-inch diameter model.

The company goes on to say that chest temperature can be accurately controlled across entire chest, eliminating hot spots; they last nearly twice as long as a cylinder-type finisher; and offers perfect ironing quality, ideal for party rental stores and on-premises and commercial laundries

The KING ironer is assembled in Riviera Beach, Fla., using locally sourced and purchased components.

www.jbilaundryfolder.com 561-863-9696

JENSEN USA

JENSEN says it continues to provide a historically proven ironer design, which was introduced 30 years ago in 1989, with more than 2,000 rolls delivered.

The company says it offers energy-efficient flatwork ironers, with the high productivity per square foot, in a wide variety of heating sources, roll sizes, and working widths. All this is to ensure the needs of healthcare, hospitality, or food and beverage customers are properly met.

JENSEN says it offers heating sources of steam, thermal

oil and self-contained thermal oil/gas heated. Roll sizes available are 32, 40, 48 and 79 inches, in working widths of 118, 120, 130, 138, 142, 157 and 162 inches.

The company says all of its ironers are extremely well insulated, ensuring that the heat remains on the chest and not in the laundry.

The standard built-in canopy is well engineered and designed with proper walkways, allowing passage from side-to-side for servicing purposes. It also features hinged doors over each

tions, built-in diagnostics, fault display with text and pictorial indicators, and programmable wax schedule reminders to make service and maintenance hasslefree.

www.chidry.com 773-235-4430

KANNEGIESSER ETECH

Kannegiesser ETECH says it offers two types of flatwork ironers in a rigid chest (SHM) and the flexible heating band (HPM). With either version, they are available in thermal oil (gas heated) or steam heated.

With the HPM model, Kannegiesser says it has designed a durable stainless-steel heating band with a fully heated gap piece or “bridge.” This provides an excellent heat transfer to the

roll to provide full access for the purpose of changing roll padding.

www.jensen-usa.com 850-271-5959

CHICAGO DRYER CO.

Chicago shares that its Imperial series features high-production gas- or steam-heated flatwork cylinder ironers in 24-, 28-, 32-, 36-, 48- and 60-inch diameters that provide dependability, economical operation, high-quality finish and serviceability.

The company says its streamlined compression roll drive system improves linen stretch and contact to produce a superior finish that can meet any production requirements.

Chicago shares that it now offers an updated CHI-Touch control system on its Imperial series ironers. This new system provides a complete visualization of all burner operational func-

linens by increasing the available heated surface and usually calculates to one less roll for the overall production.

The flexible band has a fixed inlet and flexible outlet for a very consistent ironing result. Special stainless-steel, durable lamella springs are equipped standard and help increase spring life and provide an even contact pressure with the padding.

www.kannegiesser-etech.com 972-602-8766

LAPAUW USA

Lapauw says it manufactures the widest range of ironers in the laundry industry. With innovative features, such the hydraulic chest-lifting system, individual springs, thick stitched padding, and parallel flow of energy through the chest, Lapauw says its ironers have been recognized as the standard for high-quality finishing in the laundry industry

[JB Industries]

[Sea-lion America]

[JENSEN USA]

for more than 60 years.

The hydraulic chest-lifting system delivers perfect contact pressure with the roll and is more reliable and requires less maintenance than a complex roll-lifting system, the company says. The individual springs, placed directly in the roll perforations, provide for up to five times the moisture evacuation than ironers utilizing conventional spring-press.

The thick, stitched padding, which is held in place by the individual springs, does not shift or become damaged when the ironer runs at high speeds. And the parallel flow of energy through the chest provides the most consistent heat transfer to the textiles.

The company says its ironer solutions range from its

Classic to the IronMAX and the IronPRO.

www.lapauwusa.com 855-751-LUSA

B&C TECHNOLOGIES

The IC Series of ironers from B&C Technologies provides unmatched results for process-

ing linens and other flat goods, according to the company.

The company goes on to say that high efficiency, fewer parts and low maintenance lead to increased savings over the life of the machine. The energyefficient drive system allows for incredibly flexible operation, precise speed control and protection for the motor. The soft-start technology greatly reduces stress on critical components, contributing to a longer life for the machine.

The IC Series features stainless-steel panels for durability and long life, Nomex padding and belts, and a heavy-duty frame. The IC Series is operator friendly with easy-to-use controls and goods that return to the operator. The safety features

include circuit protection, interlocked panels, finger safety and emergency stops.

www.bandctech.com 850-249-2222

MIELE

Miele Professional says its largest flatwork ironer, PM 1217, has a roller diameter of 9 7/8 inches that provides a high throughput to process washed items at full capacity.

Saving on time and energy, the rotary iron can process linens fast and efficiently with the addi-

tional option between switching front laundry infeed and outfeed for wash throughput with two operators, the company says.

Miele adds that not only does it meet high performance standards, it also features an easy-touse interface with a large touch display. The design of the ironer has ergonomics in mind—the machine is height adjustable so operators can stand or sit while working to finish laundry.

www.mieleusa.com 800-991-9380 ALN

COMING UP IN THE DECEMBER PRODUCT SHOWCASE: HEAT-GENERATING EQUIPMENT

[Kannegiesser ETECH]

[Miele]

[B&C Technologies]

Benchmarking—Improving laundry operations

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

NEW ORLEANS — The definition of benchmarking is, in a nutshell, a company comparing and contrasting key metrics against internal and external metrics.

The purpose of benchmarking is to not only look at how a business, like a laundry and linen service, is performing, but also to try and improve that performance.

Kevin Martlage, senior consultant for .orgSource, a business management consultant based in Riverwoods, Ill., shared his expertise on benchmarking during the Clean Show session Consistent Benchmarking for Competitive Analysis here in June.

“Benchmarking can take a lot of different forms, and you can take a lot of different approaches to it,” says Martlage. “If you look at benchmarking, you can go across the industry that you’re in and there’s a lot of different information out there.

“You can’t just say I’m going to do benchmarking and it’s going to be the same for everybody. It has to be very specific with what you’re trying to do and what you’re trying to compare when you’re trying to adjust.”

WHAT IS BENCHMARKING?

Martlage says benchmarking is something that serves as a standard by which others may measure or judge. It’s also a point of reference from which measurements may be made, and it’s a standardized problem or test and serves as a basis for evaluation for comparison.

“What are some common false impressions about benchmarking?” he asks. “That’s all about the numbers. It’s copying. It’s spying or espionage. It’s a onetime event.”

Martlage points out that laundries can use benchmarking as an industry and as an organization. The company not only compares itself to others in the industry, but it also helps build those alliances across the industry.

“There’s obviously things that you’re not going to want to share about your organization, or your company, publicly, but for the most part if you’re looking at how you can improve the industry how you can continue to professionalize the industry and grow the industry, there’s a lot of different things you can look at as an organization that can help you collaborate and work together,” he shares.

The biggest point of confu-

sion, Martlage says, typically arises from the classification and an understanding of the different types of benchmarking.

“Again, you can’t just say, ‘I’m going to do benchmarking,’ and it’s going to be the same for everybody,” he says. “It has to be very specific with what you’re trying to do and what you’re trying to compare when you’re trying to adjust.”

KEY OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of benchmarking, according to Martlage, are performance improvement and understanding.

“It’s going to help you identify opportunities within your organization,” he shares. “It’s going to help assist you in setting goals for your organization, your company. It’s going to help provide some discovery, prioritization and ultimately you’re trying to identify a target you wish to compare and to set targets against that to achieve a goal.”

Benchmarking can be a very powerful tool for numerous reasons, says Martlage. Uses can include business development, process improvement, competitive advantage, marketing plan development and many more.

PROCESS PIONEER

Martlage says most scholars agree that Xerox was the pioneer that started benchmarking in the ’70s, and it did that to compare itself to competitors in relation to manufacturing cost and product features.

“They found out that they were falling behind their Japanese competitors in several different areas and actually losing market share,” he shares.

Over time, Xerox developed its benchmarking strategy, focusing on internal process improvement and competitive advantage, examining more than 200 performance areas.

“So, that is a huge undertaking, and you might sit there say how do you go about doing that?” Martlage acknowledges. “Xerox basically went through some steps that started with planning.”

The Xerox strategy included identifying what was being benchmarked, identifying best performers for comparison, determining data collection methods and then collecting the data.

“So, you can’t just go in and say I’m going to go focus on this metric; you actually have to do some planning with your executive team or with your leadership team to identify what specifically

you need to focus on to make the biggest impact,” Martlage says. “You have to do some planning. You have to then analyze that to determine the current performance gap that you have.

“So, you’re collecting the data, then comparing that to yourself and how you’re doing, and you’re going to project future performance levels.”

Martlage says laundry management has to communicate its findings and gain acceptance among the team that’s going to be in charge of reaching the goal.

“And you have to establish functional goals, with functional being key,” he says. “It’s always good to have stretch goals, but you have to be realistic about what you can obtain between now and that point in time.”

Then, Martlage says the laundry has to develop action plans, implement the plans and monitor progress—and recalibrate the goal as necessary.

“I don’t know how many times we put some action plans in place and we’d have to change it a month down the road because we didn’t think about that, we didn’t think about how it was affecting our customers,” he shares.

“We didn’t think about how a decision would affect our members. We didn’t think about how that decision would affect the hourly employees coming in on third shift. So, you have to be able to be open and honest with yourself and change when neces-

sary to recalibrate.”

Then comes what Martlage calls “maturity.” That means putting action plans into practice, along with documenting results to create sustainable change.

“You’re not going to just implement whatever based on this benchmarking, and then it’s not sustainable or we’re going to forget about it and six months from now we’re looking at it again because you forgot about it,” he points out. “So, you have to make sure that you’re integrating these things in your standard practices, and you’re making sure those are documented.”

Finally, Martlage says a company needs to celebrate successes.

“Once you obtain that goal, you need to celebrate that with your team because the next time something comes up they’re going to be understanding, ‘Hey, remember that project, and we went through and we obtained it? Let’s do it again,’” he says.

KEY STEPS

Martlage says that a laundry can go through the benchmarking steps Xerox developed, but in order to make the process as valuable and productive as possible, there are some key things that have to be done. This includes determining the key performance indicators (KPI) that will be monitored and conducting a group benchmarking analysis.

A laundry also has to be sure the data being collected is accu-

rate, both internally and externally.

“How do you know the data you’re getting is accurate; that’s the big question,” Martlage says. “There may be trust. I know that person, and I know they’re not going to steer me wrong. You may not know what the answer is, but you have to have some way of making sure that the data is accurate.”

In addition, to making sure accuracy is there, he says a company needs to ensure diversity of the data.

“You don’t want to just base your analysis on what this person said or this company said,” Martlage points out. “You may want to get two or three different companies and then compare their answers to make sure that you have a diverse look at those metrics that you’re looking at.”

The laundry also has to have a commitment to the process. As he mentioned earlier, changes have to be sustainable. The process won’t be effective if the plan and action is forgotten. Critical success factors must be identified.

Martlage goes on to say that an organization has to build trust not only with its internal team, but also with the industry.

“It has to be very transparent,” he says. “It’s okay for somebody to say this is how I came up with this, this is how we do it. I want to be very transparent with you that maybe this metric isn’t as accurate as it could be, but

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Metric comparisons can help laundries identify opportunities, prioritize, set targets, achieve goals

you know what, it’s what we’re using right now and can we work together to collaborate on making that accurate?”

LINEN INDUSTRY EXAMPLE

Martlage then looked at benchmarking in terms of the laundry and linen services industry. As an example, he put forth the following situation, focusing on one metric: PPOH.

A laundry and linen service has three locations. Over a four-year period, location one has a slight increase in PPOH. Location two remains fairly stable but with a small dip at times. The third location has continuously been on a decline over the four-year period.

Focusing on the last two years of the period, location one saw an increase in PPOH and location three saw a decrease. The question is why.

“At this point, we can be very emotional and call that manager up and say what the heck is going on,” Martlage says. “Or, we can take a benchmarking approach, take that emotion out of it and let’s get to the facts and see what it is we need to be focusing on to help drive that number in the opposite direction.”

Using the benchmarking strategy, the company goes into the planning stage. It’s already

identified the metric to examine (PPOH). It’s identified who the best performers are in the organization (location one). And then the company determines its data collection method and collects the data.

“So, if you start to analyze it,

what’s causing that performance gap identified?” says Martlage.

“This could be a situation where we’re calling the heads or the department managers or whatever, and we’re going to talk about what’s causing this performance gap.

“You don’t want to sit there and go, ‘How come you can’t be more like location one,’ but you’re going to go in and say we have an issue across the corporation and how are we going to adjust that, and what we do need to do to fix it?”

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

The operation also determines an acceptable performance level that needs to be obtained.

Next, the company starts the integration process.

“We’re going to communi-

Lessons learned in laundry equipment

Getting to know Joe Carrita from Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. —

As a customer relations manager for Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry, Joe Carrita’s forté is problem-solving.

Whether troubleshooting concerns or developing parts and service manuals and videos, he’s always working to find effective solutions that keep businesses up and running. His area of special interest is the on-premises laundry segment.

Carrita answered a few questions about his role in customer relations and some of the key lessons he has learned over his 23-year career.

When it comes to working with customers, what is the one thing that stands out for you?

On-premises laundry customers are unique. These properties include hotels, hospitals and assisted-living facilities—places where laundry is key to the overall health of the property.

By health, I mean literally the health of those who stay in the facilities and figuratively from a revenue standpoint. A property may only have two machines, so if one goes down, they’re at 50% capacity. We need to treat our customers with a sense of urgency and find inventive ways to address challenges.

How did you get involved in the laundry industry?

This industry has always held a special place in my world. As a kid, I lived across the street from American Dryer Corp. I’ve always thought it was funny that I ended up working and building a career in the laundry industry.

I have held a variety of roles starting out in the shipping department. From there, I moved on to the service technician team

and various roles in production, serving with the different brands including Maytag® Commercial Laundry and ADC™ Laundry.

What have been some of the key lessons you have learned along the way?

The roles I’ve held have allowed me the opportunity to learn everything I could about the machines—unique features, key benefits to those features, and of course, how the machines are built.

So much goes into each machine—outside of the individual parts. There is a commitment that serves as the foundation to each washer and dryer that leaves our manufacturing facility. It’s a commitment to building durability and dependability into each machine. Each part, person and feature supports that commitment in order to help our customers thrive in their specific markets.

I try to constantly evolve and learn from new people. That’s how I’ve approached my whole career—I make sure I listen more than I talk.

You mention people—what is it about people that stands out for you?

I have always been fascinated with the people. Our customers and the people behind our machines have continually fueled my desire to always build the relationship.

Even though I am no longer on the production floor, the production teams still see me as one of them. This is important because I rely on that team’s years of in-depth knowledge every day in responding effectively to our customers. Recognizing the importance of

that bond, I have worked hard to carry on the relationships I have built over the years.

That idea of building lasting relationships is also something we work to do with customers. In particular, at Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry, we try to do more than listen to our customers—it’s about always treating them with respect and working to form a bond. Sometimes customers simply want to be heard, so we give them that time. Then, we share what we understand of the situation and how we can help. Our goal is to try to make things as easy as we can for them.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Most of the time, we follow a fairly common pattern, even while the details shift constantly. I start each morning by checking in with our technical service team to make sure they have the resources and information they need to be successful.

Throughout the day, I often jump in on questions that require what I would call the “heritage knowledge” I’ve gathered over the years on how various machines or processes developed over time.

I also have the opportunity to give tours to visitors at our Fall River, Mass., facility, and occasionally travel to new customers and distributors to offer training on machines. That training goes back once again to our brand’s core commitment to serving the customer, as well as the machine’s end-user. Holding a supportive role in the industry through training and service helps us have an impact on our customer’s business and the industry’s overall growth.

Is there a specific day that stands out?

Each day on the job is different, which is what I love most.

The wide variety of responsibilities, people I get to meet, and the issues that need to be addressed—they are all incentives to do the job well.

However, I will say that fielding unexpected questions allows me to think even more “outside of the box.” There is one request that was perhaps the most unusual, and one I don’t think I could have predicted. In fact, it was a call that had started out sounding like a joke, but after getting on the line, I realized the request was real.

We received a call from a movie production team. The movie’s producers wanted to know how to make a machine appear to turn on, but not actually turn on. Apparently there was a big fight scene and for the culmination of the scene, someone would be slammed into a washer. This was a fun discussion and our team found ourselves both asking and answering questions we wouldn’t have predict-

ed prior to that call. However, we were able to provide answers and ideas that helped the movie team make it happen in the end.

How would you summarize the role customer service holds in this industry, or any industry?

In all circumstances, it all comes back to one lesson I learned early on: listen more than you talk. It’s advice that I share with my team at work, but also with my own children as they start to pursue their own interests. I’ve learned I have to try to understand the other side of things and grasp not only how I view the issue, but how others do.

If we look at things only from our own perspective, we’re never going to be able to please the person we need to please the most. However, in the end, everything we do here is meant to put the customer first. ALN

TCATA hails successful annual management, educational conference

OJAI, Calif. — Networking, knowledgesharing and social interaction at the Textile Care Allied Trades Association’s (TCATA) recent 2019 Annual Management and Educational Conference July 31-Aug. 3 here was plentiful, the association reports.

Several attendees commented that they enjoyed the opportunities to get to know other members and interact with potential clients.

TCATA says that attendees also enjoyed a strong business program with three outstanding speakers.

Keynote speaker Sam Richter revealed web search secrets to help find the right prospects, at the right time, with the right message. Considered one of the world’s

foremost experts on sales intelligence and digital reputation management, the bestselling author discussed how to win in business in today’s digital world.

Richard Hadden, a certified speaking professional and workplace expert who, for more than 20 years, studied the connection between people, practices and profit performance, presented on helping make the people-profit connection. Attendees learned how to attract and retain an engaged, and more profitable, workforce.

Finally, Jade West returned to this year’s conference to sort out what is taking place in Washington, D.C., including a review of what has occurred, its impact on business

and some thoughts on the major issues anticipated for the coming year.

Spouses and guests got to know each other during a private instructional session at the resort’s Artists Cottage where they mixed essential oils, made candles and did some painting.

The conference ended with Saturday night’s closing during which Forenta was honored for its 50th anniversary of TCATA membership.

The 2020 TCATA Annual Management and Educational Conference is scheduled to take place at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa in South Carolina, April 29-May 2, during which TCATA will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Jade West returned to this year’s conference to sort out what is taking place in Washington, D.C. (Photo: TCATA)

Joe Carrita, customer relations manager for Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry, makes sure he listens more than he talks. (Photo: Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry)

cate the findings of the executive team and necessary personnel,” shares Martlage.

“We’re going to determine the functional goal that’s necessary to reach the desired goal. How are we going to get there? We’ve identified that maybe 120 PPOH is where we want to be as a corporation, and how are we going to get there? And we’re going to set our 2020 goals at 130 PPOH. That’s the goal we’re trying to get everybody to get to.”

The next step is to develop action plans to achieve the goal.

“So, we’re going to say the action plans for location one are going to be completely different for location three, but we’re all going to be working as a team trying to get to that goal,” he says. “So, you’re going to be working with those individual locations about how you’re going to get there. We’re going to implement those actions, and then we’re going to recalibrate those actions.”

At this point, Martlage says it’s important for a laundry to remember that it has to build trust and a culture of improvement in the business.

“If we can talk about it from the very beginning and bring in all the stakeholders necessary and bring in the people that we think may be important and affected by this, it’s going to help because they’re already going to know that we’re going to be looking at this on a weekly basis or a monthly basis,” he points out.

“You’ve got to build that trust. You’ve got to be transparent about it. ‘I’m not here to talk about you losing your job. I’m here to talk about moving the organization forward, and here’s how we’re going to do it. Do you agree with that? Any ideas on how we can do that? I need your help to help me figure out how to get it moving in the right direction. Let’s do that, right?’”

As the practices are integrated into the process, Martlage says the company achieves maturity, integrating necessary changes and documenting those processes, and then calibrating to ensure the performance is sustainable and continues.

“Do you want this to be sustainable?” he asks. “You don’t want to spend the time and effort to do this and the make these changes and do all this, and you forget about it. It has to be sustainable because you don’t want

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Track Career

marketing

ACWORTH, Ga. — Softrol Systems Inc., which offers a complete line of laundry solutions, including chemical, rail, management information, advanced sortation solutions and control systems, located here, reports it has hired Dave Smith as its director of sales and marketing.

Smith is responsible for all sales and marketing activities, reporting directly to the CEO. The company shares that he will be an important member of its executive board.

Softrol says Smith brings more than 30 years of industry experience gained from promoting industrial laundry equipment, with a focus on customer needs and aftersales support.

Customer associations, problem solving, product knowledge, and the ability to lead and strategize are just a few of his strengths, Softrol says.

The company adds that Smith will be instrumental with brand campaign development and new product initiatives, as well as providing its sales team with strategic direction and insights.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University in business administration with a computer science minor.

RICHCLEAN going forward,” says Vernon Norris, chairman of the board.

“Barry will still be around, fulfilling various roles and offering advice and wisdom when needed.”

RICHCLEAN serves the cleaning industry in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. with quality supplies and expertise for laundries, lodging, healthcare, dry cleaners, coin-ops and more. It operates from a 20,500-square-foot warehouse facility in western Henrico County just outside of Richmond.

Lavatec adds Schori for northeast region sales

BEACON FALLS, Conn. — Equipment manufacturer Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. reports that Eric Schori has joined its team as a regional sales manager.

Based in Northern Virginia, he will be responsible for the northeast region that extends from the Eastern Seaboard west to Indiana. He reports to Keith Ware, vice president of sales.

Schori, who has more than 25 years of experience, began his laundry career with National Linen Service before moving on to operations at Walt Disney World. In addition to working at multiple laundries within the Textile Services division, he assisted the Disney Cruise Line.

Positions with Ecolab and Virginia Linen Service preceded his most recent experience as regional sales manager for Xeros Ltd.

Reilly is no stranger to the company as his grandfather and grandmother, Jane and Charles Clement, founded the company in 1961. He was introduced to the company at an early age and worked in fabrication during his high school and college summers.

When time permits, you can find him involved in water sports such as and kayaking, surfing or fishing.

Meese adds Quinney as regional sales manager

MADISON, Ind. —Meese Inc., a manufacturer of roto-molded laundry carts, has named David Quinney as a regional sales manager, covering the Midwest territory of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Manitoba and Ontario, Canada.

The company says Quinney joins a dedicated team of local representatives offering the company’s Poly-Trux line of proprietary laundry, recycling and material-handling products throughout North America.

accounts throughout the United States with their needs in plastic bags, disposable soiled linen bags, cart covers, cart liners as well as other plastic type products to healthcare, hospitality and commercial laundries.

Streamline Solutions says Mertz brings many years of strong sales and customer service experience to the table for its customers.

Gurtler hires manager of market development

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. — Gurtler Industries Inc., a manufacturer of advanced detergents and specialty chemicals for the commercial laundry industry, reports the addition of Robert Tuggle to its team.

Tuggle joined Gurtler in July and will be manager of market development. The company says he brings with him seven-plus years of experience in the laundry industry.

Joseph takes on new role at Penn Emblem

TREVOSE, Pa. — Penn Emblem, a provider of image and identification products, services and solutions to the uniform, garment and apparel industries, reports that Tyler Joseph has moved into a new role as digital marketing manager.

RICHMOND, Va. — The board of directors of laundry supply distributor RICHCLEAN has promoted Matthew Gilman to president of the company, it reports.

Matthew succeeded his father, Barry Gilman, in this position on July 1. Barry held the leadership position since the company began in 1975.

The company says that Barry decided that it was time for him to scale back his activities and responsibilities at RICHCLEAN and partially retire. There has been a long-time strategy in place for Matthew to step into Barry’s position when he retired.

For the last 21 years, Matthew has been “learning the ropes,” and the RICHCLEAN board of directors felt that he was ready to step up to the leadership position.

“I am proud of Matthew’s accomplishments over the years and have full confidence that he will successfully lead

“I worked with Lavatec equipment while I was at Walt Disney World and was always impressed with the reliability it offered,” says Schori, who worked with Ware during his time at National Linen Service.

“My goal with Lavatec is to gain market share within my territory. The northeast region covers 14 states, from Maine to Virginia and everything in between to Indiana, so there are a lot of opportunities. I plan to educate customers on the availability and access to service and parts and the support that Lavatec is known for.”

A U.S. Army veteran and graduate of Old Dominion University, Schori is a big fan of the Washington Nationals and enjoys traveling with his wife, Carrie.

Reilly joins TECNI-QUIP in sales, development

SEGUIN, Texas — TQI LLC, TECNIQUIP Carts and Clean Cycle Systems lint filters reports the addition of Evan Reilly to the team in the role of outside sales and new product development.

A recent graduate of Texas A & M Corpus Christi, Reilly majored in business with an emphasis on marketing.

Following six years in the alcohol sales industry with a proven track record of success, as well as experience in commodity sales with knowledge of freight logistics, Quinney comes to Meese with a proven track record of leadership.

“David already understands the meaning of service and he knows how to deliver the level of service our customers expect from Meese,” says National Sales Manager Dan Rodriguez. “He’s a welcome asset to our growing sales team.”

An active member of the Illinois Climbers Association since 2015, Quinney also has experience in fundraising, event organization and sponsorship acquisition. He studied environmental management at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He resides in St. Louis.

Mertz joins Streamline Solutions as sales exec.

ORLANDO — Streamline Solutions reports that Andrea Mertz has joined the company as its national sales executive.

She will be working with existing and potential laundry

In this role, the company says he will develop and manage a wide variety of internal/external digital marketing and communication strategies for the company to drive growth and promote the Penn brand of products and services—all by using the latest technologies and social media tools.

Joseph joined Penn Emblem as a fulltime employee in 2017. Starting out as a logistics coordinator, the company says he was instrumental in working with its freight partners to negotiate lower rates for domestic and international shipments, and he implemented a key program to ensure UPS’s Service Level Agreement to Penn.

Additionally, Penn Emblem says Joseph worked long, hard hours to be part of a team that cleaned out and moved the Philadelphia warehouse to its present corporate headquarters in Trevose.

In January 2019, Joseph transitioned to a new position within the IT department as a project manager. As such, he conducted extensive planning and analysis that ultimately led to the company’s current customer relationship management strategy.

Softrol hires Smith as director sales &

RICHCLEAN promotes Gilman to president

Schori

Mertz

Tuggle

Quinney

Smith

Reilly

Gilman

Joseph

Benchmark

to be two years from now talking about hey what happened? We had a good year and then it was over.”

To end the example, Martlage looks at results of the three locations. The goal was 130 PPOH, and locations one and two reach the goal. Location three doesn’t, but it shows significant improvement. Is that failure? Not at all.

“We’re going to be monitor-

ing that over the next year; let’s keep that going,” he says. “You got 115. Can you get 120, 125 by next year? We’ll call it good. We just can’t have you going back down.”

Martlage goes on to say that in the following linen scenario, a positive result was achieved by one group coming together with teamwork and collaboration to impact one metric with one action plan.

“Now take that and let’s say my corporation and your corporation work together to drive that number,” he says. “We’re now building those alliances

across the industry to help provide appropriate transparency into an industry or company.”

Also, from this benchmarking exercise he says the company is going to determine strategic direction and next steps.

“You’re coming through this and doing benchmarking on PPOH, and that can maybe go into your strategic plan for your organization or your corporation about it being a key metric that we’re going to focus on,” Martlage points out.

“It could have marketing implications. It could have production implications. It can help

to develop industry standards.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

The key objectives of benchmarking are performance improvement and understanding, Martlage reiterates. Benchmarking can help identify opportunities and determine and set goals. It can be used as a method of discovery. It can help a company prioritize.

“They can help you determine different product offerings,” he says. “I know in the association world we do a lot of surveys to find out what our members want to see, what our customers want

to see.

“How do we compare to other people that are offering those products? It can help you determine that you may start offering X. It can help you with process implementation and compliance.”

Finally, Martlage reminds everyone that benchmarking for competitive analysis is only successful if the data being collected and analyzed is credible, diverse and relevant to the overall goals of the organization and the industry.

“It needs to be relevant to what you’re doing,” he concludes. ALN

Continued from Page 4

in the laundry. This is not a new concept, and back in 1977 I participated in a job training program for this type of individual in Davis County, Utah. It was fairly new back then, as the concept of these individuals going to work and becoming self sufficient was a brandnew idea.

Over the years I have had great success in hiring recent legal refugees from various trouble areas in the world. There are a number of organizations that work with and assist this group of potential employees. We did our on-site job training by the “show and do” method. I have experienced this group of employees to be very loyal and very happy to have a job.

Managers will need to be creative in this tight employment market in order to maintain proper staffing levels. Finding a potential source of new employees may take a little effort on your part.

I would encourage you to talk with Goodwill and look for an English as a Second Language class in your area. Start asking about their contacts and what other organizations are working with this potential group of employees. Tell them you are looking for employees and are willing to work with their restrictions. Not only will you be helping your operation, but you will also be considered a valuable part of the community. ALN

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 e-mail at elfrederick@cox.net, or by phone at 540-520-6288.

FrederickThe Most Comprehensive Guide to Industry Operations

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“Individuals new to the business receive a great base to begin their careers. Veterans nd answers to questions that would be very hard to gure out if they didn’t have this resource.”

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G.A. Braun launches new website

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Laundry equipment manufacturer G.A. Braun, located here, reports it has launched a new company website.

The company says the complete redesign includes content, layout, navigation and enhanced functionality.

“We believe the new site is much more engaging for our visitors, allowing them to gain a much better understanding of our equipment offerings, project management capabilities and service support,” says Pamela Simonetti, director of marketing.

In addition to a dedicated video page, Braun says it has also embedded video within product categories, along with equipment animations. The video and animation highlight key features and product performance data to help customers and prospects make educated decisions on the best equipment solutions for their unique processing requirements, according to the company.

Braun says it plans to continue to build upon the site with more dynamic components, including more audio and video. The company goes on to say that the architecture of its new site provides it the capability and flexibility to add a host of additional online marketing and customer care related programs, which Braun will be developing and releasing throughout the coming months.

Additionally, the company says it will be releasing an improved Braun laundry parts site, which will simplify searching and shopping for parts. Access to this site will remain through customer-specific passwords in a secure online environment.

Aramark Chairman, President & CEO Foss to retire, replacement sought

Aramark, which provides services in food, facilities management and uniforms, reports that Chairman, President and CEO Eric Foss is retiring and Lead Independent Director Stephen Sadove has been named non-executive chairman of the board of directors.

Local media reports indicate the move came after an activist investor made a large stock purchase and wanted to talk leadership changes in the face of revenue concerns.

The company says Foss will remain in an advisory capacity until Oct. 2. Aramark’s board has established an office of the chairman, whose members will oversee the company’s day-to-day operations and engage with the board on a regular basis until a successor to Foss is named.

The office of the chairman will consist of Sadove; Stephen Bramlage, chief financial officer; Lynn McKee, executive vice president, human resources; and Lauren Harrington, senior vice president, general counsel.

The board says it has commenced a search for a successor.

“We thank Eric for his leadership and strategic contributions that position Aramark for future success,” Sadove says. “In addition to solid financial performance, Eric built a strong management team and advanced the company’s efforts in diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, and frontline education.

“As a board, we are committed to conducting a comprehensive search, including seeking input, to identify the next chief executive officer to execute on our growth strategy and lead our 270,000 team members, for the benefit of all of our shareholders.”

“It has been an honor and privilege leading Aramark through a transformative journey, from a successful IPO to an impressive run as a public company,” Foss says. “I am enormously proud of the Aramark Service Stars around the world and what we have accomplished together. The company’s future prospects are extremely encouraging and I look forward to a smooth transition.”

Sadove, who has been an independent director on the Aramark board since 2013, is the former chairman and CEO of Saks Inc. and former chair of the National Retail Federation. A graduate of Hamilton College and Harvard University (MBA), Sadove currently serves on the boards of Colgate-Palmolive Co., Park Hotels and Resorts, and Movado Group Inc.

Kemco Systems acquires Water Resources Inc. to expand capabilities

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kemco Systems reports it has advanced its position in industrial wastewater treatment through the acquisition of Auburn, Ala.-based dissolved air flotation (DAF) company Water Resources Inc.

The acquisition expands Kemco’s engineered wastewater treatment capabilities in the rapidly growing industrial markets. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kemco shares that since 1991, Water Resources has been a leader in physical/chemical separation technologies to the industrial markets. With specific strengths in the food processing, industrial laundry and metal finishing industries, the company has earned a reputation as an innovator and leader among its clients.

Water Resources’ DAF technology is a proven and effective process for treating a variety of industrial wastewater streams, specifically targeting oils, greases and suspended solids, the company adds.

“This acquisition allows us to better service our industrial clients with a more robust portfolio of treatment technologies for discharge compliance, product recovery and water reuse,” says Tom Vanden Heuvel, CEO of Kemco Systems. “Partnering with Water Resources will

Calendar

1

October

JENSEN

L-Tron DTX Tumbler/Dryer Fall Service Seminar

Panama City, Fla.

Info: 850-248-4115

2-3 JENSEN

L-Tron Washer/Extractor Fall Service Seminar

Panama City, Fla.

Info: 850-248-4115

8-10 JENSEN

Flatwork Finishing Fall Service Seminar

Panama City, Fla.

Info: 850-248-4115

15-17 JENSEN

Batch Tunnel System Fall

be a great advantage to our clients in our core markets of poultry and meat processing, as well as laundry and other niche industries.”

“We are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with a company like Kemco, whose brand is readily known in the industrial circles,” says Sam Rodgers, president of Water Resources. “Their reach and pedigree, combined with our experience and expertise, will offer customers an unprecedented level of support and service.”

“We are pleased to welcome Water Resources to the Kemco family,” adds Vanden Heuvel. “Together we are prepared to transform the way industry looks at recovering its precious water resource.”

Alliance Laundry Systems buys building in Manitowoc for growth

RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems reports it has closed on its purchase of the former Manitowoc (Wisconsin) Crane Company plant. The building, covering more than 330,000 square feet, will be used to help grow production at the Ripon facility.

Like many companies, Alliance says it has battled to fill openings amid a tight labor market and a particularly competitive Fox Valley area. In addition, the move will create up to 250 positions, helping boost the Manitowoc economy and re-open the now-shuttered plant.

The move is not intended to reduce positions in Ripon, Alliance says, as staff will be redeployed elsewhere in that facility. Cost of the project, which also includes upgrades to the Ripon facility, is approximately $30 million.

Work was scheduled to being in Manitowoc—some 80 miles northeast of Ripon—in early September; roughly 80,000 square feet will be occupied immediately this year for subassembly production, and plastics work is likely to be added next year.

Alliance says it will begin hiring for the Manitowoc facility immediately, and all jobs will be United Steel Workers positions with pay and benefits aligned with the Ripon location. ALN

Service Seminar

Panama City, Fla. Info: 850-248-4115

16 MTSA

Annual Golf Outing Naperville, Ill. Info: 888-672-6872

22-23 TRSA

Production Summit & Plant Tours

Las Vegas, Nev. Info: 703-519-0029

23-25 TRSA

27th Annual Maintenance Management Institute (MMI) Las Vegas, Nev. Info: 703-519-0029

28-30 Performance Matters

HPT Coaches Clinic

Myrtle Beach, S.C. Info: 803-897-0044

November

19-21 TRSA

8th Annual Healthcare Conference & Exchange San Diego, Calif. Info 703-519-0029

21 Association for Linen Management Webinar: Laundry Models of the Future Richmond, Ky. Info: 859-624-0177

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