American Laundry News - December 2019

Late News Court orders laundry to pay back wages, damages

LANDSDOWNE, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor reports that after an investigation by its Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Central Laundry Inc., based here, and its owner George Rengepes and business operator Jimmy Rengepes must pay $133,335 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 32 employees to remedy violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has granted, in part, a motion by the U.S. Department of Labor for summary judgment against Central Laundry Inc. U.S. District Judge Wendy J. Beetlestone concluded that the defendants—doing business as Olympic Linen and Liberty Laundry—willfully violated the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the FLSA.

Violations reported include bouncing payroll checks, paying rates below the federal minimum wage, paying some employees straight time in cash for more than 40 hours worked in a workweek, and failure to keep required records. ALN

What’s on the horizon for laundries next year

Organization representatives share their laundry/linen services views for 2020

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — When it comes to vision, it doesn’t get much better than 20/20.

But in business, sometimes it isn’t easy to see the road ahead. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a clear view of what’s coming in the year 2020?

Organizations that represent different parts of laundry and linen services have their fingers on the pulse of the industry and can see what might happen in the year to come.

American Laundry News reached out to the Association for Linen Management

(ALM), the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA), Hohenstein Institute America, the International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM), the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), and TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, to share what they see coming for laundry/ linen services in 2020.

ALM

Linda Fairbanks, Executive Director

Talk to any laundry processor and one will quickly learn that their goals are to provide quality textile products

and services with improved efficiency in a safe and fiscally responsible manner. This effort will continue to intensify over the next year as competition drives decisions to purchase equipment, fine-tune processes for improved efficiency and select products whose physical

attributes align with achieving those goals.

One of the greatest frustrations we have repeatedly heard from processors is their lack of ability to benchmark against other plants “like theirs”—the

Educated customers equal better laundry/linen partners

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — What do laundry and linen service customers know about commercial/ industrial laundry operations?

Probably not much.

So then, how can a service expect its customers to understand factors such as quality, linen abuse, costs, etc., so both can work better together to meet the customer linen needs?

The only way is through education.

To find out more about educating laundry and linen service customers, American Laundry News communicated with Jason Hartsell, director of operations for United Hospital Services, a cooperative healthcare laundry in Indianapolis, and Will Geissel, senior director of procurement and laundry operations at Marcus Hotels & Resorts and manager of the Wisconsin Hospitality Linen

In-plant Transportation

Laundry experts share how, why their operations chose their material-handling systems.

Panel of Experts

In this issue, the experts look at what impacted laundry in 2019, and what will impact in 2020.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing) (Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Fairbanks

Your Views Survey:

Many laundry managers say 2019 operations were good to great

CHICAGO — Laundry and linen service operations fared well 2019, and many managers are hopeful to meet priorities and goals for 2020. That’s what respondents indicate in a recent American Laundry News Your Views survey.

“2019 was very good, and we were very efficient,” shares one respondent.

Almost 60% of respondents answered “good” to the question, “Regarding your laundry/linen operation/business, how would you rate its 2019 performance?” Just over 18% indicate performance for the year was “great,” while 21% say it was “average.”

Only 3% of survey takers share that their laundry’s performance was below average, while no one answered “poor.”

“We achieved production and efficiency goals throughout the entire resort as planned through careful planning and dedication despite the inability of other hotel departments to effectively manage their standards,” writes one survey taker.

Almost 82% say that their business, regardless of how they rated performance, turned out as expected for 2019.

For operations that had a good year, reasons for the positive results include:

• Strong economy, kept to our operational plan.

• Hard work and great teamwork.

• Landed many new accounts; started new operation.

• Achieved efficiency and overall production cost reduction.

• Budget projections were accurate and growth was steady.

• Moved to a new, larger facility; business is booming.

• Training my staff on proper laundry procedures, reorganizing the lines for better production and teamwork.

• Got some much-needed capital to buy some new washers.

Factors for services that had a less-than-stellar year include:

• Lost large account.

• High replacement inventory year.

• Unanticipated expenses; trouble finding proper employees.

• Loss, turnaround time, budget.

• Higher than average pricing.

As would be expected with nearly 80% of respondents indicating 2019 was a good or great year, laundry and linen services met many of the goals set for the year.

Nearly 70% say their operations “accomplished some of our goals” for 2019. More than 27% accomplished all established goals. None of those

who took the survey indicate their operations didn’t accomplish any goals, but 3% did share that their laundry didn’t set goals for the year.

When it comes to the No. 1 priority in 2020 for those who took the survey, productivity and staffing top the list. Here are all the answers recorded:

• Increase productivity, 25%

• Retain/improve staff, 18.8%

• Add or replace equipment, 15.6%

• Improve distribution or route management, 12.5%

• Market service to attract more business, 12.5%

• Other (increase volume, reduce recidivism, set up), 9.4%

• Increase quality, 6.3%

• Create greater energy savings, 0.0%

“We need qualified managers,” a respondent shares. “Knowledge is leaving through retirement.”

And, as would be expected, respondents indicate positive attitudes toward accomplishing their priorities for 2020. Almost 50% say they have a good chance to achieve the goal, and 30% say they “will accomplish it, without a doubt.”

The remaining 21% say their operation has a “50-50 chance” of accomplishing their priority.

“We have improved our quality and performance in our field and we intend to continue to do this into the next year, as well as upgrade our equipment,” shares another respondent.

However, one survey taker cautions, “2020 may be a challenge as costs for linens increase due to tariffs and wage increases in the developing countries.”

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

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

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein

Phone: 312-361-1682

E-Mail: dfeinstein@ ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs

Phone: 312-361-1683

E-Mail: bbeggs@ ATMags.com

Editor

Matt Poe

Phone: 866-942-5694

E-Mail: mpoe@ ATMags.com

Production Manager Roger Napiwocki

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs

Phone: 312-361-1681

E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

Advisory Board

David Barbe • Jim Buik

Tony Jackson • Tom Marks

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

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

Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661.

Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Laundry News, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 45, number 12. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Laundry News is distributed selectively to qualified laundry and linen management and distributors in the United States.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 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.

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Take a cup o‘ kindness

H ow many times have you sang

“Auld Lang Syne” at the end of the year? And how many of us really know what it means?

After thinking about that for a bit, I realized I didn’t really know the meaning of the phrase. (I also don’t sing the song because I find it annoying, but that’s a whole other issue altogether.)

So, I did what all modern researchers do—I looked it up on the internet.

Seems “auld lang syne” literally translates to “old long since” and basically means “days gone by.”

Seemed fitting for the December issue of American Laundry News, since it’s a good time to look back on the past year (and look ahead to 2020).

You’ll notice that much of the issue is devoted to looking back—and looking ahead—starting

The Editor’s Desk

MATT POE

with the “Vision 2020” article on the cover.

I asked laundry/linen services industry organization representatives to give their “vision” of the industry in 2020. And you can’t look ahead to where you’re going without knowing a bit about where you’ve been.

Our Panel of Experts (page 16) give their thoughts on the issues that impacted the industry in 2019 and what will do so in the coming year.

Of course, the issue isn’t all 2019 and 2020. Looking back and looking ahead is only so valuable— you’ve got a business to run!

That’s why there are articles on educating customers about laundry/linen services to improve partnerships (page 1) and a look at evaluating and choosing the right material-handling system for your plant (page 14).

And there’s news (page 23), product ideas (pages 8 and 22) and more to help your business be successful and grow.

So, as 2019 winds down and 2020 dawns, I hope you’ll find something useful in these pages, and remember to keep it clean, everybody! ALN

TCATA presses on in preparation for 100th anniversary

TAMPA, Fla. — The Board of Directors for the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) voted in November to take further action in support of maintaining association operations following the death of longtime CEO David Cotter, 64, who had served in that role since 1993.

Since Cotter’s death in early August, TCATA President Leslie Schaeffer has continued to maintain association operations and services to its members. The international association represents manufacturers and distributors of drycleaning and laundry equipment and supplies.

The board voted that—effective Jan. 1, 2020— Schaeffer will become the association’s CEO and President-elect Fred Schwarzmann, chairman and CEO of the A.L. Wilson Chemical Co., will become

president.

Schaeffer owns BPS Communications and manages three regional drycleaning and laundry association trade shows. She will continue those duties.

The board also promoted Office Manager Luci Ward to business manager. Her duties will include helping create a more member-driven culture as well as supporting the goals and objectives of TCATA’s strategic plan, the association says.

The board offered a special thanks to Schaeffer, Ward and past President Bill Odorizzi of Sankosha USA for their “extraordinary work” for the association during this transitional period.

TCATA will celebrate its 100th anniversary April 29 through May 2, 2020, at its Annual Conference in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. ALN

Owning the problem for employees

A s a member of a management team, you will often be approached by employees with questions about company policies or procedures.

In our very busy life, we often brush these questions aside or tell them to ask someone else. This is not what we should be doing. If an employee is concerned enough about an issue to overcome their fears of management and approach you for help or clarification, it is important for us to own the problem.

What do I mean by owning the problem? As members of the management team, we become their advocate in solving the problem or getting the answer. We are in a better position to find the answer for the employee than is the employee. We may need to call human resources (HR) or payroll or benefits to find out the answer. They do not want us to pass them off to someone else or be told to call HR.

A recent experience comes to mind. An employee asked his manager why his check had not arrived in the mail as normal. The manager was busy and did not reply. Two days later after the check had still not arrived, the employee again asked his manager.

The manager’s response? “Have you called human resources or told your supervisor?” The employee responded by saying, “I told my manager, that should be enough, and besides I do not have human resources’ number and do not know who to talk in that department.” The manager said, “Tell your supervisor, and he will work with you to solve the problem.”

How could this have been handled better? The manager could have answered the first communication with, “I understand your concern, and if it does not show up in two days, please let me know and we will get HR and payroll involved.”

Then when the second communication took place, the manager could have said that he had assigned the supervisor to be the point man on the problem, given him all the information he had and that he might be contacting the employee for additional information that might be needed. If for any reason the supervisor did not respond promptly to let him know and he would remedy the situation.

To hourly employees, corporate departments are distant and very mysterious. They are not comfortable reaching out and talking to those departments.

When I was a manager, I had another situation arise where I had an employee who was 71 years old. She was still working and not drawing on their pension. According to all the paperwork I had access to, she was eligible to draw her pension and work at the same time.

The first time the employee applied to start her pension, she was denied because the general rule was you could not get your pension while still actively working. She asked me why she got denied, and I contacted the person in benefits who had denied the application. I then asked that person to review the policy and note the exemption for anyone who was still working at or beyond 71 years of age.

The benefits employee reviewed the policy and said I was correct and that the employee could start drawing her pension. That person apologized and told me that this was the first time she had run into an employee that old asking for their pension while still working.

This happy employee told a number of their fellow employees how helpful I was and what a good person she thought I was.

OUR SISTER WEBSITES

From

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From AmericanCoinOp.com:

• Laundromat Owner Develops Commercial Laundry ...

• Speed Queen Commercial, UniMac Brands Now ...

Employee morale went up and an employee was happy, and all it took was a five-minute phone call on my part.

It is important to remember that task which to us may seem simple and routine can be major stumbling blocks to our employees. We need to take ownership of a problem when they bring it to us and make sure they get the answer, the understanding, they desire.

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.

From

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

absence of data to compare one operation to other similar operations. Hence, the reasoning behind ALM’s development of the laundry benchmarking program, LaundryMarks™.

During the process of building this platform, it became clear that the variations in the formulas used to measure key performance indicators made true comparisons next to impossible. The opportunities that this benchmarking program offers will become a very powerful tool for numerous reasons.

Kevin Martlage noted in a recent article from American Laundry News, that benchmarking “uses can include business development, process improvement, competitive advantage, marketing plan development and many more.” It’s an exciting opportunity to see where this tool can take us.

As participation in this benchmarking tool grows, confidence in decisions based on solid data will improve efficiency—a driving force in achieving desired outcomes and performance improvement.

Remember the wisdom of W. Edward Deming, “Without data you’re just another person with an opinion,” and with sound data available to the industry, it promises to be a great year.

bacteria-based illnesses. Smaller laundries will find it hard to compete against the larger, more established laundries, which will fuel further consolidation.

Hospitals will demand more services to be provided by the laundries, pushing more and more labor out of the hospitals and into the laundries. And hospitals will continue to shed unnecessary services, such as laundry, and purchase these services from reputable laundries.

The year 2020 may see the first truly robotic feeding device for wash cloths or bath towels hit the market. This is as exciting as it gets for those who manage laundries and understand the amount of labor needed to run a laundry.

Bryan Bartsch, ARTA Director; President, Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service

In 2020, we expect that the demand for healthcare services will continue accelerate as a result of aging baby boomers. During 2019, healthcare expenditures rose by approximately 4.4%. In 2020, U.S. national healthcare spending is expected to increase by 5.7%, far faster than the U.S. GDP.

HOHENSTEIN INSTITUTE AMERICA

Ben Mead, Managing Director

The rental market is increasing for workwear and for consumers who are renting clothes for variety and sustainability related to material choices, chemical inputs and production facilities. This adds more requirements on the clothing design/quality and increases demand for industrial laundry services.

Industrial laundries themselves are investigating what hygienically clean really means and are looking for higher standards of cleanliness for their goods and processes.

In addition, industrial laundries in some states are being held accountable to increasing wastewater and sludge standards—particularly related to perfluorinated (PFC) substances. This means laundries have an increased need to know not only what is used in the laundering process, but also what is on the product from manufacturing that might be washed off.

agree one of the biggest responsibilities in the year ahead is to continuously communicate to our customers the extent of our endeavors within our operations and processes to ensure the delivery of hygienically clean textiles. Operators need to be proactive in this regard, rather than waiting for a call from their customer’s infection preventionist about some type of infection they’re trying to track back to its origin.

If you are not accredited by either the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) (www.hlacnet.org) or TRSA Hygienically Clean (www.hygienicallyclean.org), this should be the year you consider accreditation.

Biggest Changes on the Horizon. The biggest unknown right now is what effect the political tariff issues will have on the raw materials and production of linens in China. Most of the larger manufactures have already prepared and moved exposed production to other regions of the world. We may see a disruption in production as textile manufactures seek alternative sources.

den (textile) analysis, air sampling analysis, surface analysis, water analysis and hand hygiene analysis. Test results are confidential and provided within two weeks (for more information, visit www. pmtknet.org).

Utilizing PMTK within your facility provides you with yet another opportunity to communicate to customers how your laundry generates hygienically clean textiles.

Equipment and Supplies in 2020. Even if you are an HLAC Accredited or Hygienically Clean Certified laundry facility, this does not mean you can sit back and ignore improvements in the way you do business.

Ultraviolet (UV) lighting is gaining more traction in laundry operations. The use of UV for cleaning delivery vehicles (carts and trucks) as well as conveyors and hard surfaces is a practical and proven method. UV lighting is also being used for the treatment of process water in some laundry operations.

UV lighting is also well received by the infection control representatives at the hospitals.

The industry will see more consolidation in terms of more sales of laundries to larger entities. We will also continue to see growth driven by private equity firms looking to get into the laundry business.

Also, I think cooperative laundries will start making a comeback as hospitals digest the closing of and/or sale of the largest for-profit healthcare laundry company, Crothall.

Labor will remain the biggest challenge, specifically, how to attract and keep talented employees. The shortage of labor, coupled with the booming economy, is providing a challenge to employers. This will lead to further investment in labor-saving equipment and, ultimately, in higher labor costs.

Investment in equipment, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) will speed up as labor becomes scarcer.

Healthcare laundries will see more government and selfregulation as hospitals reel from healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and other spore- and

Demand for healthcare services continues to increase; however, there has been significant financial pressures placed on healthcare service organizations. With a red-hot economy, there are very low unemployment levels and an increasing cost of living in many major cities. This has caused a scarcity of production employees, and that has put pressure on wages. We expect that labor scarcity will be a continued challenge for North American service companies.

We expect to see continued automation as part of the solution for long-term labor shortages and labor cost pressure. Automation in the soil-sort department could be a game changer for improving healthcare laundry labor efficiency.

We believe that a large portion of the healthcare growth will be targeted to supporting long-term care and lower-cost outpatient healthcare options. We expect to see an expansion of outpatient services with an aim to decrease the average length of stay (ALOS) for healthcare patients and more urgent care facilities to take pressure off of emergency departments.

At Ecotex, we are expecting that 2020 will be an excellent year. We have a positive outlook on the healthcare laundry market in North America. We have a number of new opportunities emerging, and we expect that our volume will increase as we onboard several new hospital facilities.

Finally, the impact of textile fiber and other small particles (microplastic fibers) released from laundering continues to be an increasing focus area.

IAHTM

Charles Berge, President & General Manager of Shared Hospital Services of Portsmouth, Va.

IAHTM recently held its annual fall Educational Conference during which there were a number of presentations concerning the challenges our industry is facing today and in the future.

Here’s a look ahead to 2020: Biggest Challenges. IAHTM members compose a diverse group from all regions of the United States and Canada, and yet we share similar challenges. Among them:

• Labor Costs— Production labor continues to be challenging in every market. Many operators have raised starting wages to match within their region. We all agreed that we could do better outreach into the community.

• Professional Recruitment and Succession Planning—How does the industry attract professionals to fill management and executive positions?

• Healthcare Consolidation—

Depending on the circumstances, consolidation can either expose current business or create business opportunities.

These challenges aside, we all

We expect to see more focus by operators on process improvement in the production of hygienically clean textiles beyond accreditation. More operators will be proactive and start looking at the textiles we provide and what antimicrobial affects they add as another layer in preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

Some of these may include Cupron Medical Textiles, linens manufactured with copper filaments imbedding into the poly fibers, and Medline/SilvaClean, an additive that is added to the wash process in the final rinse.

This is another opportunity to be proactive and educate your customers about new products offered in the industry.

What’s Coming in 2020. If you live in Connecticut, New York or California, you’re probably familiar with microplastics and what they are. Simply put, they are microfiber pieces of plastic 5mm or smaller that are turning up in the air we breathe, the water we drink and just about everywhere, including the Arctic ice.

If you haven’t heard about microplastics, you will in time. Fortunately, there are new resources and solutions that help to monitor these sorts of challenges.

To help operators validate hygienically clean linens and work environment, HLAC announced the availability of its new Laundry Process Monitoring ToolKit (PMTK). This toolkit offers independent testing of biobur-

As we continue to face the issues with labor, we will have to look at more and more laundry production automation in our facilities. Artificial intelligence solutions are available for different parts of the operation, but they are a few years away from full implementation.

Also, not everyone has an unending supply of money and square footage for all that technology requires. Automating the whole laundry comes at a price tag. Automating individual processes in the plant can be an affordable way to increase production and reduce labor costs.

TCATA

The big change we see is focusing more on the customer’s needs and providing additional convenience to make it easier to do business. This mindset and activity would permeate through the full chain from the manufacturer, distributor, as well as the provider of services to the final customer.

We believe the digital age will also have a bigger role in the future. This can be done in many ways through advanced equipment, as well as improved communications with the customers.

This will result in improved stronger customer connections and help build customer loyalty. This means that customer personalization and relationships are more important now than ever, and they will be the key to success for business in the future.

ARTA

Edward McCauley, ARTA Past President; President & CEO, United Hospital Services, Indianapolis

Bill Odorizzi, TCATA Past President; Senior Vice President, Sankosha USA Inc.

McCauley

Bartsch

Mead

Berge

Odorizzi

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Tools f the Trade

Speed Queen® has introduced an innovative stacked washerextractor/tumble dryer. Previewed just months ago at an industry trade show, the new product is now available for order, according to the company.

“This product is a game-changer for spas, salons, pretty much anywhere space is at a premium and there are heavy volumes of laundry to process,” says Steve Bowie, North American sales manager for Speed Queen commercial. “It blends the strengths of our washer-extractors and tumble dryers into one high-ROI package.”

Salons, spas, small hotels/ motels, bed and breakfasts, and even small gym environments face challenges in keeping up with the need for clean, fresh towels and linens. Often these facilities opt for low-price, single-load residential washers and dryers that are found at big-box retailers. Such units typically only deliver a year or two of service because of the rough demands or just fail to keep up with demand, due to their small capacity.

Stacked washer-extractor/tumble dryer for spas, salons All-in-one

tumble dryer, gives these businesses a truly commercial option, with extra capacity, while occupying a small footprint.

Offered in two capacity options—30-pound washerextractor/30-pound tumbler and a 50-pound washer-extractor/50pound tumbler—the stacked unit provides great flexibility for laundering big loads and bulky items in spaces where two commercial units wouldn’t be possible, according to the company.

Speed Queen also says the new product features a 200 G-force extraction cycle that removes more water before drying and a reversing setting on the dryer to prevent tangles in large items. The userfriendly control offers four cycle options to produce excellent quality wash results.

Antimicrobial scrubs harness the power of bleach

Prime Medical says numerous studies have shown that healthcare provider clothing is a potential source of pathogenic bacterial transmission in the facilities in which they work, so it’s time to reduce the risk with antimicrobial scrubs that harness the power of bleach to fight bacteria and viruses with every fiber.

That’s why the company is now offering CloroxPro™ Scrubs, which are designed with a revolutionary fabric technology that binds chlorine each time they are laundered with an EPA-registered bleach. And, the bleach-friendly, fade-resistant fabric means the color stays true, wash after wash.

CloroxPro™ Scrubs are available in navy, royal, charcoal and

Speed Queen says its stacked washer-extractor/

CMV Sharper Finish Inc. says its “all in one” model IFCS (Ironer/ Folder/Crossfolder/Stackerconveyor) is the simplest, safest and strongest machine in its class of single-heated roll flatwork ironers with complete folding.

The IFCS models come in 20-, 24-, 30- and 36-inch diameter heated cylinders (gas fired or steam heated) for all types of production demand. Made in Illinois, the company says the IFCS offers plain and simple, user-friendly controls and the least number of photocells found on an all-in-one system.

The IFCS also comes standard with the Intelatrol I & II Monitoring System, which shuts off the heat—cools the ironer section down—and finally turns off all power to the system, which is one of the safest ways to run an ironer system (gas-fired

In addition, Speed Queen says its stacked washerextractor/tumble dryer helps facilities keep operating costs low with efficient use of water and utilities, while offering the additional capacity they need. The unit is also covered by Speed Queen’s five-year warranty. www.speedqueencommercial.com 800-590-8872

units only), according to the company.

Speaking of safety, if the crossfolder happens to jam, the crossfolder can be taken out of the system (moved easily away from the “operating” ironer) with the company’s safe plug disconnects right at the crossfolder.

CMV Sharper Finish Inc. says this labor-saving system is truly the most “boring” and easiest to repair in the world—no “bells and whistles” to worry about for operators.

The IFCS is a two-operator system, but with the addition of CMV Sharper Finish Inc.’s #LSF (Labor Saving Feeder), the IFCS can perform with only one operator. www.cmvsharperfinish.com 773-276-4800

Cleanroom service offers new mopping system

Prudential Cleanroom Services reports it has entered into an exclusive North American agreement with German manufacturer Hydroflex to offer its customers the PurMop® cleanroom mopping system.

Jerry Martin, vice president of sales and marketing at Prudential says, “The PurMop® system is a world-class product offering that improves contamination control cleaning processes, reduces waste and cost compared to alternative products and disposables.”

Prudential can include the mop service with its reusable cleanroom garment and goggles rental deliveries.

www.prudentialuniforms.com 800-767-5536

black, in both women’s and men’s styles.

www.primemedical.com 727-999-2070

New maternity gown available for new, expecting mothers

ImageFIRST, a national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market, has launched the Comfort Care® Maternity Gown.

ImageFIRST says it is the first national linen rental provider to offer a gown specially designed with input from mother and baby departments across the nation to better meet the needs of expecting mothers.

The Comfort Care® Maternity Gown features a lightweight, premium polyester/ nylon blend fabric and front snaps to allow for skin-to-skin access and optional breastfeeding.

Developed with modesty in mind, the gown also includes shoulder snaps and a full cut for extra coverage and to accommodate a variety of body types. The Maternity Gown was designed for commercial laundering and comes with a fully managed rental and laundry program.

A portion of the proceeds from each gown rental will be donated to the National Pediatric Cancer

Foundation (NPCF) to aid in their efforts to find a faster cure for pediatric cancer.

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The Comfort Care® Maternity Gown is available through ImageFIRST as part of complete healthcare linen rental and laundry programs nationwide. ImageFIRST solutions are designed to free up facility staff from linen inventory management and feature quality product to enhance patient comfort.

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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.

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TRSA

Joseph Ricci, President & CEO

We expect 2020 to be remembered as the start of a decade in which linen, uniform and facility services operators worked more closely than ever to find shortand long-term solutions to recruit and retain employees.

We also anticipate the 2020s to mark more business informationsharing internationally, as TRSA highlights global issues such as environmental stewardship, evolving hygiene standards, benefits of outsourced linen and uniform services, and other common challenges to facilitate recognition of opportunities to address these similarities.

In July, the U.S. economy notched its 121st consecutive month of growth, the longest expansion in American history, breaking the record set from 1991 to 2001.

This year, the inevitable slowdown has occurred; GDP fell in Q3 2019 to 1.8% from 2% in Q2. For the year it will be around 2%, down from 3% the year before.

In 2020, economists expect 2% again. Unemployment is expected to grow marginally (3.6% to 3.7%), portending industry operators having continued difficulties finding and keeping staff. In response, TRSA is cultivating additional education programs for linen, uniform and facility services supervisors, managers, and executives, particularly for developing an industry career path of ongoing professional development and recognition.

These programs will build the industry’s job candidate pool, aid in operators’ development of policies and procedures for hiring and on-boarding staff, and improve engagement in laundry workplaces.

At the core of all three of these types of efforts will be operators’ communications to employees throughout their tenure that they build skills at work every day. This starts with recruiting of high school students that promotes the industry as a viable and rewarding long-term career choice because of advancement opportunity.

Such advancement will be increasingly fostered through formal recognition, such as TRSA certificate programs for production, maintenance, safety and route management.

Candidates will learn that when they are hired, their skills will be assessed to place them in positions they are best equipped to handle. This builds their confidence that they can advance. Employers

benefit from placing new hires properly (increases productivity) while reducing on-boarding time and expense. New management hires whose skills are not a perfect match for a position they are fairly well qualified for will receive relevant, accessible training and onboarding content.

More use of training videos is anticipated, and TRSA plans to be a hub of knowledge and information sharing, cultivating a culture of learning and recognition among its members. During the next 18 months, TRSA will work with its volunteer leaders to develop short role-playing videos for supervisors that will facilitate interactive, plant-based training.

These “micro learning” initiatives will minimize time away from the production line and offer industry-specific training for supervisors and managers focusing on “soft skills,” such as conflict resolution, coaching and employee evaluation.

All these efforts will elevate the industry’s ability to recruit, assess, train and retain the best, more engaged talent. This vision emerged from the input of more than 200 individuals who participated in 2019 TRSA benchmarking interviews, focus group discussions (at the Human Resources Summit and Clean Show) and a survey.

Also examined were organizations in other industries with effective education portfolios aimed to move “front-line/production” workers into supervisory and managerial positions. This revealed success by associations that leveraged partnerships for funding and content to emphasize the importance of elevating the industry and building out the candidate pipeline.

As one TRSA research participant noted regarding current industry practices, “We promote an individual when someone is reaching 100% of their production target, but that’s the wrong reason. If there were a formalized program to prepare someone to go into that supervisory role, that would be a benefit for the whole industry. It’s good for retention for people to see there’s upward mobility in that you can be promoted from the inside.”

TRSA’s emerging Core Curriculum Certificate Program consists of online modules and testing for skill development. The Production Management Certificate program is now available online.

To develop its Maintenance Management counterpart, a Maintenance Manager Job Analysis Advisory Task Force has met. Culled from Maintenance Management Institute (MMI) faculty and graduates, this group is working to identify and gather resources, develop surveys and guide the overall process of documenting the maintenance man-

ager’s roles, responsibilities, skills, tasks and knowledge.

Identifying, recruiting and retaining maintenance personnel, particularly skilled, knowledgeable managers, is one of our industry’s most troubling issues. Through the task force’s work on the certificate program and other assessment tools, TRSA will further assist companies in developing the skill sets and improving retention of these valuable positions.

To accelerate worldwide information sharing, TRSA has engaged the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company to The Economist magazine. Given EIU’s understanding of the complexity and nuance of international markets, the firm will provide unmatched expert commentary, interpretation and forecasting on how our industry and its trajectory will be shaped by macroeconomic and demographic forces.

Operators in the United States, Canada and Mexico will benefit from nation-specific forecasts and will gain from learning about the other 10 countries covered as well. Findings are expected to reveal approaches that can be emanated anywhere to address worldwide industry opportunities such as improving quantification of the value of linen, uniform and facility services (reversing the perception of the business as a commodity) and better analyzing economic data to improve customer service and drive additional revenue.

EIU’s research is covering uniform rental, linen supply and facility services, examining five key demand sectors: healthcare, hotels, construction, energy (oil and gas) and manufacturing.

Using growth-related and financial-performance-based indicators, market sizes of these sectors in each of the 13 selected countries will be analyzed and forecast, linking these outlooks to our industry’s growth in each country. Expert interviews will provide qualitative insights on sector linkages and key trends. Ten public companies from the industry will be profiled.

Key questions to be answered:

• Where will demand for linen, uniform and facility services come from over the next five years?

• Which countries will present the greatest opportunities or challenges?

• How large are the demand sectors and which are the fastest growing?

• How will megatrends such as sustainability and digitization impact the industry, and how will this differ across countries?

The research will be presented at the World Textile Services Congress (WTSC) June 18-19, 2020, in Frankfurt, Germany, immediately prior to Texcare

International. Details of the WTSC and the International Textile Services Alliance (ITSA) are at www.itsa-alliance.org

In addition to providing insights valuable to every operator in setting individual priorities for expanding services and offerings, research findings will guide TRSA in developing industrywide programs. TRSA Board of Directors members’ companies collectively operate in nearly 50 countries, covering every continent. These board members are based outside the United States:

• Randy Bartsch, CEO, Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Corp., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, a member of the TRSA Executive Committee

• Jose Luis Jacques, CEO, LAVARTEX SAPI de CV, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico

• Juha Laurio, president and CEO, Lindström Group, Helsinki, Finland

• Chris Sander, industry relations ambassador, Johnson Service Group PLC, Preston Brook, U.K.

• Joe Sullivan, chairman, Spotless Facility Services Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Australia

Associate Members (suppliers to the industry) who serve markets around the world will be key contributors as well. They account for half of the 26 global region experts EIU has targeted for interviews.

U.S. Forecast. We anticipate linen, uniform and facility services sales to continue outpacing overall economic growth in 2020 (GDP, projected around 2%) as our industry’s operators pursue targeted growth opportunities.

Presenting at the recent TRSA Annual Conference in Boston, investment analyst Robert W. Baird & Co. estimated that uniform rental and related product lines have reached only about two-thirds of their potential. Linen supply is less than 80% penetrated.

Linen and uniform supply

companies excel in recognizing businesses with growing needs to control their costs and improve the convenience of providing reusable textiles to their employees and customers.

TRSA members have stepped up in the past year to promote the industry to such businesses, and while we expect industry revenue to grow across the board in the marketplace, we’re especially excited about these niches:

Long-term Care. These providers are under great pressure to investigate opportunities to save time and money while maintaining effective patient care.

In 2019 TRSA invested in an outreach program to increase awareness of the favorable economics to long-term care providers to begin outsourcing laundry. More than 700,000 impressions were generated from ads in longterm care business media and nearly 3,000 professionals from the industry engaged through email blasts. These are being culled for sales leads that will be available to all TRSA members who serve healthcare customers.

The campaign drove viewers to a web utility (www.trsa.org/ oplsavings) that calculates potential annual savings according to a facility’s number of beds. This utility, still operating, is tied to a geographic directory of members, also generating leads. Long-term care operations’ savings from outsourcing have been well into the double digits in percentage; even the smallest can experience fivedigit savings in dollars.

TRSA will again invest in communicating with long-term care facilities to generate interest and leads for its members.

Hotels and Resorts. U.S. hotel executives’ priorities in recent years to reduce operational costs and improve resource conservation are prompting them to take a closer look at laundry efficiencies.

Recognizing the opportunity to guide them as they consider

Ricci

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

|

How important has it been for your operation to educate customers about the laundry industry and your operation?

HARTSELL: Education of the customer is an essential customer-service task. It can be beneficial addressing the concerns that the customer has, such as quality, quantity or usage. It’s also helpful for the laundry to address linen abuse, loss or other issues, such as trash or sharps with the soiled linen.

GEISSEL: It is extremely important to educate customers about our operations and the laundry industry. We find that the more customers know, the better partners they can be because they have a better understanding of the services we provide—they know our strengths, limitations and challenges.

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What benefits have you seen from providing laundry operation education?

HARTSELL: One of the most important benefits for us has been addressing the occasional complaint or concern about quality— bringing the customer into our facility to show them how their linen is processed by our operators and how the operator may have missed something that the customer has deemed unacceptable.

It’s important to remember that until someone sees an industrial laundry, the only context they have for processing linen is how they wash and fold at home.

Another benefit that has been helpful for us is stemming off concern from linen-related topics, such as a news story or an article that gets published.

If a topic comes up that we think will be generating interest in the hospitals, we try to get in front of it by providing all the information that we can find on the topic and providing our opinion. That can provide transparency to the end user and help build confidence in your operation.

GEISSEL: When customers are educated about laundry operation, they better understand our capabilities and the industry benchmark. It’s not surprising that it makes for stronger partnerships.

|What methods do you use to educate your customers? What have you found to be most effective?

HARTSELL: We have used a variety of methods to educate our customers, from newsletters, e-mails, whitepapers to linen awareness days and tours of the plant.

I personally found that doing rounds in the hospital with a manager responsible for linen in the hospital gave me the most outreach.

I would put a small 12- to 15-slide presentation on an iPad and spend five to 10 minutes explaining the laundering process and the linen use in the facility. I would try to explain their usage

to them on an individual patient basis by item and by cost. I would offer a few takeaways on how they could help their usage or help us (for example, reducing the trash in the soiled linen bags).

The one thing that I learned early on is that caregivers are much more willing to listen to you if you hand out candy.

GEISSEL: We do monthly, quarterly and as-needed business reviews with our partners. During these reviews, we discuss everything from total pounds cleaned and industry news to any points of pain the customer is experiencing.

We find that through transparency we are able to better understand the needs of our customers and help them understand how we can help them.

|Will just mentioned monthly, quarterly, as-needed business reviews. How often would you recommend educating customers?

HARTSELL: A lot would depend on the size of the customer-service team that a laundry has in place. I could see a laundry with a large customer-service team meeting face to face with customers at least monthly, but without a dedicated team, the face-to-face meetings are going to be less frequent.

A laundry could also do a monthly or quarterly electronic newsletter and utilize many of the linen education topics that are provided by the Association for Linen Management (ALM), American Laundry News, TRSA and linen vendors. It doesn’t have to a formal newsletter; it could be as simple as forwarding a pertinent e-mail or news article to the linen

managers in the hospital.

GEISSEL: We believe in continuous education. It isn’t something we schedule; instead, it’s an ongoing practice in how we handle our partnerships.

|

How do you work with customers who aren’t that interested in education?

HARTSELL: On the few times that I have had a customer that wasn’t that concerned about linen education, I have tried to find something that may concern them. If linen in the facility is handled by materials, I would talk to them about lowering their linen usage; if it was a housekeeping manager, I would talk about bed makeup.

Sometimes linen would fall under another support department, and it was just a matter of finding some common ground that they could relate to and understand.

GEISSEL: With our partners, we are in the relationship for the long haul, which means even when they aren’t as open to regular conversations and education, we still stay vigilant and provide them with important information.

|

Do you have an example of a time customer education improved your relationship/ partnership?

HARTSELL: We had a facility that was utilizing linen at about twice the rate per adjusted patient day of our average facility. We knew there was an issue, and the linen manager was really at a loss on addressing their usage.

We worked with this facility on forming a linen committee, creat-

ing their acceptable linen usage policy and then conducted an extensive series of rounding, linen awareness days, and educational sessions in the hospital. During this process we had complete buyin all the way up to the C-suite, and we were able to cut their linen usage in half.

GEISSEL: We have a large customer that was experiencing an excessive amount of tearing in their bed sheets. The first thing that came to mind for them was an issue with our equipment, but after extensive research and testing it was determined that the problem was as simple as old, worn-out linens.

Because of our transparency and commitment to finding the problem, it was not only an educational experience for the customer, but it also helped solidify our relationship.

| What final thoughts do you have in regards to educating laundry customers?

HARTSELL: I’m a fan of advocating for the laundry process. I’ve never met a laundry operator that is not doing everything they can to send out clean linen.

As an industry, we do everything we can give a quality product to the end user, and it’s something that we should be proud of and share with our customers.

GEISSEL: We view customer education as a value add to the excellent service we already look to provide.

It also helps up be better partners and vice-versa, because we cultivate a better understanding of each other’s business. ALN

more effective practices, TRSA has initiated a Hotel and Resort Laundry-Linen Community. (TRSA has used this tactic in recent years to create a Healthcare Community of more than 2,500 of that industry’s professionals.)

The hotel community kicked off in August with the launch of a benchmarking survey that will improve their appreciation for linen consumption and laundry metrics. We’ll report on this effort’s progress at our 2nd Annual Hospitality Conference in February in Las Vegas.

Our membership recruiting continues to reflect the expansion of this market as half of our newer operator members are relatively recently founded businesses that serve hotels on a customer-owned goods basis. Facility Services. While the industry’s core products, linen and uniform services, will grow in 2020 in line with the economy, it’s more likely that facility services will grow faster.

Mat rental may represent the greatest opportunity, with members indicating good potential for additional placements on current customers’ floors. As customers’ buildings and equipment get busier, they need to be cleaned more, requiring more mops and towels.

Operators are increasingly recognizing that servicing hygiene products, including restroom soap and paper, as a good fit in their business models.

TRSA is responding to their interest in finding new ways to maximize revenue per account with a Workwear and Facility Services Conference in September in Chicago.

Pressures on the industry likely to become significant in 2020 include publicly owned treatment works (POTW) activity related to microfiber and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) discharges to sewers. In California, a bill was introduced to require laundries to install microfiber filtration. That measure was dropped, but the state is planning to study microfiber discharges in laundry wastewater.

TRSA’s Environmental Committee is quantifying the extent to which PFAS are used in our industry’s supply chain (flame

resistance, waterproofing), recognizing we could be targeted as federal EPA develops a PFAS threshold for drinking water. Whether it’s microfiber or PFAS, linen and uniform services represent a relatively small volume of discharges compared with other sources, especially home laundries, so TRSA will continue to note this difference in our advocacy efforts.

Similarly, ridesharing services (Uber, Lyft) are crowding highways in urban areas, but authorities see commercial trucks as a greater potential source of revenue that cities can tap to solve the problem. New York City’s congestion pricing plans are certain to be emanated elsewhere. TRSA is active in the Big Apple and is monitoring the issue’s expansion.

Another vehicle-related concern: new emission-control measures that will create cost pressures related to vehicle inspection, maintenance, smoke opacity, emissioncontrol devices, carbon intensity in fuel, low-NOx engine design and more.

California remains at the forefront of such regulation; TRSA’s continuing contact with the state’s Air Resources board (CARB) aims to ensure fair treatment of our industry under rules emerging there

so we can establish precedent when this issue arises elsewhere.

Regarding potential industry consolidation, we expect some, but not as much as in the past 15 years or so. From 2006 to 2016, the U.S. linen and uniform supply industry lost more than 100 business establishments per year—including laundries, offices, depots and distribution centers. But more than 93% of this loss occurred from 2006 to 2011, as opposed to the latter years.

In 2020, the economy may not grow as much as in recent years, but most economists do not expect a full-blown recession, nothing like the economic downturn during the transition years from the 2000s to the 2010s. Also, the linen sector was responsible for just 3% of the lost establishments back then.

Given that most linen suppliers are independently owned and operated companies, serving more recession-proof customers such as healthcare and foodservice, we are confident in their ability to withstand a downturn. We feel the same about industrial/uniform companies with U.S. employment expected to remain strong in 2020.

Service business unit in Milwaukee for Marcus.

Hartsell

Geissel

Understanding material-handling system needs for selection

Three laundry professionals share how, why their operations chose the in-plant transportation systems they use

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — Paul Jewison, vice president of engineering for Healthcare Linen Services Group, parent company of Textile Care Services in Rochester, Minn., a provider of linen services to both the healthcare and hospitality industries, of which Jewison is general manager, describes the material-handling system in his plant this way:

• We utilize P 72 carts with allswivel casters, as our customers have required. We utilize double cart dumpers onto to break up tables and then dump on to E-TECH incline conveyors to the people sorting the laundry.

• Then it’s on to overhead bags that feed the tunnel washers and washer-extractors.

• Once it’s through the press, it goes onto conveyors and onto shuttles, which feed the dryers.

• When the dryers unload, they go onto conveyors and onto incline conveyors into bags on the E-TECH system.

• Then it’s on to the finishing stations, whether it’s ironers or dry goods, and then on to conveyors that take it to a central packing area and back into the P 72 carts and onto the trucks.

So, how did Textile Care Services decide on what in-plant

transportation options to use and in what capacity?

“We’ve tried to utilize the square footage of our original design to increase the amount of overhead material handling systems,” shares Jewison. “Being a horseshoe-designed plant where our docks are on one side of the building, we must be very careful not to overcrowd the center of the building.

“Our greatest challenge inside the building is workflow because we have multiple departments that get fed different types of product.”

Because it offers laundry/linen services to healthcare facilities, Textile Care Services totally separates the clean side on one side of the building from the other, so the destinations coming out of the washer-extractors are not always close to where goods are being processed. Jewison says that there is quite a bit of moving carts throughout the building to get it finished.

“If I was asked for my choice of carts, I would make sure that the frames are strong,” he points out. “We’ve had some challenges with the frames not being robust enough to handle the heavy-duty work required.

“Our normal size of wheels are 6 inches, but some of our customers have larger wheels around 8 inches, which does sometimes give us challenges and bending of the frames. We look for carts that are tough and can handle the wildlife of linen supply.”

In terms of rail systems, he says that laundry operations need to have a system that won’t “give you constant trouble after a few years.”

“I would pay close attention to operating plants, when doing your research, that have been operating for five to 10 years,” Jewison recommends. “When you’re buying a rail system and see how good those systems are operating and see people pushing bags around with sticks and poles, I would not recommend that one.”

The key to creating the optimal material-handling system in a plant is to work closely with the vendors that supply carts, rail systems and conveyors to the laundry operation, he shares. And that means all parties need to understand, completely, the operation the system is being created for.

“It’s important understand your mix, whether you’re rental or COG (customer-owned goods) or a combination,” says

Jewison. “If you’re not able to move the carts efficiently, you will need more space.

“Sometimes COG plants require that certain carts be returned to one client, and those certain carts have to be placed in certain places until that product is through the system. In other words, you need some floor space during those times.”

HOTEL LAUNDRY SERVICE

Phil Jones, general manager of the Lakeland, Fla., facility for Hotelier Linen Services, says that his laundry currently doesn’t have a rail system from the dryers to the feeding stations, but “certainly we are looking at that in the long-term conversion plan.”

“I have been fortunate to be in on the ground floor of a laundry that was converting from a hospital to a hospitality laundry, and we faced challenges in how to move linen efficiently with multiple customers,” he shares.

Jones says he started with one long conveyor that was attached to both the ironers and the towel folders. This created quite a bottleneck at the end of the conveyor

with all the employees catching linens being bunched together and trying to separate more than one customer’s goods without mixing them up.

There would be as many as 10 carts in the same area at one time, he says. While the employees were able to keep from mixing goods, the production was very slow as the catchers tried to keep up, and the conveyor was constantly stopping.

“We had a great deal of space, as this was a large laundry facility, so we moved the towel folders to a different location and took out all of the conveyors,” shares Jones. “Now it became much easier to move carts around based on the customer being serviced, and the bottleneck was eliminated.

“It is much easier to have one catcher for two machines and have only two carts in the catching area than with all products on one conveyor line. We used the same amount of catchers but in a much more efficient manner without their getting in each other’s way.”

Textile Care Services in Rochester, Minn., uses double cart dumpers and incline conveyors for sorting. (Photos: Paul Jewison, Textile Care Services)

Safety netting limits access to Textile Care Services’ material-handling system.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Looking at what affected 2019, ahead to

With each new year, comes new challenges, and yet, year after year, the same significant challenges affecting industries on national and global scale remain and intensify.

In 2019, we’ve seen an increased widespread concern in the media, as well as in our industry, about the short- and long-term effects of climate and environmental impact on our available resources.

It’s no hidden truth, although often times taken for granted, that the most critical resource for our industry that must be managed and preserved is water.

Only 2.5% of all water on earth is fresh, with only 1% of that being easily accessible.

Regardless if receiving water from a well or a public water source, all water that is available for use, both potable and nonpotable, is recycled and, as all laundry operators know, only a small percentage of that water is usable and suitable for washing linen.

How then should laundries prepare for the impending laws and regulations that will tighten restrictions of water usage and discharge while imposing higher usage and discharge fees?

gies. Still, without the urgency of such external factors, the question remains for laundries not yet budgeting or planning for industrial wastewater recycling systems in 2020: Why spend on sewer impact fees when you can reap both financial and environmental savings and benefits by reducing water and contaminant loading to the sewer?

The year 2020 will be one of increased attention to resource conservation and if your business is not seriously looking at hedging increased water cost by investing in water recycling technology, then one is letting valuable dollars wash down the drain in the form of water, heat, and chemistry.

All of which can/is easily being recycled with systems, such as Norchem’s UltraPure® system, to reduce incoming water volume that helps laundries stay in compliance with local publicly owned treatment works (POTW) while recycling energy and water that would otherwise literally be wasted.

2020

Some laundries that operate in cities where water and wastewater rates and regulations have dramatically escalated, or will soon, have already established their operations with water filtration and recycling technolo-

A few years back, a friend who owns a successful linen supply business in the Northeast predicted that the greatest challenge to face our industry in the coming years would be finding reliable and capable people to staff our plants.

Today, as I travel the country working with laundry owners, managers and production teams, I can attest that her prediction has come true. Staffing challenges, along with increasing wage pressure, will likely continue into the near future as well.

As of January of this year, U.S. Department of Labor statistics showed that the American economy had 7.6 million vacant positions and 6.5 million people seeking employment. This marked the first time since records have been kept that our

economy recognized an employee shortage for a full year.

What is interesting to note is that low skilled and entry-level positions, defined as those positions that do not require specific education or training and require less than a year experience, are in greater demand than those that require college degrees.

Additionally, with several states considering legislation to increase the minimum wage, some with plans to reach $15 in just a few years, payroll wage pressure is greater than ever. The $7.25 federal rate is becoming irrelevant. This pressure is compounded in many areas of the country where businesses are having to further increase hourly rates just to stay competitive in the marketplace.

Recognizing these challenges, we can take steps to alleviate the problem by increasing productivity and decreasing turnover while improving our business performance as well. I recommend a three-phase approach: recruiting and retention initiatives, employing labor saving technology, and process stability initiatives.

First, establish hiring and retention measurements, such as average days to fill vacant position and turnover rates. After accumulating a few months worth of data, you can establish baseline measurements of where you are now and then set goals as to where you want to be.

Then, employ an action plan to include various improvement initiatives and deadlines. The old adage that you can’t improve what you can’t measure applies.

If feasible, explore laborreducing technology such as soilsorting systems and automatic feeders and folders. I noticed automation at the last Clean Show that until recently had only been rumored or in the earliest phases of testing.

Technological advancements, such as fully automated pickers and feeders, which have long been anticipated, are now in production. New and modern equipment is expensive, but if the ROI is there, it may be worth considering.

Finally, a laundry can be a very fast paced, somewhat unpredictable, hectic environment, which often causes stress to our production teams. Creating an orga-

nized and predictable work environment will help to not only increase productivity, but also improve employee retention. Whether self-directed or with outside assistance, and whether

you are meeting your production goals or not, I recommend undertaking a formal process improvement initiative. These efforts can improve profitability through increased productivity and also rally your team by creating a common, shared goal and an organized, transparent work environment.

Recognizing and addressing these challenges will ultimately help you to develop a better-run

“What do you think was the most significant issue in laundry and linen services in 2019? What do you think is going to make an impact in 2020?”

“STAFFING CHALLENGES, ALONG WITH INCREASING WAGE PRESSURE, WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE NEAR FUTURE ...”

—SAM SPENCE, TBR ASSOCIATES

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Chemicals

Supply

Kevin Minissian Norchem Corp., Los Angeles, Calif.

Consulting Services

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

—KEVIN MINISSIAN, NORCHEM CORP.

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organization and allow you to accomplish more with less.

it strike a chord with so many? Unsanitary linen has the potential to harm various industries and individuals, physically and financially.

As you may have suspected, the article I am referring to is “Ensuring Sanitary Linen” in the February 2019 issue of American Laundry News.

The segment was filled with experts weighing in as it pertains to the challenges and the objectives to correct the problem healthcare providers and laundries face. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Best practices.

• Continued education.

In North America, the impact of nursing and other clinical collaterals will keep having an impact on linen selection and how to deliver the best patient care benefits while maintaining efficient laundering processes.

Most of our laundries will keep expanding their network beyond environmental services and housekeeping. Infection control and skin care are more and more at the forefront of concerns for our healthcare facilities. It is almost a guarantee of success if nurses buy into the selection of textiles, the type of laundry processes, etc.

Part of the impact that nurses have been having on the laundry is the initiative to reduce the number of layers on a bed for improved skin care. In some cases, this has resulted in less overall requirements by the end users.

The industry needs to remain creative and offer products that will answer the concerns of nurses and the comfort of patients while remaining a positive alternative to the disposable industry that is more and more aggressive.

In the United States, interestingly one of the most significant issues came late in year when the new China tariffs came into effect. What had become a natural choice as competitive prices became more and more the only focus, became overnight the less desirable choice.

What is of concern is how this will impact costs from other exporting countries. They may not be affected by new tariffs, but the increase in the demand will surely have rippling effects.

• Hand hygiene.

• Handling and transporting soiled linens.

• Independent lab testing.

• Maintaining clean linen after it is delivered.

• Policy and procedures.

Based upon historic data, advanced technology and awareness programs, the year 2020 will most certainly bring forth new information. This ideally includes proactive procedures to deliver sanitary linen in a cost efficient and productive manner, while promoting wellness and driving down costs.

wages and benefits in order to attract and retain quality longterm employees, we have seen our employment-related costs slowly take up larger chunks of our costs pie.

Therefore, we have been forced to either raise our prices or find savings in other pieces of the pie such as utilities, linen costs, chemicals or supplies.

possible to accomplish those tasks without human intervention. Some of these systems were on display at the Clean Show in June. I was blown away and my mind immediately jumped to envisioning these systems on my plant floor.

cant increase in pre-employment drug test fails since the passing of legalized medical marijuana.

W hile there were many issues that enlightened and inspired our TLC Tri-State laundry team in 2019, one article especially resonated. Why did

Help! I can’t fill my open positions! Finding and retaining capable, competent and reliable employees was the most significant issue in laundry and linen services in 2019.

Economies are cyclical beasts, and 2019 was a boom year with record low unemployment rates. As we in the linen services industry know well, our sector often operates opposite of main street and Wall Street.

Smart robots doing laundry? Smart automation, a capable, efficient workforce and well thought out production processes will help drive labor efficiencies. By investing in the above, our plant was able to achieve a 50% improvement in labor efficiency.

I believe 2020 will be the year that true, narrow artificial intelligence begins its entry into the laundry plant. When this technology matures, I have confidence that we will see 70% to 80% gains in labor efficiency.

Let’s look at the laundry plant of today. Most washing, drying, folding and stacking tasks are automated using today’s technology. Some feeding and material handling can be automated. What production labor is left to automate?

I conservatively estimate that 80% of the remaining tasks involve a person picking up, identifying and then doing something (i.e., sorting) with pieces of linen.

Imagine the laundry of tomorrow where sharps, lipstick, pens and pharmaceuticals are automatically kicked out from the sort. Imagine a mechanical arm reaching into a pile of dirty linen, pulling out a soiled towel, identifying it as a towel based on sensory data and models stored in memory, and then counting it as a towel and placing it into the towel bin for loading into the tunnel washer.

Once this technology becomes mainstream, I sense the new question will become, “What do I do with all of these extra production workers?”

We are very dedicated to creating a safe work environment for our employees to work in. We feel that having a drug-free workforce is the first step in making this happen. We also understand that changing views

During recessions, hospitals still need their linen, so volumes are fine. However, costs are lower and employee hiring and retention is easier. During prosperous times, like we are currently experiencing, getting the right seats on the bus filled with the right people can be a monumental challenge.

As we have increased our

Think of it this way. Soil sorters pick up a piece of linen from a pile. They identify it and then put it in a specific bin. Finish feeders pick up a piece of linen from a pile. They identify it, determine if it is acceptable and then feed it into a folding machine. Imagine if the picking, identifying and “doing something with it” processes were automated.

Guess what? With today’s processing power, machine learning models and algorithms, it is now

We are a laundry based out of Oklahoma, so the most significant change we have encountered in 2019 is the passing of medical marijuana.

As a part of our safety program, we perform pre-employment drug test, as well as run a random drug test pool that our employees participate in. Since there is no true test to show if an employee is impaired by marijuana at the time of a test or just has dormant THC in their system, this has virtually made our drug testing useless when it comes to marijuana.

We have also noticed a signifi-

concerning marijuana have made it to where a large number of current or future employees may actively consume marijuana.

To comply with these changes, we are spending more time on reasonable suspicion training for our frontline supervisors. We know that any employee that shows up for worked impaired on any type of drug is a danger to themselves and their fellow employees.

We feel it is more imperative now than ever that our supervisors know what to look for to make sure we remove any employee from the facility that may be impaired.

In 2020 I believe that the most significant change we may see in our industry is the effect of the trade tariffs on our linen costs.

Our linen vendors have held off on significant price increases so far, but if all the projected tariffs are implemented, then they will have no choice but to pass these costs on to the linen purchaser.

Janice

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

“THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN 2019 IS THE PASSING OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.”

—DAVID GRIGGS, SUPERIOR LINEN SERVICE

Textiles

Gabriel Boardman MIP Inc., Anjou, Quebec

HOSPITAL/MILITARY/HOTEL

Ofelia Almanza, associate plant manager for Puget Sound Laundry Services, based in Kent, Wash., which provides services for hospitals, the military and hotels, says the laundry solely uses carts for its material-handling needs.

“We use a combination of methods, taking advantage of the most lean and efficient way to move linen throughout the building, primarily utilizing carts,” she says. “We’re not fully automated at this time, so no sling system is being used.”

Almanza says Puget Sound’s current material-handling system was created on the basis of both functionality and plant layout.

“We inherited an existing building (non-build to suit),” she shares. “We have fined-tuned the system based on best practices, while understanding limitations due to facility.

“Some of our challenges with in-plant transportation is due to

ergo dynamics all are important.

“It’s important to know any choke points, facility issues, cost constraints and potential volume, just to name a few.”

FINAL ADVICE

Jewison’s key piece of advice to any laundry/linen service considering adding/updating materialhandling systems is to ensure that any breakdown will not stop the plant, along with keeping things serviceable.

“Remember, if it’s bolted in and running, at some point it will need to be repaired or have

maintenance on it,” he points out. “If the installation prevents getting access to it, you will have problems in the future.

Jones encourages any laundry looking to install a new system or to modify its existing system to attend any trade shows, especially the Clean Show, as multiple vendors are readily available in one spot.

“Also, network with other laundry operators and partner with best practices and suggestions on equipment,” he says. “I have learned from over 25 years in the laundry business that most laundry operators have faced the

same challenges or had the same questions you may have and will be willing provide some help if asked.”

Almanza’s key piece of advice when exploring material-handling systems: don’t rush.

“Get a real understanding of what your current and future needs are,” she says. “Don’t change just to change. Make sure to spend countless hours on the floor understanding all the production needs. Be prepared to map out several potential versions of schematic. It will change.

“Do your due diligence and don’t rely on just one vendor.

The industry is going through rapid changes relating to technology and automation. Any system should be adaptable to change.”

In the final analysis, Jewison returns the maintenance and durability when selecting material-handling systems.

structure issues with building. We would prefer not to have certain bottleneck areas and/or other issues. We have done an extremely good job in working around. This has included some adjustment to equipment layout to ensure a better flow for linen transportation. In some cases, more automated equipment has been put in place to eliminate extra carts, tables and other.”

While Almanza says Puget Sound has moved away from an earlier version of rail system due to the layout of building and its increased volume, it will look into this area if a new design is put forth and/or a new facility is acquired.

“Several factors need to be considered, including durability, plant layout, customers servicing and of course cost,” Almanza points out. “For us, material composition, maintenance, size and shape for equipment, and

“The most important thing is how durable and how much work it will take to maintain the material handling system once it’s installed,” he shares. “Everything electrical and mechanical will require maintenance at some point, so don’t be surprised. Investigate and understand before you buy.”

ALN

UniFirst names 2019 Aldo Croatti Award winners

WILMINGTON, Mass.

— UniFirst Corp., a provider of customized work uniform programs, corporate attire and facility service products to businesses throughout North America, has selected seven route service representatives (RSRs) as the 2019 recipients of the prestigious Aldo Croatti Award, the most coveted of all UniFirst Corp. recognitions.

Named after UniFirst’s founder, the Aldo Croatti Award is presented to those RSRs who exemplify customer service excellence and satisfaction while retaining 100% of their customers for an entire fiscal year. Remarkably, combined, these seven RSRs service more than 760 UniFirst business customers on a weekly basis.

Each Aldo Croatti Award winner will receive a special reward package that includes a cash bonus and an all-expenses-paid luxury vacation for two to The Cove at Atlantis, Bahamas, as part of UniFirst’s President’s Club reward program.

In addition, they will be given a brand-new UniFirst delivery truck for use on the job to make all their customer deliveries in style, which will be embellished with a special award insignia—a mark of distinction—recognizing the RSR as a superior customer service representative.

UniFirst’s Aldo Croatti Award winners for 2019 are as follows:

• Manjot Brar, Toronto, Ontario

• Michael Burchill, Portland, Maine

• Michael Colabella, San Diego, Calif.

• Kevon Dyer, Toronto, Ontario

• Juan Garcia, Laredo, Texas

• Ernest Workman, Richmond, Va.

• Dajun Godwin, Dothan, Ala.

“Customer service excellence is critical to UniFirst’s continued success, and these RSRs represent ‘best-in-class’ service professionals who always put the customers first,” says Steven Sintros, UniFirst president and CEO.

“Earning the Aldo Croatti Award is challenging to say the least, and I applaud these service professionals for meeting and exceeding their business goals. I’m extremely proud of their accomplishments and for continuing to set the standard for customer service excellence.”

(Image: UniFirst)

Lima named new regional sales mgr. for Pellerin Milnor

KENNER, La. — Commercial and industrial laundry equipment manufacturer Pellerin Milnor Corp. reports it has hired Mauricio Lima as its newest regional sales manager.

Milnor says his responsibilities include overseeing all sales aspects in Latin America, as well small machinery and vended machinery in Asia. Mauricio seeks to expand and strengthen the Milnor brand, while also bringing growth and market share expansion to his geographical regions.

Mauricio joins the Milnor team with more than 17 years of experience in the laundry industry, bringing his widespread knowledge of international sales and global markets to Milnor, the company says.

Prior to joining Milnor, Mauricio spent three years serving as American Dryer Corp.’s international sales manager with global responsibility and 10 years as its director of international sales. He also previously served as Whirlpool Corp.’s sales manager for Asia/Oceania and Latin America.

Gurtler adds Mitchell as regional vice president

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. — Gurtler Industries Inc., a manufacturer of advanced detergents and specialty chemicals for the commercial laundry industry, reports that it has added Bill Mitchell as regional vice president as of September 2019.

Mitchell has had the pleasure of working in the United States as well as England for six years. The company says he brings with him 22-plus years of experience in the laundry chemical industry.

Track Career

Thorsen named V.P., general mgr. for Ecolab textile care

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ecolab reports that Greg Thorsen has been named the new vice president and general manager, textile care division, for the company,

which provides water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources.

Previously, Thorsen held key executive positions in Ecolab’s pest elimination division, includ-

ing senior vice president and general manager, international; senior vice president and general manager, North

America; and vice president of sales and operations, North America.

During his tenure with Ecolab, Thorsen has held a number of positions in operations, new business development and regional management. He began his career

Lima

Thorsen

Mitchell

PARKER BOILER CO.

Parker Boiler Co. shares that it will be launching its 100 seriesWW (Low NOx) water wall design 9.5 HP, 150 PSI Steam Boiler.

The company says it has been conducting extensive testing on this new vertical water wall design from 2015 until today and has installed several beta sites to see performance in the field.

Parker says standard heavyduty 1-inch tubes are used with a 0.12-inch wall thickness. The tubes are bent around the flame creating a water wall furnace. A large ½-inch-thick, seamless horizontal steam drum is used for a steady water line and clean dry steam production. Its footprint is similar to a vertical tubeless boiler.

The company goes on to

say that the sealed combustion design raises efficiency with lower excess air and minimizes heat loss to the room. A low NOx metal fiber burner is standard for 20ppm and pre-certified to AQMD 1146.2.

Units will be available 9.6 HP to 24 HP. It also has up to 4 inches of insulation, 5:1 turndown ratio, digital pressure control, reflex prismatic sight glass, and two sides that do not require access, allowing it to be placed in the corner of a room, saving floor space.

www.parkerboiler.com 323-727-9800

HAMILTON ENGINEERING

Hamilton Engineering says its SOLSTREAM™ Direct Fired Water Heaters offer a complete range of high-efficiency, compact, all-stainless-steel water heaters that are dependable, simple in design and operation, and suitable for a wide variety of hot water applications.

With standard operating capacities between 1 million and 15 million Btu per hour and customized systems up to 25 million Btu per hour, the company says SOLSTREAM™ often delivers fuel savings as high as 30-60% when compared to steam/water heating systems.

With a small footprint, 99.7% or greater heat transfer efficiencies, dependability, ease of maintenance, and the abil-

ity to operate well with poor water quality, Hamilton says its SOLSTREAM™ Direct Fired Water Heaters are the product of choice for high-volume hotwater users seeking to achieve Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) and Reduced Carbon Footprint objectives.

The company says SOLSTREAM™ features include:

• Complete thermal exchange technology—no fuel is used for warm-up or idle time and no energy is lost through conversion or exchange.

• No internal moving parts— there is very little to maintain.

• Unique design prevents scale build up—no water conditioning required; up to 30 grains of hardness and 185F delivered water temperature.

firm, reports that it has promoted Justin Hearld to the position of director of operations for the laundry division. The company has also hired Bill McGivern and Josh Simpson as project managers in the laundry division.

• Full modulation firing control.

• Touch Screen HMI, PLC and Ethernet/IP Communications.

• Low-temperature exhaust (within a few degrees of incoming water temperature).

• 99.7% or greater high heat value efficiency.

• Stainless-steel construction.

• Minimal footprint.

• Modular fuel train using slide out components for ease of maintenance or replacement. CSA, NFAPL and FM compliant.

• Seven-year warranty on structure/two years on all other components. www.hamiltonengineering.com 800-968-5530

CLEAVER-BROOKS

Cleaver-Brooks says its FLX Boiler offers laundries safety, efficiency, reliability and sustainability.

The FLX is a five-pass, bent water tube design that delivers 99.5% dry steam to a system and features a fuel-to-steam efficiency rating of up to 81%. Add an economizer, and the company says an operation can increase efficiency 3% on average.

The FLX provides modulating turndown throughout the entire firing rate, which allows the boiler to respond quickly and track rapid load swings to prevent energy losses from excess boiler cycling, according to Cleaver-Brooks.

The company adds that the FLX was designed and built for modular steam systems with

future plans for expansion or a central distribution. There are even ultra-low NOx options available.

In addition, the FLX also fits non-condensing hydronic needs with an efficiency rating of up to 85%.

www.cleaverbrooks.com 229-227-4432

THERMAL ENGINEERING OF ARIZONA (TEA)

Thermal Engineering of Arizona (TEA) says its DC Heater provides near 100% energy efficiency for the most economical water heating available.

with Ecolab in 1988 as a pest elimination service specialist.

Thorsen has served as co-chair and then chair of Ecolab’s Community Giving Campaign, which is part of the company’s national fundraising effort in support of the United Way.

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Dakota. Thorsen also completed the Penn State Executive Program and the University of Chicago Executive Program.

ARCO/Murray adds to growing process team

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — ARCO/ Murray, a national design and construction

Hearld joined ARCO/Murray in 2015 as a project manager working on various laundry projects throughout North America. The company says his extensive laundry project experience coupled with his building construction management degree from Purdue University has provided a solid foundation for his new role managing the laundry division’s growing team of project managers, superintendents and administrative staff.

McGivern joins ARCO/Murray after five years with Rolls Royce, last in a senior mechanical design engineer role. He holds

a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Indiana University–Purdue University, Indianapolis.

Simpson joins ARCO/Murray after his recent graduation from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He is a Canadian native, adding his experience and knowledge to help further develop ARCO/ Murray’s footprint north of the U.S. border, according to the company. Both McGivern and Simpson will be based in ARCO/Murray’s Downers Grove office and support the ARCO/Murray process team. ALN

The company shares that its exclusive flow distributor maintains uniform distribution of water over the entire heat exchange zone, regardless of incoming water flow rates or pressures. Unlike spray nozzles, the flow distributor never requires replacement and never plugs.

TEA goes on to say that with a touch-screen control panel and programmable logic controller, the TEA DC Heater has the most sophisticated control system available, allowing remote monitoring, control, and troubleshooting from a remote location.

The TEA DC Heater is fully assembled and tested at the factory, sharply reducing field installation time and costs, insuring quicker and smoother start-ups.

The company adds that its DC Heater has fully assembled water manifolds, exclusive inlet water distributor, high-velocity combustion zone cooling and Smart Touch Controls.

www.teatucson.com 520-888-4000

[Hamilton Engineering]

[Cleaver-Brooks]

[Thermal Engineering of Arizona (TEA)]

[Parker Boiler Co.]

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR

Simpson

Hearld

McGivern

Aramark expands relationship with Dickies® for industrial rental options

PHILADELPHIA — Aramark, a provider of food, facilities management and uniforms, reports it is expanding its strategic relationship with Dickies, a provider of performance workwear, to provide customers with a wider assortment of premium Dickies apparel options for the industrial rental market.

“Dickies and Aramark are leaders in their respective industries, and this strong alliance will create a competitive force in the rental market,” says Brad Drummond, chief operating officer for Aramark’s uniform and refreshments services business. “Taking the world’s most recognized and trusted performance workwear brand and backing it with Aramark’s industry-leading service creates a premium solution for our customers and the rental market at large.

“Our ultimate goal is to add maximum value for our customers, and this expanded relationship does just that.”

Through the expanded relationship, Aramark says it will offer customers new uniform options and a larger assortment of colors in twill, poplin, knit, duck and denim fabrics. The offering includes a modern fit for men and women in a variety of industries from a widely recognized and respected workwear brand.

“Aramark’s customers now have more choices and unparalleled access to our diverse, durable and comfortable performance-led workwear without compromising the great benefits of rental convenience,” says Denny Bruce, Dickies global brand president. “Together, we have a shared vision to better

serve workers’ needs, and now Dickies can provide Aramark’s customers with the broadest assortment of premium products available in the rental marketplace.”

Aramark says Dickies performance workwear is available to customers through its uniform rental program, which includes the pick-up, laundering and delivery of fresh uniforms weekly.

Kemco Systems acquires water treatment specialist company

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kemco Systems, a provider of water and energy solutions, reports it has acquired Texasbased water treatment technology and services company, Bob Johnson & Associates.

The acquisition supplements Kemco’s water-treatment services capabilities to the industrial markets while extending a strong wastewater technology portfolio to the clients of Bob Johnson & Associates, according to the company.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This acquisition will help us better serve our industrial clients with a stronger ability to tend to their daily water purity challenges,” says Tom Vanden Heuvel, CEO of Kemco Systems. “Partnering with the Bob Johnson team will be recognized as an advantage by our industrial clients as we continue to expand our single source of accountability in solving their issues.”

Kemco says that since 1969, Bob Johnson has been a leader in solving its clients’ difficult water treatment challenges.

During its 50 years in business, Bob Johnson & Associates

has developed specialized expertise in servicing its clients with ion-exchange resin regeneration, off-site membrane cleaning and a robust equipment offering through its Unity product line, continues Kemco. It’s Scale Free line of specialty chemicals includes myriad membrane cleaners, boiler treatment, as well as hot and cold closed-loop applications.

“We are excited to partner with a company recognized for excellence, ingenuity and customer support, like Kemco,” says Belinda Denman, president of Bob Johnson & Associates. “Their sales presence, manufacturing ability and legacy, when joined with our experience and depth of service offering, will provide all of our customers an unrivaled experience.”

“We are excited to welcome the Bob Johnson team to the Kemco family,” says Vanden Heuvel. “We stand together ready to support our customers with a stronger portfolio of solutions to help address their water and wastewater treatment challenges.”

In memoriam: Lynn Dunning, Hospital Support Management

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Lynn Dunning, who was well known in the laundry and linen services industry, died Sept. 24 after seven years of battling multiple myeloma.

Dunning spent his career building and managing businesses that provide services in a B2B environment. He was especially effective in differentiating and building value in services that some might call “commodities,” which made

Asia and China

successful say organizers

SHANGHAI, China — The first combined Texcare Asia and China Laundry Expo (TXCA & CLE) closed its doors at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre after three successful days of business, Sept. 25-27, according to show organizer Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co. Ltd.

The attendance of 311 interna-

tional brands from 21 countries and regions, with a strong presence of exhibitors from Germany and the United States, highlighted the international character of the fair. To reflect the trends of the ever-evolving industry landscape, show organizers say this edition put a strong emphasis on technology and sustainability, specifi-

cally underlining the importance of RFID.

“This edition was truly a success,” says Richard Li, general manager at Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co. Ltd. “With more attention for sustainability and technology, RFID in particular, we were able to provide a product range that reflected what is

currently going on in the laundry and textile care industry.

“The fact that a number of international companies joined us on the fairground proves that with the merger of the shows, we are able to create added value for both domestic and overseas brands.”

In addition to the latest exhibi-

tor feedback, visitor numbers prove that this was a logical next step in creating an improved platform with added value for the laundry and textile care industry, according to Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co. Ltd.

More than 25,000 visitors from all over the world came to Shanghai to boost their business and grow their global network. The organisers noted significantly more visitors than expected.

“Together with our exhibitors, we were delighted to see so many industry professionals gather in Shanghai,” shares Li. “Visitor numbers were a lot higher than expected, and I think everybody will conclude that our show has positioned itself as a valuable asset in the market.”

“The textile care industry is developing toward standardization, scale, automation and intelligence,” adds Xiuping Han, general manager of Unifair Exhibition Service Co. Ltd., which also helped organize the trade fair, along with the China Laundry Association and the China Light Industry Machinery Association.

“As Asia’s one-stop sourcing platform for washing technology and equipment, TXCA & CLE gathers industry experts and leading companies to promote the all-around information exchange and communication between

stakeholders in the industry.

“The exhibition space, as well as the number and quality of both exhibitors and visitors couldn’t be better after the merger. The show has become a great place for business and has definitely played an important role in the future development of the industry.”

INTERNATIONAL BRANDS STRONGLY REPRESENTED

Organizers say they were pleased to have a total of 311 domestic and international exhibitors fill up its booths, which clearly reflected the international character of the show.

TXCA & CLE says it proudly presented a selection of seven key German industry brands to the audience, including BÖWE, Kreussler, Herbert Kannegiesser, Maxi-Press, Miele, Seitz and Veit, who presented their latest technologies and innovations.

Next to that, a noteworthy number of U.S. exhibitors attended the show, with brands like Alliance, AquaRecycle, DJ, Ecolab, Hoffman, Maxi, Whirlpool and more showcasing laundry machines, water treatment techniques, detergents and components.

FOCUS ON RFID

The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the advancement in production automation is resulting in an increased use of RFID in the laundry industry, and the Chinese market is following this trend, organizers share.

TXCA & CLE gathered a number of field experts to share their knowledge and experience. Attending brands included Bundle, Datamars, Dresscode, Etexsys, EWELL, Finove, Spotag and Thermopatch. They provided visitors with necessary insights and relevant information on the latest technological innovations in their specific areas.

FRINGE PROGRAMME

HIGHLIGHTS

The 2019 fringe programme aimed at giving attendees a preview of future technologies and in-depth insight in smart and green laundry solutions, according to show organizers.

Visitors attending the different

More than 25,000 visitors from all over the world came to Shanghai, say organizers. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co. Ltd.)

events confirmed unanimously that the selected topics were once again on point, and additionally provided them with a good opportunity to connect with industry peers and broaden their network.

Highlights were the 2019 World Laundry Industry Summit Forum, the Laundry and Dyeing Industry Professional Skills Competition, the Seminar on New Mode and Market Prospect

of Leather Care and the Hotel Green Laundry Summit Forum. Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co. Ltd. says strong support from both local and overseas laundry associations lifted the quality of the buyers at the show to the next level. Next to a significant number of professionals from mainland China, the fair also welcomed delegations from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, Korea, etc.

TXCA & CLE aims to keep building on this success, inviting attendees and exhibitors to join the 2020 edition, which will take place Aug. 6-8, 2020. ALN

The Most Comprehensive Guide to Industry Operations

Laundry Operations and Management provides an overview of all aspects of laundry operations: a primer on procedures, technologies and transactions of production, sales and service. It is the only resource that explains how every manager and employee a ects every stage in the laundry process. Nowhere else will you nd as many insights for industry newcomers and veterans alike about industry best practices for processing linens, uniforms and other items. Easy-reading, illustrated 200-page text describes equipment, supplies and techniques for every stage of laundering: Soil Sorting ð Washing ð Drying/Finishing ð Packout ð

an industry history and chapters on maintenance and textiles.

Laundry Operations & Management is the o cial text of the TRSA Production Management Institute (PMI).

PARTS & SERVICE

WANTED

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Trade Ticker

his organizations stand out from the rest. As an innovator, he developed and launched profitable new products and services, and started new facilities that rapidly captured market share.

Wherever he was, Dunning maximized productivity of personnel and equipment without compromising quality or customer satisfaction. He was a strong leader and motivator, calm under pressure, instilled confidence and loyalty in is employees, employers, customers and colleagues.

Dunning was president of North Texas Health Care Laundry (NTHCL) until 2010. The task of taking on a single-premises laundry at Baylor University Medical Center and creating a cooperative laundry to serve three dozen North Texas hospitals was Dunning’s strategic vision and his mission. He welcomed the challenge and designed, built and commissioned a central DFW facility to serve the bulk of the region’s nonprofit hospitals.

Dunning successfully spearheaded an effective linen utilization management program for his hospital members that resulted in improved linen consumption, and processes that produced substantial savings for the laundry, as well as member hospitals.

Dunning’s employment also included director environmental services, University Health Systems; laundry manager, JPS Health Network; and principal consultant, Evergreen Consulting.

A founding member of the local chapter of the Association for Linen Management (ALM), Dunning served in various capacities as a chapter officer throughout his tenure. As a result of his efforts, he recruited numerous new chapter members and was instrumental in the design of marketing material to promote membership.

He received the highly coveted Heywood Weily Laundry Manager of the Year Award in 2007 at the local ALM chapter level and national level. At the national level, he was an active member of the ALM Educational Advisory Team, which supports topics and content for publications, conferences, seminars, webinars and other such media.

Dunning graduated as salutatorian from Arickaree High School in Arickaree, Colo., in 1965. He was in the U.S. Army from 1968 until 1970, serving in Vietnam. After returning home, he went on to graduate from Colorado State University in 1976 with a degree in business administration. Later, he completed a master’s degree from Webster University in 1985 in business administration and management.

Dunning is survived by his wife Edna, sister Phyllis Atchley, brothers Dale (Dena) and Gary (Wendy), and his loving family: Michelle Hays (Bob), Kim Piper-Aiken, Jay Piper (Pam), three children and one grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents, Norma Jean and Edward Finley Dunning, brother Alan Dunning (Keri) and loving parents, Janice and James Piper.

Memorial contributions may be directed to UT Southwestern Medical Center, P.O. Box 910888, Dallas, TX 75391-0888, or online at www.utsouthwestern.edu/donatenow to support Dr. Larry Anderson and the multiple myeloma program.

Lion Equity

Partners completes

acquisition of Riegel Linen

DENVER and AIKEN, S.C. — Lion Equity Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm specializing in acquiring corporate carve-outs, reports that its affiliate, Lion Equity Holdings II LLC, has acquired Riegel Linen LLC from Mount Vernon Mills Inc.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Riegel is a premier brand that has been associated with

quality textiles since the mid-1800s,” says Jim Levitas, cofounder and partner of Lion Equity Partners.

“The company has been on the leading edge of innovative textile product development for decades, which provides a strong foundation for future growth, both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions.”

Riegel Linen is an importer, manufacturer and supplier of tablecloths, napkins, sheets, towels, bedding and other linens for hotels, restaurants, linen suppliers, retailers and healthcare customers.

The company is headquartered in Aiken, S.C., and operates a manufacturing facility in McCormick, S.C., and a network of salespeople and warehouses strategically located across the United States.

Bill Josey, who was with Mount Vernon Mills for 35 years, has been named CEO of Riegel Linen.

“Mount Vernon Mills has been a great owner and remains a great American textile company,” he says. “We are excited to partner with Lion Equity and embrace our entrepreneurial heritage, which will allow us to invest in new product development and expand into new markets.”

“Our customers will continue to enjoy working with the same great people on our team and getting the quality products and service that has made Riegel an industry leader,” says Chris Gowdy, vice president of sales and marketing.

Larson, Sealey receive IAHTM Lifetime Achievement award

POWELL, Ohio — Janice Carter Larson, CLLM, who recently retired as vice president of clinical resources and consulting for Encompass Group LLC, and John Sealey, who retired earlier this year as chief operating officer of London Hospital Linen Service Inc. (LHLS), London, Ontario, Canada, have been named International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM) 2019 Lifetime Achievement recipients.

The awards were held Sept. 24 at IAHTM’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Education Conference held in Scottsdale, Ariz. Each year, IAHTM recognizes an individual with its Lifetime Achievement award for his or her career-long contributions to and accomplishments in the textile industry.

In presenting the awards, IAHTM Board President Myles Noel (CEO, COMTEX) says, “This year’s recipients were selected because of their continuing drive for business excellence, because they’re considered among the top experts and teachers in the healthcare industry for linen and textiles use and utilization, and because of their continued involvement with professional associations. We salute Janice and John.”

Joe Przepiorka, vice president, marketing, Encompass Group, notes about Larson, “Janice is a 40-year veteran of the healthcare industry and is a pioneer in hospital-based linen cost management consulting. For over half of her career, Janice has led a team of RN-based consultants at Encompass helping hospitals and healthcare laundries focus on linen use and utilization, saving customers well over $100 million in

the process.

“Through her customer engagements and results, she is considered one of the top experts and teachers in the healthcare industry for linen and textiles use and utilization. She has authored countless articles, served on several industry and publication boards, and is regularly found on industry conference agendas.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the University of Iowa and a certificate in management from the USC Marshall School of Business.

Larson taught linen management in hospitals throughout the United States and presented at industry conferences, including AHE, ALM, ARTA, CLEAN, TRSA and the Clemson University Conference on Medical Textiles, as well as the American Linen and Laundry College at Eastern Kentucky University.

She has a Certification in Linen and Laundry Management (CLLM) from the Association of Linen Management (ALM) and is a member of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP) and Professional Women in Healthcare (PWH). She served on the Board of Directors for ALM, as well as the editorial board for American Laundry News and the distance learning committees for ARTA and PWH.

Larson resides in Ventura, Calif., with her husband, Steve, and enjoys snow skiing, live music and international travel.

Sealey, also a 40-year industry veteran, was nominated for the award by Brendan O’Neill of LHLS.

In his nomination of Sealey, O’Neill commented: “Throughout his career, John has supported the development of all those who worked for him, and those in the industry … Continuous education and development have been hallmarks of his legacy …

“His vast experience in all components of the laundry operation (production, finance, administration, HR, compliance, purchasing, IT and maintenance) is very unique.”

Morgan Olson adding walk-in step van production facility in Virginia

STURGIS, Mich. — Morgan Olson, a manufacturer of walkin step vans, reports that it is adding a new, 925,000-squarefoot walk-in step van production facility in Danville, Va.

“Morgan Olson walk-in step vans are in demand more than ever” says Mike Ownbey, Morgan Olson’s president and CEO. “We’ve been very fortunate with capturing large orders from major parcel package delivery companies; however, other important industries and valued customers depend on Morgan Olson walk-in vans every day too.

“Baking and snack food, textile rental and uniform companies, city municipalities, and even the food-truck industry, all rely on Morgan Olson walk-in vans for their business service.

“The growth of E-commerce online purchases requires efficient and fast home delivery. If you’ve bought an item online, there’s an excellent chance a Morgan Olson walk-in step van delivered it to your home or business.”

Morgan Olson says that less than 10 years ago, the company’s Sturgis, Mich., facility was manufacturing 100% of all Morgan Olson’s step van orders.

“When you’re the preferred walk-in step van body company and your plants are full, we needed to grow to meet our customer’s needs and to protect our team member’s work/life balance,” shares Ownbey. “It was our Sturgis team members’ dedication and on-time delivery that’s provided the foundation of the Morgan Olson quality and popularity with our customers. This new Virginia plant makes our fourth expansion in the past six years.”

It was just a few short years ago that Morgan Olson opened another 325,000-square-foot plant in Loudon, Tenn., to keep up with the demand of its famous walk-in step van body.

The company says its Tennessee plant and the soon-toopen Virginia plant both feature the latest in state-of-the-art robotic production tools with highly motivated team members.

Janice Carter Larson, CLLM, vice president of clinical resources and consulting for Encompass Group (left) accepts the IAHTM “2019 Lifetime Achievement” award from IAHTM Board President Myles Noel (CEO, COMTEX). (Photo: Encompass Group)

Sealey

Dunning

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