American Laundry News - May 2020

Late News

Clean ’21 booth sales delayed

ATLANTA — Trade fair organizer Messe Frankfurt reports that it is delaying the start of booth sales for Clean Show 2021.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects, we feel it is in the best interest of our industry to delay the launch of Clean Show 2021 booth sales for the time being,” show organizers said in an exhibitor e-mail. “We project sales will now open in June, but will continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly.”

The Exhibitor Prospectus is scheduled to be mailed in May and will be sent again via e-mail prior to sales opening, say show organizers. The booth assignment process will remain the same as in previous Clean Show editions.

“We understand that many of you are having to reassess your financial situation on a weekly basis, and we aim to serve as a platform to reinvigorate the industry once this crisis has ended,” organizers share.

“If, at the time booth sales open, you feel you may need to alter your anticipated space needs or may have an issue contracting for space, it is our goal to work with you on finding a solution.” ALN

Working to keep laundry/linen services industry operating

Operations,

BY MATT POE

CHICAGO — The laundry and linen services industry is taking positive action to keep business going in the face of the coronavirus/ COVID-19 pandemic.

Laundry operations are taking steps to keep processing linen, along with maintaining the safety of employees and customers.

Associations and organizations related to the industry are advocating for the industry, have rescheduled networking and educational events, and are providing informational resources online.

In addition, laundry equipment, product and services businesses are making every effort to provide what laundries need during this time while following federal, state and local guidelines.

OPERATIONS

Laundry and linen services have been declared “essential” in federal government guidelines and in many states as non-essential businesses have been closed to try to “flatten” the curve of the spread of the coronavirus.

Even so, operations face many challenges to staying open, but they

safe.

Strategies to optimize the laundry process

BY JOHN GOETZ

CINCINNATI — Ensuring efficiency in laundry operations is no easy feat, especially given the volume these facilities must process and the amount of chemical that must be successfully delivered to achieve clean and sanitary results.

TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, estimates that the commercial U.S. textile services industry processes around 15 billion pounds of laundry annual.

Additionally, Kline & Company, a provider of consulting services and market intelligence, reports that an average commercial/industrial laundry spends 125,540 on chemicals each year.

Whether on-premises laundries or industrial plants, facility managers overseeing these opera-

tions must focus on key factors that affect the triple bottom line.

THE IMPACT OF CLEAN LINEN

Within the hospitality industry, a well-executed laundry program will not only reduce the opportunity for stains and remove those that do occur, it will help bring guests peace of mind.

Lodging Magazine reports that more than 80 of travelers are concerned by how often hotel bedding is washed when booking a stay. Thus, the majority of guests form impressions about a hotel based on the quality and cleanliness of their bedsheets and comforters.

Clean linen can be the difference between a great stay, referrals and brand loyalty, and a viral social media post or online review about

the hotel’s unsatisfactory housekeeping. In the healthcare industry, it’s imperative that facility managers meet and exceed laundry standards to keep patients as healthy and safe as possible. Some laundries that have been accredited by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) take extra steps to meet comprehensive standards for safe linen handling. Currently, there are more than 1 0 accredited laundry facilities in the United States and Canada to which hospitals can outsource their laundry programs.

BEST PRACTICES FOR CLEAN RESULTS

Consider applying these best practices

In this issue, Eric Frederick talks about management and employee guidance.

Aiding the COVID-19 Effort

Laundry industry suppliers are providing everything from face masks to information.

Wiping Products Supply-Demand

Hal Kanefsky, Monarch Brands, looks at supply/demand for products with COVID-19.

are making every effort to keep processing linens and keep everyone

Edward McCauley, president and CEO of United Hospital Services (UHS) in Indianapolis, says the company is following all Centers for

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

Laundry operations are making use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)

CHICAGO — The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way life and business takes place around the world.

No industry is exempt from its effect, and 100 of laundry operators who took the most recent American Laundry News Your Views survey indicate they have experienced some type of impact on their business.

Some operations are keeping busy: Most of our customers have order extra linens to have on hand, which has kept us busy even though volume is down.

ï Hospital laundry providing 300% more scrubs and reusable isolation gowns to COVID-19 patient care areas in the hospital.

Others are seeing steep drops in business and are trying to hold on We normally work a 50 healthcare/45 hospitality/5 table linens. Hospitality has gone way down. Hotels and motels have closed temporarily, and healthcare has dropped significantly. From 18,000 pounds per day to 4,000 pounds a day, on half a shift. We’re done for least three months

ï We ramped up on drivers, production workers and maintenance thinking that poundage was going to rise, and since it tanked instead, we are just trying to keep them employed so when this is all over, we can handle any business the hospitals want to send us.

Most respondents ( 5.3 ) indicate that with the onset of the coronavirus and COVID-19, poundage in their laundries is “way down,” while 18.4 say poundage in just “down.”

On the other hand, 14.3 of survey takers indicate that poundage is “up,” while 2 say it’s “way up.”

Because of the changes in poundage, employment levels at laundry and linen services are a mixed bag. Almost 47 of respondents say employment levels remain the same, while nearly 31 indicate they have had to lay off many employees. Just over 1 of managers taking the survey have had to lay off some employees.

At least a few jobs have been added, with 4 of operators indicating they’ve added some employees, and 2% have had to hire many new employees.

The question on everybody’s minds is how long this pandemic will last—and how long it will affect business. More than half of respondents think the effects will last longer than 90 days. Just over 14 say they will last less than 90 days. Almost 35 indicate they “really don’t know.”

Here are some of the ways survey takers are working to help ensure the cleanliness of the linens they process during the pandemic: Improvement on washing chemistry.

ï Deep cleaning every night. Having the employees clean their own workstations to help keep them from losing to many hours each day.

ï Double checking linen coming out of tunnels

ï We are making sure wash temps are accurate more than before. We check to make sure the chemical pumps are pumping accurate amounts. We have changed the squeeze tubes a week earlier, as well.

ï We are Hygienically Clean certified.

When asked about steps they’re taking to keep operations clear of the coronavirus, 73 of respondents say they’re cleaning public areas more frequently. Almost 70 indicate they’re cleaning equipment more often. More than 50 indicate they’re having floors swept and mopped more often.

However, almost 33 of respondents say that they’re maintaining normal cleaning patterns.

“I will recommend frequent spraying of linen bags and its contents with appropriate disinfectant at pickup point before taking to laundry facilities,” a respondent

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

Mathew Pawlak

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs

Phone: 312-361-1681

E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

Advisory Board

David Barbe • David Carter

Janice Ayers Davis • Nick Fertig

Deana Griffin • Steve Kallenbach Edward McCauley

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

Subscriptions

630-739-0900 x100 www.americanlaundrynews.com

American Laundry News (ISSN 1091-9201) is published MAYly. Subscription prices, payment in advance U.S. 1 year 4 .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, 50 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 0 1.

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 uadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 0440. Volume 4 , number 5. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 50 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 0 1. 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, 2020. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Laundry News does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Laundry News or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

MEMBERSHIPS

Built to combat infection.

The new Milnor MWB series washer-extractors are built to help decontaminate. Available in loading capacities of 60-200 lb. (26-90 kg), these hospital-grade machines are built with an aseptic pass-through barrier system that reduces the risk of cross contamination by separating soiled linen from clean linen. Automatic safety interlocks on two sets of doors maintain complete separation. Intuitive MilTouchTM controls offer unprecedented insight into your wash, utilizing full color graphic display and resistive touchscreen technology. Contact an authorized Milnor distributor or call 504-712-7656 to find out more.

The elephant in the room

For this issue of American Laundry News, I really wanted to share stories and articles that were “normal,” but, like you, I couldn’t avoid the elephant in the room.

One of the only “normal” parts of the issue is industry news, and the elephant is part of that in a big way.

The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t shrunk in size, yet. I have confidence that the situation will get better, that the elephant will leave the room and we’ll be able to carry on with normal (albeit changed) life and business.

While this is a crisis, and it’s challenging and difficult, the industry can get through and help make things better. That’s the premise of the lead story on page 1 Looking at how laundries are getting through this, and how

From The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

organizations and suppliers are helping.

One page 8, there’s also a look at how industry suppliers are helping in the fight against COVID-19. On page 8, Hal Kanefsky of Monarch Brands looks at the status of microfiber cloths and mops, repurposed and

new textiles, and recycled textiles.

Fortunately, there are some signs of “normal” laundry/linen services life in this issue, such as the page 1 story on optimizing the laundry process. Then there are columns on KPI/benchmarking (page 12) and getting the most poundage per operator hour (page 1 ).

Doing what you do best is the only way to tackle the elephant in the room.

I could offer up the old saw about “How do you eat an elephant,” but I think I’ll alter it a bit and ask, “How do you clean an elephant ”

The answer One spot at a time and in this day and age, thoroughly.

That way, in the future, we can go back to simply keeping it clean, everybody.

Supervisor? Manager? Your employees look to you for guidance

Many years ago my organization participated in a very large attitudeand-happiness survey of its entire employee base. This was a very large organization, and it was committed to sharing the end results with employees.

The survey contained numerous questions about the leadership of the organization, and I remember thinking as I filled it out about my boss, who was a senior vice president, and the president of the corporation.

The off-site laundry in this healthcare organization was housed in a building that included many corporate offices and was directly across the street from the corporate office. Both buildings made use of the lunchroom and food-serving area located just outside the laundry.

Laundry employees often saw the corporation president in the lunchroom, along with other corporate officers.

Let them go home. A possible way for the coronavirus to spread is through linen pickup and delivery, and some operations have made changes to protect from this happening.

over communicate with customers and staff.”

adds. “This will reduce laundry staff risk of COVID-19.”

Of course, operations must protect employees, and 73 of respondents say they have had employees refresh their knowledge of proper laundry handling, while 53 have held refreshers on procedures.

Other operations ( 7 ) have added hand sanitizer stations, and 3 are enforcing social distancing requirements. More than 57 have made stricter PPE polices, while 55 have offered more PPE usage training. Other ways laundry operations are protecting employees include Stage rest breaks, lunch period and smaller groups in multiple training sessions.

Taking temperature as they come to work daily (nurse). Minimizing employees.

More than 18 indicate they are now cleaning vehicles after every delivery/pickup, and just over 1 indicate they have issued PPE to drivers and drop off/pick up outside customers’ businesses now. Only 4.7 say they’ve placed hand sanitizer in vehicles, and 2.3 say they’ve changed how they package clean goods.

When asked for other delivery strategies they’ve employed, many respondents indicate they’ve added all of the previous strategies. A few say deliveries have stopped for now, and a few others say they have made no changes.

“We didn’t change but reinforced all of the above, which were already in place before the virus,” writes one respondent.

For one survey taker, communication is key in this situation “Recognize your staff for the work they do and

“Common sense, adherence to universal precautions at all times (even when there is no pandemic’) and consideration of others, I believe, is essential to reducing the risks we face daily, including COVID-19,” writes another.

“This is not different than any other bacteria or virus,” shares one respondent. “This shall pass soon.”

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 .

“YES, THEY SAW MY BOSS AND THE CORPORATE PRESIDENT FREQUENTLY, BUT TO THEM THE ONLY TOP MANAGEMENT PERSON WHO REALLY MATTERED WAS ME.”

I was required to share the results of the survey in small group meetings where the employees could easily ask questions. I was also able to ask follow-up questions on the topics that were surveyed to get a better feel for any issues or concerns that the employees had that caused the ratings.

I remember being surprised by my employees at their answer to my question, “When you think of upper management who specifically comes to mind ” The vast majority of the employees said that top management to them was me. Yes, they saw my boss and the corporate president frequently, but to them the only top management person who really mattered was me.

This was a response I did not expect and it profoundly affected my management career from that point on. I came to realize that in a time of crisis, whether caused by a virus, a snowstorm, or a tornado or other weather-related event, my employees looked to me for guidance and direction.

ALN

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.

Today as the world battles the coronavirus/ COVID-19, we are all listening to advice from various medical experts and trying to keep our employees safe while still meeting the needs of the healthcare facilities we supply.

Now is the time for managers to truly lead their departments. Employees need to understand the need for our essential service and why, when other industries are shutting down, it is vital for them to come to work.

“NOW IS THE TIME FOR MANAGERS TO TRULY LEAD THEIR DEPARTMENTS. EMPLOYEES NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICE AND WHY, WHEN OTHER INDUSTRIES ARE SHUTTING DOWN, IT IS VITAL FOR THEM TO COME TO WORK. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PRECAUTIONS ... TO TAKE.”

They need to understand what precautions they need to take to safely handle soiled linen and why these precautions will help protect them and their family.

They look to you for guidance. You are the only management person that they rely on. Your boss and other corporate officers will have little or no effect upon their attitudes. They look to you.

Are you ready to meet their needs for guidance and direction and lead your department through this difficult time ALN

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

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations concerning personal protective equipment (PPE), handling of COVID-19 soiled linens, hand washing and social distancing.

“We went above and beyond when we decided to make masks mandatory not only to our soil sorting crew but to all who work inside the plant including supervisors and managers,” he says. “We provide weekly all-employee meetings to keep everyone updated on the latest COVID-19 developments both nationwide and internal to UHS.

“We hired a full time janitor whose sole job is to go around to all work stations and high-touch areas in the plant and office and disinfect them. This takes her roughly 1.5 hours and then when done, she goes back and does it all over again.”

UHS also cut the number of chairs in the cafeteria in half and added more break sessions to practice better social distancing.

“When the government classified laundries as exempt from the CARES Act, we decided to add our own paid time off plan for those suspected of or diagnosed with the coronavirus,” shares McCauley.

“Our plan pays up to 80 hours for a diagnosed or suspected case based on a doctor’s note to self-quarantine. We felt we needed to step up our commitment to our people working in harsh conditions especially on the soil side of our plant.”

From a customer perspective, he says UHS is in a unique market with most hospitals using reusable isolation gowns.

“Early on when the disposables market came to a screeching halt after China shut down production of things like masks and isolation gowns, UHS was flush with both,” McCauley says. “We were able to ramp up processing from 15,000 gowns per day in late March to close to 28,000 gowns today.”

He says the company was able to have these gowns available because it did not buy into the “just in time” method of purchasing and inventorying gowns and other linen items.

“As a service company, we feel this is a risky strategy and better suited for manufacturing companies,” shares McCauley. “We actually keep close to three months’ usage on hand plus we had three months of future orders that we were able to bring in early to increase our production to match demand.

“By the end of April, we anticipate being able to process over 32,000 isolation gowns per day or 192,000 per week. We also anticipate that this level of demand will utilize one full tunnel washing system exclusively.”

Since hospitals for the most part are under-utilizing linens due to needing beds available for

COVID-19 patients and having to shut down all elective surgeries and other non-essential procedures, McCauley says UHS has the capacity to ramp up the isolation gowns.

“What we didn’t see coming was the increase in the demand for scrubs,” he says. “As it turns out, most hospitals are trying to let their front-line caregivers use rental scrubs so they don’t have to take their CV-19 exposed garments home to possibly contaminate other family members.

“Again due to our purchasing and inventorying philosophies, were able to quickly ramp up the production and delivery of these as well.”

Laundry operations serving the hospitality industry are facing a greater challenge to stay open.

“On the hospitality front, the occupancy of hotels is at an all-time low,” says Nick Fertig, director of central laundry at Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando.

“Large conferences and events are basically canceled for the foreseeable future. Major hotel chains (Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham, Disney, Universal, etc.) have all closed their doors.”

He says that Rosen’s central laundry has increased PPE usage to maximum levels when handling soiled linen.

“Based on everything that I know about the virus, our normal wash process with standard temperatures and chemicals definitively kills the virus,” Fertig says. “Universal precautions are in full effect and large amounts of linen are coming in water-soluble bags to avoid any physical contact.

“We are extremely close to a drive-through testing facility, so we have folks within the hotels that are providing essential services so that we can beat this virus. I understand the services I provide are essential so that they can get a good night’s sleep and continue to fight the good fight each and every day.”

Fertig adds his take on the future as a result of the pandemic “Like many other things that have come out of this, I believe that our reliance on goods provided by China will start to decline.”

For more insight into how COVID-19 is affecting operations in the industry, read the report

on page 2 about the recent special American Laundry News Your Views survey.

ASSOCIATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS

Associations and organizations that support the laundry and linen services industry, including TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, the Association for Linen Management (ALM), the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), and trade fair organizer Messe Frankfort, have advocated for the industry, made COVID-19 resources available online and have rescheduled industry events.

TRSA was involved in efforts to have laundry services added to the advisory released by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as part of the essential critical infrastructure.

“This is a huge win for the entire linen, uniform and facility services industry, operators and associates,” says Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of TRSA. “While many states have developed their own list of critical infrastructures listing our industry, many others have referenced the DHS list, which led to confusion and in some instances laundry trucks being pulled over and sent back to the plant.

“Listing the industry as essential critical infrastructure is a recognition of the importance of our industry to public health and safety.”

Laundry services was not included on the original list; however, TRSA reached out to CISA, the White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to get the industry added. The linen, uniform and facility services industry is one of very few industries to get added to the list.

TRSA says it also worked to get those businesses that support the linen, uniform and facility services industry included. While not expressly mentioned, the updated advisory states

“It also includes workers who support crucial supply chains and enable functions for critical infrastructure. The industries they support represent, but are not limited

to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, informationtechnology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works.”

While this is a great step for the linen, uniform and facility services industry, TRSA says it is still just an advisory. The federal government is leaving it up to individual states as to how to respond.

The association continues to work with federal and state government officials to get the linen, uniform and facility services industry designated as an essential service in the midst of several state-mandated shutdowns of businesses deemed “non-essential” to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

In terms of industry events, TRSA decided to make its Annual Human Resources and Safety Summits a live, virtual event, May 12-14.

In addition, the Production Summit & Plant Tours that were scheduled to take place in Atlanta, May 14-15, after the Human Resources and Safety Summits, have been canceled.

The association says that “the COVID-19 situation has forced us to move away from our in-person offerings of the Annual Human Resources and Safety Summits (May 12 and 13, Atlanta).”

The 2020 TRSA Annual Human Resources & Safety Summit will be a series of three half-day events, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern each day.

“Rest assured we’ll deliver our usual full program of relevant keynote, and inspiring, informative and updated content, including sessions with human resources and safety applications relevant to COVID-19,” says TRSA.

The association has also hosted eight COVID-19-related webinars to aid the industry.

ALM hosted a webinar-based COVID-19 Industry Town Hall in March, which allowed attendees to ask questions related to infection prevention, environmental services, textiles and supplies, chemicals, and more.

Participating panelists included: ï CDC Recommendations/ Information Dr. Lynne Sehulster (retired).

Laundry Operations Charles Berge, Shared Hospital Laundry.

Colorado Springs, while the spring session of the Laundry & Linen College (Textile Care Services) has been rescheduled for June 22-2 in Richmond, Kentucky.

Because of rescheduling IMPACT 2020 to November, ALM has postponed the fall session of the Laundry & Linen College (Processing & Operations). New dates will be announced when available.

TCATA postponed its Annual Conference, which was scheduled to take place at the end of April in South Carolina, until 2021.

Finally, Messe Frankfurt postponed Texcare International, which was scheduled for June 20-24 in Frankfurt, Germany. The quadrennial international trade fair will now take place Oct. 24-28 for the industry to showcase its innovations to a world-wide audience.

Messe Frankfurt still desires all market participants to enjoy the opportunities resulting from Texcare International in the current season.

See the Trade Ticker on page 22 for more information about canceled and rescheduled events.

SUPPLIER EFFORTS

Besides associations and organizations, companies that provide equipment, products and services to the industry are also taking steps to ensure laundry and linen services providers have the components needed to continue processing goods, according to press releases shared with American Laundry News

Equipment manufacturer Pellerin Milnor Corp. in Kenner, Louisiana, says employees will be positioned for parts and service support so that laundries can continue their operations, provided truck and delivery services continue to operate.

Additionally, many of its network of local dealers across the United States and Canada can also provide local service support. Dealers with parts inventory and service technicians are prepared to provide service within the possible constraints mandated by governmental authorities.

Laundry equipment manufacturer G.A. Braun in Syracuse, New York, says that it has had no supply interruptions as a result of the virus and feels confident in its ability to continue to manufacture products.

ï

Textiles and Supplies: Chuck Rossmiller and John Piazzi, Medline.

Chemicals/Wash Process Ryan Cotroneo, UN . ï Environmental Services/ Cleaning & Disinfection Tiffany Brady, Creative Idea.

In addition, the association has hosted a self-care webinar to help deal with stress and worry, and has offered interim guidance for hotels hosting front-line workers and interim guidance for home washing of scrubs and uniforms.

ALM also rescheduled its IMPACT 2020 Conference for Nov. 2-4, at The Broadmoor in

In most cases Braun has multiple approved sources for components that go into its machines, as well as products supporting the aftermarket parts business. However, should a disruption occur, Braun will immediately notify customers of any delays.

Management at Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc., a laundry equipment manufacturer, says that a process is in place to continue with business as normal as possible during the worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus situation.

“The past few weeks have been challenging for everyone as we find

All facets of the laundry industry, from operations to assocations/organizations to suppliers, are working to keep businesses open. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)

KEEP THEM SAFE

THE RIGHT CLEAN MATTERS

Now more than ever, laundries must continue to ensure the health of their staff and customers through precise laundering. Whether you have an existing or new washer, Girbau Industrial has the adaptability to meet all recognized laundering standards. Available in capacities up to 255-pounds, Girbau Industrial washers deliver complete control over chemical dosing, water levels, number of baths & rinses, extract speeds and rotation action. All washers are ozone & UV disinfectant compatible and through auxiliary electric heat kits can be adapted to hit and hold up to 192˚F water without upgrading your hot water system.

ourselves in uncharted territory.

Based on the latest information issued by the CDC and the medical community, the pandemic will continue to be a fluid situation and we are prepared to manage and adjust accordingly,” says Mark Thrasher, president.

“This is being done so we can continue to provide 24/7 customer support. We have an abundance of available equipment parts in the U.S., and we expect parts shipments to continue arriving from our factory in Germany.”

Distributor HK Laundry Equipment Inc. in Armonk, New York, instituted a policy of “limited access” to its offices, requesting that customers call in advance. Office

and sales personnel are now working virtually from home. Part shipments and parts pick-up will still be available, either directly to vehicles or in a parts pick-up container by the front door.

Service technicians continue to service and repair laundry equipment with an immediate priority of servicing other essential businesses such as hospitals, nursing homes, healthcare facilities, fire houses, dry cleaners, laundromats and apartment buildings.

Tom Vanden Heuvel, CEO of Kemco Systems, a water and energy solutions company based in Clearwater, Florida, says the company is “ready to help our partners navigate through these challenges you are faced with to ensure you can continue operating during these critical times.”

He says the company’s office personnel are prepared to work remotely, and its aftermarket

department will continue to fulfill and process orders, as well as provide 24-hour technical support via phone and Skype. Kemco site visits will require the approval of company management and general travel restrictions are in place for our regional sales managers until further notice.

“Production has not halted, and we continue to focus on the quality of our systems,” shares Vanden Heuvel. “As we anticipate supply chains tightening, please communicate how we can prepare today to help you for the happenings of tomorrow.”

Equipment distributor Laundry Pro of Florida Inc. in Lakeland says it has temporarily closed its showroom and parts counter to protect and care for employees, customers and the public. However, the company remains open online 24/7, where service requests and parts orders remain uninterrupt-

ed. Additionally, phones are on Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern) daily.

Positek RFID reports that it is working to continue business with most of its staff working from home.

“We are fortunately able to deliver services and develop software working remotely,” says Jeff Markman, president. “Customers should not see any significant changes in services delivered.”

Finally, reusable textile provider ADI American Dawn reports it continues to be fully operational at all locations, delivering healthcare textiles, food supply textiles, hospitality and cleaning textiles, and industrial textiles.

The company says its NAFTA/ CAFTA manufacturing operations are operating at current capacity, and border crossings remain open to essential commerce. Also, the company’s Cambodia and Vietnam

manufacturing partners continue at full capacity, while its China manufacturing partners are now back to full throttle.

ADI American Dawn says its vertical mills in Pakistan and India were complying with government ordered shutdowns and expected to reopen soon.

“Inventoried goods from these mills are at high levels in our U.S. distribution centers, and we believe we are in very good position, with the exception of certain healthcare gowns,” the company says. “We estimate approximately three months to fully recover inventories on healthcare gowns.

“We are prioritizing support to our current customers with committed forecasts. Service, supply chain, marketing and sales, and administrative support have been moved to home-based and are fully engaged in a mobile business-continuity model.” ALN

Aiding the coronavirus/COVID-19 eradication effort

Laundry industry suppliers are providing materials, information to help fight the global pandemic

BY MATT POE

CHICAGO — While the laundry and linen services industry is hard at work maintaining business during the coronavirus/COVID19 pandemic, efforts continue worldwide to treat those infected and eradicate the virus.

Many industry suppliers are providing help through various means, including making face masks, stepping up production of healthcare linens and cleaning products, and providing informational resources.

Several companies sent American Laundry News press releases about their efforts to help support front-line workers and first responders and to stop the pandemic.

FACE MASKS

In response to first responders’ urgent need for personal protective equipment to combat the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, Jiangsu Sea-lion Machinery Co. Ltd. of China supplied North American affiliate Sea-lion America Company, located in Westbrook, Connecticut, with a shipment of PPE (personal protective equipment) masks, the company here reports.

The masks have been donated to local firemen, police, visiting nurses and to a disabled persons group home. Local first responders were directed to give all their personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals and healthcare facilities to help fight the pandemic.

Orders for their replacement supplies were backlogged for at

least 30 days.

Aaron Zhang, deputy manager of Jiangsu Sea-lion who organized the shipment from China says, “The situation in China has eased and life and business are getting back to normal. Schools and universities are returning to session and businesses throughout the country are back at work. We are a team and we are also very moved by the donations. Please also take care of yourself and family.”

Earlier this year, Penn Emblem collected many gently used towels, sheets and other garments to be donated to local crafters to aid the remaining young wildlife following Australia’s bush fires.

With leftover items from Penn Emblem, local partner crafters started using the donated material to create face masks for healthcare workers amidst the coronavirus/ COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the first of Penn Emblem’s efforts in assisting with the safety mask shortage following COVID-19.

CLEANING SUPPLIES, MEDICAL LINENS

Hospitality textile provider Monarch Brands in Philadelphia notes that COVID-19 has elevated the need for cleaning supplies. Recently deployed automation features and a split shift workforce at its plant ensures that the company continues to meet demand while mitigating exposure to COVID-19.

Monarch says its warehouse is working in shifts to meet production goals while also mitigating the spread of COVID-19 throughout

the entire staff.

“Safety is incredibly important to us,” says Hal Kanefsky, president, “the safety of our workers and the safety of our customers. We’ve been at this a while, selling wholesale rags for over 70 years, and bulk microfiber mops and cloths for over a decade. We never stop adding innovations to the warehouse to optimize production in the safest manner possible.”

Milliken & Company in Spartanburg, South Carolina, says it has increased domestic production of its BioSmart® fabric.

In light of the current critical need for protective medical garments, the company has prioritized the advanced material in its supply chain to do what it can to better protect healthcare professionals regularly exposed to bacteria and viruses.

As an immediate action, Milliken and its production and distribution partners are working together to direct BioSmart inventory, finished garments and curtains to those on the front line in America’s fight against viruses and infectious diseases by providing the necessary defense to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAI).

Timothy Voit, chief marketing officer of Thomaston Mills, a textile manufacturer in Thomaston, Georgia, says the company has made donations of linens to the University of Pennsylvania hospital and of mask material to several groups around the plant to provide protective masks to local law enforcement and first responders.

“As we are an essential supplier for healthcare linens, we are com-

mitted to our communities and to helping the response,” he says.

“We are hoping government agencies turn to an American manufacturer first to help fill the need for thousands of extra hospital beds.”

INFORMATION Hydro Systems, a provider of chemical dispensing equipment, software and services based in Cincinnati, has published a free, educational white paper, along with a free microsite containing helpful tools and resources to combat the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus/COVID-19.

The white paper, “Dispensing Cleanliness During an Outbreak or Pandemic,” discusses the current state of the pandemic, cleaning best practices and the benefits of

using chemical dispensing systems to combat an outbreak.

“From schools to hotels to office buildings, every facility in the U.S. has been impacted by COVID-19 in some shape or form and now requires frequent cleaning to mitigate the spread of infection,” says Matt Hayas, global product manager.

“Our free white paper provides insight on promoting health and wellness through cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing, while also outlining the effective role chemical dispensers can play before, during and after an outbreak.”

The microsite (www.hydrosystemsco.com/COVID-19/) highlights cleaning best practices, educational materials and the benefits of using chemical dispensing systems to prevent the spread of infection.

Michael Alicea of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department and Cromwell 911 dispatcher accepts a delivery of PPE masks from Caroline Wojcicki of Sea-lion America Company. (Photo: Sea-lion America Company)

Wiping products supply, COVID-19 demand

BY HAL KANEFSKY

PHILADELPHIA — In midMarch, the United States was hit with a crisis never seen before because of the coronavirus/ COVID-19. Social distancing was a new catchphrase, and citizens went into various degrees of selfquarantine and non-essential businesses closed.

One thing that did not get slower was the level of cleaning throughout commercial, residential and government buildings.

As a distributor of reusable wiping products, we can categorize our items into three primary sources of supply microfiber cloths and mops, repurposed and new textiles, and recycled textiles.

These three main product segments have all had their unique issues from mid-March to date, all of which have had tremendous pressure on sources of supply. The breakdown of each is unique, and I’ll do my best to provide background and the path forward.

MICROFIBER

Microfiber towels (and mops) are by far the best performing wiping products available on the market. There are thousands of websites touting their benefits, performance and cleaning attributes, including our own.

The main issue with the supply currently is simple. First, during Chinese New Year, which fell in late January 2020, typically factories close for anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on the region. Most distributors of this category will make plans for this period by increasing their inventory levels prior.

The problem in 2020 was that these factories had shutdowns that began prior and extended through the Chinese New Year because of COVID-19. This shutdown lasted up to eight weeks in many regions and shut down production for most factories. So, there was already a shortage of prod-

ucts based on regular planning for importers and distributors of microfiber products in the United States.

Austerity is especially true for larger private equity-backed companies that usually keep their net working capital on a very tight leash. Typically, the larger the company, the more tightly the inventory is managed. When there is a market disruption, it leads to insufficient stock or out-of-stock positions.

In mid-March, the COVID19 crisis hit the United States with fury. The immediate need for cleaning increased tenfold.

Monarch experienced sales in microfiber for the month of March that were typical for four to five months of the previous volume rolled into a 30-day window.

Typically importers would hold 30 to 0 days of inventory.

Monarch as a policy keeps 120 days with a 120 pipeline. Most stocks in the category come from China, which has a 90-120-day lead time.

With record demands, a shutdown for Chinese New Year, and an unforeseen shutdown after that, the domestic demand far exceeded the supply.

At this point, there are manufacturers feverishly shipping microfiber to restock the shelves for many importers. However, if this wasn’t a keep category for your supplier, or they manage inventory tightly, most likely you’re out of stock.

NEW TEXTILES

Repurposed textile products generated as a byproduct of textile production are the most economical cleaning applicators. These are mistakes manufacturers produce while trying to make a first quality product.

Wipers get generated from irregular or scraps from knitting and terry production that are trimmed to wiper size and sold by the pound. Typically, mills will have byproducts that are 1-3 of first quality textile production on a

per-pound basis.

In a typical month, Monarch Brands will process 1 to 2 million pounds. Items in this space include irregular terry bar mops, knitted rags from garment production or terry pieces all sold by the pound. The key to this space is having mill relationships, space and capital.

At the end of March, most countries in Central America (the largest suppliers of T-shirts to the United States), as well as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, all ceased operations to slow down the spread of COVID-19. So, the sources of supply for cotton wiping cloths throughout the world virtually all shut down at the same time.

As production sits idle and inventory demands remain high, it is a function of time before availability in the U.S. market shrinks and pricing increases for the remaining stock. This market is fluid and trades at a wholesale level based on availability and market demand.

The only way for a U.S. supplier in this category to maintain price points is with incredibly large capacity and a pipeline to support unforeseen order volume. This space will begin to see limited supply availability from mid-May onward and is dependent on Central American and Asian manufacturing facilities’ ability to reopen sometime in the future.

RECYCLED TEXTILES

Finally, the last market affected would be the used/reclaimed/recycled textile industry. According to Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART), nearly 100 of all used clothing and household textiles can be reused or recycled.

Resold apparel counts for 45 , 30 of textiles get converted into industrial polishing/wiping cloths, and 20 gets processed into raw fiber for new products. Ninety-five percent of all used clothing is recyclable only 5 is unusable due to mildew or other contamination.

Companies in the textile reuse

and recycling industry consist of collectors, processors and distributors of all types of used clothing, textiles and secondary materials.

Collectors are companies that collect used clothing and other household textiles from the public. Also, collectors gather materials from industrial laundries, healthcare institutions, hotels and other businesses that utilize large amounts of textile products.

Another source of textile products that are directed into the recycling stream by “collector” companies is textile waste from clothing manufacturers.

Collectors bale and sell these clothing products “as is” to clothing graders or other dealers. Used clothing “graders” sort the items, assign cloth standards and resell the graded product. The activities of collectors, graders and recycled clothing brokers are instrumental in diverting solid waste from landfills.

Processors sort, grade, and reprocess used clothing and household textiles during the recycling process. At the facilities where clothing and textiles get sorted, the items are then made into large bales to be resold. The newly created bales of used clothing may be resold within the United States.

However, most often the products are shipped overseas to developing markets in Asia, Africa, Europe, or Central and South America.

The main issue at this point is the collection process, grading and cutting of recycled product came to a screeching halt. With donations down, sorters closed worldwide, and factories in EPZ’s (export processing zones) all closed, the source of supply for this category will face an incredible shortage.

It is up to distributors and dealers in this market to have deep-seated relationships in various parts of the world to maintain stock levels. Like the new repurposed textiles, this

market is fluid and will face tremendous pricing pressure should demand to continue to sustain.

In summary, there are several wiping cloth categories that are going through fast changes during this global epidemic. Specialists in these products will either suffer in shortages or price increases depending on their focus. The ones who have excessive stocks, deep pipelines, and truly global reach are set to really shine during this time of crisis.

Our strategy has always been our depth of inventory and diversification of supply sources. So, as an importer of commodity-based products, what we try to do is take a global view of product availability.

Essentially you need to view worse-case scenarios and create relationships globally to mitigate risk. Examples would be to create product streams based in Europe, Central America, Asia, and the United States.

As new restrictions are being implemented in various parts of the world, we hedge our inventory positions by sourcing globally with vetted sources and detailed product specifications established long before a crisis.

Although pricing varies in various markets, advance planning allows us to continue to supply our customers in need for extended periods of time. Providers of wiping products and floor care needed to plan well in advance for this event.

As a supplier, we have strategized and established roots in this global marketplace. Our hope is that we have enough product to supply a demand volume that has been and will continue to be, incredibly high, albeit unpredictable. ALN

Hal Kanefsky is president of Monarch Brands, a wholesaler and manufacturer of microfiber, commercial linen, institutional towels and wiper rags based in Philadelphia.

Kanefsky

Optimize

to ensure your laundry operation always runs smoothly:

ï Install innovative and accurate dispensers. Many hotels rely on on-premises laundries to quickly clean guest room items. Without a reliable dispenser in place, it’s more difficult to ensure the necessary dosages of each chemical. Ideally, hotels will install a dispenser that can manage at least 20 chemical formulations to cover a variety of load sizes and linen types.

ï Dispensers are also useful for industrial laundry facilities. By dosing product accurately every time using a flow meter, dispensing systems help eliminate the overuse or underuse of product and thereby enhance cleaning performance and reduce waste.

ï Use data to drive continuous improvement. Utilizing data collected from smart dispensing systems connected to a cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform can help establish a more efficient laundry operation. By providing data around water, chemical and energy usage, cycle times, and more, these secure platforms give end users increased visibility into their operations, optimize production, reduce costs and increase overall customer satisfaction.

ï Conduct preventative maintenance. According to Kline’s 2019 Laundry Chemical Products USA report, 47% of commercial laundries rated washing machine servicing as very important. Creating a preventative maintenance schedule for washers, dryers and dispensers extends the lifespan of important equipment. The cost associated with broken or malfunctioning equipment not only includes the cost of repair but also the cost of additional labor and downtime.

BENEFITS OF BOOSTING TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

People, planet and profit make up the three Ps of a business’ triple bottom line. If laundries consider the previously mentioned best practices, they can not only achieve consistently clean linen, but can also reap the following benefits:

ï Cost savings: High-volume laundry allows labor to be more productive, supports investment in high-end equipment, and reduces water, chemical and energy costs. Utilizing dispensers can increase cost savings

through accurate chemical usage and less rewash.

Easy installation and training allow facilities to quickly set up dispensers so they can immediately realize the benefits that these systems offer.

Smart chemical dispensers offer greater transparency into operations and those that forgo squeeze tubes require less maintenance, keeping laundries running at peak efficiency.

Sustainability savings Kline’s 2019 report also found that 55% of commercial laundries rank energy savings/

conservation as very important. Thankfully, accurate dosing helps reduce rewash rates that drive up resource consumption. Furthermore, by investing in smart technologies that monitor key performance metrics, laundry operations can do their part to be more eco-friendly by identifying areas for improvement and driving down water, chemical and energy waste.

ï Increased customer satisfaction Prioritizing customers’ needs in hospitality, foodservice and healthcare environ-

ments is crucial to keeping guests and patients satisfied. By helping to achieve clean linen every time, dispensers allow facilities to maintain a positive reputation. In turn, this can drive increased revenue.

PERFECTING THE PROCESS

While optimizing the laundry process can be a daunting task, these best practices and strategies can help any laundry operation realize numerous benefits.

By installing reliable dispensers, utilizing smart technology platforms and more, on-premises and industrial facilities can achieve improved results for customers while bolstering the laundry’s bottom line and limiting environmental waste.

Performance

• Torsion Bar suspension distributes pressure evenly along each roll, assuring uniform drying and travel of flatwork through the ironer with a minimum of padding wear

• Floating Chest self-centers to the ironing roll during operation, optimizing the contact area under pressure

• Adjustable Ribbon Tensioner prevents ironer ribbon from creating uneven surfaces, lines and wet spots on sheets

Efficiency

• Deep Chest Ironers continue to have the largest heat sink and remain the most energy-efficient

• Full insulated chest, canopies, and insulated stainless heat shields contain up to 96% of heat radiation

• Inverted bucket taps ensure condensation purge without remaining open (steam ironers)

• Poly-chain drive ensures high reliability, low maintenance, and low cost of ownership

• Direct Controllable Speed – all rolls run at equal speed

Safety

• Dual caliper disk brake for fast stopping of the ironer drive

• Auto-stop infeed safety gate to prevent hands or items from going into chest

• Solid heat shields along the ironing box keep side frame covers temperatures cool to the touch

• Enclosed canopies prevent foreign items from getting into ironer rolls, chest, and pad

• Roll raise lockout prevents lowering rolls if air pressure has been disconnected

• Safety switches on all doors and e-stops on all four corners

John Goetz is a global product manager with Hydro Systems, which provides chemical dispensing and dosing solutions, including equipment, software and services.

Goetz

Efficiency starts with data collection

Author shares importance of benchmarks, KPIs for laundry business with latest technology

BY MARK MOORE

VERSAILLES, Ky. — Many people measure daily how many steps they take, how many flights of stairs they climb, how many miles they walk or run, and how many calories they burn, thanks to smart watches and other electronic devices.

People keep track of these measurements because they want to know if their fitness level is declining or if it is improving. For instance, all those steps, stairs and burned calories should add up to fewer inches around the waistline or hips. And if they don’t, then people need to figure out what they’re doing wrong.

The same can be said for onpremises laundry (OPL) operations.

Benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPI) are important in the laundry business. Benchmarks are the goals or standards you want to achieve to be as efficient as you can be in your on-premises laundry. KPIs show if you are on or off the path to meeting those benchmarks—such as cost per pound, throughput per day or per shift, and machinery utilization.

And if your answer is off the path, then you need to determine why.

Not that many years ago, an owner of an on-premises laundry couldn’t manage results much beyond getting all the laundry processed in the allotted hours with no overtime. Owners had no way of knowing if their onpremises laundry was efficient or inefficient. They had to operate on the assumption and in good faith that their laundry employees were actually doing the jobs they were paid to do.

ENTER TECHNOLOGY

But technology changed all that about five years ago. Today’s laundry equipment can help you measure and ensure efficiency in all aspects of the operation and from anywhere in the world.

For instance, take an owner of six nursing homes in the same metropolitan area of Tennessee. Most of the time, the six on-site laundries at each of those facilities runs in the same cost figures, within a couple of percentage points. But on occasion, the owner will find one that is running out of the norm.

So, instead of operating at a cost of 20 cents a pound, one will be operating at 35 cents a pound.

Fifteen cents a pound can make a big difference in profit when a business is doing 500,000 pounds of laundry a year. That’s 75,000 literally going down the drain that no one would have ever known about without the new smart machines.

With today’s technology, you can see what cycles are being run and when. It’s been an eye opener to on-premises laundry owners since it allows them to really look at and know what is going on in their facilities. It enables them to manage a second or third shift without having someone there to actually supervise it.

I have customers who, on a daily basis, review what was done at their laundries the day before. They have found operators who are washing a load three, four or five times in a row, just to make it appear that they are busy.

BETTER LABOR MANAGEMENT

They can see if an employee has properly scheduled work

hours in the laundry by looking at what their production and overall costs are for that shift. They can predict or determine when a nursing home or other facility doesn’t have enough laundry to keep throughput going.

You usually want a par level of three one set of linen in the laundry, another on the shelf and the third in the room. With a lower par level, facilities are using too much labor, since their workers are standing around and waiting for dirty laundry to be sent to them so they can wash it and send it right back out.

Laundry workers could be much more productive if there were adequate linens to achieve a par level of three.

With labor being about two-thirds of the cost of doing laundry, managing labor is key to managing and keeping your laundry costs in check.

Smart technology will also show you a machine’s utilization percentage and how many minutes that machine has been sitting idle. And if it’s sitting idle, your cost of labor is rising. You can determine cents per pound by shift, and determine what cycles are being run.

You can see if cycles are not balancing properly during extract, which tells you that employees are severely underloading the machines. And if you are running the equipment at half capacity, you’re basically losing money since the cost of water and chemicals is still the same, no matter the size of the load.

You can even see the time between cycles. If it’s 1.5 hours between cycles, you know something is wrong. It could be that

there is nothing to wash or your employees are being inefficient, but either way, it’s a problem you’ll need to address.

The new technology also allows you to monitor washer and dryer cycle times and compare those to other machines. If you have one washer completing a cycle in 30 minutes and another machine completing the same cycle in 40 minutes, you know something is wrong.

You can determine if you have a restriction in the flow of water on the one machine. For instance, it may be taking two minutes longer to fill. You don’t think much about two minutes, but if there are five fills in a wash cycle, that’s 10 minutes of time that you’re wasting.

If a wash cycle is taking an additional 10 minutes longer to complete a load, and averaging nine cycles during an eight-hour shift, it would take an additional 90 minutes to wash the same amount of linen.

Drain time can have a similar effect. If you have one machine that takes 30 seconds to drain and

another machine takes one minute to drain, on those five drain steps, you will be wasting another 2.5 minutes. Those minutes quickly add up over an eight-hour day, increasing labor costs, while decreasing your throughput and profitability.

OVER-DRYING IS COSTLY

It’s the same story with drying time. If your operators are setting the dryers at maximum drying time and not taking advantage of the moisture-sensing feature that automatically stops the dryer when the load is dry, you’re wasting time.

That’s critical if your employees are setting the dryers for 45 minutes of drying time, but it only takes 30 minutes to dry. You’re wasting 15 minutes and quickly you’ll find that your on-premises laundry costs are rising from that goal of 20 cents a pound to a much higher cost, keeping in mind that labor is about two-thirds of the cost of doing laundry.

New, expanded lending programs to provide up to $2.3 trillion in financing

WASHINGTON — Pursuant to section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, U.S. Treasury

Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin approved the establishment of a Main Street Business Lending Program and a Municipal Liquidity Facility on April 9 to support the flow of credit to American workers, businesses, states, counties and cities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Using funds appropriated under the CARES Act (www. Treasury.gov/CARES), Treasury will make a 75 billion equity investment in a special purpose vehicle established to implement the Main Street Business Lending Program. This investment will

enable up to 00 billion in new financing for businesses with up to 10,000 employees or 2.5 billion in 2019 annual revenues.

“This important Main Street initiative complements the robust relief efforts already underway such as the Paycheck Protection Program, Employee Retention Credits, and Economic Impact Payments, while protecting taxpayer funds,” says Mnuchin.

Additionally, Treasury will make a 35 billion equity investment in the Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF), which will provide up to 500 billion in direct financing to states, counties and cities to help ensure they have the funds necessary to provide essential ser-

vices to citizens and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Secretary Mnuchin also authorized the establishment of a new facility to provide term financing backed by Paycheck Protection Program loans. The Paycheck Protection Program provides 350 billion for job retention loans to help millions of small businesses sustain operations and keep their workers employed.

In addition to the new Main Street, MLF and Paycheck Protection Program facilities, Secretary Mnuchin approved a significant expansion of existing facilities established under section 13(3) to further enhance liquidity and support the economy.

Consistent with authorities granted under the CARES Act, Secretary Mnuchin approved a 75 billion equity investment in a special purpose vehicle established to implement the Primary and Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facilities (PMCCF and SMCCF), which will be used to purchase eligible corporate debt. In combination, the PMCCF and SMCCF will provide 750 billion in additional liquidity.

Mnuchin also approved the expansion of the Term AssetBacked Securities Loan Facility (TALF). Established to help meet the credit needs of American consumers and businesses by facilitating the issuance of asset-backed

securities, the TALF will now also include highly rated newly issued collateralized loan obligations and legacy commercial mortgagebacked securities as eligible collateral.

Treasury will make an equity investment of 10 billion in a special purpose vehicle established to implement TALF, which is expected to provide up to 100 billion of loans. The revised terms and focus on highly rated assetbacked securities will promote price discovery and liquidity, helping stabilize and re-open key lending markets for American consumers and businesses, while minimizing the risk to U.S. taxpayers.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

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

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

ADI American Dawn. The world’s leading supplier of Milliken Signature table linen products. Count on us. Signature Plus is a registered trademark for Milliken

Track Career

Rasche takes over as COO of Fibertech

ELBERFELD, Ind. — Fibertech Inc., a plastic rotational molding company that produces carts for the laundry industry, reports that Brent Rasche has taken the position of chief operating officer, effective Feb. 3.

“This role will allow me to focus my expertise in a new industry to broaden our strong team, to expand our product offerings and capabilities as a business,” he says.

Prior to joining Fibertech, Rasche worked for SRG Global in various roles. SRG Global is a manufacturer of injectionmolded, chrome-plated, painted plastic parts for automotive and non-automotive transportation.

Most recently he was the vice president of North America. In that role, he was responsible for leading the business and operations of eight North American sites.

Prior to operations, he was the global vice president of human resources for SRG Global. In this role, Rasche aligned SRG Global’s human resource capabilities to the company’s overall global business vision and strategy, focusing on building a culture of people development, talent and growth opportunities.

Rasche began his career at Federal-Mogul in drafting and tooling engineering. He progressed into various leadership roles among its sealing systems manufacturing plants. While with Federal-Mogul, he also served as a product rationalization and technology project leader for the company’s global organization, supporting implementation of lean manufacturing processes in both existing and new start-up locations.

Just prior to joining SRG Global, Rasche worked with MasterBrand Cabinets. MasterBrand is a cabinet manufacturer in North America that offers products ranging from standard to custom cabinets.

Fibertech says that being a strong foundational company with a new seasoned leader in Rasche is sure to drive the company into growth in 2020 and the future.

PureStar appoints new executive chair, West region president

LAS VEGAS — PureStar, a provider of laundry services and linen management to the hospitality industry, reports it has appointed Gail Mandel as executive chair of the company’s board of directors and Alex Dixon as West region president to lead the company’s West

Coast operations and service lines.

Mandel has more than 25 years of management and financial experience in the hospitality industry. She is currently managing director of Focused Point Ventures LLC, a business advisory and consulting services firm.

Previously, she served as president and chief executive officer of Wyndham Destination Network, a provider of professionally managed, unique vacation accommodations with more than 120,000 properties in over 100 countries.

Mandel also previously served as chief financial officer of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and held other senior finance positions at Wyndham Worldwide, Cendant Corp. and

HFS Inc.

“We are thrilled to appoint Gail as executive chair at this important juncture for PureStar as the company continues to execute on its strategic objectives,” says Henry Cornell, founder and senior partner of Cornell Capital.

“She has made valuable contributions since joining the board last summer, and we are confident her leadership experience and track record of success at one of the largest hospitality companies globally will continue to be tremendously beneficial as we further elevate the PureStar brand and drive continued growth.”

“I am honored to serve as executive chair and continue working with the rest of the board and PureStar leadership to deliver operational and financial outperformance,” Mandel says. “PureStar is on an exciting trajectory as a unique, one-stop solution for outsourced laundry and dry-cleaning services, and I look forward to continue

Rasche

Mandel

helping the company achieve its long-term business goals.”

Dixon is a Nevada native, third-generation hospitality operative with a deep understanding of the industry, the service lines and the Southern Nevada community.

He previously served in various executive roles for leading hospitality companies such as Caesars Entertainment Corp. and MGM Resorts International, including most recently as the president and chief operating officer for Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, bringing a unique perspective as a former PureStar customer.

“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the West Coast operations for PureStar and look forward to engaging with our customers and employees who serve as the heart of the company,” says Dixon. “I pride myself on leading by example and driving accountability by empowering supervisors and collaborating with employees at every level.”

Dixon is also a passionate philanthropist who has taken on numerous community leadership roles, including his current role as trustee for the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Previously, he served as treasurer of Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas and president of the Las Vegas Urban League of Young Professionals and was appointed by the Clark County Commission to serve on the Committee on Community Priorities.

Dixon also received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Howard University in 2003.

“As both a respected hospitality executive and leader in the Southern Nevada community, we are confident that Alex’s deep expertise and commitment to excellence will further elevate the PureStar brand and West Coast operations,” says Ann Berry, a PureStar board director.

“PureStar’s reputation for providing unmatched service through cutting-edge, environmentally conscious technologies has set the standard for operational excellence in the industry, and I look forward to working closely with Alex to build on our West Coast capabilities and momentum in the region.”

Evans joins Gurtler’s corporate support team

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. — Gurtler Industries Inc., a manu-

facturer of advanced detergents and specialty chemicals for the commercial laundry industry, reports Bill Evans has joined its corporate support team.

Evans joined Gurtler in February and brings with him 20-plus years of experience in the laundry industry.

The company says he brings a vast knowledge and experi-

ence with the functions and designs of tunnel washers and will be a leader for Gurtler on set up and troubleshooting tunnel washer operations.

Kiesling promoted at Penn Emblem

TREVOSE, Pa. — Penn Emblem Co. reports it has promoted Valerie Kiesling to director of supply chain and procurement. She has served as the corporate supply chain manager since coming to Penn Emblem in 2007.

The company says Kiesling’s expertise comes from her background in textile manufacturing and various roles in Fortune 500 companies, saying she has perspective and a keen understanding of the importance of the overall supply chain serving the internal and external customer. Penn Emblem adds that she excels in reducing costs and bringing speed to market in sourcing products.

In addition, the company says Kiesling leads a team that is involved daily with suppliers and vendors, setting up processes for new and existing vendors

while streamlining delivery to customers.

“Her skill set has enhanced our vendor relationships and given Penn Emblem new ways to negotiate with vendors, consignment and rebates; she has brought accountabil-

Kiesling

Maximizing pounds per operator hour

BY SETH WILLER

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Pounds per operator hour, or PPOH, is a critical benchmarking measurement that shows the average laundry pounds processed by a single employee in an hour.

It’s likely the most important efficiency metric used by laundry operations. This is because a laundry’s greatest cost savings is always gleaned from reducing the labor hours used to deliver the product. So, I urge you, if you haven’t already, to calculate your laundry’s PPOH. Then, look for ways to maximize it.

There are many things you can do to maximize PPOH, including the improvement of equipment, programming, workflow, employee training and automation, among others. But you’ve got to determine where you are before you determine where you want to be. Read on for some suggestions.

STEP 1: FIND OUT WHERE YOU STAND

Calculate your laundry’s PPOH. Take laundry volume in pounds and divide by labor hours required to perform the work. Divide the resulting number by the total number of people required to produce the product.

It might be beneficial to break your laundry out and calculate PPOH by sections—wash/dry line, ironing line, folding and stacking, etc. Then, calculate total PPOH for everything.

STEP 2: MAKE SURE EQUIPMENT PROGRAMS ARE EFFECTIVE

Do an audit with your chemical provider to ensure your laundry uses the correct wash programs to produce your product. Do the same for other equipment—dryers, ironers, folders— with help from your equipment distributor. Make any necessary changes.

STEP 3: ENSURE OPERATORS ARE USING EQUIPMENT CORRECTLY

Reach out to your equipment distributor and ask them to validate that operators are properly using equipment to maximize production. Retrain operators if needed.

STEP 4: BENCHMARK AGAIN

After you’ve made cycle, programming and equipment operation changes, calculate your PPOH again. How did it improve

In general, if you are evaluating only the wash/dry/hand-folding line, a good benchmark is around 100 PPOH.

STEP 5: CONSIDER ADDING AUTOMATION

Now determine how PPOH might be improved by adding automation. An investment in just one piece of equipment can dramatically improve a laundry’s overall PPOH and product quality.

In your PPOH audit you realized that the finishing area—folding and stacking—results in your lowest PPOH. Those are the areas I would focus on first.

Sheets and towels are finished in a couple different ways. Towels are washed and dried, then folded. Sheets are washed, then typically ironed without ever seeing the dryer. The next sections will show how automation can impact finishing these two item types, and simultaneously, maximize PPOH.

Towel Folder The most compelling reasons to move from hand folding to an automatic folder is improved production, enhanced quality and labor efficiencies. Laundries processing 250-500-plus laundry pounds per hour should consider adding a towel folder.

Generally, a typical laundry operator can sort, fold and stack different-sized towels by hand at a rate of 120 pieces per hour. By adding an automatic towel folder, a laundry can sort, fold and stack up to 800-plus different-sized pieces per hour, with just one operator.

If you do the math on 120 hand-folded towels versus 800plus machine-folded towels per hour, the savings are more than eight labor hours per day.

All-in-One Ironer When a laundry gets above 180 washing pounds per hour, consider a machine that automatically feeds, irons, folds and stacks to process sheets. Large-piece folding

automation eliminates almost all hands-on folding and stacking. When compared to hand finishing, a person can consistently fold about 0 sheets per hour. Introduce automation and that same person can iron, fold and stack close to 150 sheets per hour. At 1.8 pounds per sheet, that’s almost 275 PPOH.

STEP 6: CALCULATE PPOH AGAIN

You’ve done your due diligence, tweaked wash cycles, equipment programs, retrained operators when needed, and installed automation. That means it’s time to calculate your laundry’s total PPOH again. How has that number improved and how does it compare to where you started

STEP 7: ESTABLISH YOUR FUNCTIONAL BENCHMARK

Now, determine if your recently calculated PPOH is a functional goal for your operation. If your answer is yes, you’ve just established your benchmark PPOH—the number from which you’ll continually work to improve in coming months and years. ALN

Seth Willer is an expert in onpremises, commercial and industrial laundry design, equipment, workflow and productivity. As Girbau Industrial national sales manager, he works closely with laundry facilities to develop highly efficient and productive laundries for an array of industries.

Willer

ity and benchmarking to our company,” says Penn Emblem President Randi Blumenthal.

“Valerie has worked with her teams to grow and develop new products and procedures, utilizing LEAN (value stream mapping) processes to enhance service levels of sourced products. The team is collaborating on elevating the speed and processes needed to streamline the manual work for our new ERP.”

In her new role, Kiesling’s goal is to continue elevating Penn Emblem’s sourcing direction by continuously growing product development and streamlining the decoration department and its work with vendors.

“Penn Emblem is different from other companies. While we are competitive, expedient and quality driven, we are also family built with a generational legacy and traditions to uphold,” says Kiesling. “We continue to set the bar high and we will continue to do so in 2020 and beyond.”

Fudge retires from Thermopatch

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Thermopatch, a company that specializes in supplying garment/textile identification labeling systems, including an emphasis on the manufacture and distribution of various garment embellishment products to the apparel manufacturing industries, reports that Bob Fudge, vice president of sales and marketing, retired effective March 27.

Fudge spent 31 years with the organization in various sales positions. The company says that throughout his distinguished career, he has been a bannerman for the industry, reliable supplier, and great coworker/friend.

“To my fellow Thermopatch team, customers and industry friends, it has been an extreme honor and privilege to be associated with each of you over the years,” Fudge says. “Though retired, I know I will continue to cherish the many events of the past. Thanks to you all ”

Thermopatch congratulates Fudge for his valuable contributions to the growth of the industry and the company, offering best wishes on his “new adventure.” ALN

On average, in-house laundries are more efficient than outsourcing. In-house laundries will cost about 20 cents per pound; outsourcing is usually 30 to 35 cents a pound or more.

However, if you find your inhouse laundry is running 35 cents a pound or more, you have problems and you need to figure out how to fix those problems. Being able

to collect the KPI data from each machine on a daily basis makes it much easier to locate your problem areas.

With networked equipment and cloud-based systems, you can access data in real time and make adjustments from anywhere in the world. I was in Europe and was able program a cycle for a professional hockey team that needed a special cycle immediately due to some new regulations.

With the cloud-based setup, owners can not only watch the KPIs, but also maintain their

equipment, no matter where they are. For instance, the equipment gives you prompts to let you know that your bearings need to be greased, or you can receive text alerts with error messages. Basically, the technology calls attention to a problem before it gets to be a catastrophic and costly problem to repair.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Remember, you can only improve what you can measure. Today’s new laundry equipment allows you to set some internal benchmarks and know your true

cost per pound. If it’s too high, then you need to look at the performance indicators to determine why.

You can do it; all it takes is the measurements these new machines provide. And if you don’t, you will have no idea how much time and money you are wasting.

ALN

Mark E. Moore is president of REM Company, which for 52 years has been serving the commercial laundry industry in Kentucky and Tennessee. He can be reached at mmoore@remlaundry. com or by calling 859-873-8812.

Fudge

3 roll 32 Jensen self contained Thermal ironer 2013 110lb Milnor G3 Tunnel, 10 mod, 480V, 2006

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

Prudential Overall Supply celebrating 88th anniversary

IRVINE, Calif. — Prudential Overall Supply, a provider of reusable image work apparel and related textiles, is celebrating its 88th anniversary this year, the company reports.

Founded by John D. Clark in 1932, Prudential has grown from a one-man operation to a national brand serving customers throughout North America.

Prudential’s third-generation CEO, John Clark, comments, “During these difficult times, we must remember that Prudential was founded during the Great Depression. Through numerous economic recessions and challenging world events, Prudential has flourished over our 88 year history.

“Achieving what few companies have ever been able to achieve—national growth, dedicated employees, over 28,000 customers—we continue to reinvent the company by expanding and diversifying our offering.

“Prudential will weather this storm and we will be a stronger company thereafter.”

Clark continues, “We thank every supplier for their dependability, every customer for the trust they instill in Prudential, and we are ever grateful to each employee for their hard work and effort, so that we can best serve our customers.”

Messe Frankfurt delays Texcare International until October

FRANKFURT, Germany — Messe Frankfurt says it is postponing Texcare International 2020 here due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The quadrennial international trade fair was scheduled for June 20-24.

Organizers say the event will now take place Oct. 24-28.

Due to the increased spread of the novel coronavirus in Europe, Messe Frankfurt, following intensive consultation with partners and exhibitors, decided to postpone Texcare International.

The organization says that every four years, Texcare International in Frankfurt is the high point for the textile-care sector. Participants expect it to provide business incentives in exchange with customers and partners from the whole world.

Given the general regulations prohibiting major events, Messe Frankfurt couldn’t expect the situation to change by June. However, the organization wanted to be sure all market participants enjoyed the opportunities resulting from Texcare International in the current year.

ALM reschedules IMPACT 2020, Laundry & Linen College

RICHMOND, Ky. — The Association for Linen Management (ALM) has rescheduled two events and postponed a third due to the coronavirus pandemic.

TRSA taking human resources, safety summits virtual

ALE ANDRIA, Va. — TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, reports it has decided to make its Annual Human Resources and Safety Summits a live, virtual event, May 12-14.

In addition, the Production Summit & Plant Tours that were scheduled to take place in Atlanta, May 14-15, after the Human Resources and Safety Summits, have been canceled, TRSA says.

The association says that “the COVID-19 situation has forced us to move away from our in-person offerings of the Annual Human Resources and Safety Summits (May 12 and 13, Atlanta).”

The 2020 TRSA Annual Human Resources & Safety Summit will be a series of three half-day events, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern each day.

“Rest assured we’ll deliver our usual full program of relevant keynote, and inspiring, informative and updated content, including sessions with human resources and safety applications relevant to COVID-19,” says TRSA.

The association will be sharing more information as soon as it is available.

Refunds for the Production Summit & Plant Tours were being processed the week of March 30, according to TRSA.

WASHINGTON — The COVID-19 pandemic can strain a small business’ financial capacity to make payroll, maintain inventory and respond to market fluctuations (both sudden drops and surges in demand), the U.S. Small Business Administration says.

To minimize the economic disruption to small businesses like smaller laundry operations, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza issued revised criteria for states or territories seeking an economic injury declaration related to COVID-19.

The relaxed criteria will have two immediate impacts, Carranza says a faster, easier qualification process for states seeking SBA disaster assistance, and expanded, statewide access to SBA disaster assistance loans for small businesses.

The SBA loans are typically only available to small businesses within counties identified as disaster areas by a governor. Under the revised criteria, disaster assistance loans will be available statewide following an economic injury declaration and will apply to current and future disaster assistance declarations related to coronavirus.

SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to 2 million in assistance for each affected small business. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the pandemic’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75 for small businesses, 2.75 for nonprofits.

SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.

The IMPACT 2020 Conference will now take place Nov. 2-4, while the spring session of the Laundry & Linen College has been rescheduled for June 22-2 .

The fall session of the Laundry & Linen College has been postponed as a result of the shifting event schedule.

IMPACT 2020 was originally scheduled for March 23-25 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and the destination resort will host the rescheduled November event.

ALM says that all current conference registrations will be transferred to the new date. Sponsors and presenters will be contacted separately when more information is confirmed.

If the registered individual has a conflict, ALM says it will offer one of three alternatives

Transfer the registration to another individual at the company.

Transfer the full amount toward the purchase of an ALM publication, program or other future event for any individual at the company.

If neither of those options are feasible, they will work with each person to satisfy the situation.

The association adds that those who previously canceled registration, regardless of reason, and received a partial refund, will have the previously non-refunded amount applied in the same manner as those individuals that did not cancel.

The spring session of the Laundry & Linen College on Textile Care Services was originally scheduled for April 20-24. The rescheduled event will be held in Richmond.

ALM says the fall session on Processing & Operations will no longer be November 2- , due to IMPACT rescheduling. New dates will be announced at a later time.

SanMar making much needed face masks for front-line COVID-19 workers

ISSA UAH, Wash. — SanMar Corp., an apparel and accessories supplier, reports it is part of a coalition of U.S. apparel companies working with the White House to build a supply chain to produce millions of much needed face masks. These masks will be distributed by the federal government to support hospitals, healthcare workers and others battling the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Jeremy Lott, president of SanMar, was moved into action after one of his employees told him that her son, an EMT, is ill-equipped to help patients out in the field.

“She said they don’t have masks and have been advised to wear bandanas, and she is worried about him,” says Lott. “That really hit me. We want to do whatever we can do support these efforts.”

The coalition includes other iconic American-owned textile companies such as Hanesbrands, Fruit of the Loom, Parkdale Mills and five other companies that are re-tooling their manufacturing capabilities to quickly make millions of face masks each week.

“We are doing daily calls with the White House and are part of this effort as a result of our ability to make and sew textiles here in the U.S., as well as in Central America,” says Renton Leversedge, chief customer officer for SanMar. “We have manufacturing expertise and we have scale, which enables us to take part in this very important work.”

SanMar is working both to produce masks and to produce many of the textiles in its manufacturing plants in Knoxville, Tennessee and Central America in

-

SBA offers disaster loan aid to businesses impacted by pandemic

order to support the sew

ing operations across the coalition.

Prudential Overall Supply got started in 1932 during the Great Depression. (Photo: Prudential Overall Supply)

Trade fair organizer Messe Frankfurt has decided to delay Texcare International 2020 in Germany from June to October. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/ Petra Welzel)

Employees at SanMar are making face masks to help those on the front line fighting COVID-19. (Photo: SanMar)