American Laundry News - June 2021

Late News Healthcare Linen Services Group acquires Angelica Chicago facility

ST. CHARLES, Ill. —

Healthcare Linen Services Group (HLSG), a provider of healthcare laundry services in the Midwest and central United States, reports it has acquired the Angelica facility in Chicago.

“The acquisition of the Chicago facility aligns with our commitment to our core markets in the Midwest where we have served our healthcare customers for over 30 years,” says Joseph LaPorta, HLSG’s president and CEO.

The company says the acquisition adds the 10th laundry facility and 20 million pounds of processing capacity to the HLSG network of plants across four states.

The Chicago location is highly complementary to HLSG’s footprint in the Illinois market and will rebrand to Superior Health Linen, the company says.

“We are excited to bring additional capacity, redundancy and linen management expertise to the city of Chicago and Northwest Indiana markets,” adds LaPorta. ALN

Laundry employee training in a COVID-19 world

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — David Griggs, general manager of Superior Linen Service’s Healthcare Division in Muskogee, Oklahoma, says two common issues that most laundries face are employee turnover and employee accidents.

“While no program can completely stop either issue, you can go a long way toward solving these issues with a good continual employee training program,” he says.

“Unorganized facilities create employee frustration that usually leads to both turnover and accidents. They also generally produce a poor quality product that gets sent to their customers.”

Add in the COVID-19 pandemic, and training laundry employees can be challenging at best.

American Laundry News communicated about effective laundry employee training today with Griggs; Sylvia Williams, Human Resources Manager for Prudential Overall

Supply headquartered in Irvine, California; Tommy Cocanougher, Director-Operations Engineering for Cintas Corp.; and Deana A. Griffin, president of The Griffin Group Inc. in Staunton, Virginia.

How has COVID-19 changed training employees?

WILLIAMS: COVID-19 really put all HR

professionals to the test. Not only did we need to make sure that we were in compliance with new and evolving state laws and local ordinances governing work requirements, but we needed to make our employees feel safe in a time where personal safety was a concern.

How safe is your laundry operation?

(Part 2)

BY DONALD BOCK, ARM

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — You lie awake at night wondering whether your laundry operation is safe for your employees. So, you decide to see for yourself by inspecting your plant and fleet to verify that they are indeed safe.

But where do you start?

This article is going to walk you through the process of inspecting your own operation to determine where the opportunities for improvement exist and how you can make those improvements.

Last month in Part 1 of a two-part series, I shared the importance of a checklist, following the flow of goods, and started “inspecting” a

Panel of Experts

In this issue, the experts share their advice on dealing with a tight supply chain.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

Continuing a plant safety inspection with the wash aisle, finishing, employee safety, office and warehouse

licensed by

Image)

Your Views Survey:

Laundry labor challenging due to COVID-19

CHICAGO — The COVID-19 pandemic has made finding and retaining employees difficult in laundry and linen services.

That’s the result of the most recent American Laundry News Your Views survey.

When it comes to hiring employees, 85% of survey respondents indicate their laundry operations have had difficulties since the pandemic began. Only 15% say they haven’t had problems.

Overwhelmingly (83.4%), those who took the survey indicate that the availability of government assistance has kept potential employees from applying for job openings, instead of other factors such as stay-at-home orders, fear of infection, the need to stay home and care for family members, and not understanding the importance of the job.

“It has honestly been a combination of all the above,” writes a respondent. “When employees don’t feel valued, they get discouraged. But currently, the government has made it very easy to stay home and not seek out employment opportunity, although we have quite a bit!”

So, how are laundry operators trying to attract employees? Some ways survey takers indicate include:

• Benefits with pay and post-COVID opportunities.

• Changing the marketing strategy to attract a different audience.

• Salary increases, attendance bonuses, sign-on bonuses and referral bonuses.

• Job postings.

• Online and social media.

• Staffing agencies, advertising, EDD (Employment Development Department), flyers, word of mouth, bonus pay for referrals.

• Using temp help agency.

One survey taker says, “We pay them more than others to hire them, and to keep the old ones.”

Keeping employees has been somewhat of a challenge for laundry operations, too. When asked if they’ve struggled to retain employees, 70% of respondents say yes, while 30% indicate they haven’t had issues.

The reasons laundry employees are leaving vary. Reasons survey takers have received include:

• Those willing to work are leaving for better pay or perceived lower-risk work.

• Overworked.

• Higher salary/benefits.

• Some leaving for restaurant jobs or other industries.

• Not happy with type of work. There’s plenty to choose from.

• Stay home and make more money between unemployment and government assistance.

• Family issues.

When asked how managers can keep employees from leaving at this time, 15% of respondents indicate both “listen to, and respond to, employee concerns” and “compensate fairly.”

The top response to the question was “all of the above” at 60%, which includes “communicate safety efforts regularly” and “provide time needed for COVID-related absences.”

One challenge resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has been unexpected absences, whether due to symptoms, exposure to the virus or the need to care for family members. In order to cover these unexpected absences, 90% of respondents indicate their company cross-trains employees on various laundry equipment.

“We cross-train because it allows us to have coverage for unexpected absences or surge of business,” writes one respondent. “When one area slows down, the employee can be transferred to another area/department requiring help, making it a win-win.

“Both the employee and employer win, which allows the employer to ensure the customer is receiving all their linen order completely and as scheduled.”

“Cross-training is an easily implemented redundancy system and helps alleviate boredom in a very repetitive work environment,” writes another.

Another respondent admits, “We could do a better job at cross-training to have coverage when associates are out.”

One of the 10% of survey takers whose company doesn’t cross-train writes they don’t because of “equipment abuse or chemical safety. These are tightly held positions, and employees don’t want night shift when production is done.”

“I believe that the biggest asset is to remember employees are our inside customers, train, teach them, show them, be an example and, most of all, communicate,” writes a survey taker. “There should be transparency so everyone understands they are vital to the operation and bring value, in my humble opinion.”

“Come September, there will be a flood of available employees,” writes another.

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

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

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein

Phone: 312-361-1682

E-Mail: dfeinstein@ ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs

Phone: 312-361-1683

E-Mail: bbeggs@ ATMags.com

Editor

Matt Poe

Phone: 866-942-5694

E-Mail: mpoe@ ATMags.com

Production Manager

Mathew Pawlak

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs

Phone: 312-361-1681

E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

Advisory Board

David Barbe • David Carter

Janice Ayers Davis • Nick Fertig

Deana Griffin • Steve Kallenbach Edward McCauley

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

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© 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.

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Minding the laundry gap

M ind the gap” is a phrase most associated with the London Underground.

The phrased is shared often, via recording, cautioning riders to be aware of the dangerous space between the platform and the train.

If riders aren’t careful, they could fall between the platform and the train, possibly onto the track.

In the laundry industry, we’ve had a “gaps” because of COVID19, not life-threatening gaps, but disconcerting nonetheless.

First, we’ve had a trade show gap.

This issue of American Laundry News is here to help you fill that gap as much as possible with our “No Clean Show, No Problem” feature beginning on page 18.

The section features “exhibits” from our 2021 display advertisers

From The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

through June.

Another gap most businesses are experiencing, including laundry and linen services, is the labor gap. On page 2, you can read how respondents to our most recent Your Views survey are being affected by labor issues, and how they are handling the problem.

TRSA, the association for linen,

uniform and facility services, hosted Regional Town Halls in March and April, which featured discussions on labor shortages. You can read the report on page 15.

One way to help with the labor gap is through training. Our feature on effective training, with insights from four experts, starts on page 1.

Another gap you’ve likely experienced is a supply gap. For a variety of reasons, many necessary laundry items have been in short supply, and we asked our Panel of Experts (page 16) to offer ideas to help deal with tight supply chains.

Even with gaps, though, business continues. And signs point to increasing laundry business as the year progresses.

I hope this issue helps you “mind the gaps,” continue and increase business, and helps everybody keep it clean! ALN

Understanding recent legal immigrants

I worked in the laundry industry for 44 years and had the pleasure of working with many legal immigrants. This is normal because the laundry industry is a natural gateway industry for this type of employee.

Today I would like to write about what I learned from my many experiences working with this group of employees and now being married to a Thai wife and helping raise her two children.

The first thing most of us recognize is that there is a language barrier between you and the potential employee. Many immigrants have moved to the United States from war-torn regions of the world. Many have lived through traumatic experiences we can just not understand.

I came to a greater understanding of this language problem on my several trips to Thailand. While some Thai people speak some English, the vast majority do not. Thai is a tonal language and not easily learned. I have never been good at learning a foreign language and only passed two years of high school Spanish on the promise I would never have to take any more.

I was always so grateful for the kind smile and helpful attitude of those Thai citizens who went out of their way to help a poor, lost tourist. They made me feel welcome in their wonderful country. We should make sure the same happens in our laundry. Not being able to communicate clearly in English does not make them a bad employee. They want to be acknowledged for what they can do and feel welcome. Learning a few words in their native language can make a strong bond with these employees.

IRVINE, Calif. — Prudential Overall Supply, an industry leader in reusable image work apparel and related textiles based here, is celebrating its 89th anniversary.

Founded by John D. Clark in 1932, Prudential has grown from a one-man operation to a national brand serving more than 28,000 customers throughout North America.

Prudential’s third-generation CEO, John Clark, says, “Prudential Overall Supply is proud to be able to celebrate our 89th anniversary this year.

“One of our main objectives each year is to close the year stronger as a company so we can better support our customers. Through much effort from our employees and suppliers, we believe we were able to achieve this in a challenging year. This is a testament to the strength and flexibility of our organization.

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

Family-owned and -operated since 1932, Prudential Overall Supply says it is dedicated to enhancing its customers’ images at the best dollar value. By providing premium quality workwear and safety uniforms, career apparel and casual wear, cleanroom garments and related services, Prudential says it can outfit entire organizations.

This certified Clean Green, ontime, weekly service also addresses facility image and safety requirements by offering floor mats, wiping towels and facility products throughout the United States. ALN

When my Thai wife moved from Bangkok to Roanoke, Virginia, she immediately noticed three things. The first was how quiet everything is around my house. There is a constant noise level in Thailand with many cars, buses, trucks and loudspeakers used to attract customers. Quiet in Thailand is hard to find except in the very rural areas of the country.

The second was how clear and clean the air was. Thailand has severe air pollution problems to the point that many Thais routinely wear masks outside, even before COVID-19. The third thing she noticed was the change in weather to what she had experienced for the first 47 years of life. Thailand is very hot and humid. The average temperature is around 90 degrees. She was very concerned about being warm enough during winter.

I remember having several new female employees from the Congo in my laundry. They suffered greatly when the temperature dropped to below 50 degrees. They often wore multiple layers of clothes to work.

Some of my employees told me I should tell them they looked silly and to wear only one dress at a time. I explained to them how hot it was where they came from, how it takes the human body at least a year to adapt to a new climate, especially when the change is as drastic as moving from the Congo to Roanoke. Once they understood the problem, they made suggestions to the women about warm underclothing they could buy to help manage the cold.

Another problem facing this type of employee is understanding our money system. Many of these employees will come from areas of the world where there are no banks or banks are not to be trusted. Having a wonderful direct deposit payroll system is something they are not comfortable with and do not understand.

In Thailand, the bigger the coin the larger the value. But here in the United States, our dime is worth more than the penny or the nickel, both of which are larger. In Thailand, each bill is a different color. Here, bills are the same size and same color.

Adapting to a changing world is difficult. Many things are different here than elsewhere in the world. Even with these problems, immigrants are excited to be here and develop a better life for themselves and their children.

By understanding some of their challenges, we can help them feel welcome and important. ALN

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

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

Training

COCANOUGHER: Training new employees during this pandemic, with social distancing requirements, has impacted the close-up personal training with which the industry is familiar. Training at a distance definitely takes more time, as workstations have limited space and often must be cleaned between users.

Managers must adjust to allotting more time for initial onboarding to assure the training material and tasks are absorbed by the new employee. There is no substitute for the training, so more time must simply be allocated to assure the knowledge transfer is adequate.

GRIFFIN: The world’s response to COVID-19 has resulted in the most rapid transformation in the workplace—digitizing the relationships between firm and customer to digitizing the relationship between employer and employees with virtual meetings. There is limited space in training classes due to space requirements, which increases the number of in-person training classes.

GRIGGS: Employee training is such a vital part of a plant’s continual improvement. The use of online programs such as Zoom is a great way to train field employees or keep different locations connected.

Internal employees should have meetings within their work area in smaller meeting sizes. Having quick 10-minute meetings in their work area usually gets better attention and is safer than trying to get all the employees into a break room or conference room.

How important is cross-training on equipment these days?

WILLIAMS: Prior to the pandemic, we felt that we did an exceptional job at cross-training our staff; however, this pandemic showed us that we could definitely improve, and we have.

Just like in most cases, when an unexpected act of nature occurs, there are disruptions to the community and the businesses affected.

We folks in HR like to refer to the way we deal with such events as “crisis management.”

The pandemic has shown us that cross-training is needed more than ever to allow us the flexibility to make quick and necessary decisions when crises occur.

With COVID-19 we experienced increased absences and discovered that not only did we lose the folks that did an exceptional job in their role but we lost the tribal knowledge that only they possessed. Cross-training is crucial

for a company to not only continue working without disruptions in the workplace but to continue delivering the same quality and service to their customers.

Cross-training is critical to the success of most organizations. As long as an employer is not overstepping on an employee’s physical work restrictions that they may have in place, or going against a clause in a union contract that does not allow an employee to be rotated, then you should do it.

We make sure to follow safety training requirements before someone is placed in a position that they have not worked in before. We want our employees to be able to develop their current skill sets, but, most importantly, we want to make sure we do it in a safe manner.

COCANOUGHER: Crosstraining reached a new level of importance with the impact of COVID. During the peak of the pandemic, it was not unusual to have 20% of staff in quarantine.

That leaves employees behind to fill positions with which they may have no knowledge. That isn’t the time to cross-train.

The development of a solid cross-training plan across your organization should be a part of the manager’s responsibility to sustain business needs. The plan should include frequent rotation into secondary positions so that skills learned are reinforced over time.

Specialized positions such as wash alley operations, maintenance and delivery present more

complicated obstacles when crosstraining. Hiring practices should include planning for back-ups to these critical roles.

GRIFFIN: Cross-training is a great strategy for employee growth and development. It maintains productivity, even when there’s a workforce shortage

Cross-training inspires more strategic staffing. While some employees are prone to do well in certain areas not related to their positions, you have the option to either coach them for a permanent switch or only use them for the roles when you need time to search for new talent.

It also reduces the cost of recruiting new talent and boosts employee morale through engagement.

GRIGGS: Cross-training of employees has been a buzzword in our company for several years. Since every job in the laundry uses different sets of muscles, moving employees around can greatly reduce the risk of repetitive motion injuries. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for this practice since on any day an employee may be forced to quarantine and be off work for several weeks. This has made it imperative to have multiple employees trained on all jobs in the facility.

It is usually better to keep employees trained in a specific area rather than every job in the

laundry. Training employees in areas such as dry-fold (washcloths, towels, gowns, etc.), ironers and the soil room is usually easier to do since each area requires a little different skill set.

An employee may do a great job of running a blanket folder but not have the hand skill to feed small pieces into a towel folder or ironer. They should be trained and rotate throughout these work areas. For example, they should work on both the feed side of machines as well as the catch side.

There are some employees who can perform every job in the building; however, there are usually jobs they do not perform well at and do not produce a good number.

If you are wanting to cross-train employees throughout the plant, I like to limit that to two hours a week. They should have the general idea of how other areas work so that they can work there in a pinch, but they are not going to be an expert at it. You can run the risk of cross-training so much that no one is good at anything.

The general concept of every job in the plant should be relatively similar. Some jobs, such as clean linen shippers or continuous tunnel operators, may have more specific skills or knowledge points, but all employees should understand the general concept of what the company is expecting. How items are packed out or put in shipping carts should be rela-

tively close throughout the facility.

In your opinion, what is the most difficult challenge training laundry employees today?

WILLIAMS: Currently, the most difficult challenge we face in training laundry employees is retaining employees long enough to fully develop them. With government pandemic stimulus relief and increased unemployment benefits, we, like most employers, are finding it difficult to fill entry-level positions.

Every job is an important job and it takes great talent to make a company successful. In an effort to retain our newly acquired talent and to encourage them to grow and develop their careers with Prudential, we have bumped up our cross-training and career path discussions.

Employees want to hear that there are opportunities for advancement and that they don’t have to wait several years for it to occur. Cross-training occurs early on within the employee’s career cycle and refresher training is done ongoing throughout employment. Cross-training is one method that, along with others, can be used to successfully implement an employee development program.

COCANOUGHER: Allowing adequate time to train, and to check up on the progress while keeping your employees engaged and happy on the job, is perhaps the most challenging obstacle.

Managers and supervisors alike are running with short staffs, increasing customer demands, and obstacles in health and safety.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Cocanougher

Williams

Griffin Griggs

What Makes

Jeff Gardner, aka “The Laundry Doctor,” shut down his vended laundry of 19 years in order to expand commercial laundry services. Without interrupting service to existing wash/dry/fold and commercial customers, Gardner re-purposed the 3,500-square-foot building with Girbau Industrial laundry equipment, including a Compact+ 5-in-One Ironer.

The Compact+ install allowed expansion into new markets. On the commercial side, The Laundry Doctor specializes in processing customer-owned goods for boutique hotels, vacation rentals, bars and restaurants. Meanwhile a small, linen-rental business serves clients including acupuncturists and massage therapists. “We cater to small business needs and alter our processes to benefit them,” said Gardner. “We take on the small guys that big commercial laundries just don’t service well.”

• Process fitted sheets with single person operation to feed, iron, fold, stack & deliver

• Multilane small piece ironing with optional delivery to rear table or accumulator

• Configurable for two lane ironing and folding with delivery options to front, optional rear table, accumulator or stacker

• Process 90” and 120” round table covers with single person operation through clip feed with optional rear table or stacker delivery

Training

Giving each employee that personal attention every day is getting more difficult but there is no substitute for working to keep your employees happy and safe.

GRIFFIN: Getting employees to embrace innovation and learn new technology and deciding what training programs to implement have been challenging.

GRIGGS: I believe the challenges we have today are the same as we have always faced concerning training plant employees.

Getting supervisor buy-in to taking employees away from their workstations is always tough.

Production supervisors have the mindset of feed linen and get the loads out, it is easy to get blinders on to where they are only looking at production numbers.

A good training program will keep employees engaged and help the overall output of the facility.

Describe some of the more effective methods of laundry employee training.

WILLIAMS: At Prudential, we have found that the most effective method to train our employees is by pairing them up with a knowledgeable buddy. The “Buddy System,” as we refer to it, provides them hands-on training with someone who is a subject matter expert in that skill.

The employees may also find it less intimidating to approach their assigned “Buddy” with questions if they do not understand a process. We encourage our new hires to ask questions and provide them ongoing effective feedback during the training process.

COCANOUGHER: In one-onone training, don’t just explain “how” but explain “why.” Teach what happens if the task is not correctly completed and the impact both upstream and downstream.

Remove the complexity of product identification, soil classifications, quality standards and the like by use of effective visual boards in the work area.

For positions that are more highly technical or complicated, relying on a high level of specific steps, a printed playbook or reference book may be helpful. Laminate the pages, mount them in the work area, and teach your employees how to reference them as they learn the new job.

GRIFFIN: I’d say effective training methods include:

• Simulators.

• Technology-based learning/ eLearning.

• Cross-training/job rotation.

• Films and videos.

• On-the-job training.

• Instructor/manager-led training.

• Coaching/mentoring.

• Virtual training meetings.

How often should laundry employees undergo training? Why?

WILLIAMS: An employee’s abil-

ity to retain the skills they learned during cross-training is only as good as the training that took place and the frequency in which it was taught. In order for cross-training to be effective, it should be ongoing.

COCANOUGHER: Regular training meetings among the team can add value if planned and carried out properly. These may be in several forms:

Pre-shift Team Meetings—Take 5-10 minutes to set the daily goal, talk about safety, and recognize individuals or teams for outstanding performance.

Monthly Safety/Production/ Business Meetings—An hour to 90 minutes every other week should be sufficient in most plants to complete required safety training, speak about the condition of the business, and provide specialized recognition such as service awards, etc.

Employees must be made to feel appreciated and an important part of something bigger than themselves. Engaging them in the training will lead to engaging them in the decisions about plant floor activities and helps to build a strong dedicated team.

GRIFFIN: Every six months to one year.

Annual OSHA training for all employees is mandatory, and training for new-hire employees within 10 days of hire. Compliance training is required annually.

Employee training programs help to improve the knowledge and skills of employees to match

the various changes in the industry.

GRIGGS: New obstacles seem to pop up every week in our laundry. We have a new stain suddenly appear or the size of our bundles seems to magically go from 12 by 20 to 14 by 24 without anyone alerting management.

To help combat these changes, short, quick meetings should be done weekly. Meetings should go over safety and quality issues that may have come up from the prior week. If employees are getting into bad work habits, it is much easier to correct them a week in versus a month out.

How can a laundry effectively train employees without taking too much time off the floor?

WILLIAMS: Training takes time, there is no way around that. If a company dedicates time upfront when the employee is recently hired, they are going to see the return on investment later on.

When an employee is newly hired, they are new to our process—let’s be honest, a lot of times they are new to the industry. Their productivity is not as efficient as someone who has experience in the role they were hired for, so it’s important to spend time with them to get them there.

It doesn’t matter how busy your schedule is or if now is not a good time, it’s always a good time to train. We cannot hold employees accountable for their production if we never took the time to properly train them.

COCANOUGHER: Frequent contact with each employee, particularly those who are new or in new roles, throughout the shift will allow you to spot incorrect processes, praise/correct activities and build on the training necessary for success.

Floor supervisors should have a routine that puts them in touch with each employee every hour— and not just to say “hi” but to have meaningful conversation and observation that will support the training needs of the operation.

GRIFFIN: Technology-based training/online learning/eLearning allows employees to learn at their own pace on their own time.

If a laundry operator were asking you about how to improve their training program, what would you tell them?

WILLIAMS: Set a solid foundation. The building is only as strong as the foundation it sits on.

An organization’s training program should be able to provide the employee with clear, standardized work instructions. The employee should know what they have to do, how they have to do it and what is expected of them.

Cross-training is vital to a company’s ability to not only adapt to sudden changes within the market but to be able to sustain when there are sudden shifts in the workforce.

COCANOUGHER: There is no cookie-cutter method—while all in the industry do essentially the same thing, our local operations and staffs are different, with varying degrees of experience and skill.

A true assessment of your training program will include asking your employees—they know better than anyone what is needed! They are your best resource for improving anything in your plant.

GRIFFIN: If knowledge is power, then learning is fundamental! Continuous improvement training teaches a system that leads to the evolutionary development of every aspect of a business—its products, services and methods.

GRIGGS: Training programs, like laundries in general, are constant works in progress. Do not start your training program out thinking it will automatically be fine-tuned and robust.

Try starting out with talking about one or no more than two topics at first. Overloading employees with items that you have been wanting to talk to them about for months all in the first week of your new training program will turn the employees and supervisors off concerning your training program.

Weekly bullet points of items to look at or safety issues usually obtain more employee buy-in. The trainer should work hard at keeping the message in the form of training and not turn it into a general complaint session. We all like to be trained, but none of us liked to be criticized.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

plant, from the soil department to chemical storage. In the conclusion, we move into the wash aisle, employee safety, and offices and warehouses.

WASH AISLE

As we move from the chemical storage and soil areas to the “clean” side of the plant, your inspection will be focusing on the washroom, dryers and finishing equipment. Each piece of equipment must be capable of being locked and tagged out to prevent machinery from starting while workers are in the vicinity. You should verify that the energy isolating devices are in place and capable of accepting the proper lockout device.

This is also an opportunity to observe whether a maintenance person is working on equipment without lockout/tagout equipment in place. Does your operation make it easy for lockout/ tagout to take place?

Inspecting the wash aisle includes observing the performance of personnel. Are they wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE)? Do they observe all safety devices? Do all washer doors work properly?

If your operation has safety gates to prevent access to shuttles, are operators bypassing these gates? Have you checked to be certain employees are not opening electrical panels?

One at-risk behavior often seen is a washroom employee attempting to make adjustments by bypassing safety devices to complete their tasks rather than calling for maintenance.

Do your maintenance personnel apply lockout and tagout information on equipment that is not capable of operating? Is there exposure to chemicals, and if so, is there a Right to Know station and eyewash/drench shower?

Do the dryer formulas call for a “cool down?” Do personnel shorten the “cool down” in order to speed up the process thereby creating a fire hazard?

FINISHING

Once through inspecting the wash aisle, move on to the finishing side. Inspect all flatwork ironers to be sure that the panic bars or emergency stops are functioning. Confirm that the workers know how to use them by having them demonstrate.

Is all piping carrying steam insulated to at least 7 feet from the floor? Are all guards in place on the sides of the ironers? Can workers pass between ironers? Are there guards to protect incidental contact with rollers, piping, etc.?

This is an opportunity to observe the ergonomic situation at the ironers. Are employees all similar in height, or is one much

taller, creating a potential injury due to the posture required to feed pieces? Do production workers try to clear jams instead of calling a supervisor or maintenance personnel?

Interview finishing employees to be sure they understand their roles in lockout/tagout. Observe employees to ensure that they are not wearing dangling jewelry and are wearing hair coverings. Again, this is an opportunity to inspect all conveyors to be certain that the rollers are covered to prevent employees from being caught. Does the emergency stop work?

Do your employees know how it works?

When inspecting towel folders, verify that sensors designed to stop the equipment in an emergency, or should one of the side panels be opened without the machine being turned off, are functioning properly. You should also observe whether production workers are clearing jams by reaching into equipment rather than calling maintenance at the towel folders.

Also while in the finishing area, observe employees operating presses and steam tunnels. Again, ensure that all steam piping is

insulated to at least 7 feet from the floor.

Are employees working on the line wearing proper hair covering to prevent their hair from getting caught and potential scalping? Are garments to be processed staged so that minimal bending is required for the operator to handle the garments? Are the sensors designed to stop the steam operational should the unit become disabled with product inside?

EMPLOYEE SAFETY

The greatest number of injuries in the industry is due to over-

exertion (strains and sprains). Observe your employees to be sure they are not carrying loads that exceed their capacity or your designated weight limit. NIOSH recommends 35 pounds as the maximum weight to be lifted. This observation is especially critical in the load assembly area where employees lift and carry myriad products over the course of a shift. Look for employees carrying bundles on their shoulders rather than under their arms or using the equipment provided.

Extending linen life—follow the directions

Not following care, chemical, equipment instructions will result in poor quality and have detrimental effects on linen

BY JOSH STEINHARDT

RIPON, Wis. — Try putting together a piece of furniture or your child’s new toy without following instructions. Before long, you’ll likely be pulling out your hair as parts don’t line up and the resulting item only somewhat resembles what is pictured.

Simply put, following directions is important in making tasks easier and in ensuring things are done efficiently.

That’s particularly true in doing laundry and extending the life of linen. If you don’t follow directions—from the linen, chemical, and washing and drying machine manufacturers—you’re likely reducing your linen’s lifespan and wasting time and money, too.

The most important thing that anyone can do to extend linen life is to follow the directions of the linen manufacturer. Every piece of linen that an organization is laundering has care instructions.

The manufacturer of those linens has determined the best way to process them—that can include specifying the temperature of the wash water, what chemicals should be introduced during the wash step, recommendations on how long to dry the linens and at what temperature, and if you should iron the linens or not.

If the operator doesn’t follow those care instructions, you will have poor quality and detrimental effects to the linen, and thus shorten the linen life itself.

For instance, over-drying will reduce linen life. When overdried, the linen fibers open up more, and the heat and the tumbling in the dyer weakens and destroys the fibers. In addition, over-drying can lead to static buildup, so reducing the dry time will reduce static.

Multiple laundry equipment manufacturers have moisturesensing systems on their dryers; these moisture-sensing systems should be set up for the optimal moisture level of the linen being dried so that when the moisture levels are achieved, the dryer will begin cooling down. That not only preserves the quality of the linen but also saves time, money and energy.

The same is true of washerextractors. Make sure you follow the care instructions from the linen manufacturer, but also make sure you properly program your washing machine to utilize the correct cycles, even if you’ve done it one way for the last 100 times.

With new fiber technology

that comes out every year and decade, along with changes to the types of chemicals that are utilized, it is quite possible that the old way of laundering has changed due to the differences in linen and technology.

Most new tumble dryers and washer-extractors can be programmed to provide optimal dry quality and optimal wash quality, and the rinse cycle is part of the latter.

You want a full rinse, as residual chemicals will get baked in linens while drying or ironing, again reducing the lifespan of your linens. Rinses can occur in two ways: a bath rinse, where the water fills the cylinder, the linen agitates, and then drains; and a shower rinse, a water spray that is more like a shower. A shower rinse takes less time, less water and produces better results.

You can understand why if you think about the difference between taking a bath or shower.

The showerhead is above you, and the water hits your head and then goes down your entire body, taking the dirt and soap down the drain. Baths have a higher probability of redepositing dirt or chemicals due to how they drain.

For optimal wash quality, it’s also important that you follow

the instructions of the chemical manufacturers, using the proper dosage and proper chemical dilution. Basically, if you use the right chemicals, the right dosages for the linen being laundered and program the machine properly, you will have fewer instances where you need to rewash something.

For instance, if you have a stain on some linen, it would be a bad idea to treat it with bleach and then let it sit for a while. While you may be removing the stain, you could also be damaging the fibers of the linen while it sits.

If you are treating laundry, you need to make sure you are also following chemical treatment instructions, too. If you don’t clean it properly the first time, and you don’t catch it before you put it into the dryer, then you’ll bake the stain into the fabric, which means the chances of that stain coming out are dramatically lower than if you would have just washed it again.

Lastly, communication is key between your staff and your chemical, equipment and linen representatives. First, communicate with the linen manufacturer so you know how to properly care for the linen. Then com-

municate with the chemical and equipment vendors to make sure you are providing the right chemicals in the right cycles to properly wash the linen.

But most importantly, communicate with your staff to ensure they understand how to properly use the equipment and that they are using the proper cycles for the linen.

I have been to many locations in my 21 years in this job where employees run whatever cycle they think is best at a specific point and time. It doesn’t always match what the linen requirements are.

Manual timers used to be a big thing in the industry, but in many instances, they were being improperly used. We used to see that some employees would want to go on a smoke break, so instead of setting the dryer to 30 minutes, which the linen actually needed, they would crank it up to 50 minutes with an extended cooldown time. The dryer would keep operating, so people assumed it was doing its job. But in many instances, those laundry operations were over-drying their linen.

A laundry management system can show you if your employees are doing the laundry properly and ensure optimum wash and dry quality throughout the entire process, which then provides optimal linen life. These systems allow you to ensure that your laundry operation is being run efficiently and cost-effectively.

There are systems in the marketplace that are able to track the entire laundry process, from what cycles are run, to how many cycles, to if the cycles ran as intended, to if an employee stopped a cycle or rapidly advanced a cycle so it skipped a step and therefore prevented optimal wash quality.

One of the things that these laundry management systems have shown is that many organizations have been over-dying the laundry. The laundry equipment would show that it is dry, but employees would still run the cycle anyway. They would do it because they believed the linen wasn’t properly dried or they just wanted to make it look like they were busy.

These management systems provide an eagle-eye view of what is happening in the laundry room, and that is important because you can only improve upon what you can measure.

But if real problems are found, it’s important to communicate with your employees, the chemical representatives and any other people who might be stakeholders. Various things could go wrong, be it equipment, chemical, linen or operator-related issues.

If things aren’t ending up how they should, don’t just accept that as part of the job. It’s important to communicate with stakeholders, look back at those issues and discover what is causing linen degradation or poor wash quality so the problem can be resolved. ALN

Josh Steinhardt is a sales development manager of on-premises laundry at Alliance Laundry Systems. He has 20-plus years of commercial laundry experience with the majority spent with the UniMac brand. As an industry expert, he’s worked with laundry managers across a variety of industries, including hospitality, long-term care, fire and others, helping them maximize throughput, efficiency and quality. He can be reached at josh.steinhardt@alliancels.com.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Steinhardt

Observe the load builders filling carts. Are they extending out of their power zone to load carts?

Time of day is also a factor. Workers are more likely to be hurt due to overexertion late in their shift as they tire.

When we think of route/delivery personnel, we think of the risk associated with vehicle crashes. Therefore, your inspection should verify that all personnel assigned to driving positions have basic road competence.

As we just noted, overexertion is the leading cause of injury, so when observing route personnel, you should also observe the manner in which they lift and carry. Are they doing so following guidelines or are they lifting weights that exceed their abilities? Have they been provided with lifting aids to carry product? Do they use these devices? Do route personnel place their loads or do they throw bundles and soil bags?

If delivery is made in poly carts, are the delivery personnel trained to push the carts rather than pull them? How do route personnel address adverse weather conditions or the presence of oil or water on the floor at their customer’s business? Do you require and confirm they wear non-slip shoes?

Additionally, you should inspect the route trucks to be sure that seatbelts are in place and verify that personnel use them.

When handling healthcare, route trucks should also be equipped with a blood-borne pathogen spill kit, barrier gowns, gloves and hand sanitizer.

OFFICE, WAREHOUSE

Finally, don’t neglect to inspect offices and warehouses for potential hazards.

Ensure that cabinets are secured to avoid being tipped over in earthquakes. Inspect flooring for possible slip or trip opportunities. Inspect that emergency lighting is operational. Check all electrical outlets for overloading and the presence of extension cords. Extension cords are permitted only on a temporary basis.

Inspect work stations for possible ergonomic improvements and to ensure that chairs are not structurally compromised. Confirm that shelving is capable of holding the items stored on it.

Weight limits must be clearly visible for warehouse shelving. Products of any kind must not extend over the edge of the shelving. Be sure that all ladders are secured or lying down.

BEST PRACTICE

Now that you’ve set up an inspection checklist and proto-

col, a best practice to ensure that you get the best results from the effort is to rotate the inspection across the full spectrum of responsible parties in your organization.

The inspection should be conducted monthly, and by rotating inspectors, the likelihood of discovering all at-risk behaviors and hazardous conditions is greatly improved. By doing so you establish accountability for each department and you avoid complacency in performing the inspection.

Your efforts will also be

enhanced if you train your production personnel to recognize hazards and risks in their assigned work areas. Production workers trained to recognize risks and hazards should be included in the operation’s Safety Committee.

To expand on the notion of production and delivery personnel participating on the Safety Committee, establish Safety Subcommittees in the plant. Each person in the operation would be a member of a subcommittee that is designated to identify risk and provide input to prevent the risk from causing a bad outcome.

I’ve personally worked with two different organizations that have set up these subcommittees and have substantially reduced the number of injuries experienced. Both of these operations went from last place to first in their respective organizations in terms of injuries and workers compensation claims.

Most of the time when we think about safety, we think of the absence of injury. Safety is more accurately understood by

increasing the activities that are designed to prevent injury rather than control the cost of injury once it has occurred.

A thorough operational inspection that identifies at-risk behavior and conditions is one activity that, properly done, can prevent injury and improve safety climate throughout the organization. ALN

Performance

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

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

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

Efficiency

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

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

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

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

• Direct Controllable Speed – all rolls run at equal speed

Safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

Donald Bock is principal of Seabright Safety Solutions Inc. in Santa Maria, California.

Bock

Equipment installation leads to business growth

New Lavatec equipment plays key role for Textile Care Services to attract new customers and grow business

BEACON FALLS, Conn. — Rick Taft will be the first to admit he’s not the type who does things in a conventional manner.

The owner of Textile Care Services (TCS), a commercial healthcare laundry operation with a longtime presence in Utah on Salt Lake City’s south side, had an important decision to make a year ago at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He’s glad he pushed forward to install new Lavatec equipment that has since triggered a series of successful events.

Last fall, TCS was awarded a fiveyear contract by the University of Utah to handle 6 million pounds of linen annually. In the first three months of 2021, it’s been a whirlwind of activity.

Taft converted a large healthcare customer-owned goods (COG) customer to a rental agreement of approximately 4 million pounds annually. The deal took effect in mid-February, two weeks after he closed a $5.5 million real estate transaction on his facility’s property.

Taft has since purchased 350 new hampers to handle the new business and is in the process of adding bar codes to all of their 2,500 hampers to more efficiently track locations. This is on top of other major purchases, including two new trucks for his fleet to service rural hospitals and other facilities within a 75-mile radius of Salt Lake City.

He also bought a new OLMA folder, a new auto-bagger to improve productivity and reduce touch points on the linen they

deliver to the hospitals, and a new air compressor system with a high efficiency rating.

Taft linked these investments to the new business wins that resulted from his decision to move ahead with the installation of the Lavatec equipment. The acquisition included a new press and tunnel system, new gas dryers, a press discharge conveyor and discharge conveyor system, and a two-tiered shuttle system.

He’s projecting laundry volume to increase from 9 million to 15 pounds this year, making TCS Utah’s largest laundry operation.

“The addition of the new equipment and the Lavatec tunnel system is beneficial in selling new business,” Taft says. “I am not certain we would have been awarded the University of Utah contract had we not done this project.

“If you could plan such a thing, it would be considered brilliant to schedule a new tunnel installation during a lower volume period. Of course, it was mostly circumstantial due to the COVID crisis. But I did see how it would be advantageous to proceed and that’s why we went ahead with it.”

Taft had ordered the new equipment in early 2020 before the world was turned upside down.

Nine days before the governor of Utah issued a Stay-at-Home order on March 27, a 5.7 earthquake struck Salt Lake City. The epicenter was only 15 miles from TCS, but luckily there was no damage to the 56,000-square-foot building. The Lavatec equipment had already been delivered, but worldwide

travel restrictions due to COVID placed the installation on hold.

“As soon as Lavatec had people available, they reached out to me and I made the decision to move ahead,” recalls Taft. “Being optimistic, I thought the pandemic would be short-lived and also knew TCS

would be in a better position once business returned to 100%.”

His analysis has paid off handsomely. TCS experienced a 14.6% decrease in volume when comparing last year’s second quarter to 2019 but rebounded in the second half to be down only 3.4% for the

year.

“Our pound totals were down 27% in April, but the decrease was in the single digits by June and we continued to improve each quarter with some fluctuations,” says Taft. “By December, we were ahead of our 2019 numbers due to

Many positive changes, including an influx of new business, have occurred at Textile Care Services in Salt Lake City since owner Rick Taft went ahead with the purchase of new press and tunnel system and other Lavatec equipment. (Photos: Lavatec/Textile Care Services)

ABOVE: In the first three months of 2021, Taft completed a real estate deal on his company’s building, made a series of capital investments and hired 25 new employees to handle the increased workload.

RIGHT: Tunnel dryer operator Anos Lakabung readies a bin to receive linen for one of the new Lavatec gas dryers.

LONGEVITY AND REALWORLD APPLICATIONS

Those who know Taft are not surprised with these results. A 37-year industry veteran, his first stint with the company was as general manager from 1992-98. He moved on to National Linen Service and Angelica Textile Services before returning in 2007 and purchasing the company in 2011.

His timeline nearly matches Lavatec’s 30-year history with TCS. Before installation took place last June, a 30-year-old LAVATEC LP571 30-bar press was removed and replaced by a new 132-pound, energy-efficient LAVAPRESS LP572 40-bar hydraulic extraction press.

A new LT60 14-compartment bottom transfer tunnel replaced an older Lavatec tunnel that was later purchased by another company. It is connected to six new LAVATEC TT745, 292-poundcapacity natural gas dryers, a press discharge conveyor and discharge conveyor system, and a two-tiered shuttle system. Besides being userfriendly for his operators, the machines give Taft the greater efficiency he was seeking.

“Overall, the equipment has performed well,” he shares. “The new tunnel has water re-use improvements that will reduce our overall water consumption and related sewer usage by 10-15%.

“The dryers represent the most improvement. With the infrared technology, it has reduced our gas consumption needs by another 25-30%, compared to the 30-yearold Lavatec dryers they replaced. And the 40-bar press reduces moisture in the pressing process that the 30-bar unit it replaced did not. That’s helped us reduce our dryer times by 20%.”

Taft says that’s important due to the shift in the workload TCS has experienced since the COVID crisis took hold one year ago.

“We’ve seen an increased request for reusable items, especially barrier gowns,” he says. “It’s a trend that continued because many facilities first used disposables soon after the pandemic started.

“Once the inventory was depleted, there were significant shortages at facilities to the point where I heard they were washing disposable items just to have something. We’ve gone above and beyond CDC guidance and industry standards by disinfecting our linen with an EPA-registered product called AdvaCare from EcoLab. We continue to send them linen samples quarterly and all have passed as hygienically clean.

“The other noticeable improvement with the new dryers was the reduction of ragouts due to work or damaged linen.”

To keep the workload flowing and ensure a smooth-running operation, the new equipment is controlled by Lavatec’s osLaundry management system. A platform

and technology independent software program, it gives operators instant access to key data. Taft says having the ability to make adjustments in a matter of seconds or minutes instead of waiting for hourly reports is making a big difference.

“The os system is a great tool to monitor real-time results,” he says. “I often take screenshots of the monitor in the office and share them with the production team when the average hourly turns are in the 28 range—30 being a perfect world scenario.

“Employees like to hear they are

doing a good job, and it’s a useful motivator. It also helps to manage the equipment and you can access it from remote locations. The time and labor savings we are experiencing are a result of being able to react quickly when there is less than ideal performance occurring.

“It’s also beneficial in reviewing alarms and what specific things are repetitive and need to be addressed with an operator, or from a maintenance standpoint.”

Taft is quick to credit his employees for the success of TCS and their ability to work through the pandemic. Last year, he had

70 full-time and 15-20 temporary workers; the growth spurt allowed him to hire 25 new people to begin 2021. He believes bigger things are on the horizon.

“We may not have the most sophisticated plant—we improve it every year—but we are excellent at what we do, and I have the best group of employees that I’ve ever had the privilege to lead and work with,” he shares. “The earthquake sent people scattering out of the plant, yet they returned. They were concerned about COVID but we took precautions and they kept reporting to work.

“The employees factor highly into my goal for TCS to continue providing consistent service with quality products for our longterm healthcare partners. We are at about 90% of our normal volume; I hope to see it at 100% by late July or early August, and perhaps above that level in the fall with the return of elective surgeries.

“Going forward with the new equipment, we will be able to provide these services while reducing our energy use and carbon footprint, and grow our business in the future.”

More operations look to sanitize laundry loads

Author

BY JOEL JORGENSEN

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Spurred by the pandemic, commercial laundries are looking to sanitize laundry loads in order to differentiate themselves from the competition, draw new customer accounts, boost revenue and provide the cleanest, healthiest environment possible.

Read on to learn how commercial laundries might add sanitization, verify that loads completed meet the parameters needed to achieve sanitization and monetize sanitization through gained efficiencies and wash results.

METHODS FOR SANITIZING LAUNDRY LOADS

Practically speaking, it’s easy to add sanitization to laundry loads either through the use of ozone or an EPA-registered chemical sanitizer additive.

The only catch is that ozone use requires special washer seals as it can degrade rubber, while chemical additives require washers with automatic chemical injection capabilities.

Read on to determine which option is right for you.

WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU—OZONE OR CHEMISTRY?

Ozone (O3)—used in the industry for years—is a powerful cleaning agent that works best in cold water. The third oxygen atom of ozone attaches to, and breaks down, organic materials in the wash, including soils, viruses, bacteria and molds.

Once broken down, these materials are removed from fabrics during the wash cycle. Ozone systems are easily installed via a connection to a compatible washer and offer up to a 99.9% pathogen kill rate.

If ozone isn’t an option, laun-

dries can also sanitize wash loads using an EPA-registered chemical sanitizer that’s injected into the wash cycle. These work in combination with automatically injected detergents.

A chemical sanitizer’s sole purpose is to eradicate close to 99% of the pathogens and molds found in laundry, including COVID-19. A programmable washer with automatic injection capabilities is easily connected to a dispensing system provided by your chemical representative. That system automatically injects the chemicals according to specific washer programs.

VERIFICATION OF SANITIZATION

Once you add sanitization, you need to be certain all program parameters are met and carried out.

Some equipment brands,

Continental Girbau and Girbau Industrial among them, feature the ability to verify that sanitization was achieved by monitoring two variables in the wash process: water temperature and time of exposure. This is critical because the effectiveness of ozone is depleted if water temperatures or exposure time are not met.

Similarly, the activation of chemistry is depleted, wasted and not maximized if required water temperatures and specific exposure times are not achieved.

This verification process, in the case of Continental Girbau and Girbau Industrial, is available as an add-on Disinfection Monitoring Package (DMP) module that’s powered through Sapphire, a cloud-based networking system that allows laundries to oversee and manage equipment process and productivity.

The DMP monitors the wash

process and verifies that pre-set parameters of temperature and time are achieved. If water doesn’t hit programmed temperatures, for example, users receive an alert. There is value with that verification.

MONETIZING THROUGH EFFICIENCIES

Using a DMP-type verification, it’s also easy to align with laundering guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), hygienically clean certification standards or other processes. This can be critical for your hospitality or healthcare clients, for example.

At the end of the day, sanitization and its verification are monetized through operational efficiencies and man-

agement, by reducing processing time and rewashes, preventing linen degradation and replacement, and maximizing chemistry.

If you’re interested in offering sanitization, my suggestion is to contact your equipment distributor and/or chemical rep. This will undoubtedly save you time in the long run. ALN

Joel Jorgensen, vice president of sales at Girbau North America, holds over 28 years of laundry industry experience. A frequent contributor to a variety of laundry industry publications, he is considered an expert on commercial/industrial laundry development and operation. Please contact him with any questions at jjorgensen@cgilaundry.com or call 800-256-1073.

Jorgensen

COVID-19, Year 2: Laundries confront staff woes

Operators using myriad methods to recruit, retain employees; unpredictability factor aggravates planning efforts

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, says that among the roughly 215 operator and supplier partners who attended five, 90-minute online TRSA Regional Town Hall sessions on March 30, 31 and April 1, most everyone could agree on two things.

First, they’re relieved that the economy in most parts of the United States has begun to emerge from last year’s COVID-19-related shutdowns. However, there also were widespread concerns expressed by each of the U.S. regional town halls that a severe labor shortage could stymie the recovery.

Attendees at the regional town halls (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, South/Southeast, West/ Northwest and Southwest) predicted that the labor shortages could begin easing this September when additional unemployment relief provided in President Joe Biden’s recently approved COVID19 aid bill expires.

A big part of the problem with recruitment/retention is that government aid is discouraging people from paid work, several

attendees said. Examples of how operators are addressing the labor shortage include:

• Reducing people to parttime. One operator said with reduced demand from res-

taurant customers, he’s cut employee hours sufficiently that they can still qualify for unemployment benefits.

• Expanding onboarding programs to foster teamwork,

coupled with in-depth exit and “stay” interviews to get a better handle on what’s working and what needs to work better to satisfy employee needs. One attendee empha-

sized that the challenge is not just hiring but avoiding a “tsunami of turnover” in staff.

• Enhanced flexibility. This means showing that you care, especially for employees required to work overtime due to labor shortages, by providing pizza parties and other perks, plus paid time off for COVID-19 vaccinations or other personal needs.

• Increased pay, including retention bonuses. Many companies have already done this, but the problem is the difficulty of passing these added labor costs on to hard-hit customers such as restaurants and hotels that are themselves struggling with labor shortages and trying to survive government-mandated COVID restrictions that limit capacity to 25%-50%.

Industry supplier partners face similar recruitment/retention challenges in terms of boosting pay for staff at a time when many laundries have cut capi-

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Tight supply chain success strategies

or senior living accounts to see if they are forecasting increased patient volume in the future.

Operationally, a laundry can schedule additional soiled linen pick-ups to bridge gaps.

Forecast, forecast and forecast. At Standard Textile we have always promoted forecasting and scheduling linen supplies to be delivered on a regular basis. As the pandemic demonstrated, customers who had planned orders were given priority in that their orders were filled in advance of new customers.

For new customers or additional needs, the sooner you submit an order, the sooner you will receive your order. We make a great effort to inventory toward the needs of our customers.

Our methods are that we have this month’s order being delivered, next month’s order is in the warehouse and the following month’s order is being produced. This process describes the flow of products through our system.

Yes, we have additional standard and high-flow products available, but the idea is to make what the customer buys.

Moving forward, if you know what you need, the sooner the order is placed, the better.

When I was managing healthcare laundries, I would place the orders for the upcoming year by September of the current year. This covered my needs based on my most recent year’s volume needs for basic products.

Obviously, I would have swings and needs for product, and I would order it when needed. Nevertheless, when I ordered my bath blankets for the year, it was a commitment to buy that product. Sometimes I would need them held for a month or two, but I still needed them, and they would be shipped in future months.

Currently, many laundries receive shipments on a weekly basis. This helps to lower in-house inventory, and it also allows the laundry to inventory the special items that would take longer to receive in the event of an emergency. You may want to go from receiving inventory biweekly or monthly to weekly.

Additionally, it is important to be in contact with your hospitals

Buying and receiving inventory has become more frequent for many. Excess inventory is cheaper than paying for overtime or additional work hours

Good luck with your inventory purchases and forecast, forecast, forecast!

much lead time you need to have when placing your order.

We all run into the problem of inventory at some point, and today’s culture of “just in time” manufacturing only makes this more difficult. All the contract language in the world will not bring you product if it’s not available.

To me, this is really a two-part question: What can I do to avoid material shortages, and what can I do when I have them?

Let’s start with the former. Having good and open lines of communication with your suppliers is critical. Value them as a business partner and discuss product supply and flow before the time comes so you both understand how and what impacts each other’s operations.

Internally, you should always put a great deal of importance on tracking and inventory control.

A good warehouse/inventory control program begins with discipline followed by some datadriven assumptions. Tracking exactly what you use over days and weeks can help you make very structured decisions as to what you need to keep on hand— and what and when your orders will be generated. It helps you anticipate seasonal shortages, and it also helps you keep from growing excess inventory.

Don’t just track what you use, but also track the days from when you place the order with each supplier until the order arrives. This allows you to determine how

Some suppliers will allow you to inventory goods and pay upon a monthly inventory count. The benefit is carrying excess inventory to guard against shortages, but the risk here is that if discipline is lost, you can have a large monetary hit on the inventory count. Everyone with access needs to be responsible.

I’m a firm believer that it’s important to have a backup supplier for core products, and again, supplier reliability will determine how much you value that backup supplier. As the old saying goes, “Never put all your eggs in one basket.”

Sometimes it’s overlooked, but negotiating the contracts can influence your access to goods as well. If you have a clause that requires your core supplier to pay some sort of penalty if they do not deliver, you stand to have more access to their inventory than another that does not have such a clause.

Now, what to do when you have a supply shortage. Again, open communication can go a long way with helping you out of this problem, but now instead of relying on your supplier, it’s often time to go to the customer(s) or even other competitors.

After you reach out to your backup supplier, perhaps the news isn’t good. Maybe it’s not just a manufacturing issue.

Let’s say it’s a core manufacturing material-related issue that impacts an industry. Let’s say there is another worldwide cotton shortage. Reaching out through service liaisons to determine if any customers may be overstocked sounds scary, but to me, it shows your concern for servicing your clients—all of them.

It may be an opportunity to

review inventory levels at all customers; it certainly is a time to review the alternative product options with each customer, and in this case, see if some are willing and able to accept a high poly item instead of high cotton.

While your competitor may not be anxious to help you, they may be willing to help you, as they may be wise enough to realize that the time could come when they need your help. If it’s too hard to work with a direct competitor, there may be some more willing who are not quite in direct competition with you as well. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

Lastly, make sure that with every supply issue that comes and impacts your business, you have a follow-up with your team members to evaluate how you responded, and what, if anything, you could do to improve if faced with a similar problem in the future.

As always, good luck!

during this time. We do not place hand sanitizer in areas where handwashing and hand sanitizing are offered.

Another place we cut back is wherever we find expired hand soap and hand sanitizer. We know that these areas are not frequented; therefore, we leave them empty.

T

he handling of supplies has certainly had to change during this current time. Locking up essential supplies, supplies that are in high demand and difficult to procure, is a must.

You also have to take into account where supplies are budgeted within the facility.

We have rearranged where hand sanitizers are placed in the plant—every other dispenser

T

he supply chain is just another challenging consequence of the pandemic that none of us even contemplated.

In the spring and summer of 2020, we were all faced with personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as cleaning/sanitizing product shortages, and now there is an abundance of all of these items.

We began to notice delays/ shortages in February when business started to pick up and we were finally ordering new linen and supplies. What we see now is the shortage of plastic wrap/bags, cart liners, textiles and some wash house and wastewater chemicals.

We are in close contact with our vendors who all report the same lag in delivery times, some items more than three months delayed. We have had to be flexible and pivot once again to find alternative products and replacement textiles to purchase.

For instance, we have had to eliminate several custom napkins because they are either seriously back-ordered or even discontinued. We were forced to switch our bath towels to a bigger, plusher towel that is in stock.

For the most part, our vendors have worked with us on pricing, trying to match the previous pricing for the nicer items that are available now. The upside to these shortages is that we are streamlining some of our products and in some cases paying a similar price for higher quality.

Our vendors have been very reasonable and easy to work with, as they need the sales volume and they know that we will remain

“Right now, the supply chain for just about everything is tight. What can I do to help ensure my operation has the materials it needs?”

Commercial Laundry

Phoebe Ellis

Lace House Linen, Petaluma, Calif.

Healthcare Laundry

Tammy Barrett

HHS Environmental Services, Bonita Springs, Fla.

Textiles

Cecil B. Lee

Standard Textile, Cincinnati, Ohio

Equipment Manufacturing

Charles Spencer

G.A. Braun Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

loyal and continue to buy from them even once the supply chain recovers. We have found that loyalty has been invaluable during the past 15 months with our vendors and customers.

In the case of production supplies, including plastic wrap, bags, and cart liners, we are buying a surplus of items sooner than needed, which costs more but ensures that the products will be on-site and will last for up to 12 months. The extra inventory can be difficult to store and is more expensive but allows us to continue to wrap all of our bundles and line our hotel carts to promote hygiene. We remain hopeful that, by the end of 2021, the supply chains will rebound and bounce back to more normal production and delivery times as well as pricing.

Another great topic request. However, just like the prior articles that I have written for ALN (plan to accelerate service agreements, coming out of COVID, tight budgets), we must have a plan, stick with that plan and only shift if needed.

It is the old military philosophy that as soon as the first shot is fired, everything changes. Same here. Altering a plan is easier than writing it once that first shot goes off.

My ear to the ground says we have very good supplies in most products. If you are having trouble, look at alternate sources of supply.

I think loyalty to existing vendors is wonderful and mandatory as we expect that from our customers. However, if you cannot get the products and services timely from current vendors, you are on a losing mission if you do not choose other sources. At the end of the day, all the niceties that your vendors bring to you are irrelevant if your company cannot serve your clients.

Once per month at the end of the month, assess your needs by product and set up a schedule that you stick to and only tweak if you are running shy or becoming overstocked.

A perpetuating inventory is recommended. If you want to know how a perpetuating inventory works then contact me at dgraham@performance-matters.com and I will lay out options for you.

Moving forward along these lines, you will see a consistency in your purchases, expenses and that all-so-important reduction in stress.

You have my name and e-mail so let me assist you, where possible in making your work and personal life better.

ing catch-up to meet the supply demands of a normal economy.

Our company supplies laundry equipment and parts for our customers. Most of our customers are experiencing shortages and extreme lead times on linens and other textiles they process. The good news is that this problem is not permanent and eventually the suppliers will catch up to the demand.

But meanwhile, there are several things one can do to help get through these times. The importance of proper inventory management cannot be emphasized enough these days.

to establish a standard process that everyone follows so that your inventory stays consistent and accurate.

Small discrepancies in how new stock is taken in could leave you scratching your head at the end of the month or year, wondering why your numbers do not align with your purchase orders. Make sure all your staff that receives stock are properly trained to receive inventory the same way, and that all boxes are verified, received, and unpacked together, precisely counted, and checked for accuracy.

Happy spring/summer ALN readers! Time is flying by, and I am sure for you entrepreneurs out there, it is really flying by.

OWNER’S CAVEAT—If you have delegated this responsibility, then check with the purchaser on your staff to ensure they are getting what they need. If you fail to do this step, credits will occur, your team might implode, redeliveries will eat you up, and ultimately, lost business will haunt you. Trust your team, but verify their compliance in doing the right thing.

Equipment/ Supply Distribution

Scott McClure Pellerin Laundry Machinery, Kenner, La.

The pandemic shutdowns have certainly created a backlog in the manufacturing world. As the world begins to reopen and return to a somewhat “normal state of business,” several suppliers are play-

A good inventory system will provide high visibility of all items right down to the shelf and bin in multiple locations, if necessary. It will help prevent out-of-stock occurrences, allow for ample leadtime to replenish stock and give you an idea of the value tied up in your stock at any given time.

Within the inventory system, we suggest that you categorize your inventory into priority groups to help you understand which items you need to order more of and more frequently, and which are important to your business but may cost more and move more slowly.

You also need to be consistent in how you receive stock/inventory. It may seem like common practice to make sure incoming inventory is properly processed, but you need

With such a scarcity of materials and limitations to the supply chain, we recommend understanding and focusing on having an optimal wash process to maximize the life of your linen. Prolonging linen life can sometimes be accomplished through automating the wash process by alleviating the physical stress caused to linen and length of formula time versus a manual washing process.

Making sure your laundry equipment offers good mechanical action, dilution and complete programmability will help reduce the amount of chemicals needed in the wash process, extend linen life and improve quality.

Being able to prolong the life of your linen will allow you to provide a higher quality service for your customers while reducing your overall operating cost. ALN

Consulting Services

David Graham Performance Matters, Fort Mill, S.C.

No Clean Show? No Problem!

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR

Let’s address the elephant in the room, rather, the herd of elephants trampling the trade show floor. COVID-19.

We’re all tired of hearing about it and dealing with it, but we have to, from personal lives to business lives—and that includes the laundry and linen services industry.

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic caused a global health crisis unheard of in our lifetimes. As everyone masked, quarantined, scrubbed hands raw in order to stay healthy in 2020, business hit a hard stop.

Fortunately today, vaccines are being administered, health is returning and business is coming back.

Unfortunately, there’s still a ways to go before COVID-19 is under control, and people and businesses are still dealing with the effects.

One effect that hampers the laundry and linen services industry is the postponement of trade shows. This industry thrives on operators and suppliers meeting face-to-face to see equipment, process and service advancements that

have been made.

We’re not quite there when it comes to meeting on a trade show floor, so American Laundry News is stepping in to fill the gap as much as possible and bring the floor to you.

Through page 24, display advertisers in 2021 (through June) of equipment, products and services share what they have to offer your operation.

Some exhibitors show off new products and services for your laundry. Others highlight their consistently beneficial offerings.

From chemicals to washroom equipment, from carts to packaging options, AmericanLaundryNews is proud to bring you the latest and greatest in the industry.

And many of the exhibitors have created or updated their offerings to take COVID-19 into account.

The “booth” articles have been submitted by the exhibiting companies. Any claims made in the entries are those of the participating companies, not American Laundry News So, come on—let’s visit the trade show floor!

In laundries, the new ANTI‐BACT membrane from MAXI‐PRESS contributes to a significant reduction of germs in laundry for hospitals and care facilities. As a result, both patients and staff are significantly better protected against germ contamination. In addition to testing by the German Hohenstein Institute, customers confirm the advantages of the membranes. Laundries that offer healthcare textile services use the ANTI‐BACT membrane in particular. The new membrane enables more hygienic processing of the laundry in all common waterextraction presses.

The membrane’s mode of action actively prevents the formation of germs on its surface. The laundry is thus protected from germs and organic deposits during the entire pressing process. MAXI‐PRESS manufactures the ANTI‐BACT membrane for water extraction presses of all common laundry machine manufacturers. These also have all the well‐known advantages of MAXI‐PRESS, such as guaranteed 30,000 press cycles, fast delivery, manufacturer independence, installation service and much more.

ANTI‐BACT or the special material in combination with the membrane is a certified and protected product of MAXI‐PRESS Elastomertechnik GmbH. The effective period of the ANTI‐BACT membranes is unlimited.

The production of ANTI‐BACT membranes is carried out on a new production line specially commissioned for this product series, which is unique in the world for the manufacture of water extraction membranes: the WKP 20,000 S elastomer press. MAXI‐PRESS uses it to compress the special material for the antibacterial membranes at a pressure of 2,000 tons.

The enormous closing force of the press makes it possible to compact new rubber compounds with a higher natural rubber content. This in turn promotes the elasticity of the membranes. The production facilities of MAXI‐PRESS and especially the new press enable the highest quality, innovative solutions and a very good price‐performance ratio.

www.maxi‐press.us 844-447‐5559

www.milnor.com 504-467-9591

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

Pellerin Milnor Corp. is a leading manufacturer in the commercial laundry machinery industry. Milnor equipment ranges in size and serves a spectrum of markets.

Featuring washer-extractors from 25-700 pounds of capacity, automated tunnel washing systems for processing 7,000 pounds per hour or more, dryers, material handling systems and laundry computer networks, Milnor machines have a proud legacy of durability.

Milnor has introduced several new products and features, including a simple loop rail system and soil rail with sort deck system, 40-pound soft-mount and 275-pound soft-mount washer-extractors, weigh-scale with ratio wash/rinse option for suspended washer-extractors and the split tank PulseFlow® tunnel washer which enhances its wash and rinse performance.

Milnor and its industry-leading dealer network provide service, technical support and fast parts availability for idle laundries ready to reopen or those ramping up in production as business returns.

In addition, Milnor offers a wide range of innovative and utility-saving washing, drying and batch washer systems to help laundries be more efficient than ever. Financing and leasing programs are available as well.

JENSEN-GROUP

Welcome to the JENSEN-GROUP, the world’s leading industrial laundry machinery manufacturer with JENSEN-owned manufacturing facilities in five countries, and two partnership manufacturing facilities. This is all supported by sales and service facilities in 22 countries.

JENSEN USA is located in Panama City, Florida, which serves as one of its manufacturing facilities, as well as its North American sales and service center. Service support is also located regionally across North America.

Maxi-Movers by ChemTainer

Maxi-Movers by ChemTainer is North America’s largest and longest-serving manufacturer of plastic carts and trucks for the storage, transportation and exchange of textiles and materials.

A designation as an essential supplier, and the implementation of internal COVID mitigation policies, has enabled the company to keep all factories fully operational, without a single day lost. Proactive measures like increasing its component and rawmaterial stocking levels have helped to prevent supply-chain disruptions from delaying the completion of orders.

Although the costs for raw materials and freight have continued to trend upward significantly without signs of relief on the horizon, and the expenditures associated with mitigation/PPE/ local mandates were unplanned, Maxi-Movers has worked to absorb as much of these expenses as possible.

For the past several months, each factory has increased its production capacity with additional second or third shifts and expanded its workweek to six days, all in an effort to better serve and meet the staggering demand from its partners in the healthcare and laundry/linen processing sectors.

In another positive development, a new Maxi-Movers website went live in late April. The revamped website is much cleaner, easier to navigate and far more informative about the product details, features and advantages of each model and product line.

www.maxi-movers.com 631-661-8300

The ongoing pandemic has forever changed the way laundry does business. In order for the industry to thrive and survive, JENSEN continues to innovate new products that reduce the need for the ever-increasing difficult to obtain commodity—labor.

Its product development team is always looking forward. A few of its latest labor-reducing solutions include Inwatec robotics soil sorting systems, featuring artificial intelligence, for all types of linens (large and small) and all types of garments.

JENSEN just introduced the Jenrail Express Compact that allows for continuous feeding of large pieces into the Express series cornerless feeder. Another recent introduction is the Katana/Bottom-Up large- and small-piece innovation, which is a multi-purpose compact solution for the processing of high-quality large pieces in one or two lanes and the stacking of small pieces in multiple lanes, all with autodischarge, which eliminates the need for an operator on the back-side to manually handle goods.

JENSEN offers many other labor-saving solutions for laundry operations.

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

Royal Basket Trucks Inc.®

Royal Basket Trucks Inc.® is a privately-owned manufacturer of high-quality material handling carts. It focuses on providing cart solutions that fit the specific needs of laundry operations.

The company’s solutions are endless, from commercial laundry and uniform companies to drycleaners and coin-ops, Royal® has a material-handling solution available. It provides standard products, as well as heavy-duty solutions for “drops,” bulk transport solutions and covers, and laundry-specific carts such as flatwork ironers and extractors.

Along with its standard product line, Royal® also offers custom solutions. Its world-class engineering team is dedicated to making any size cart fit a laundry’s environment for optimal efficiency.

Royal® recently introduced new products to its Bulk Transport and Route Cart Series. These product lines now feature the Bulk Security Cart and the Mat Carts, which are ergonomically designed to improve process efficiencies.

Royal Basket Truck Inc.® is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer located in Darien. The company is built on a solid foundation of innovation, hard work, creativity and extraordinary quality. Its innovative solutions are supported by years of experience within many industries and environments. Every cart is manufactured to order with a standard lead time of seven to 10 business days.

The limits are endless when working with Royal Basket Trucks®, a preferred manufacturer of material handling solutions for nearly 40 years.

www.royal-basket.com 800-426-6447

Adventpac has more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing flexible plastic packaging solutions for industrial and consumer packaging.

In 2019, the company expanded its product offering to provide its clients environmentally friendly packaging. Most noteworthy is its range of water-soluble bags called Advent Hydrobag®. With its introduction, the company set out to solve the endof-life problem that traditional plastic bags had by removing them altogether. Adventpac’s hydrobag is marine safe, nontoxic and biodegradable.

Advent Hydrobag® products are made from a patented blend of polyvinyl alcohol and completely dissolve in warm (104 F) or hot water (158 F). When used as laundry bags, it means that there will be no waste and no trace left over.

The idea of a bag that dissolves completely for laundry applications took off due to the convenience it provided for healthcare workers and commercial laundries.

However, the water-soluble bags became even more significant for Adventpac and its clients in 2020. With the coronavirus pandemic, Advent Hydrobag® became more of a necessity as healthcare systems around the world were challenged by the infectiousness of the virus.

Adventpac’s bags were used by the NHS in the U.K., as well as the quarantine systems in Singapore and Australia. The bags provided for a safer work environment without the waste of traditional single-use plastics, reimagining what single-use packaging can be.

Advent Hydrobag®’s use has grown ever since and the company has clients using them as trolley covers, dry cleaner bags and poly bags for clothing.

www.hydrobag.com 603-3250-0780

Washing Systems (WSI)

Washing Systems (WSI) is the leading provider of innovative products and services to the commercial laundry processing industry. WSI continues to set the standard in the cleaning, processing and disinfecting of textiles while building hands-on partnerships with its customers.

As the trusted innovator in the industry, WSI has a decorated history of introducing landmark innovations to commercial laundries, and TRUpath™, a revolutionary wash process with universal applications, has changed the way the industry washes.

With TRUpath, WSI was awarded the U.S. EPA Greener Reaction Award for its “outstanding green technologies.” This patent-pending wash process washes free of alkali, extending textile life, saving machine hours and produces hygienically clean textiles. A gentler wash process removes concerns of alkaline hydrolysis and produces whiter whites and brighter brights.

Better for the planet and a laundry’s bottom line, TRUpath optimizes the energy and water consumption of each load, yielding significant savings and benefits to each plant. Completely free of alkali, NPEs, and phosphates, WSI has introduced this technology to truly optimize all operations in a plant to significantly enhance plant capacity and allow significant savings in utilities.

In addition, WSI introduced TRU-UV™. Specially designed for tunnel washers, TRU-UV technology saves valuable resources and decreases the impact on the environment.

The innovative photochemical washing process greatly extends fiber life, provides a superior hygienic wash, and provides optimum stain and soil removal producing whiter whites, with less water and energy for truly smart washing in every load.

Welcome to the future of commercial laundry.

www.washingsystems.com 800-272-1974

Adventpac

s

www.laundryloops.com 888-246-5667

Laundry Loops®

Laundry Loops® is the time-saving, money-saving, energysaving way to replace using mesh laundry bags to keep an individual’s garments sorted throughout the laundry process.

Over the last 20-plus years, Laundry Loops® has become the world’s most widely used alternative to mesh laundry bags. From small “fluff-and-fold” operations to huge institutional laundry facilities, the company’s 8,000-plus customers report that, after switching from mesh bags to Laundry Loops®, they now provide cleaner clothes that completely dry in one-half the time!

After threading the Laundry Loop® through the arm/leg/waist openings of garments, the user closes the buckle and loads socks into the patented Sock Snare. And the Sock Snare isn’t limited to just socks; users can also load gloves, skull caps, bandanas—any items that lack openings.

In response to customer feedback, Laundry Loops® has released the Laundry Loop® PLUS. Five inches longer than the original Laundry Loop® with Double Sock Snares, the Laundry Loop® PLUS is the ideal solution for less-than-daily laundry service.

G

G. A. Braun

As G.A. Braun celebrates its 75th year, the company continues to evolve. Over the next several months Braun plans to introduce new and innovative products to its portfolio. One such product is the Braun PRO® Dryer. The capacity of this dryer ranges from 125-200 pounds and can easily process three loads per hour (up to 175-pound loads) versus only one load as others in the same capacity range.

Other products include an array of new finishing equipment as well as energy and resource-saving washer-extractor and tunnel system enhancements.

Despite the unique challenges of the last 12-plus months, G.A. Braun is proud of the fact that it was able to maintain its high standard of service and support to its customers.

On-time shipments of equipment and parts, along with onsite support, remained Braun’s No. 1 focus throughout the pandemic. The company thanks its entire team and its supply-chain partners that have allowed it to maintain this level of customer support.

www.gabraun.com 800-432-7286

s

irbau North America, a leading provider of industrial and commercial laundry equipment and support services, helps laundries struggling with labor deficits through automation.The company’s Girbau Industrial Compact+ 5-in-One ironing system and FT-Maxi towel folder were installed at a number of facilities throughout North America in the past year in order to automate feeding, ironing, folding, and stacking for more production, higher quality, and fewer labor hours.

Unlike a flatwork ironer, the Compact+ eliminates all hands-on flatwork folding and stacking for significant labor hour savings. It feeds, irons, folds, stacks and accumulates. Using the Compact+, a single operator can process approximately 260 laundry pounds per operator hour, which equates to four sheets per minute and 240 sheets per hour.

Thus, the Compact+ significantly reduces labor hours while typically offering a quick return on investment (ROI) of less than two years. The Compact+ processes everything from duvets and fitted, flat sheets and pillow-cases, to table linens and napkins. An optional two- or fourlane rear accumulator complements the rich labor production features of the Compact+.

Similarly, the FT- Maxi towel folder automatically sorts, folds and stacks up to 800 unsorted dry-work pieces per hour, with just one operator. Through automation, and the installation of the FT- Maxi auto-sort folder, laundries can cut labor hours by 87% over hand folding. This equates to a savings of eight labor hours per day and a quick ROI. The FT- Maxi automatically sorts and folds different-sized towels and blankets.

www.girbauindustrial.com 800-256-1073

R&B Wire Products

R&B Wire Products is a California-based manufacturing company currently celebrating its 75th anniversary!

R&B has developed a brand that is well known for quality, innovation and outstanding service—all backed by its “Satisfaction Guaranteed” commitment. R&B has more than 1,000 unique items, with the majority of its products being “Made in America.”

Vended and the blended commercial markets have been at the core of its business from the very start. Today R&B Wire Products has the most diversified global line of wire laundry carts—standard, front load and elevated carts in varying sizes to meet the growing demands of larger-capacity machine demand across all of these sectors.

Due to the pandemic and the heightened need for products that minimize bacteria concerns, the company recently brought to market its full line of Antimicrobial Vinyl Bumper Trucks, available in 3-20 bushel sizes. The blending of these two features is designed to help protect a laundry’s three biggest assets—its facility, employees and customers.

LAVATEC

www.rbwire.com 800-634-0555

Miele Professional is a leading global manufacturer of premium commercial laundry products, committed to quality, hygiene and environmental standards.

Miele’s Benchmark series offers the greener way to clean. It’s been 30 years since Miele introduced its first WetCare® laundry solution, with environmental sustainability and innovation continuing to guide the company today.

Miele’s Benchmark Performance and Performance Plus machines offer unmatched fabric protection and superior performance across a range of basic textiles and specialty garments—all while reducing energy and resource consumption.

And as businesses across the commercial laundry industry reemerge into a changed world—with sanitization and hygiene more relevant than ever—Miele laundry systems can help meet today’s challenges.

Washing machines should feature high-temperature disinfection programs, which is a safe and secure process for infection control. While high temperatures help disinfect textiles, the ability to hold that high temperature for a specific amount of time is critical.

Miele Professional machines are highly programmable and unique in their temperature programmability, offering narrow variations of 3 F up or down. This allows thermal disinfection to be achieved very easily and accurately in a time when it matters most.

Wherever innovative products with outstanding cleaning performance and strict hygiene requirements are needed, Miele Professional wants to be the first choice. Miele Professional laundry products are available for order by contacting an authorized manufacturer representative/dealer or reaching Miele Professional directly.

www.mieleusa.com/professional 866-781-5053

As the pandemic situation improves, LAVATEC can point to several recent developments that indicate better things are ahead.

Four months ago, LAVATEC introduced a new drying system that is in step with where the world is heading in relation to climate change and reducing CO2 emissions. Industrial laundry operations searching for better ways to satisfy customers and save on energy costs will find it with LAVACascade, which has proven energy savings of at least 50%, and in some cases can reduce energy consumption by as much as 75%.

LAVACascade’s first phase introduces high heat to the laundry load. A middle stage recaptures waste heat to maintain a consistent temperature, followed by a final cooling stage. Each phase takes only a few minutes to complete.

“This is a significant industry advance in drying,” says Mark Thrasher, president and coowner of Lavatec Laundry Technology. “We applied the same engineering approach we use for our custom-built tunnel washers to design LAVACascade.”

One customer who didn’t wait on installing his LAVATEC new tunnel system and other equipment is reaping the benefits. Rick Taft, owner of Textile Care Services in Salt Lake City, pushed forward last summer with his plans. He also added two new press extractors, six natural gas dryers and the osLaundry management system. The result was winning new business in January that will increase his volume this year from 9 million to 15 million pounds.

Taft is convinced he would not have won those accounts without the new equipment. Read his story at: www.lltusa.com/docs/Lavatec_TCS_CaseStudy.pdf.

www.lltusa.com 203-632-8777

Miele Professional

www.davispackaging.net 800-622-3015

Davis Packaging

Davis Packaging’s affordable professional Laundry Wrappers will help laundries give customers the confidence and peace of mind that finished items are clean and safe and help laundries return to solid profitability.

Davis wrappers fully seal finished laundry and linens in attractive, crystal-clear poly-wrap to lock out dirt and outside contamination. Contents are easily identifiable and stay secure and protected during transport, delivery and storage.

For added cost savings, Davis’s sealed bundles minimize loss, separation and spills often resulting in costly replacement and refinishing. Ugly, high-cost, fixed-price bags can be eliminated in favor of variable cost “pay for what you use” poly wrap.

Davis Packaging’s newest line of space-saving wrappers suit any sized operation and are the only to include anti-burn safety features, height adjustability and simplified film loading. For those with existing Davis Packaging wrappers, easy-to-install add-on height adjustment and safety protection kits are now available.

Whether a laundry is looking to enhance its current laundry packaging or its existing wrapping equipment, Davis wrappers and upgrade kits will instill customer confidence and ensure the laundry stands out from the crowd.

Miura

Steam generation is the lifeblood of a laundry facility, and it is critical to choose a steam boiler to meet production needs. Miura manufactures on-demand, modular steam solutions with maximum efficiency, reliability and safety at the forefront of design to give industries—including laundry facilities—lasting peace of mind.

Made by dedicated steam experts outside of Atlanta, Miura boilers offer a state-of-the-art century design that respects the environment and operator safety.

The biggest advantage to choosing a modular boiler is the compact footprint. Instead of buying a larger, costly boiler to grow into, the system grows to meet the exact output needed. The compact size allows facilities to cut the boiler-room space required in half or double the output capacity in the same space compared to a firetube.

Laundry Equipment Services Inc. is a family-owned and -operated commercial laundry equipment distributor serving the Mid-Atlantic region with parts, sales and service. Its area includes the states of District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The company’s goal is to offer its customers the highest level of service available. Its offerings include service, replacement components, new equipment sales and routine preventive maintenance plans, as well as duct-cleaning service.

Laundry Equipment Services endeavors to assist the laundry industry within its region to emerge stronger than before. To do this, its staff strives to provide an immediate response and rapid turnaround for equipment service and replacement.

The company has also increased its support staff and is assisting financially with a variety of specific, targeted discounts and flexible payment options.

Ultimately, Laundry Equipment Services treats each situation on an individual basis to ensure its customers not only reopen but get back to full occupancy as quickly as possible.

www.leslaundry.com 800-866-6905

The compact size allows for easy operation from the push of a button with a user-friendly interface that puts operators in complete control. The connected, on-demand system produces steam from a cold start in less than five minutes, saving valuable resources, such as water and fuel, and meeting or exceeding local NOx emissions regulations.

The last thing any high-volume commercial laundry facility wants is a mandatory shut down due to lengthy maintenance. Built safer by design, routine maintenance procedures are simple to perform, and the innovatively engineered low-water content design reduces stored pressure—eliminating catastrophic risk.

Laundries can trust that operators stay safe and their steam-generation investment produces high-quality, efficient steam for years to come.

www.miuraboiler.com 678-685-0929

NORCHEM

In over four decades, NORCHEM has been a leader in the laundering industry from advanced textile chemistry to wastewater filtration and innovations.

With the impact of COVID-19 in today’s society, NORCHEM remains committed to supporting laundry operators and others alike to maintain not only the hygienically clean status of processed textiles but also a hygienic environment through their newest line of hygienic and sanitization consumer products.

The development of these FDA and EPA products, KLENZ and MICROKLEAN, was made possible through the years of industry experience and knowledge from the dedicated NORCHEM staff.

Much like its commitment to a sustainable future, NORCHEM recognizes this time as an opportunity to come together with its loyal laundry customers to make the world cleaner and safer for everyone.

“This wasn’t made as a revenue-generating activity. That wasn’t the principle,” says Michael Soussa, director of sales for NORCHEM. “The principle is to help bring confidence to the community and to help the economy. Our goal is to aid in providing a safe environment for workers, to bring the economy back to where it needs to be.”

NORCHEM is a leader in advanced textile chemistry, sustainable water solutions, engineered process systems and professional cleaning products.

www.norchemcorp.com 800-442-4360

Year 2

tal spending due to reduced sales. One supplier described a “catch 22” situation in which material costs, such as steel, keep rising, yet it’s extraordinarily difficult to pass any costs on to customers.

• To the extent that companies can retain staff, they are taking advantage of Employee Retention Credits in combination with Paycheck Protection Program loans. In earlier versions of this program, you couldn’t take advantage of both programs at the same time. In the latest bill from the Biden administration, you can pursue both simultaneously.

One upside of the labor shortage for laundry operators in the hospitality sector is that it’s pushing hotels to close their on-premises laundries (OPL) due to the difficulty of keeping them staffed.

The pandemic has accelerated an ongoing trend in favor of hotel laundry outsourcing, several operators said. One noted that in most cases he’ll decline to take on OPL work unless the hotel agrees to close the facility permanently in favor of outsourcing their laundry operation.

Another positive consequence of the pandemic is that it has

increased the focus of laundry customers in all sectors, but especially healthcare, hotels and food processing, on ensuring textile cleanliness.

This, in turn, has enhanced the value of programs such as TRSA’s Hygienically Clean program. The third-party auditing of laundry hygiene that this program provides to linen, uniform and facility services companies confers a sense of “validation” to customers. That means that customers know that their textile provider follows best practices for laundering, including periodic testing of textiles to ensure that they are safe for use by staff and the public.

One factor that makes Year 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic a continuing challenge for operators is the uncertainly that goes with it. No one can predict with any certainty what’s coming as far as the reopening of customer businesses or the imposition of new restrictions with each succeeding “wave” of COVID cases.

One operator said this unpredictability factor aggravates planning efforts. Laundry operators long for a return to stability that can allow them to reduce costly overtime, and, in turn, lower, employee stress levels.

A related issue is a wide variation in government rules related to the pandemic. Attendees at the town halls confirmed that states like Florida and Nebraska are largely wide open for business,

while others, such as California and Michigan, are nearly as restricted as they were a year ago.

Despite all these challenges, most attendees still said they’re better off than they were a year ago. Industrial operators said their sales are near the level of preCOVID, with extra demand for facility services products helping to make up the gap with customers whose uniform business is down.

Some industry segments, such as cleanroom and food processing, also are experiencing brisk growth. Healthcare, too, has largely recovered, but not completely. Hospital flatwork business is typically at about 90% of pre-COVID levels, several town hall attendees said. Operators speculated that a combination of COVID patients, who typically use fewer linens, and patient fears about going to the hospital have contributed to the downturn. Most said that outpatient medical business had recovered to pre-COVID levels.

As more people get vaccinated for COVID-19, a robust recovery and a loosening of business restrictions could follow this spring. And while there are no easy answers for the recruitment/ retention issue, most operators and suppliers will settle for any sign of progress.

“We’re still scratching our heads on labor,” one operator said, adding that, “I’d still rather take this over last year.” ALN

EDRO Corp.

Before the current health crisis, ozone was considered one of the most efficient virus retardants in nature. It has been used for myriad disinfecting purposes in homes and businesses.

EDRO Corp., a manufacturer of battleshipquality laundry equipment, harnesses ozone disinfection with its DynOzone Disinfecting & Sanitizing Laundry System-equipped washerextractor.

DynOzone uses UV radiation to create two types of activated oxygen gas (germicidal ozone and oxidizing ozone). This is then injected directly into the washtub to kill bacteria, dangerous pathogens and odors.

The DynOzone Disinfecting & Sanitizing Laundry System is a complete, all-in-one system. All DynOzone components are built into and fully integrated within the machine. DynOzone laundry systems have been successfully processing laundry in hotel laundries, shirt laundries, nursing homes, firehouses, prisons, commercial laundries and other on-premises laundries since 2006.

Another benefit of using the built-in, onboard DynOzone Disinfecting & Sanitizing Laundry System is, because of its cleaning properties, every DynOzone-equipped machine is automatically sanitized when used.

The company has launched a sister website, www.getdynozone.com, to share its system and introduce its DDC400 DynOzone Disinfecting Cabinet with exclusive PowerCell ozone technology.

“We are excited to launch this brand-new, easy-to-navigate website,” says EDRO’s Sales & Marketing Manager David Burnham.

“The site gives visitors an overview of the DDC400 DynOzone Disinfecting Cabinet. We are excited about this latest addition to the EDRO product line and are looking forward to the cabinet becoming a milestone product for the company.”

The site will be updated regularly with demonstration videos, product releases and informative posts about ozone. It will also be active on social media with pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

www.edrocorp.com 860-828-0311

Bernstein named CSCNetwork’s executive director

FRANKLIN, Tenn. —

The Board of Directors of CSCNetwork reports that it has appointed laundry industry veteran, David Bernstein, as its next executive director.

He will replace Jamey Cashman, who recently retired after 12 years of service to the organization and its members.

Bernstein is well known to CSC’s members and suppliers, not only as a CSC supplier but also as a speaker and educator at CSC events, seminars and conventions.

“We had a lot of interest and a competitive field of candidates for the position, but David brings a unique and powerful set of skills, training and experience that make him uniquely qualified to be our executive director,” says Ed Heilman, president of CSC’s Board of Directors.

“He has broad industry experience, is a strong leader, excellent manager, has a reputation for honesty and integrity, and comes into the role with a lifetime of personal and professional relationships with many of our members and suppliers.”

Bernstein is in his third decade of professional service to the

laundry industry. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, his experience includes machinery manufacturing and specification, engineering consulting, association management and oversight, event planning, customer service and sales, laundry planning, process improvement, operations, and technology.

He is known as an industry volunteer and advocate, is the recipient of numerous industry awards, has served on industry boards of directors, led task forces and committees, and is a frequent and sought-after public speaker, writer and educator.

“I am very excited to be joining CSC as its new executive director,” says Bernstein. “This is a challenging time for independent laundries, and CSC is the single-best resource to ensure that independents remain strong.

“Working alongside CSC’s experienced and talented staff, I will work to improve on CSC’s industry-leading purchasing programs, educational offerings, and networking opportunities so that we can continue to provide the resources our members need to compete, grow and increase profits.”

In deciding to seek the position, Bernstein referenced his role as a former staff member of the Uniform and Textile Services Association (UTSA) and his role as a volunteer leader and educator for numerous industry associations, including CSC.

“Some of the most memorable, rewarding and successful areas of

my career have been in association work, education, business development, advocacy and event planning,” he says. “I can’t wait to bring these skills and experiences to bear for the benefit of CSC and its members.”

Bernstein’s first day at CSC was May 17, when the mantle of leadership passed from Cashman.

“I have known Jamey since his days at VF Workwear,” reflects Bernstein. “Jamey has done a phenomenal job of leading and growing the organization. I know that I have big shoes to fill, and I am honored that the Board and membership have allowed me this opportunity.”

Girbau North America promotes Pollnow, Willman

OSHKOSH, Wis.— Girbau North America (GNA) reports it has promoted Brennan Pollnow of Milwaukee to North American business manager, Girbau Industrial brand, and Tyler Willman of Oshkosh to regional business development manager, Canada & Northwestern U.S.

“Brennan and Tyler are impressive young professionals who have proven their value with our company,” says Joel Jorgensen, vice president of sales. “We are excited to offer them next steps toward building

high-quality careers representing the GNA family of brands and products.”

Pollnow, who got his start with GNA in 2016 as an inside sales and customer care associate, was quickly promoted in 2018 to regional sales manager for Central/ Southern U.S. commercial distribution and to provide lead prospect qualification and management for the company’s industrial laundry brand, Girbau Industrial (GI).

In his newest role as GI North American business manager, Pollnow works to design and implement GI strategic sales plans; support new GI product introductions; develop lasting relationships with distributors, suppliers and partners; manage ongoing GI projects; and identify emerging markets and market shifts; among many others.

A 2016 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Pollnow holds a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Willman, who joined GNA in 2020 as a regional sales manager in training, has greatly expanded responsibilities in his new role as regional sales manager. Responsible for sales and distribution within Canada and the Northwestern U.S., Willman is charged with developing lasting

distributor and partner relationships, as well as assisting with new product development, competitive analyses, lead tracking and follow-up and much more.

Willman holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Langenkamp promoted to HR senior VP at Cintas

CINCINNATI — Cintas Corp. reports that Max Langenkamp has been promoted to the newly created position of senior vice president of human resources, effective June 1.

With Langenkamp’s promotion, human resources will be elevated to an executivelevel area of oversight. Before this change, human resources reported up through outgoing Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Tom Frooman,

Pollnow

Willman

who earlier this year announced his retirement, effective July 31.

Langenkamp, currently vice president of human resources, will also continue to serve as chief diversity officer, the company’s top diversity, equity and inclusion official.

Langenkamp joined Cintas in 2006 as a member of the inhouse legal counsel staff, where he managed labor and employment and litigation matters for the company. In 2011, he was promoted to senior director of human resources, supporting the Rental Division, the company’s largest division.

In 2014, Langenkamp was promoted to VP of human resources, where he oversaw the teams focused on labor and employment, talent acquisition, and employment branding. In 2019, he was further recognized by earning the role of Cintas’s chief diversity officer.

Cintas currently employs almost 40,000 employee-partners across the United States and Canada.

Among the many employment-related commendations Cintas has earned under Langenkamp’s leadership include Forbes’ “Best Employer For Diversity” (2019, 2020, 2021); GI Jobs’ “Top Military Friendly Employer” every year since 2005; and Diversity Plus Magazine’s “Top 30 Champion of Diversity” multiple times. Cintas is also a regular on Forbes’ “America’s Most Admired Companies,” “Best Employer for New Grads” and “Best Large Employer” lists.

Langenkamp was also honored by Law & Politics Magazine as one of Ohio’s “Rising Stars” in 2018, and in 2019 received Chief Human Resource Officer of the Year – For Profit Enterprise from HRO Today Magazine

Prior to joining Cintas, Langenkamp was an attorney at Cincinnati, Ohio, law firm Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, where he specialized in labor and employment matters in addition to general business litigation.

He earned his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and his Juris doctorate from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Law. He is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Ohio State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Langenkamp is also active with many Cincinnati-area philanthropic organizations, including serving on the board of directors of The Urban League of Southwestern Ohio, Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Red Cross, the Community Action Agency Foundation of Hamilton County,

and the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance.

VF Corp. promotes Puckett

DENVER — VF Corp., a provider of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, reports it has appointed Matt Puckett to the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer.

He will report to VF’s CEO, Steve Rendle, and serve on the company’s executive leadership team.

“I’m very pleased to announce Matt as VF’s next CFO,” says Rendle. “Matt’s VF career has given him a broad range of experience in all facets of financial management, and he deeply understands our company and financial model from his experience working within our brands, our business units and across international markets.

“Matt is a clear example of VF’s robust succession planning approach and there’s no one more qualified than him to serve in the CFO position as we pursue the next phase of the VF growth strategy.”

Puckett, 47, recently marked his 20th anniversary with VF. He joined the company in 2001 as a senior accountant in the finance organization. In the following years, he held a series of finance roles with increasing responsibility, including being appointed in 2009 as CFO of VF’s Sportswear Coalition, which comprised the Nautica® and Kipling® brands.

Immediately following VF’s 2011 acquisition of the Timberland® brand, Puckett was appointed CFO of Timberland® and was integral in helping to guide the brand’s successful integration into VF.

In 2015, he was named CFO of VF International, a role that took him to VF’s European headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland, where he was responsible for all aspects of financial management for VF’s business across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

Puckett returned to the U.S. in 2019 and has been serving as VF’s vice president, Global Financial Planning & Analysis.

Puckett succeeds Scott Roe who announced his retirement from VF to pursue other opportunities. Roe spent 25 years with VF, the last six of which were in the CFO position.

“Scott has had a tremendous career at VF and his impact on our organization has been significant,” says Rendle. “Scott was instrumental in helping to build our international platforms

during his time as CFO of VF International.

“He has overseen a number of VF’s acquisitions and divestitures and been a significant partner in helping to actively evolve our brand portfolio throughout his tenure. And importantly, Scott has enabled VF to consistently deliver on our commitments to shareholders and stakeholders, even during challenging times.

“Scott has worked closely with Matt over the last several years to ensure a smooth and natural transition. We will forever be grateful for his dedication and service.”

Roe remained with VF through the end of May to close out the company’s fiscal year 2021. Puckett assumed the CFO position upon Roe’s departure from VF.

Pharis joins Foltex USA as VP of sales

IRMO, S.C. — Foltex USA, a manufacturer of folders, feeders and stackers, reports it has added a new member to its senior leadership team.

Martin Pharis assumed his new role as vice president of sales for the company in early April. His extensive industry experience includes more than 37 years of management in all aspects of commercial laundry and will serve him well in this new position.

Before joining the team, Pharis served as a project management consultant for Western State Design.

Foltex USA says that he is quick at work, with contract negotiations and strategic planning efforts already underway, adding that his exceptional leadership history coupled with his desire to serve the customer are exactly what made him the perfect fit.

The company shares that it looks forward to the continued growth and expertise that Pharis will bring to the team.

Laible named president of RD Industries

OMAHA, Neb. — RD Industries, a manufacturer of fluid containment and dispensing products, reports that Barbara Laible has been named president of the company.

Her involvement with RD Industries began in 2014. In January of 2019, she was hired as chief strategy officer and promoted to chief operating officer in 2020.

Under Laible’s leadership, the

company says it has transformed its internal culture while simultaneously improving the customer experience and product offering.

At the height of the COVID19 supply demands, the RDI team met every order, pushing the facility capacity limits to outstanding, never-before achieved production and quality levels. The business ended the year producing 70% more than any previous year, proving leadership combined with teamwork makes all the difference.

Laible believes in the importance of the full picture and has not been shy about stepping in and learning at every life opportunity, which provides her with the unique ability to advise in multiple areas and industries. She believes in developing an excellent leadership team, utilizing all perspectives in decisionmaking and taking risks.

Her career has spanned over multiple industries, including manufacturing, printing, advertising, production management, education, transportation of freight, IT and real estate development.

As a previous entrepreneur, Laible grew a refrigerated freight company from startup to nearly $4 million annually whose clients included companies from the Fortune 100 list. She has provided leadership and consulting to start over 40 entities in Nebraska and taught business coursework for Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska.

She holds an MBA from Regent University in Entrepreneurism and Global Leadership and is currently a Ph.D. student in organizational leadership. Also, she accomplished additional education at Northwestern|Kellogg and Cornell University.

Universal Unilink elevates Hartman to director of marketing

GREER, S.C. —– Universal Unilink, reports that it has promoted Marty Hartman from Marketing coordinator to director of marketing.

He will be responsible for leading, developing and executing marketing initiatives for Universal Unilink, including promoting membership engagement, fostering vendor communication and cultivating new member interac-

tions.

“Marty has been an integral part of our team for the last seven years,” says Sherryl Stoner, vice president of Universal Unilink. “He has led several successful marketing campaigns during his tenure here and his promotion is well deserved.”

Hartman joined the company in 2014 as a marketing coordinator. Hartman received a Bachelor of Arts in art education from Bob Jones University but has cultivated his marketing expertise for the past 22 years.

Crow takes over as VP sales for Venus Group

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — Textile manufacturer and distributor Venus Group reports that Steve Crow took over the role of vice president, sales, for its Institution Division, at the beginning of April. In this role, the company says Crow will play a leading role in assisting it drive strategic growth in the industrial laundry market, which is undergoing meaningful changes.

“Steve’s deep operational knowledge about laundries allows him to understand their evolving needs, providing a customer-centric vision to continue serving our customers with innovative solutions”, says Raj Patel, Venus Group’s president and co-founder.

Crow has more than 28 years of industry experience, including 15 years with Venus Group. Since joining the organization, he has been instrumental in helping Venus establish a broader footprint within the commercial laundry sector, bringing in strategic accounts such as Admiral (now owned by Alsco).

The team he will be leading is equally excited with him stepping into a leadership role.

Chuck Loitz, senior vice president, says, “His knowledge of the industry and his understanding of our customers’ needs is far-reaching. As our director of national accounts, he has handled the complexities of working with our national chain accounts all while managing his own sales territory in the Southeast.”

The company says Crow has been instrumental in encouraging organizational leadership to think radically different when it comes to addressing changing industry trends.

“We are pleased to promote Steve into this role given that he is an outside-the-box thinker who does not hesitate to speak his mind,” says Kirit Patel, CEO and co-founder.

Laible

Pharis

Hartman

Puckett

Crow

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

PRESSES – EXTRACTION

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

SMALL-PIECE FOLDERS MAT ROLLERS

TUNNEL WASHER SYSTEMS SURFACE

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

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

Mission Linen Supply honored with Central Coast Innovation Award

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Mission Linen Supply, a provider of products and services to hospitality, healthcare and industrial businesses, located here, reports that the Pacific Coast Business Times has honored the company with a Central Coast Innovation Award in the Logistics & Supply Chain category.

The awards honor the region’s leaders in innovation, disruptive technologies and social ventures.

“At Mission, we offer our customers everything they need, all in one place,” says Mission President and CEO John Ross.

“We’re a one-stop shop for laundry services, linens, uniforms and a wide variety of supplies—so instead of wasting time sourcing products and services from multiple vendors, organizations count on us to consolidate the process and provide solutions they know they can trust.”

Among Mission’s many logistics and supply-chain accomplishments, the company says it recently made significant strides in its e-commerce platform, Buy Direct. Through this platform, the company offers customers a convenient way to order everything from personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning products and first aid items to food service disposables, office supplies and more.

Mission was recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on March 25. Other award recipients included Westlake Village BioPartners, LogicMonitor, AppFolio, Well Health, Fathomwerx, Mantis Composites, Aptitude Medical, Shuji Nakamur and Steve DenBaars.

In addition to a Central Coast Innovation Award, Mission has received numerous other accolades, including the City of Santa Barbara’s Water Hero Award, a Bronze Stevie® Award, a silver Best in Biz Award in the Most Environmentally Responsible Company of the Year category, and a Business Intelligence Group Sustainability Leadership Award.

Gurtler Industries, OMNI Solutions enter exclusive distribution agreement

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill., and BARABOO, Wis. — Gurtler Industries and OMNI Solutions report that the companies have entered into an agreement that allows Gurtler exclusive distribution rights for OMNI’s SULAOS tunnel washer system (Smart Ultraviolet Light Advanced Oxidation System) throughout North America and Australia.

OMNI Solutions says SULAOS is designed for today’s modern tunnel washing systems. SULAOS treats press water with a combination of potent oxidizers and ultraviolet light and returns the treated water to the rinse zone, virtually eliminating organic contaminants, which allows the SULAOS system to provide reduced microbial contamination in the rinse zone.

“OMNI is excited to partner with Gurtler, a leader in innovation in the laundry market,” says Andrew Rupnow, chairman and CEO of OMNI Solutions. “Their team of experienced service specialists will be instrumental in delivering a proven patented microbial reduction solution multifaceted to the tunnel washer market.”

Gurtler is a producer of specialty laundry chemicals, providing service to all segments of the commercial and professional laundry industry across North America and Australia. Known as a leader in the healthcare and tunnel washer laundry processing market, the company says it recognized the potential benefits of the OMNI SULAOS technology.

“We are very pleased that we have entered into this exclusive agreement with OMNI,” says Greg Gurtler, president of Gurtler Industries. “The SULAOS technology provides a unique benefit for the industry and our team of experienced service specialists are excited to introduce the system to the market.

“This agreement allows us to deepen our innovative offerings for the healthcare laundry market.”

Gurtler and OMNI say that the agreement will create synergistic benefits for both companies and their customers. OMNI customers will benefit from additional expert service consultation from Gurtler’s service force. Gurtler customers will have easier access to the unique capabilities and benefits from the SULAOS technology.

VF Corp. to sell occupational portion of its Work segment

DENVER — VF Corp., a provider of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, reports it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the occupational portion of its Work segment to a subsidiary of Redwood Capital Investments LLC, a diversified holding company.

The occupational workwear portion of VF’s Work segment includes the following brands: Red Kap®, VF Solutions®,

Bulwark®, Workrite®, Walls®, Terra®, Kodiak®, Work Authority® and Horace Small®.

The sale does not include the Dickies® and Timberland PRO® brands.

“The sale of our occupational work brands reflects our continued focus on transforming VF into a more consumerminded and retail-centric enterprise while further simplifying our portfolio and operating model,” says Steve Rendle, VF’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Redwood Capital Investments. They are an ideal owner to guide these brands and businesses into their next phase of growth.”

The transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals for a closing to occur. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Barclays is serving as exclusive financial advisor to VF on the transaction. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is acting as legal advisor. J.P. Morgan is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Redwood Capital Investments, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal advisor.

Alliance Laundry Systems to acquire Washburn Machinery Inc.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems, a manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment, reports it is acquiring the distribution assets of Washburn Machinery Inc. and is expected to close on the purchase later this year.

Terms of the pending deal were not disclosed.

Based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Washburn Machinery, which opened in 1948, provides on-premises laundry solutions to a variety of businesses in Northern and Central Illinois, Northern Indiana, and East-Central and Southern Wisconsin markets.

The acquisition is Alliance’s latest move in a strategy to bring exceptional service and factory support to expanding markets where there is an opportunity to partner with exceptional people, the company says.

“Alliance and Washburn coming together will accelerate our opportunities in this exciting market by leveraging the strengths of Washburn’s sales and service teams with the backing of Alliance,” says Rick Pyle, president and chief commercial officer of Alliance Laundry Systems.

Jeff Fox, president of Washburn Machinery, will join Alliance in a leadership role. He will continue to oversee the business and drive growth initiatives as part of Alliance Laundry Systems.

“I believe this is a great opportunity for my dedicated team to grow and be a part of an exciting future,” says Fox. “I look forward to introducing new and current customers to an even higher level of service.”

Founded

60 years of SITEX Corp.

HENDERSON, Ky. — SITEX Corp. is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2021.

in 1961 by the Sights family, SITEX provides uniform rental, apparel, linen and facility services, as well as first aid programs, to a wide array of businesses in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee.

Mission Linen Supply was recently honored with a Central Coast Innovation Award in the Logistics & Supply Chain category from the Pacific Coast Business Times. (Photo: Mission Linen Supply)

Jon (left) and Wes Sights are the third generation of the family to run SITEX Corp., which is celebrating its 60th anniversary. (Photo: SITEX Corp)