American Laundry News - February 2021

Late News

H.I.G. Capital completes acquisition of Crothall

MIAMI — H.I.G. Capital, a global alternative investment firm with $42 billion of equity capital under management, reports that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of Crothall Laundry Services.

Formerly a subsidiary of Compass Group plc, Crothall is a provider of outsourced laundry and linen management services to the healthcare and hospitality sectors.

Crothall, founded in 1991, provides mission-critical laundry and linen management services nationally with 29 operations that process 600 million pounds of linens annually. The company utilizes the highest quality and sustainability standards and processes that adhere to HLAC, OSHA and JCAHO guidelines.

H.I.G. is partnering with the current management team to support the company’s continued expansion.

“This is an exciting event,” says Michael Barner, Crothall’s chief executive officer. “Now, more than ever, our customers are increasingly relying on us to support their linen management and infection control needs.

“We are excited to work with H.I.G. Capital as we push ahead with our expansion plans.” ALN

Laundry service upgrades in northwest Wyoming

High Country Linen Service automation helps with labor issues, environmental sustainability, quality

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — In 1931, the story goes, a cowboy traveling through northwest Wyoming saw Teressa Martin outside doing laundry.

The cowboy, on horseback, approached Teressa and asked if she would be kind enough to do his laundry. The interaction gave Teressa and her husband, Al, the idea to start a laundry service, and Teton Laundry was born.

The business primarily did personal laundry for early Jackson Hole households.

Healthcare laundry: Changes, road ahead

Moving

BY RICK GAFFNEY

LABOR, TECHNOLOGY

Fire Department Updates Equipment Upgrades made to protect firefighters, citizens, from toxic carcinogens, pathogens.

Panel of Experts

In this issue, the experts offer advice about working with increasingly tighter budgets.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The healthcare laundry industry is still prospering and finding opportunities, despite the difficult environment created by the coronavirus pandemic over the past year.

forward, it’s key for healthcare laundries to embrace the changes that have happened, take advantage of opportunities and continue to build trust with their healthcare customers.

As volumes returned once hospitals resumed elective surgeries, one of the most challenging issues for our laundry plants in putting out timely,

Author says healthcare laundries need to act on coronavirus-related changes, build trust with customers

High Country Linen Service’s recent renovation/upgrade helped the business deal with the labor shortage in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Photo: High Country Linen)

During the pandemic-related downturn, some healthcare laundries have made capital investments in plants and equipment to improve productivity and quality. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)

96-year-old fire department updates station equipment

Upgrades made to protect firefighters, citizens from toxic carcinogens, pathogens

KINGSTON, N.J. — Changing times have been challenging personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety needs for fire departments large and small, and evolving National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for decontamination of gear are top of mind.

No one knows that more than Chief George Luck Jr. at New Jersey’s Kingston Volunteer Fire Department, a 96-year-old department that has always adapted with the times to serve its community.

A small town in central New Jersey, Kingston is a sleepy commuter suburb with buildings that range from historic homes dating back to the Revolutionary War, to modern corporations, hotels, assisted living facilities and North American headquarters for global pharmaceutical giants.

The constant for the past nearly 100 years has been the dedication and commitment of the Kingston Fire Department.

The needs of this small but mighty force have evolved with the times. Once an all-volunteer department, today the team is made up of a small team of parttime, paid professionals, MondayFriday, and staffed by volunteers the rest of the time.

Updating their station equipment to address critical decontamination imperatives of today’s firefighting environment has been a big priority for Chief Luck and the District’s Board of Commissioners.

For years, Kingston firefighters had to send their turnout gear out to a neighboring department to get it cleaned and decontaminated. The process worked but left the Kingston team and its community vulnerable when gear was out twothree days or more for cleaning.

With the support of the District’s Board of Commissioners, Chief

Luck justified that it was time to invest in onsite decontamination and cleaning equipment for the station to reduce his crew’s exposure to toxic contaminants and ensure they were ready and responsive for their community.

After a competitive bid process, Chief Luck turned to Miele, the family-owned, professional laundry technology company that has been driving innovation in laundry for 120 years, to meet the unique needs of textile and fabricare like those of his volunteer fire crew.

“As a relatively small volunteer fire department, our firefighters often can’t afford to have multiple sets of gear,” he says. “The Miele system enables our crew to wash their gear immediately after we get back to the station from a call and return it to service within a few hours. That turnaround time matters when seconds count.”

Miele’s John Lubas, professional technical manager, worked closely with Chief Luck to develop an on-site solution that would solve Kingston’s need for quick turn, effective decontamination and reprocessing of FR (flame resistant) gear while preserving vapor barrier attributes of the equipment.

Additionally, Kingston needed to ensure the solution would deliver rapid drying capabilities and

could fit into limited existing space at the station.

“Our firefighters are volunteers who aren’t here every day to use the equipment, so we needed something that could be easily programmed and still completely disinfect and reprocess not only our turnout gear, but also can clean our gloves, face masks, station wear uniforms, rags from washing the trucks and more,” Luck says.

“It’s also important to us as a small district to ensure we don’t pollute our waterways, so the limited environmental impact and reduced water use of the Miele system was a big consideration as well.”

With limited resources, the Kingston station was particularly focused on ensuring that their gear remains in good shape, and that means preserving the integrity of specialty FR and vapor barrier textiles to remain compliant with NFPA standards. The Miele team installed its 25-pound capacity Performance Plus PW 811 washer and PT 8303 dryer system in spring 2020.

In addition to the equipment, Lubas also brought in partner and textile cleaning specialists Kreussler as part of the installation and training to help the Kingston

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

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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

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David Barbe • David Carter

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Deana Griffin • Steve Kallenbach Edward McCauley

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

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American Laundry News is distributed selectively to qualified laundry and linen management and distributors in the United States.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2021. 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

(Photo: Miele)

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.

Time for upgrades?

Y

es, even in these challenging times, laundry operations are making upgrades to equipment and facilities, I’m happy to say.

Why?

First, High Country Linen Service in Wyoming (page 1) needed to continue producing quality goods for its hospitality clients in a market short on labor to remain competitive and to continue to grow.

The solution? More automation. Owner Mark Barron takes you through the company’s new system and recent expansion property.

Another reason for upgrades? Health and safety. Turn to page 2 to read about New Jersey’s Kingston Volunteer Fire Department’s new laundry equipment to decontaminate its firefighters’ protective gear, protecting them from carcinogens, while assuring they’re not waiting for clean gear when an emergency happens.

The new equipment is helping the community even further by keeping contaminents out of local

waters.

The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

So, after reading about these upgrades, maybe you’re in the market for a new small-capacity washer-extractor? Then turn to Page 16 to learn about some options in this month’s Product Showcase.

I’ve been able to go this far in my note without using those dirty words—coronavirus and COVID19.

However, since we are still living with the pandemic, it only makes sense to keep tabs on what’s going on with laundry operations in

terms of COVID-19.

You likely already saw the Page 1 feature providing an update on the healthcare laundry industry. Rick Gaffney, who heads business developments and partnerships for the Healthcare Linen Alliance (HLA), writes about the current state of healthcare laundry in terms of labor, technology, customers and the future.

Many healthcare laundries (even those on the hospitality side) have encountered a deeper interest in how they can “prove” that their processes and goods are hygienic. Turn to Page 6 for insights from TRSA’s Hygienically Clean and the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) on how the pandemic has affected the value of certification/accreditation.

On Page 14, Ralph Daniels, founder and CEO of Daniels Equipment Co., offers a look into how on-premises laundries (OPL) are operating today and what changes might stick around in the future.

Stay healthy and keep it clean, everybody! ALN

Penn Emblem receives WBENC recertification

Certification substantiates business is 51% owned, controlled and operated by a woman or group of women

PHILADELPHIA — Penn Emblem Co., a 73-year-old textile manufacturing and full-service brand decoration company, reports it has renewed its WBENC Certification for the 2020-2021 year, making this its 10th anniversary with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

The WBENC is “the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women business owners and entre-

preneurs.” The organization strives to not only certify women-owned businesses, but also connect members for business opportunities.

WBENC Certification substantiates that a business is 51% owned, controlled, operated and managed by a woman or women.

In 2010, Randi BlumenthalJoseph, granddaughter of Penn Emblem’s founder, became the third generation of leadership to continue the legacy of quality and

innovation, while also shifting the company to become certified as a Woman’s Business Enterprise, to better support clients focused on supply chain diversity, and to proudly represent female leadership.

Penn Emblem says it continues to serve customers worldwide with an ever-growing array of image and identification solutions under Blumenthal-Joseph’s leadership and through the company’s history. ALN

Finding joy

I met Arthur when I worked in the Milwaukee area. He was a wonderful person and I enjoyed him and his family.

He hated his job. He never had a nice thing to say about what he did for a living. He was everything I expected from a man who hated his job. He took full advantage of his annual sick leave and vacation days. He planned out his sick days at the start of the year as carefully as he planned out his vacation days.

He looked forward to his early retirement from driving public buses and moving out of the Milwaukee area to the state of Utah. His wife had a home-based job that could be done from anywhere in the country.

The happiest I ever saw Arthur was the day he took early retirement and went to work on selling his house and moving to his new life.

After his move, I lost contact with him for a while. When I did reconnect, I asked him what he was doing and he responded he was once again driving buses and hating it. He was very good at that job but the job did not fulfill his need for happiness.

Since I retired from active laundry management, I have enjoyed traveling the world, working in my garden and catching up on a number of projects that I did not have time for while I was working. I enjoy my life and my working career.

I believe it is important to find joy in what we do for a living. I cannot imagine spending more than 40 years doing something I did not like just to make a living.

The laundry business is a love-it or hate-it type profession. Either you enjoy your work or you will quickly find something else to do.

I often told my management team that if a new employee lasted through the first week, then we would probably have them for at least five years. I used to remind them that people will not stay where they are not respected and appreciated.

Some jobs, like feeding towels into a folder all day, seem to lack intrinsic aspects of joy. But knowing that job is essential to the operation of the laundry, and in my case, the operation of a number of hospitals, can bring a sense of pride.

Knowing that the boss knows your value and cares about you as a person also increases the joy in simple jobs.

My oldest grandson is currently working as an assistant manager at a convenience store/gas station. He enjoys the work but finds particular joy in interacting with the customers. He has a number of regular customers he knows by name and keeps a rolling conversation with them throughout the week. He has found joy and happiness in his regular daily routine.

I have been working part-time for a while with Enterprise, the car rental company. I get to move cars from the Roanoke airport to the service center and then back to the airport. It is easy work, but I enjoy working with my fellow employees, many of whom are retired and working part-time like myself.

But there is one employee who hates the job and feels trapped by his need for the money. Everyone hates working with this individual and his quality of work and work attendance are not up to standard. Management will eventually deal with this individual, but they may lose several good employees before they actually get around to dealing with the situation.

As a manager, regardless of our chosen industry, it is our responsibility to help employees find joy, self-worth and recognition in the work that they do. Happy employees do a better job and stay longer than those who do not feel appreciated, valued or find joy in their daily work duties.

As a manager, we can help our employees to find what they need, but they must be willing to put out some effort to find it. The job of a manager is much easier if you have an operation with low turnover and high morale.

It is the dedicated, happy employee who comes to work no matter what the weather because they know they are needed and what they do is a critical part of the company’s success. 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.

From

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

POWERED BY NORCHEM

Certification/accreditation in laundry today

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — George Spilios, co-president of Crown Uniform and Linen, a more than 100-yearold, family-owned operation serving nonprofits and businesses in New England, says that at the onset of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, every business immediately turned extra attention to jobs that require the most protection from infection.

In linen and uniform services, this pointed to soil rooms.

Crown examined how its stringent safety standards in this function might apply to other steps in laundry processing, such as identifying applicable provisions of bloodborne pathogens regulations to handling clean linen.

“Due in part to our focus on Hygienically Clean, it was easy to recognize how this could be done,” he says. “We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

“In the last five years, infection prevention has really stepped up at hospitals,” adds Cort Naab, safety manager of Crown Health Care Laundry Services, an independent, full-service healthcare laundry processor and linen management company founded in 1955 that services customers in the Southeast.

“And I think the pandemic just gave them more fire and more ammunition to really make sure that they’re keeping all patients and all doctors and safe as possible, which is a good thing. But it definitely gave infection prevention at hospitals a lot of a lot of room to make sure that they’re providing the best services for their hospitals.”

There are two main ways that laundries in North America can prove that they provide best services and hygienic goods for customers: Hygienically Clean Certification from TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, accreditation from the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC).

Both entities provided insight to American Laundry News on the value of having such proof of hygienic cleanliness, the effect of the pandemic and ways laundries can better promote such proofs in the COVID-19 world.

TRSA HYGIENICALLY CLEAN

TRSA says laundries value Hygienically Clean certification because it assures customers that their laundries take extensive steps to minimize the risk of clean linen and uniforms harboring or transmitting infection.

Standard requirements such as a Quality Assurance (QA) manual, independent third-party inspection and ongoing quarterly micro-

biological testing of cleaned items improve laundering efficiencies and effectiveness. These benefits of certification reassure customers that laundries earning the Hygienically Clean designation are focused on continuous improvement and customer support.

Crown Uniform and Linen sees the microbiological content threshold requirements of TRSA’s Hygienically Clean certification as the highest standard of laundry cleanliness. Measuring these in samples of laundered textiles “provides the ultimate value to all of our customers across all of our verticals,” says Co-President Plato Spilios.

Since the onset of the pandemic, customers and the public have become acutely aware of the importance of cleanliness and hygiene, TRSA shares, adding that the Hygienically Clean designation instills customer and public confidence that the linens, uniforms, garments and other reusable textiles are free of contamination.

“Hygienically Clean certification is a necessity for serving our healthcare clients and a halo for our company to customers in every industry as the pandemic has increased conscientiousness about cleanliness in all business operations,” adds George Spilios.

“Certification validates the effectiveness of the practices we’ve established for the health and safety of our employees and our customers and their workplaces—processes we reinforce with training, awareness and accountability.”

Interest in the Hygienically Clean programs, particularly for Food Service and Hospitality, has increased dramatically while Hygienically Clean Healthcare and Food Safety continue to grow with nearly 250 plants certified Hygienically Clean worldwide, according to TRSA.

The implementation of virtual inspections during the pandemic has ensured continued diligence of third-party inspections and facilitated program growth outside of North America to South America, Asia and the Middle East.

TRSA says that it is most important for laundries serving acute (hospital) and non-acute (outpatient) settings to promote their certification. Continuing to generate awareness and highlighting the benefits of using a Hygienically Clean-certified laundry help educate customers and the public.

TRSA says that its efforts, and the efforts of certified laundries, have made Hygienically Clean a requirement included in request for proposals (RFP). This importance is reflected in the prominent placement of Hygienically Clean logos in certified plant websites, marketing communications, social media, vehicles, business cards and more.

Plato Spilios likens Hygienically Clean to the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 9000 family of quality management systems, recognized for prompting organizations to meet customer and other stakeholder needs within statutory and regulatory requirements. Both are focused on ensuring companies live up to their quality assurance documentation.

Rather than prescribing practices specifically, both recognize that a variety of tactics can be used to achieve critical standards.

The importance of promotion has increased in other markets more dramatically than healthcare since COVID-19 as these other laundry customers have been increasingly pressed to demonstrate to their customers essentially every step they are taking to protect employees and production, says TRSA.

Hygienically Clean Food Safety leads the way in this respect. While the chance of a uniform or towel facilitating a COVID-19 outbreak in a food manufacturing plant is essentially nonexistent, infection prevention, in general, is a significant challenge for these facilities as social distancing and housekeeping must take place constantly.

Hygienically Clean-certified since 2014, Crown Uniform and Linen sees its history of compliance adding to its credibility as opposed to having earned the designation just before or during the pandemic.

“It’s clear to our customers that we don’t just talk the talk. We’ve been living this for years,” says Plato Spilios. “Focusing on the health and safety of customers and employees is not filling a void or checking a box. It’s ingrained in corporate culture.”

HLAC ACCREDITATION

To those who took advantage of it and all of its available benefits, those who passed inspection to earn it, or those who made it a condition of doing business, HLAC says its accreditation value was apparent well before COVID-19.

And that value has only increased since then.

“Crown (Health Care Laundry Services ) has always been HLACaccredited, and the big part of that is it’s a way for us to show our customers that we’re staying on top of industry best practices for maintenance of our equipment, cleaning and sanitizing our laundry, and are producing clean laundry,” Naab says.

“It guarantees that laundries are using best practices and that we’re providing the best possible product for hospitals to keep patients safe.”

Those working daily with healthcare textiles (HCTs), such as healthcare laundry operators, infection prevention (IP) staff, and environmental services (EVS) staff all understood, before COVID-19, the importance of processing healthcare textiles according to the highest standards of infection prevention and patient safety, says HLAC.

“Being the safety manager, when our sales and marketing team need to have questions answered, they often come to me and I use that accreditation,” shares Naab.

“I can answer most of the questions as to what we’re doing, but I usually use accreditation as the validation. We are doing it, we go through inspection processes and it’s been very helpful.”

COVID-19, if anything, has further elevated this value. Fundamentally, HLAC says a large part of accreditation has always been about preventing the spread of pathogens through adherence to following standard best practices.

Put another way, it’s endeavoring to keep healthcare textiles, for patient and healthcare staff use, hygienically clean, through proper standard wash formulas, hand hygiene, functional separation, linen protection, environmental parameters, surface disinfection, etc.

If that sounds similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19, it is because they are similar, HLAC points out. SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID19, is a pathogen that can be harmful to humans. It spreads in all the ways

that HLAC standards are designed to prevent such as:

• Dirty hands—HLAC has standards around hand hygiene.

• Airborne droplets—HLAC has standards minimizing airborne contact with clean linen.

• Contaminated surfaces— HLAC has standards around regular disinfection of surfaces that touch clean linen.

• Proper pathogen removal from HCT—HLAC has standards around proper wash formulas for the removal of harmful pathogens from HCT.

Another point HLAC says is worth mentioning: COVID-19 is triggering a dramatic transformation from disposable to reusable protective gowns for use by healthcare personnel (HCP) as well as a switch to reusable microfibers for use in healthcare environmental cleaning.

Reusables offer clear environmental advantages, superior performance and protection, financial benefits, and more predictable availability. But the caveat is that the many advantages of reusables will only be realized if they are processed according to standards in an accredited facility.

Therefore, HLAC says, the value of accreditation has increased even more with the dramatic switch by hospitals to reusable textiles.

COVID-19 has highlighted the criticality of infection prevention in daily living. HLAC says its accreditation has always been about infection prevention in processing HCT. Becoming an accredited healthcare laundry is worth promoting now, more than ever.

It’s worth promoting the rigorous measures a laundry has taken to achieve this distinction, for example, the more than 600 standards that have to be met to receive it, and in many ways, HLAC says accreditation and infectious disease prevention are one and the same.

“We received questions about our accreditation and our processes early in the pandemic, and we cited HLAC accreditation as a positive thing,” Naab shares.

As stated above, HLAC suggests to laundries promoting to customers, potential customers and the public/ media:

• That a facility is accredited.

• What accreditation means, especially around infection prevention.

• The many rigorous steps (more than 600) the facility undertook to achieve accreditation.

• Leveraging HLAC’s on-going communications regarding accreditation and its benefits.

HLAC also suggests highlighting that a laundry followed these standards and best practices well before the advent of COVID-19.

A look at how COVID-19 affected the value of hygienic laundry proof, along with the importance of, and strategies for, marketing

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Keep them Safe!

Sheets, towels, shirts and jeans filled those early washtubs. Soon dude ranches were sending their dirty linens to Teton Laundry.

Located at the southern gate to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, small motels began to sprout up to serve the summer tourism industry, their primary business.

The laundry and linen service has undergone many changes since 1931. Today, Mark Barron owns the company known as High Country Linen Service, and its most recent renovation took place in 2018.

American Laundry News spent some time asking Barron about the company, its renovation and plans for the future.

What markets does High Country Linen Service provide service for today? Why do you service those markets?

I purchased the company in 1981 after being recently incorporated and named High Country Linen Supply, dba High Country Linen Service. We served those same dude ranches and motels, washed and ironed countless shirts and jeans for years.

As the market matured, we dropped personal laundry service and began contracting to rent industrial uniforms, entry mats, shop towels and restaurant linens, towels, aprons and chef apparel. We developed linen supply programs for the growing lodging industry of hotels, motels and short-term condominium rentals.

In a tourism destination market, our bread and butter are lodging and food and beverage

linens, but we added substantial entry and custom logo mats.

We also provide industrial uniform rental for the year-round service: auto repair shops, auto dealerships, grocery and retail outlets.

What led to the most recent renovation/upgrade of your operation?

Jackson Hole has a welldeserved reputation where the billionaires are moving out the millionaires. Its real estate market is fueled by its proximity to Grand Teton and Yellowstone, world-class wildlife, skiing, and fly fishing served by a small airport with direct jet service to 14-15 major cities—pretty impressive for a community of under 25,000.

The fact that over 97% of Teton County’s land is public lands, coupled with Wyoming’s absence of state income taxes, fuels this hot real estate market. The market has driven the median home sale price to $1.89 million, far beyond affordable to most working families.

This furthers an extreme shortage of affordable housing and that results in a workforce shortage and rising labor costs. A desperate need to remedy staff shortages and turnover led to the need to increase speed and efficiency if we were to remain competitive and have the capacity to grow.

How did you upgrade the operation?

In late 2018 we invested in an equipment project with Vega Systems USA. Having worked with Kerry Bengtson, vice president, over three decades of equipment purchases, led me to Vega Systems in 2016. Kerry brought Vega Systems founder Ad Van Geffen to our plant to explore a whole new

laundry system custom-designed for our two-story facility.

This comprehensive equipment project started Oct. 16, 2018, and our startup was Dec. 10, 2018. Existing rail and equipment was disassembled and hauled away just as 19 shipping containers of Vega Systems USA equipment began to arrive.

The new Vega monorail, conveyors, dryers, tunnel washer and SmartPress were installed by Vega riggers and technicians working with our mechanical team.

Centered around the 15-pocket

Vega SmartLine 60/15 tunnel we have four Vega Smartdry dryers (260 pounds), a Vega Transfeed, a Vegafold-S sheet folder with four stackers integrated into the machine, VegaFold for small-piece flatwork, two existing three-roll steam heated ironers, and three Vega Mulifold Super 1.8 knives with three stackers for towels.

How did the upgrade help with labor, improve quality, pounds, etc.?

We automated linen delivery to all soil and clean work positions with Vega conveyors and a six-station Vega soil sort with auto-weighing and sling storage on a monorail, autoload for the tunnel and SmartPress, a lift to the second-floor conveyor and shuttle conveyor to the four loading conveyors to the four dryers, and exit conveyors to clean slings and overhead rail storage.

Towels are automatically dropped onto a conveyor that feeds all three Super Multifold towel folders; sheets auto-drop from clean sling to a Vega conveyor/picker, which separates sheets and conveys them to the Vega Transfeed; and napkins and pillowslips are auto dropped to a conveyor that feeds the small piece ironer operators.

The soil and clean conveyors, lifts, shuttle conveyors, clean and soil stainless monorail material handling was run by Vega Systems visualization and electronic identification and tracking of all laundry loads from start to wrap-out.

We kept two 450 JENSEN L-Tron

washer-extractors, two 450G dryers, and a Rome shuttle conveyor for industrial towels, mats and uniforms. We added a Vega unload conveyor for the dryers.

I added an Ergocon Solutions Towel Bagger for bar towels and other small-sized towel products. This past June our wash supplier, Washing Systems Inc. (WSI), installed TRU-UV to sanitize all tunnel reuse water and super activate peroxide bleach, enabling a reduction in alkali and wash temperatures that brightened our whites.

The new Vega system pushes dirty laundry to soil sort, through the tunnel and dryers to all finish stations, eliminating precious labor loading and unloading washers, dryers, ironers, and towel-folding equipment—automatically pushing product throughout the plant. And all items are electronically identified and tracked from start to order fulfillment.

Our goal was to eliminate our second shift by doubling production throughput. The first months of operation were challenged by our learning curve and adjustments to the Vega tunnel and dryers for optimal performance. We accomplished our goal to move from 2,550 to 4,5005,000 pounds per hour. Pounds per operator hour increased from an average mid-80 pounds per hour in 2017 to 130 pounds per hour and climbing.

Energy efficiency and water conservation are the foundation for reducing our carbon footprint, an imperative for my team and me as a businessman in the

Vega Systems USA worked with High Country Linen Service to create a custom-designed laundry system for the two-story facility. (Photos: High Country Linen)

High Country owner Mark Barron kept some of the operation’s previous equipment, such as these JENSEN L-Tron machines.

Barron

Yellowstone ecosystem. The tunnel washer consumes about 0.38 gallons of water per pound compared to 2 gallons per pound with our 1999 washer-extractors for an overall reduction in water and sewer of 45%.

Kilowatt-hours per pound were reduced by 20%; however, demand charges increased as a result of the additional electric motors, and boiler therms per pound are down 29%.

High Country Linen Service operates all our facilities and employee housing units with 100% green power electricity generated by an eastern Idaho wind farm that is co-owned by our local utility.

The Vega Systems plant upgrade is a serious investment in creating faster, more efficient laundry production in ergonomically superior conditions while eliminating painful labor shortages and expensive turnover. Our valued staff—from front line labor to routemen—notice the higher level of product quality in our towels, linens and apparel as well as consistent on-time service.

Do you have any certifications? How do you ensure timeliness and quality?

The pandemic interrupted our application for BEST Environmental Sustainability Certification and we hope to complete this certification this year.

The Vega system has increased consistent quality goals. Our management team consists of your typical operations, sales, service and maintenance, and staff tenure is measured in decades of experience serving our valued customers.

We run our plant six days a week in peak summer and winter seasons, with daily to weekly deliveries to ensure excellence to our customers.

Our chief engineer and two technicians maintain all equipment, boilers, plumbing, electrical, facilities and much of the maintenance on our fleet of 17 delivery trucks, most of which are diesel and two that are CNG (compressed natural gas) fueled.

What makes your company unique in the laundry/linen services industry?

We walk the talk when it comes to environmental responsibility with investments in energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy and recycling.

Our commitment to serve our customers 24/7, 365 days a year sets High Country Linen Service above the competition. With a comprehensive route system of 13, High Country Linen Service covers the valley proper and a 100-mile radius to include our national parks, south to Pinedale and Afton, Wyoming, and eastern Idaho’s Swan Valley, Victor and Driggs.

Our Janitor & Cleaning Supplies division offers bulk tissue and toilet paper and every-

thing our customer base buys to clean and sanitize floors, furniture windows and bathrooms in lodging, restaurant, retail, office and industrial services.

By the truckload or from our retail outlet, we’ve got you covered!

What have been some of the company’s greatest successes? How were those achieved?

Over the past 40 years, we’ve rebuilt the physical plant twice. The first time was four years after purchasing the business.

In 1998 the plant was completely destroyed by fire at the start of our

busy summer season. Operating around the clock in a small, leased laundry in Grand Teton National Park and rented warehouse space, we managed to plan, permit and rebuild in a newly equipped, modern facility in 1999.

Our valued customers, a good friend and equipment supplier Kerry Bengtson and American Laundry Machinery, the local bank, and our community supported us at every turn and helped turn a nightmare into a success that saved all our staff’s jobs. The recent Vega Systems USA rebuild was accomplished while still operating.

We also infused some new talent into our leadership team and reorganized for optimal performance and accountability, improved service and increased sales.

What’s in the future for the company?

I purchased the adjacent property in January 2020 for expansion and additional employee housing. During the early months of the pandemic, we remodeled the new commercial space and moved our Janitor & Cleaning Supplies store into this more prominent location, gutted the

old store, and moved our offices into this brand-new space and gutted the old office space and adjacent supplies storage to create about 5,000 square feet of linen storage and delivery staging.

These improvements made our plant even more productive. Our store sales increased 20%, and our office space looks more professional and provides improved communication between administration, sales and service.

These investments in state-ofthe-art equipment, staff and real estate have positioned our business for growth!

ALN

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Ways to operate well under budget

In my industry, there would be a few ways I would assist in helping my employer to meet the budget.

I would first seek out any opportunities I could take advantage of. Make those changes to save dollars on weekly invoices.

I would then monitor clean/ soiled variance very closely to ensure the end-of-month linenloss charge is at a bare minimum.

Along with watching clean/ soiled variance, I would also control inventory ordering. Always make sure there is not an overabundance of inventory on hand.

Quality linen is always of importance. Linen should be inspected before hitting the floors. Also, a program should be in place and educated on for clinical staff to remove less-than-quality linen out of the rotation.

This will ensure quality linen to the customer.

maintenance program for any laundry facility. Most laundry equipment utilizes photosensors and inverters to perform various tasks. Particularly in the flatwork/ folding area, where the presence of lint is most common, it is extremely important to keep these areas clean.

the equipment.

Maintaining a clean laundry facility and a proactive preventive maintenance program are two of the most important factors in preserving a laundry operation budget.

Instilling daily clean-up plans and implementing routine maintenance schedules are a must in keeping your laundry equipment fully operational and producing good quality. Laundry equipment breaking down due to lack of maintenance can result in costly overtime, expensive emergency repairs and even jeopardize quality.

A clean laundry is the “beginning and the end” of a proactive

A small piece of lint on a photosensor can affect the quality of your folded products and in some cases cause your machines to go into a shutdown error mode resulting in unnecessary maintenance cost spent diagnosing the problem. Accumulated lint on motors and inverters can cause them to overheat, resulting in premature wear and costly repairs.

Accumulated lint in or around dryers and ducting is a serious problem that can decrease dryer efficiency and increase the risks of a laundry fire.

There are several techniques used for cleaning laundries. Most laundries use a blow-down method. This method typically uses compressed air or fans to blow the lint from the rafters to the floor which is then swept up.

The problem with this method is that lint gets everywhere during blow-down and you may end up with increased lint on or inside

We recommend a blow-down plan combined with overhead lint filters or a vacuum system. Installing ambient-air lint filters over your sorting, flatwork and folding areas will pull the lint and dust from the air automatically saving labor used to clean and maintain feeding, ironing and folding equipment.

These types of air filters also improve the air quality in the laundry, creating a safer work environment for your employees.

In determining how often to clean your laundry, we recommend reviewing the preventative maintenance schedules provided with the equipment. Most preventative maintenance schedules recommend daily cleaning and inspection of photosensors, motors and inverters. Inner cabinets and panels should also be inspected and vacuumed on a regular basis.

Adhering to manufacturers’ preventative maintenance schedules and maintaining a clean laundry will not only improve the productivity and longevity of your equipment, but it will also instill a positive image to your employees, existing customer base and potential customers.

Every laundry should implement and maintain a comprehensive and persistent maintenance and cleaning schedule for their entire facility.

and hotels are ongoing, we have begun to re-evaluate our number of employees and hours weekly.

We know that this is difficult for our employees, but we are trying to keep as many people employed for as many hours as we can afford each week. The workflow is very unpredictable as well, so we want to ensure that we staff enough employees to process the linen to fill orders.

Another aspect of the production flow is to manage days of operation. Obviously, we can save real money by not opening the plant, so we have reduced days and hours of operation as indicated.

Our service manager has focused on consolidating routes and delivery days, which has also helped reduce labor. We do these evaluations daily, which is time-consuming, but invaluable, with our everchanging customer demands.

Another area of focus to consider during this uncertain budgetary time is working closely with our wash and wastewater chemical vendors to ensure that all wash formulas and wastewater treatment are not overusing chemicals or water.

As production mix, load sizes and water discharge are changing, it is important to stay on top of chemical usage and dosing. Equally important is to make sure that equipment is functioning optimally by checking steam traps, air lines and water leaks on a regular basis.

These are not big-ticket items but can save money and time in production.

W

ow, what a tough question when all that we know about budgeting and planning is out the door for 2020-21.

We are all used to spending considerable time and energy on our annual budgets using the prior year’s data and projections into future years. Since all this data is inconsistent and our future profits are difficult to predict, we are forced to make monthly, weekly and even daily budget decisions.

In commercial laundries, so much of our budget is labor, thus we are continually increasing and decreasing our production hours based on customer needs. While closures/shutdowns of restaurants

Communication with customers who are struggling to pay their bills has also been useful. We are open to setting up payment plans, accepting partial payments and moving customers to COD as needed to keep a close control of outstanding monies owed to us. We want to be partners with our customers so that they can continue to operate while paying their bills.

We have learned a great deal during this pandemic about managing labor needs and we are scrutinizing expenses daily. We are watching trends, re-negotiating vendor contracts and closely following closures and re-openings to guide our financial decisions. Now, more than ever as owners and operators, we must be flexible

“My budget is tighter than ever. What ideas do you have to help my operation run on time, maintain quality and stay under budget?”

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Healthcare Laundry

Tammy Barrett

and agile in our business planning and budgeting.

doughnuts for breakfast, even small bonuses when the budget is exceeded and the company gets a valued return.

At times like these, it is imperative to keep long-term goals clearly in focus. For example, shortterm layoffs may make the budget look better but quality may suffer, which stymies long-term growth goals beyond the impact of 2020.

just to name a few.

There is always an incentive to purchase new equipment, and forgoing these purchases can lead to increasing maintenance costs and unproductive downtime costs. Again, the long-term goals must remain the focus.

you’ve previously passed on because the value to the bottom line was a smaller percentage than you normally valued for the effort.

I f you’re in business long enough, you’ll find that it’s not uncommon to face a year of big challenges that might seem unprecedented at the time. While 2020 may have been the greatest test for many of us, 2021 hasn’t even unfolded yet.

Don’t panic, start planning. We all have heard that the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago; the second-best time is today! What are you doing today to make 2021 a successful year?

While I’ve worked at companies where annual budgets are JulyJune and January-December, the one thing that always helped was staying in the moment.

I’ve always focused on trends— weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. If you are watching trends closely, you will be able to make swift adjustments to keep you in line with your budget goals. If you are not watching trends closely, plant that tree today.

Focus on total production pounds shipped, total labor (I’d include everything just as it shows on your budget) and utilities. While there is much more you can track, following your company budget and developing weekly data tracking that follows your budget line will make it easiest to track your success.

Depending on the size of your company, your CEO/CFO should be leading the charge to find COVID-19 relief funding, loan forgiveness, and/or tax breaks and deductions that will impact your financial statement in 2019 and 2020. There is a lot out there relative to federal plans, and even some banks have their own programs such as interest-free loan extensions.

If you don’t ask, you will likely miss out.

Once you’re tracking data that relates to your budget, start looking for ways to improve. Don’t waste time looking for the “perfect” plan. Develop short-term goals that move you toward the long-term goals (budget), and make sure these goals are data-driven and relate to a financial report.

Everything else is subject to interpretation; the financial statement is black and white.

Improvement is most often found in feedback from employees. Make sure the lines of communication are open and continue to share the company goals, strengths and areas needing improvement. Find ways to incentivize your teams—cookouts,

Likewise, don’t overlook good investments but make ROIs count. A good tax write-off is only for a year, a great one adds value to the company for years through labor, utilities and maintenance savings,

Finally, during times like these, it’s easy to get caught up in “cost savings.” Okay, I know I say that like it’s a bad thing, and it can be if that’s all you’re looking for—but are you also considering opportunities for increasing your revenue?

Perhaps there are some opportunities, revenue streams, that

If you’re a 15% net-income goal company, maybe under normal circumstances you’d never look at something giving you a 7% return. However, that could be the value that allows you to keep additional employees on staff.

Again, long-range goals are important, and once the veil of this year passes, those who walk this line with discipline will be best prepared to face 2021 and beyond.

I will circle back and answer the question but first some commentary on a budget.

Budgets should be tight and be

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a reach, as nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Budget makers, how do you put together a budget and make it tight, fair and achievable? I believe you need to start from zero and build it up with manager input and approval.

The old days of taking prior year’s results and adding 5% are over. Only by getting a direct report’s approval will they buy-in and optimize. This is known as a “bottom-up” approach and, when the manager signs off on it, they own it.

Forcing a budget down someone’s throat is counterproductive. Now, to answer the questions from any department manager’s perspective.

What cannot be sacrificed is where I start. Quality, safety and compliance with laws and policies come first to mind. Short-term gain is not in anyone’s best interest.

Start the year strongly. Getting behind the 8-ball early forces some to make bad decisions. Respectfully demand from senior leadership that you be given the data to manage your department.

Bring your key and hourly employees into the equation. I have seen so many try to hide the numbers from the people who can help you achieve the numbers.

Benchmark! Of course, certain data such as payroll dollars and profits are items you may need to hide. Not so with efficiencies and achievements. When the team hits the numbers, you celebrate. Budget yearly dollars for fun and reward.

The budget as a whole. In any budget, you have individual lines that add up to the whole departmental budget. Some expenses are variable and some are fixed. Focus on the variable items. Look at the budget, in its entirety first, and then line by line. You can borrow money from item A and give it to item B.

Any boss worth their salt will look at the whole, but they still should ask you about why you are over budget on certain lines. Be ready to respond with accurate data and let there be no, “I think the reason might be.” Know the reason.

Also, follow the sales and revenue numbers. If revenues are exceeding budget, maybe you can deposit more dollars in your budget. This door swings both ways, though.

Running the business on time. Daily meetings, goal setting and interaction with your employees are mandatory. Be visible on the work floor or in the service department every afternoon. Ride with your sales reps routinely. Set one hour aside weekly to debrief with the boss.

No business can be successfully run from the conference room.

Accountability is key. Never perform a physical work function unless it is critical or part of training. Your eye on the business is

too important.

Quality. Achieving high quality is a product of setting and enforcing standards. Make those standards visible throughout your operation in every department— then live them.

vicing this customer, we became very efficient. With the upcoming loss of volume, we no longer needed 17 FTE (full-time employees). The last thing I wanted to do was to lay off all these people who had been such a big part of our growth, maturity and success.

We were heading into the summer months. We shared the concept of cutting hours through planned time off. Associates could theoretically have all the planned (unpaid) time off they wanted regardless of paid time off entitlement. This included full weeks, Fridays and Mondays if it was planned.

an example. Changing the soiled pick-up schedule to make sure there is work in the plant at all times is another.

Fundamentally you treat this need like you would any other emergency in the plant.

In summary, with this challenge it is necessary to address the three largest expenses—labor, utilities and linen replacement—and you must manage them efficiently.

Labor: Manage use of hours. Cross-train and make use of every employee hour, managers included.

Utilities: Manage them. Turn off lights, ironers, boilers, washers and machinery as soon as feasible.

possibly create additional savings along the way.

When was the last time you reviewed your wash formulas? One could make the argument that wash formulas are one of the most important parts of a laundry operation. Consider this, wash formulas can affect areas such as linen quality, water consumption, energy consumption, production time, overall guest perceptions, linen life and much more.

Checking and reviewing wash formulas on a regular basis should become part of any laundry maintenance program. Small improvements to wash times, temperatures, water levels and extraction steps can save production time and resources, which will lead to bottom-line savings.

And, who knows, you may even see improvements in cleaning quality and linen life, also.

Stick to a regular maintenance schedule. With all the laundry room duties, it can be easy to let maintenance tasks fall to the bottom of the to-do list. However, nothing can impact a laundry’s revenue stream more negatively than an extended period of downtime because of equipment issues.

Having a documented maintenance schedule makes it easy to keep up with specific items needing to be repaired, keeps preventative maintenance tasks on track and holds individuals accountable.

Efficiency is always king. For years, my management mantra was 1) fill the orders, 2) manage the hours and 3) stage the plant for the next day. This job never ceases regardless of the circumstances—good or bad. The plant should always run on time, maintain its quality standards and position itself to beat the budget.

Standard Textile is a manufacturer, supplier, distributor and seller of healthcare, hospitality and home textile products. We experience budget and quality challenges from just about every perspective.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the saving grace has been our ability to produce and sell reusable personal protective equipment (PPE) and surgical products as our hospitality textile business decreased dramatically and patient care items have been in less use because of the reduction in elective surgeries for several months.

Thus, our diversity of product and the ability to be flexible has been an asset. Plant operations must be flexible and diverse also! Furthermore, there should always be the thought of what additional service can we provide?

One gratifying experience I will share was when a plant I managed was ending its time processing for a temporary customer of significant size. During the time of ser-

We operated the first shift full throttle, and the second shift would stop working when the working need was complete. Fundamentally, the associates “shared” hours such that we could keep everyone employed without experiencing a layoff. We would still operate on schedule, maintain quality and not exceed the annual budget as presented.

By the way, this was a union plant.

First shift employees averaged just under 40 hours each week while the second shift was around 33 hours. This plant was a two-tunnel operation with stateof-the-art sorting and monorail systems on the clean and soil side. It was designed to be efficient.

When it is difficult to grow or diversify, the option is providing what is needed very efficiently. Bear in mind, it is tougher to control and reduce costs when volume is going down as many overhead items are fixed. It is a painful challenge to shrink and a delightful efficiency opportunity to grow.

If you know that volume is not going to increase and many of the costs are fixed (or even variable costs such as wages), you need to look at all areas to reduce expenses, waste, etc.

Sometimes the smallest things will add up to being under budget. Staggering shifts would be

Water: Manage usage. Minimize usage with the help of your chemical supplier and specialized equipment. There should be zero leaks.

Air: Manage usage. Turn off compressors when not needed, and there should be zero leaks.

Linen replacement: Manage it. Utilization and buying the correct products are key. Linen life matters. Minimize rewash and stain loads.

Fundamental practices remain important for success. Efficiency is always king.

Good luck!

Also, it is important to make sure to keep part closets stocked to save on expensive overnight shipping fees and rush charges from parts suppliers. In short, do everything you can to avoid downtime.

Properly train and consider incentives for laundry employees to be on the lookout for cost savings opportunities. For wash aisle personnel, it could be doublechecking sling and cart weights; watching for leaking drain valves, water valves or steam valves; and making sure dryer vents are always free of lint to optimize drying efficiencies.

For other personnel, it could be keeping an eye on product flow to ensure fast and efficient deliveries of goods to various areas throughout the plant or looking for ways to improve time on route builds, staging, and folding or feeding.

Gift cards, T-shirts, or something simple like recognition in front of their peers, will go a long way in developing this type of cost-saving culture.

Throughout my career, laundry budgets have been getting tighter and tighter each year. It is nothing new. However, they do put a lot of pressure on the employees of laundry facilities. Do more with less and in fewer hours is something we commonly hear.

There are a few areas for commercial laundries to help ease the pressure of tight budgets and

And lastly, try getting creative with increased service offerings. Experimenting with expanded service offerings can be a costeffective way to increase revenue from current customers and attract new business.

The idea is to create something that you can add without having to expand staff or your budget too far. If the service offering is high quality, you might just impress your customer base and create new customer opportunities!

Textiles

Cecil B. Lee Standard Textile, Cincinnati, Ohio

LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio

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Continued from Page 2

team understand how to extend the service life of its vital PPE. Plenty of machines in the market can clean the gear but may leave it looking dingy or faded or impact its performance. Or it may look clean, but the smell of smoke from a house fire can be hard to get rid of.

“The first rule of PPE is do

Stationno harm, which means that the chemistry of cleaning solutions has to address the inherent safety features of the material,” says Rich Fitzpatrick, vice president at Kreussler.

“In turnout gear, each layer has highly specific temperature thresholds, chemical protectants, reflective attributes, breathability or other sensitive and specific attributes, so the chemistry and the equipment have to work together to disinfect, remove grease and stains and toxic contaminants all without affecting each fabric’s abil-

ity to do its job.”

Miele’s relationship with Kreussler goes back many years, and their close collaboration has enabled both companies to maximize their research and design efforts to respond to the rapidly evolving PPE textile segment.

“As a volunteer firefighter myself, my gear is the only thing keeping me safe, so I need to have confidence that the machine and chemicals that clean it are preserving the integrity of literally each layer,” says Tom McAllister, technical sales rep, Kreussler.

“Miele’s technology is proven to effectively and safely clean the most delicate fabrics—it’s inherent in the design and unique in its ability to easily program the cycle to clean all of the layers with such precision and specificity.”

“Firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line to protect us every day,” says Paulo Rocha, Miele’s head of Commercial Laundry, Dishwashing and Marine. “When that siren goes off, they do not have time to wonder if their gear is going to protect them, or worse yet, harm them.

“I’m proud of the fact that I can say with confidence that Miele technology delivers vital protection to them in return.”

“We take safety very seriously, and our people are our greatest asset,” Chief Luck reflects. “Some of our members are fourth- and fifth-generation volunteer firefighters with our department and have served for decades.

“Our members are part of this community, too, so it’s important that we invest in the best equipment that will help keep them safe. For us, that is Miele.” ALN

Sgt. Anthony Pisano runs protective gear through Kingston Volunteer Fire Department’s new laundry equipment.

(Photos: Miele)

Kingston Volunteer Fire Department’s new onsite decontamination and cleaning equipment helps reduce the crew’s exposure to toxic contaminants.

On-premises

BY RALPH DANIELS

AUBURN, N.H. —Elvis Presley often wore a chain and gold pendant with the initials TCB around his neck because he always said he was “Taking Care of Business.”

In times like these, we must all play our roles and take care of business. That means supporting our team, neighbors, families, customers and collective communities.

If we stay focused on doing that, our industry will survive COVID19, although it will look different from what it did in the past.

Despite an increasing number of people receiving vaccinations that give others hope that the pandemic will finally end, the “good old days” won’t be back for a while.

The effects of COVID-19 will be seen throughout 2021 and even further into the future. The laundry business, including service, sales and on-premises laundries (OPL) and Laundromats, must continue to adapt, just as it did for much of 2020.

A LOOK AT SERVICE

The coronavirus lockdowns and mask orders first started last March. The service business quickly adapted to keep on-premises laundries operating, particularly in care facilities, which include nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospitals, where the pandemic increased the laundry poundage.

That means service technicians increasingly are required to get a rapid antigen test before entering such facilities, and they always wear masks and social distance.

For service employees’ safety, most companies require the facility to be disinfected and sanitized before workers arrive, and laundry attendants must leave the area for laundry equipment servicing.

CHANGES TO SALES

For sales, COVID-19 has meant being creative to keep safe. Wearing masks and social distancing became the new normal, with some facilities, especially those in healthcare, preferring to meet and

NEW! Laundry Insurance Needs and Coverage

Tina Brazier, business development manager for fabricare insurance provider Irving Weber Associates, talks about how insurance has changed for laundries, specific needs and how to evaluate current insurance coverage.

Optimizing the Laundry Process

John Goetz, global project manager for Hydro Systems, takes listeners to a number of locations in a laundry operation that are prime for optimizing processes and efficiencies.

Laundry Maintenance Checklist

Listen to a conversation with Dave McAllister, director of services and project management for Girbau North America, about essential laundry equipment tasks to keep your machines processing goods— and doing it well.

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hear your sales presentation in the parking lot vs. their facility. All while masking and social distancing, of course.

Virtual meetings and FaceTimetype apps likely will continue to be the preferred means of connecting with customers for the foreseeable future, as safety remains everybody’s main focus.

ON-PREMISES LAUNDRIES AND LAUNDROMATS

On-premises laundries, whether in a hotel, nursing home or other facilities (and Laundromats) have also had to adapt so their customers and staff feel safe. Wearing masks inside has become mandatory, as well as social distancing. In fact, many facilities limit the number of people allowed inside with the number determined by the building’s square footage.

Not surprisingly, laundry equipment is regularly sanitized, and some facilities are looking at, or have already installed, systems to sanitize operations further.

OPLs have made sure their attendants do not shake dirty laundry. They also ensure that items are washed using the warmest appropriate water setting for the fabrics and dried thoroughly, and they disinfect hampers or other carts for transporting laundry.

While some of these changes may eventually go away, it likely won’t happen soon, and things won’t be back to 100% the way it was pre-pandemic. People will probably stay hesitant to go into enclosed spaces. And in a year, some people will continue to wear masks, particularly in crowded areas, even after most people have been vaccinated.

Just how soon things return to some degree of normality will be determined by the vaccine’s success and how quickly people—medical staff, essential workers, teachers, the elderly and the general public— can get the shots or be persuaded to be immunized.

As of Dec. 30, nearly 12.4 million doses have been distributed, and 2.8 million doses had been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Decisions will have to be made based upon the available facts as more is learned about the vaccine’s effectiveness in real-world conditions.

The top concerns in care facilities, hotels, spas and other businesses will be validating that the laundry is disinfected and that the facilities and surfaces are properly disinfected and sanitized and how often. Educating staff about safe and effective disinfectant use will

be paramount.

For example, just spraying and wiping down a surface with any disinfectant doesn’t mean you’ve killed the COVID virus. Is the business using an EPA-approved disinfectant known to kill SARSCoV-2, the specific coronavirus that causes COVID-19? (The EPA publishes a List N for disinfectants for the coronavirus at https://www. epa.gov/pesticide-registration/ list-n-disinfectants-coronaviruscovid-19.)

Many of the approved cleaners need to dry on the surface for several minutes to be effective. Other cleaners require that you wash the surface first with soap and water before spraying the disinfectant.

Being safe will go beyond using the proper disinfectant. Are hotels using fogging to disinfect rooms, even though they’ve proven to be mostly ineffective? Or are they using ultraviolet-C (UVC) lights to disinfect spaces?

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes: “It is important to recognize that, generally, UVC cannot inactivate a virus or bacterium if it is not directly exposed to UVC. In other words, the virus or bacterium will not be inactivated if it is covered by dust or soil, embedded in a porous surface or on the underside of a surface.”

The CDC warns that improper application of disinfectants or other materials can lead to a false sense of security, an increase in health hazards and not effectively reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19. This is why we have had more than 20 million cases of COVID and 350,000 deaths in the United States since Jan. 21, 2020.

Supervision, education and training will be critical to the sector’s future success. Many new products promise to kill the virus, but you need to do your research to confirm they work well. In OPLs and Laundromats, workers and customers will be concerned about disinfection and sanitization.

You will need to validate that you’re doing everything you can to keep customers and staff safe. The need for more sanitation and disinfection is the reason for an upswing in ozone in laundries, which helps lower utility bills, reduces facilities’ carbon footprint and sanitizes everything in the machines.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Again, it’s not enough to have solid processes in place. The challenge will be communicating it to residents, patients and guests. All interested parties want peace of mind the building they enter, live in or visit as guests have been thor-

oughly cleaned from flat surfaces to, of course, the linens they touch.

Perhaps no time in history has what happens in our on-premises laundries been more important to customers, residents and guests. It’s important for laundry managers and general managers to showcase their efforts.

Like in the wilderness, it will be survival of the fittest. The “fittest” OPLs and Laundromats will survive by being proactive and sanitizing and disinfecting their facilities, thus creating a safe environment for their employees and customers. ALN

Ralph Daniels is the founder and CEO of Daniels Equipment Co. The company was founded in New Hampshire more than 40 years ago and today is one of the largest commercial laundry distributors in North America. Daniels owns 11 patents in cold water wash technology. Daniels is also the owner of The Bedford Cleaners and Costlessparts. com, an Internet online parts business for the laundry industry, as well as multiple other firms.

Daniels

Milnor says its 36026V5Z 100-pound, rigidmount washerextractor offers high wash quality and savings on water, energy and total cost of ownership for laundries of all industries.

The machine’s rugged design consists of the NEMA Premium® efficient inverterdriven motor, safe chemical injections in the rear of the machine, tapered roller bearings to ensure extra durability and a continuously welded frame that prevents concentration of stress in one area.

The exclusive RinSave® water saver feature eliminates one to two complete rinses per formula, resulting in up to 0.4 gallons per pound of water saved and faster processed linen, the company says. The feature

allows a precise G-force to sling the wash liquor out of the goods after a wash step. Plus, simple hot- and cold-water inlets are used to quickly fill the washer without fill-level overshoot.

Milnor adds that the easy-touse MilTouch™ control offers complete programming flexibility on a clear and informative display. Formulas can be developed on a PC, saved to a USB drive and uploaded with a screen touch. The control also features intuitive fault diagnosis and relevant troubleshooting suggestions to help eliminate operator guesswork. www.milnor.com 504-712-7656

EDRO CORP.

EDRO Corp. says its NX60-TV

open-pocket, rigid-mount washer-extractor features extraction speeds of more than 220 G-force from a highly efficient inverter with single-motor drive setup with a high-slipand-positioning brake system.

The all-electric machine features a state-of-theart DynaTrol Human Machine Interface (HMi) Touch Screen Control, five-port liquid supply injection, and stainless-steel basket, washtub, front, top and side panels.

With a 50-program memory, DynaTrol comprises a simple operator interface that allows the most specific wash programming with a full array of owner/ supervisor productivity reporting, EDRO says. The HMi features

manual overrides with passwordprotected security, operation reports on productivity—wash program reports and alarm history and logs—and pop-up service reminders for maintenance.

DynaTrol’s integrated ozone control also provides maximum safety and ease of use of EDRO’s DynOzone Disinfecting & Sanitizing Laundry System. In the pandemic age, this optional feature offers improved cleaning power, germicidal/bacterial cleaning properties, and sterilization/disinfection of laundry, the company says.

Options include liquid/dry five-compartment supply injection, direct steam heating with built-in diffuser, electric heating element, flushing compartment dry supply and Viton-formulated

seals. The NX60 can be manufactured for water reuse with an extra inlet valve and drain.

Typical installations include fire departments, on-premises laundries, hospitality, healthcare, dry and wet-cleaning, industrial/ uniform rental, and correctional facilities.

www.edrocorp.com 860-828-0311

UNIMAC

Equipment manufacturer UniMac says that for decades its 65-pound capacity UWT065 washer-extractor has been the workhorse for laundries seeking exceptional throughput and low cost of ownership.

The company says the UWT065’s long-standing ultrahigh 400 G-force extraction has the power to remove more moisture than many other hardmount washer-extractors. In addition, the industry-exclusive OPTispray spray rinse removes more residual chemistry than

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Laundry

clean linens has been staffing.

The labor market has been turned upside down. Despite record unemployment, laundries have faced headwinds getting employees to return to work.

The industry also employs a high proportion of women workers. The furloughing of employees early on in the pandemic resulted in many women being called upon to help their families with childcare and eldercare. With the supplemental financial support from government stimulus, these workers remain out of the workforce.

In addition, the many new government stimulus programs and increased unemployment benefits work at cross purposes and disincentivize the unemployed from returning to the workforce.

During the downturn, many healthcare laundries, including members of the Healthcare Linen Alliance (HLA), have used the opportunity to make major capital investments in plant and equipment to improve productivity and quality.

The healthcare laundry sector remains a labor-intensive business. Due to the type of products we process, made from various fabrics and textiles of non-uniform shape and size, the ability to automate finishing and handling of many products remains a challenge.

It remains to be seen how machine-learning and other elements of artificial intelligence (AI) will help our production operations become more efficient in the future. In the meantime, the industry will have to find more creative ways to attract talent.

CUSTOMER ISSUES

What is the healthcare customer asking for during this pandemic?

The full return of non-emergency, elective surgeries to prepandemic levels in many cities and states has been an on-again, off-again proposition. As a result, our linen inventories have at times been locked away in hospital linen rooms, operating room (OR) suites and intensive care unit (ICU) clos-

ets with the linen not being used or returned to our facilities.

Healthcare laundry is a “reprocessing” business. Laundries need a steady supply of soiled linen returned from the customers to meet the demand for clean linen.

Increasing awareness and education has been important to make sure both the laundries and the customers understand what was happening and trailing problems this “frozen inventory” creates.

With in-patient activity off, we see hospitals asking for increases in reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically cover garments like isolation gowns, scrubs and lab coats.

Since the spring we have a big demand for reusable isolation gowns as many hospitals and health systems have elected to replace single-use, disposable gowns that previously dominated the marketplace. Reusable isolation gowns create a “local supply chain,” with the laundry reprocessing taking place in the local community and generally turned around within 24 hours.

FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES

Randy Bartsch, the CEO of Alliance member Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service based in Seattle, says, “The linen and laundry services we provide have in all cases been recognized as an essential service.”

During the pandemic, Ecotex was able to fulfill orders and shipping linens without disruption.

“Our management team has worked tirelessly to support our employees so together we can continue to perform these critical support services,” adds Bartsch.

Ecotex deployed an expedited “rapid response” reprocessing program to support its hospital customers with critical linens in short supply by offering multiple pickups and deliveries daily.

Early on in the pandemic, San Diego-based Emerald Textiles decided to invest in PPE whenever a supply-chain opportunity presented itself. Many of its customers did the same, which created incremental revenue opportunities for the company as normal in-patient linen volumes dropped.

For Emerald, the biggest chal-

lenge remains rebuilding its stable labor force.

For Alliance member Novo Healthcare Service, based in Atlanta, company President Randy Rosetti comments on the difficulties faced this year, “The pandemic added tremendous pressure on both our supply chain and our customers’ supply chains.

“We had to go to extraordinary efforts to get product to meet the tremendous increase in demand from our customers with protective garments and scrubs.”

Many healthcare institutions seem to be asking healthcare laundries for help sourcing PPE items, including medical-grade masks, latex gloves, bonnets and foot coverings.

This has helped Alliance member Mark Carter of Up To Date Laundry in Baltimore recover some of his lost revenues for the year. Up To Date has also been asked to support some of the temporary offsite pandemic treatment centers with new rental laundry services.

Member Richard Smith of Century Linen located in Gloversville, New York, shares that his company has also benefited by helping his healthcare customers,

and even local schools source PPE items for direct sale. Smith says this was a welcome source of extra income for his business as they struggled during the downturn.

ROAD AHEAD

As we look to 2021, the future seems somewhat uncertain. Many questions are yet to be answered. When will the pandemic subside? How well will the new vaccines work, and what percentage of the population will be inoculated against this coronavirus? And equally important, what will happen to the many small businesses, shops, restaurants, neighborhood retailers and more, that make up the backbone of our country? Can these businesses survive?

Some things are certain, and our healthcare laundry industry needs to capitalize on them. Some of those certainties are the need to maintain the enhanced sanitation and extra housekeeping protocols inside our laundries that were instituted during this pandemic.

We also need to work with our equipment vendors to innovate and develop new ways to help us become more efficient in our

plants. We need to build trust with our customers that we can supply a reliable, local, assured supply of high-quality hygienically clean healthcare linens.

We need to convince our customers that properly processed reusables are a better source of certain PPE cover garments like isolation gowns than disposables.

The aging demographics of North America tell us that the healthcare industry will continue to expand. As a vital support service industry, healthcare laundry will continue to grow along with our customers for at least the next decade or more.

To ensure our long-term success the members of the Healthcare Linen Alliance are committed to help our customers grow their businesses cost effectively, with a safe, reliable supply of fresh laundry, linens and the direct sale items that help create a safe, comfortable environment for patient care.

ALN

Rick Gaffney heads business developments and partnerships for the Healthcare Linen Alliance, which is made up of seven healthcare laundries offering services across North America.

Hospitals are asking for more reusable PPE, specifically cover garments like isolation gowns, scrubs and lab coats. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Showcase

Girbau Industrial says its E-Series Washers also offer complete programmable control over every variable of the wash process, making it easy to clean a variety of item and linen types.

Finally, to ensure laundry loads are properly disinfected every time—ensuring employee and customer safety—E-Series Washers feature the new, optional Disinfection Monitoring Package (DMP). With each load washed, the company says DMP integrates with Sapphire remote management software to monitor and verify that pre-established disinfection protocols are satisfied, guaranteeing hygiene and safety.

lingual capabilities and state-of-theart reporting.

Dexter adds that programming is easy, too, with DexterLive, its free cloud-based laundry management program.

Dexter’s Express PLUS washers are available in multiple sizes, including the T-975 with 60 pounds of capacity, which the company says is built with high-quality materials, heavy-duty bearings and designed to pass an extreme 1,000 hour out-ofbalance test.

www.dexter.com 800-524-2954

conventional bath rinses—an equally effective asset for removing soil in pre-rinse steps.

When equipped with the powerful and flexible UniLinc control, the washer-extractor’s intuitive operation ensures all staff members can easily operate the unit, while it also offers access to cycle data, error codes, machine history and much more, UniMac says.

Also, the UWT065 bares all the hallmarks of what UniMac calls its industrial quality, including a robotically welded frame, oversized bearings and four fastfill valves. The end results are improved processes, better quality and the lowest cost of ownership, according to the company.

www.unimac.com 800-587-5458

GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL

Girbau Industrial says its small-capacity E-Series WasherExtractors—in 20- to 90-pound capacities—are high-performance, soft-mount washers engineered to deliver maximum efficiency, production and safety.

Offering a freestanding design for simple, zero-impact installation, E-Series Washers position easily into place without bolt-down or need for reinforced concrete foundations. Generating high extract speeds up to 400 G-force—for maximum moisture removal and up to 50% lower dry times—E-Series Washers catapult laundry productivity while extending linen life and lowering energy usage, the company says.

The DMP, as a result, makes it simple to comply with global and country disinfection and cleaning guidelines, including those of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). www.girbauindustrial.com 800-256-1073

DEXTER LAUNDRY

Dexter Laundry says its new line of Express PLUS washers delivers on its mission to help companies process laundry faster and more efficiently.

Express PLUS washers do this by providing up to 400 G-force of extraction. This high extract will reduce dry times, increasing throughput and reducing gas expenses, the company says.

The new line is available with O-Series controls to give laundry managers Total Control over their laundry, according to Dexter. These controls are easy to use with multi-

B&C TECHNOLOGIES

B&C Technologies says that its HE hard-mount professional washer line and the SP soft-mount have been proven in the field to offer long life and dependability. The HE is available in 35-, 45-, 65- and 110-pound capacities, adding the machines utilize a simple design that saves money by keeping repair costs and downtime to a minimum and allows for easy maintenance.

Building on those design elements, the high-extract speed of the SP line (45-, 50-, 65- and 75-pound capacities) ensures less dry time for goods, saving on utility costs and wear and tear on the goods, according to the company.

B&C says all of its washers feature a solid foundation, a large door opening for easier loading and unloading, and strong door-andhinge system made of 304 stainless steel.

www.bandctech.com 850-249-2222

RAMCO LAUNDRY MACHINERY INC.

RAMCO says its 69- and 80-pound hard-mount washerextractors have a sturdy hardmount design that will outlast any washer in the industry with no floor damage.

The company adds that their machines are the most economical choice for smaller hotels and facilities with the following features:

• 304 Stainless Steel

Construction—The drum, shell, front and side panels are made of 304 stainless steel.

• Bearings—The heavy-duty spherical rollers are designed

to be durable and keep the machine quieter when running.

• Construction—Single motor variable-speed drive for optimized performance.

• Lip Seals—All seals use radial shaft seals which ensures long lasting service.

• Large Door Opening—The large door opening makes loading and unloading easier.

RAMCO points out that it offers a complete line of equipment, parts, repairs and services. Also, its specialists offer expertise in equipment selection, facility layout, engineering and support services tailored to each customer’s needs.

www.ramcolaundry.com 800-878-5578

unique sequences, indicates when the washer is in operation, free to use, or needs assistance, ensuring quick visual management.

Next to the features mentioned, TOLON says the washers also come equipped with a large five frontal compartment dispenser for the TWE10 to TWE28 machines, and a six-compartment dispenser for the TWE40 with choice of liquid or powder detergent.

The soap dispensers are easy to reach and clean. Also the washers are standard equipped with automatic soap dosing.

www.tolon.com 850-980-1554

TOLON USA

TOLON says it manufactures a compact, durable and efficient industrial washer-extractor range.

Its small-capacity washer-extractors available for on-premises laundries are TWE10 (22 pounds), TWE15 (33 pounds), TWE18 (40 pounds), TWE24 (53 pounds) TWE28 (62 pounds) and TWE40 (88 pounds).

The company says the washers are easy to install, operate and service and are an economical investment. TOLON adds the machines are proven to be very practical with large, easy loading and unloading doors and a conical drum face.

The company says that installation is fast and easy because of the set-up and copying of washing and chemical programs through the USB ports on the machines. The smart indicator light, working with

MIELE USA

Miele now offers the Benchmark Performance line of small-capacity washer-extractors.

The company says on-board heaters and narrow hysteresis allow programs that heat water up to 200 F and hold temps for specific periods of time. Thus, thermal disinfection without the need for bleach is achieved. This is better for the environment and increases the longevity of the textiles.

Miele has increased its washers’ capabilities to extract more water with high spin speeds and high G-forces (over 500). This cuts drying time in half and reduces energy consumption, resulting in fast drying times and better workflow, Miele says.

Features of the Benchmark Performance line include:

• 12 standard programs.

• Octoblue front.

• Load capacity of 45 pounds.

• Drum: 6.4 cu. ft./180 liter.

• Spin speed: 950 rpm.

• 57.2-inches high by 36.4-inches wide by 37.4-inches deep.

• Depth with door open: 56 inches.

• Electrically heated: 3 AC (3-pole) 220-240V 60Hz (conv. to 208V), 3-pole 40 A.

• Non-heated: 3 AC (3-pole) 220240V 60Hz (conv. to 208V), 3-pole 16 A.

• Two cold/one hot water line with ¾-inch connection.

www.mieleusa.com 888-996-4353

GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL

DEXTER LAUNDRY

B&C TECHNOLOGIES

RAMCO LAUNDRY MACHINERY INC.

TOLON USA

MIELE USA

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EVI Industries to acquire Eastern Laundry Systems

MIAMI — EVI Industries Inc., a commercial laundry and drycleaning equipment distributor based here, reports it has executed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire substantially all the assets and certain liabilities of Taunton, Massachusetts-based Baystate Business Ventures dba Eastern Laundry Systems, a distributor of commercial and vended laundry products and a provider of related installation and maintenance services.

EVI says Eastern Laundry Systems has built a reputation of providing exceptional service while representing quality products to a diverse customer base across the New England region.

This acquisition is consistent with EVI’s strategy to build the largest and most dynamic sales and service team in each geographic market to promote the company’s growing portfolio of products and to expand its service operations.

“We are pleased to welcome Eastern Laundry Systems to the EVI family,” says Henry M. Nahmad, EVI’s chairman and CEO. “We remain very active in our pursuit of additional acquisitions and strategic investments in other great businesses in our industry and in those industries that meet our financial and strategic criteria.”

The transaction is expected to close upon the satisfaction of closing conditions.

medium-duty trucks and buses, reports it has deployed four all-electric step vans with Alsco, a global uniform service company.

The zero-emission step vans are built on Motiv’s EPIC F-59 Ford eQVM-approved chassis and will serve routes in Sacramento and Los Angeles, with dozens more planned for next year.

Alsco selected Motiv after successful demonstrations, where Alsco drivers and depot managers were impressed with the Motiv-powered electric trucks’ performance.

Ideal for Alsco’s routes, Motiv says its EPIC F-59 chassis incorporates its fifth-generation electric powertrain technology, AdaptEV software and BMW battery packs. These all-electric step vans will reduce operation and maintenance costs by up to 85%, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle, according to the company.

Motiv says that on an annual basis, the four electric step vans will offset approximately 100 metric tons of CO2 versus diesel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. They also provide drivers with fatigue-reducing features such as hill hold and regenerative braking.

Alsco works to make its processes more sustainable and source products from vendors that prioritize eco-friendly options. By introducing zero-emission all-electric step vans into its fleet, Alsco is taking steps to decrease its carbon footprint in the communities they serve.

Unitex opens Massachusetts facility

ELMSFORD, N.Y. — Unitex, a family-owned healthcare laundry service provider headquartered here, reports it has opened its Lawrence, Massachusetts, facility.

The company says the first phase of the opening is focused on the laundry needs of hospitals and extended-care facilities in the market. Phase two, which will begin operations in 2021, will focus on the linen needs of outpatient healthcare facilities as well as uniforms, environmental service products and specialty textiles.

Once production is fully underway in 2021, the 188,000-square-foot facility will produce more than 85 million pounds of clean linens and uniforms annually and employ more than 350 local people, according to Unitex.

Currently operating 11 laundry processing facilities and one garment warehouse in the Northeast, Unitex says it is excited to open the doors to its first Massachusetts-based facility.

“Despite this challenging time in the world, we are thankful and excited to have put the pieces in place to open our doors in Lawrence,” says David Potack, president of Unitex. “The dedication and resiliency demonstrated by our team, with the support of countless supplier partners, made this ambitious project possible.

“We are looking forward to working with our new customers in the market and playing an important role in the Lawrence community in different ways.”

Alsco launches delivery fleet electrification program

FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Motiv Power Systems, a sustainable technology company delivering EV solutions for

“Alsco’s products, by nature, are more sustainable compared to disposables,” says Ben Fox, director of Sales and Marketing for Alsco. “We promote the use of reusable items, like uniforms, cloth napkins, towels, isolation gowns and floor mats to our customers.

“It only makes sense for us to put our delivery drivers in sustainable, efficient, reliable Motiv-powered all-electric step vans.”

“We are excited to see Alsco Uniforms diversify their fleets to include zero-emission step vans,” says Matt O’Leary, Motiv’s chairman and CEO. “As we see more medium-duty fleets choose all-electric options for their last-mile delivery efforts, it’s our hope that we will truly see fleets freed from fossil fuels.

“We applaud Alsco’s long tradition of serving their customers with efficient, innovative and sustainable technologies and look forward to a successful partnership into 2021.”

Energenics Corp. forms MaxAssure Inc.

NAPLES, Fla. — Energenics Corp., which provides products to remove lint, dust, resolve airflow issues and attack bacteria in commercial laundry settings, reports it has formed a new company—MaxAssure Inc.

The new company will market and sell the UV-Max product family nationally to all markets, including the textile industry.

“COVID-19 created the opportunity to form a new dedicated sales team to establish new distribution channels across correctional, food distribution, medical and janitorial industries,” says Tim Sulecki, president of Energenics Corp. and MaxAssure.

MaxAssure will work with Energenics’ existing distribution channels in the textile industry and provide modernized media resources for both the end-user and distribution partners, the company says.

Energenics’ existing sales team will continue the sales and support of all filtration and cart washing product lines.

Cleveland Clinic, Standard Textile collaborate to develop reusable face masks, majority of profits donated

CINCINNATI and CLEVELAND — Standard Textile, a global manufacturer of healthcare, hospitality and consumer products, and Cleveland Clinic report they have collaborated to produce a non-medical grade, reusable face mask that is designed for comfort and customization.

Standard Textile will sell the face masks on its consumer website, standardtextilehome.com . The company is donating the majority of profit from face mask sales to support COVID-19 research at Cleveland Clinic.

“We applaud Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to dedicating substantial resources to important therapeutic studies that have the potential of improving outcomes for individuals who have contracted COVID-19,” says Gary Heiman, Standard Textile’s president and CEO. “We value our long-standing relationship with Cleveland Clinic and are pleased we have an opportunity to expand that by supporting COVID-19 research.”

Standard Textile’s and Cleveland Clinic’s respective innovation teams collaborated to design the non-medical face mask, which will bear the inspirational message “HOPE” after Hope Hospital, a temporary hospital in the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion on the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic.

In April, Cleveland Clinic transitioned the Samson Pavilion to a temporary hospital to meet the potential needs of patients and the community in the event of a surge of patients with COVID-19. The building was converted back to the Health Education Campus for the fall semester.

“As we consider opportunities to commercialize innovations, it’s important to us to collaborate with industry leaders who align with our commitment to protecting the community and advancing research,” says Will Morris, M.D., executive medical director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations.

“Teaming up with Standard Textile on this creative project supports social distancing and mask-wearing while raising funds for critical COVID-19 research at Cleveland Clinic.”

The reusable face mask offers enhanced comfort with its 100% cotton construction and breathability with its mesh lining. Adjustable ear loops and a neck strap add convenience of use, while its filter pocket and removable nose clip offer customization options.

Standard Textile and Cleveland Clinic plan to produce custom-branded versions of the face mask for key partners looking to outfit their employees and customers with an enhanced, non-medical face mask.

“We appreciate the collaboration with Standard Textile on this project,” says Lara Kalafatis, chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Philanthropy Institute. “This new mask truly represents hope in several ways, from raising critical research funds through sale proceeds to giving us all one more way to #MaskUp to keep our families and communities safe.”

The HOPE™ face mask is being produced by Standard Textile, which earlier this year led the urgent charge to increase production of PPE such as protective gowns, face masks and face shields to provide hospitals and healthcare workers in the United States with additional protection against COVID-19.

As a nonprofit healthcare system, Cleveland Clinic relies on philanthropic gifts to fund its critical research projects and programs. Since spring, thousands of donors have contributed to COVID-19 research.

Unitex says the 188,000-square-foot facility will produce more than 85 million pounds of clean linens and uniforms annually and employ more than 350 local people. (Photo: Unitex)

Alsco’s zero-emission step vans are built on Motiv’s EPIC F-59 Ford eQVM-approved chassis with Utilimaster bodies. (Photo: Motiv)

(Photo: Standard Textile)