American Laundry News - July 2021

Late News

Mann tapped for ALM

of Directors

RICHMOND, Ky. — The Board of Directors of the Association for Linen Management (ALM) reports that Mark Mann has been selected to step into the recently vacated director post.

Mann is the vice president, USA Business Unit, for MIP Inc.

“Our shared educational mission makes Mark’s addition to the ALM Board of Directors the perfect fit,” says Richard Bott, ALM Board president.

ALM Executive Director Linda Fairbanks points out Mann’s appointment is well-timed for the association.

“Mark’s appointment to the ALM Board is perfect timing as we prepare for the August launch of our newest certification program designed for the healthcare linen manager,” she says.

“One significant learning for me from the last 17 months is that the world has changed in ways that required us all to change our behaviors,” Mann says.

“I am looking forward to working with and learning from my ALM colleagues, ALM members and our members’ customers to continue to elevate best practices by getting in front of the changes to come.” ALN

Success story: U.S. Linen & Uniform

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

RICHLAND, Wash. — In 1944, Harvey Stoller was working with his father at the Pantorium Laundry & Dry Cleaners in Walla Walla, Washington, when he won a bid to provide laundry service for the government town of Richland.

There were 100,000 people in Richland, and he had the only laundry in town.

In the 1950s, Stoller saw that adding rental linen would be a good fit, so the company focused more and more on the rental side of the market.

Eventually, the company dropped consumer laundry and dry cleaning and focused solely on linen and uniform rental.

Today, Stoller’s grandson, Rick Snyder, is general manager of the company, U.S. Linen & Uniform, and the Stoller ability to see the value of adding and changing products has led to the service offering multiple lines and products, growing to serve a large swath of

the Pacific Northwest.

“We are always looking at whether we should add or subtract a service or product,” Snyder says. “Our focus is on whether it will be beneficial to our customers.

“If it is a benefit to our customer, then

Business interruption planning in

we look at how well we can do it. If it meets both those criteria, then we will continue with or startup that product or service.

“We started out just servicing our local

COVID world

BY BOB CORFIELD

LAS VEGAS — Recent headlines define the laundry list (pun intended) of major challenges for any business leader to contend with. Any single item would be concerning, but these challenges are all occurring at the same time in this pandemic economy.

How business owners and leaders are addressing these challenges will fill MBA courses for decades to come with what worked—and what did not.

The headlines are also affecting textile rental and professional laundry markets. Global supply and logistic problems are impacting all market sectors, from machine parts to textiles, finished goods, chemicals and more.

Proper Finishing and Satisfaction

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

An ‘all events’ disaster response framework can provide a roadmap for laundries

a

Board

‘Everything we do is based on benefiting the customer,’ says general manager

U.S. Linen & Uniform leadership (from left): Drew Snyder, assistant general manager; Rick Snyder, general manager; John Rains, director of operations; Tim Armstrong, plant manager. (Photo: Kim Fetrow)

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Texcare International: Hygienic, sustainable, smart, future-proof

FRANKFURT, Germany — The coronavirus pandemic has shown, without doubt, that professional textile service is of crucial significance to the healthcare sector. Thanks to its certified hygienic processes, textilecare companies can guarantee safety and reliably ensure supplies in their region.

Accordingly, hygiene will be one of the top themes at Texcare International in Frankfurt am Main Nov. 27-Dec. 1, says organizer Messe Frankfurt. Other focal points will include sustainability concerning the circular economy, smart solutions using artificial intelligence and digital customer contacts, and lessons to further future-proof the industry.

HYGIENIC

Textile-care companies have always been specialists in hygienic textile processing. As a result of the pandemic, this subject has shifted into customers’ focus. Now, textilecare companies can use this knowledge to market their expertise more effectively.

Thus, the sector expects growing demand in the field of textile hygiene not only in the healthcare sector but also in the hotel and tourism industry following the fresh start.

Accordingly, Texcare International is set to be a vital hub for textile hygiene innovations—from disinfecting processes for textile dry cleaning, via hygienic washing methods and detergents, as well as new documentary aspects, to anti-viral finishing of textiles during the washing phase.

SUSTAINABLE

The use of textiles in the healthcare sector—from surgical gowns, sheets and masks to linen—is an important step forward toward greater sustainability through the circular economic model: reusable products result in less waste.

With long-lived, wear-resistant textiles, gentle washing processes and efficient repair services, the textile-service sector is making a significant contribution to the circular economy called for by the European Union within the framework of the Green Deal.

New at Texcare International will be the focus on textile recycling and environmentally friendly packaging. At laundry and linen services’ premises, wastewater management, energy efficiency and heat recovery continue to play an important role.

SMART

Monitoring processes in real-time and intelligently networking them can bring about a significant increase in energy efficiency. Digitalization and automation are already widespread in the textile-care sector.

Now, with the aid of artificial intelligence, the aim is to further

optimize the flow of goods and data, as well as to improve the customer interface, which enables companies to track their laundry at all times and check the process being used.

As a driving force of digitalization, the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of innovations in smart solutions for remaining fit for the future. Thus, machine and plant manufacturers expect Texcare International to generate additional investment in their products.

However, digitalization is not only changing the processes themselves. It is also reworking the customer dialogue and creating new learning and training opportunities.

FUTURE-PROOF

In itself, textile care is a futureproof business model: textiles must always be cleaned or laundered.

Nevertheless, the sector has been badly hit by the collapse of business not only in the hotel and tourism sector but also in the private-customer segment.

How can companies ensure they are future-oriented and what lessons are to be learned from the pandemic? Will the crisis be a driving force for innovation and what will successful business models look like tomorrow?

Texcare International and the Texcare Forum provide the setting for a discussion of these subjects.

Texcare International will be one of the first international trade fairs for textile care to be held after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, the industry has great expectations of it as a source of important impulses for the resumption of business, organizers say. ALN

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein

Phone: 312-361-1682

E-Mail: dfeinstein@ ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs

Phone: 312-361-1683

E-Mail: bbeggs@ ATMags.com

Editor

Matt Poe

Phone: 866-942-5694

E-Mail: mpoe@ ATMags.com

Production Manager

Mathew Pawlak

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs

Phone: 312-361-1681

E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

Advisory Board

David Barbe • David Carter

Janice Ayers Davis • Nick Fertig

Deana Griffin • Steve Kallenbach Edward McCauley

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

Subscriptions

847-504-8175 ALN@Omeda.com www.americanlaundrynews.com

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

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POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Laundry News, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 47, number 7. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661.

Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Laundry News is distributed selectively to qualified laundry and linen management and distributors in the United States.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2021. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Laundry News does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within.

Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Laundry News or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

MEMBERSHIPS

(Photos: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Jens Liebchen)

Trade fair to revolve around sector’s top themes says organizer Messe Frankfurt

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

www.milnor.com

Excited about the rearview

I ’m sure you’re tired of hearing and reading about COVID-19. I know I’m ready for it to all be over.

That’s why I’m excited about this issue of American Laundry News.

No, sorry, COVID-19 is still mentioned in the following pages; unfortunately, the effects of a global pandemic will be felt, and have to be dealt with, for some time to come.

So, why am I excited about this issue? Because the COVID19 “tone” is changing.

From our article sources to our writers to our Panel of Experts, the COVID-19 mes-

The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

sage is changing from dealing with it, survival, to learning lessons and adapting to the new business environment.

For example, I’m sure you saw the business interruption article by Bob Corfield on the front page. Bob has presented about business continuity and disaster planning, in the past, but this time, he shares lessons from the pandemic to improve those plans.

Turn to page 12 to see what our Experts have to say about selling and hiring/training/ retaining personnel for businesses post-COVID.

We’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a train—it’s the light of a new day for keeping it clean, everybody! ALN

The ever-learning laundry manager

Many years ago when I was just starting in this industry, I attended my first-ever laundry educational seminar in Denver, Colorado.

I was then a shift supervisor in a large healthcare laundry in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was my first place of employment after graduating from college, and at that time, I thought my work in the laundry would be a temporary thing until I got the opportunity to work in my major field of study.

The keynote speaker covered the topic of “The Ever-Learning Manager.” He stressed the need to be constantly improving our personal knowledge and perfecting our management techniques.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Recovery for healthcare laundry operators and suppliers from COVID19 challenges has progressed, but many operators on TRSA’s April 27 Healthcare Virtual Roundtable say their volume hasn’t returned to 2019 levels and processing what’s back is difficult due to labor shortages.

Participants in the session, which included 60-plus operators and suppliers, cited a variety of reasons hospital accounts are producing less than pre-pandemic revenue, including:

• Elective surgeries continue to be postponed but are expected to reach prior levels through the second quarter of 2021.

• Many such surgeries and other procedures that otherwise might have been performed in hospitals have shifted to outpatient or urgent-care centers. Telemedicine also has accelerated amid COVID-19 concerns.

• Hospital emergency rooms (ERs) aren’t as busy because schools are closed and students aren’t as active, reducing accidents. How much more will these trends affect hospital laundry specialists?

Technology, comfort and cost control will continue to drive growth in outpatient care, one roundtable participant says, but the aging of nearly 70 million baby boomers means that hospitals will continue to care for many chronically ill people.

Enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus payments are viewed as disincentivizing paid work. This may moderate in the United States in September when benefits are slated to expire, says Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s vice president of Government Relations. He co-moderated the roundtable with Director of Membership & Industry Outreach Ken Koepper.

Government officials suggest paying people more; this fails to consider how tight profit margins and rigorous competition make it nearly impossible to remain solvent, Schwalb observes.

Roundtable attendees discussed a range of responses including:

• Work with rehab organizations seeking to provide ex-offenders with “second chance” options.

• Hire interns from local community colleges with regular

employment a possibility.

• Emphasize industry stability and career growth opportunities.

• Note in recruiting the environmental benefits of reusable textiles to attract candidates looking for a “green” opportunity.

Speaking of “green,” disposable gowns were in short supply as the pandemic began and demand for reusables skyrocketed. Now COVID caseloads have stabilized, disposables’ supply has returned and hospitals have reverted to ordering them.

To reform such practices for the long haul, ideas shared at the roundtable included:

• Make the case for reusables in nursing schools and other healthcare educational settings.

• Push for regulation such as California’s mandated 50-50 stockpiling of reusable and disposable PPE (personal protective equipment), enacted with TRSA’s support.

• Ads with images that emphasize the environmental and supplychain benefits of reusables, such as nurses clad in garbage bags due to disposable PPE shortages. ALN

He warned us about the danger of thinking we were good enough or that we knew all we needed to know. He pointed out how many advances had been achieved since 1960 and how fast the growth of technology was impacting our lives. He spoke about how this technology might affect us in the future.

As I look back on that seminar, which was held in 1974, I marvel at how many things have happened that we could not even dream about at that time. Computers were just beginning to affect businesses, but the concept of a personal computer in the office or the home simply did not exist.

Cell phones had not been invented yet, and smartphones with more processing power than many large-frame computers of that day were not even a dream.

AS I LOOK BACK ON THAT SEMINAR, WHICH WAS HELD IN 1974, I MARVEL AT HOW MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED THAT WE COULD NOT EVEN DREAM ABOUT AT THAT TIME. COMPUTERS WERE JUST BEGINNING TO AFFECT BUSINESSES, BUT THE CONCEPT OF A PERSONAL COMPUTER IN THE OFFICE OR THE HOME SIMPLY DID NOT EXIST.

The world was a much bigger and less connected place. Textiles were predominantly made in the United States. Cotton was still king, and a tallow-based soap was still used in many laundries.

It was impossible for us to imagine what the future would hold for us, and yet that message of needing to be an everlearning manager still rings true today.

I do not have a crystal ball and cannot tell you what changes we will see in the next 20 years. I can say without a doubt that education will play an important part in keeping up with that future.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your industry? What challenges has it created for your operation? How will the surge of recent undocumented immigrants affect the labor pool in your town? What skills will you need to manage a diverse work crew that may not speak much English?

Are your customers demanding newer and better linen products in an attempt to improve healthcare and reduce length of stay? How can we refine our production processes to improve productivity and make better use of our existing labor force? These questions can and will be answered by those managers and supervisors who take advantage of all the educational opportunities provided by our employers, our suppliers and our trade associations.

Change is a constant we must all deal with and learning should never cease.

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

From

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

Success

area. As the opportunities arose, we have expanded to new areas. Along the way, we have purchased seven small companies to help us grow and expand to new areas.

“We keep looking for new opportunities.”

THE (REAL) BEGINNING

U.S. Linen & Uniform’s story actually begins in 1901 with Snyder’s great-grandfather, who went to work for a tailor in Portland, Oregon.

“The first thing he did was burn a hole in a pair of pants,” shares Snyder. “The owner wanted him to pay for the pants. He was going to quit, but they settled it so he continued working there.

“In April 1901, he was offered

a job in Walla Walla, Washington. Someone who had worked for the tailor in Portland had started a laundry. He moved to Walla Walla.”

On July 9, 1901, Snyder’s great-grandfather purchased the business and started the Stoller Cleaning Club.

“My grandfather would go to the farms, and for a $1 month you could get all your clothes cleaned,” he says. “Even in 1901, my greatgrandfather had figured out the benefits of flat-rate billing and under wash.”

Since then, the Stoller sense has influenced U.S. Linen & Uniform, helping it continue to expand and evolve. Snyder says the company started barcoding and using automated sorters in the 1980s. In 2014, they added radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips.

“Our Star Track RFID sort system guarantees garments are

returned with 100% accuracy,” he says.

In 2000, U.S. Linen & Unform underwent rebranding with an

updated logo and updated marketing material.

“We even publish our own 44-page catalog,” Snyder adds.

“Our trucks are some of the best looking and most noticeable in any industry.”

In 2010, the company installed a ceramic micro-filtration wastewater system, allowing it to recycle about 75% of its water.

“The water we discharge to city has about 95% of the contaminants removed,” shares Snyder.

OPERATION TODAY

Snyder says that the core of U.S. Linen & Uniform’s offerings today are uniforms, mats, towels and aprons.

However, the “laundry list” of industries the company serves is extensive, ranging from food to automotive, from doctor’s offices to truck repair services.

“In 2016, we moved into the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington market,” shares Snyder. “Before we moved into that market, we covered all of Eastern Washington, Northeastern Oregon and Northern Idaho.

“Our coverage area was about 70,000 square miles, and there

are only about 2 million people in the entire area. There is not enough business in our area to focus on one industry. We have to serve every industry.

“The benefits of serving so many different industries really showed up last year. The hospitality industry in our area went down about 75%. The industrial and food processing industries actually increased last year. Being diversified saved us last year.”

However, serving so many industries does have its challenges.

“We can’t focus on doing one thing,” Snyder points out. “We have to set up the plant to handle all the different items that we have to process. We just don’t get as efficient as we could be.

“Employees could be working on the flatwork ironer in the morning and hanging garments for the steam tunnel in the afternoon. The next day, they might be doing something different. All of our production employees get proficient in several areas.”

Still, U.S. Linen & Uniform has faced the challenges and grown to two plants (Richland and

A semi-truck leaves a U.S. Linen & Uniform plant with clean goods. (Photos: Kim Fetrow)

U.S. Linen & Uniform is processing around 200,000 pounds of goods a week after a pandemic low of about 130,000 pounds a week.

Providing service for many different industries helped U.S. Linen & Uniforms get through the pandemic.

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

Tools f the Trade

Medical barrier washer-extractors introduced

proprietary mirror surface finishing technology.

Fitted with a touch-screen control, BW washers feature full wash programmability of all machine functions and available in multi-language display, according to Sea-lion America. For loading accuracy, the washers are fitted with a load weighing function that displays real-time load weight on the controller screen with a tolerance of +/- 2%.

Freestanding operation is made possible by a robust tubular frame supporting the washtub in an airbag suspension system that is further enhanced by an inverter with a single motor drive to provide smooth, reliable and efficient power with selectable extract speeds up to 336 G-force, the company says.

Sea-lion America reports it has introduced two medical barrier washer-extractors: the BW-600 and BW-1000A.

The company says the machines have rated loading capacities of 135 pounds and 225 pounds, are available in either open pocket or split pocket cylinder design, and are available with steam or electric heating.

The barrier-type design provides the necessary separation between soiled and clean sides of the laundry operation with a fully enclosed stainless-steel shell, interlocking controls and protective membrane seal. The stainless-steel cylinder material is finished with a

The washer has an exceptionally large loading door that can support two operators for loading and unloading of goods. In addition, there is an automatic positioning device that precisely locates the door opening alignment after program completion to eliminate the need for jogging.

For safety, the inner door lock is fitted with a detecting device and magnet to assure proper lock engagement and secure door closure. The moldpressed outer door is fitted with oversized actuators to guarantee a watertight seal.

Sea-lion says its barrier-type washer-extractors are the perfect choice for medical laundry operations or where it is advantageous to physically separate soiled from clean linens.

www.sealionamerica.com 860-316-5563

Canberra Corp., a cleaning chemical manufacturer that services the commercial, institutional, industrial and retail markets, reports it has entered the laundry category with Husky Optimum products.

The company says Husky Optimum is a concise offering of highly concentrated laundry formulas designed for the onpremises laundry (OPL) market.

“We realized laundry was the missing category at Canberra. Husky Optimum closes that gap for our customers,” says Felicia Yacko, product manager. “We’re now able to offer everything from disinfectants to detergent—and that’s what we’re here for—to offer a range of quality products

to our customers.”

The newest addition to the Husky line includes four detergents, three reclaimers, two destainers, one sour neutralizer, one break pH booster and one fabric softener. Husky Optimum features fast-acting surfactants, closed-loop dispensing, userfriendly packaging, and training and marketing materials.

“Canberra continues to respond to the needs of today’s end users by enhancing our offering of solutions that work from people you trust,” says Todd Schimoeller, president. “We’re really excited to introduce this line to the market.” www.canberracorp.com 419-841-6616

Dissolvable non-toxic poly film now available in the US Linen management improved with RFID tag insertion

The Green Garmento has introduced a new line of dissolvable poly film for laundry, dry cleaning, hotels and hospitals. Known for its patented, innovative reusable laundry and dry cleaning bags, The Green Garmento says it has helped keep millions of single-use plastic bags from entering the ecosystem. Now ready to answer the call of cross-contamination concerns, the company brings to market DISSOLVE This!, a line of completely earthfriendly PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) packaging solutions for myriad industries.

From clear garment bags to fragranceinfused laundry bags to grocery bags and even pet waste bags, the company says its DISSOLVE This! brand solves today’s problem of reusability versus single-use.

The Green Garmento says that, ideally, it wants all industries to embrace reusable packaging over single-use; however, some laundry and dry cleaning services still prefer to use clear plastic “poly” bags to protect clothing.

Now, instead of jamming recycle machines, or worse, landfills or waterways, operators can throw the bag and the laundry into the same machine and the bag simply disappears and all that’s left is fresh laundry and no toxins or single-use plastic, says the company.

Essential oil fragrance can be added to the soluble laundry bags, elevating the cus-

tomer’s experience while saving the operator money on fragrance boosters.

Safe for all environments, new PVA resin can be programmed to dissolve in either hot or cold water allowing the film to be completely uncompromised in the rain or snow.

The price point is on par with soluble laundry bags and bio-degradable poly bags, according to The Green Garmento.

The healthcare and hospitality industry will reap the same benefits of having a cost-effective, single-use bag for soiled linens and clothes that will dissolve in the wash and not pollute the environment, will help reduce cross-contamination and helps “green” and streamline the overall laundry operations, the company adds.

www.thegreengarmento.com 323-512-2600

Industrial launderers, hotels and other businesses that manage textile linens understand that manually sorting, counting, packing, and separating clean and soiled linens is an error-prone process. RFID tags can help automate this process, but manually inserting radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips on every item is time-consuming and costly.

Venus Group collaborated with Fujitsu Frontech North America, a leader in RFID technology, to design a solution that would automate the RFID tag insertion process and, ultimately, streamline inventory management for customers.

After one year of R&D and six total product variations, Venus Group and Fujitsu landed on a continuous roll of custom-designed RFID pouches, which are inserted into the hem.

Each pouch includes an embedded RFID linen tag and a cut line with a heat seal. During the automated manufacturing process at Venus, the RFID pouch is cut off the roll and inserted into the hem of each linen, then thermally sealed or welded onto the item.

This process reduces the amount of manual labor needed to integrate RFID solutions and provides consistent quality for each linen. The heat seal prevents RFID

tags from slipping out of linens, while the fabric material protects the tag from fraying and damage.

Linens with RFID tags installed can be read in seconds, making managing soiled and clean linens easier, Venus says.

With Venus’ manufacturing strength combined with Fujitsu’s washable RFID tags, the company says the result is superior-quality linen with advanced functionality that is shipped to the customer quickly. The automation system manufactures linens expeditiously, while RFID technology allows the customer to be as efficient as possible when managing linen inventory.

Given the pandemic, textiles with RFID tags offer another distinct advantage— improving employee safety by eliminating the physical handling of contaminated items.

www.venusgroup.com 800-421-6599

Manufacturers: Have you introduced a new product? Revamped your system? Released a new catalog? E-mail your product news, along with a high-resolution image, to mpoe@atmags.com and we’ll consider publishing your news free in Tools of the Trade.

Highly concentrated laundry formulas program launched for OPLs

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Labor shortages are affecting every market sector. Signing bonuses are being offered to hourly wage positions; minimum wages are rising 20%-30% or more in some areas. Business bankruptcies are at an all-time high, especially in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Losses due to bad debt have had ripple effects for vendors.

The scale and scope of the combined issues facing businesses in this pandemic economy are challenging leaders. In fact, the subtext to the headline issues is the large number of leaders who are stepping down from their organizations. Historically, leaders in turbulent times are not the same as those in stable or high-growth markets.

Entrepreneurs or family business owners are the exceptions to that rule in most cases and the laundry industry is populated with family companies that are laundries and suppliers alike.

BUSINESS INTERRUPTION PLANNING

When I was managing laundries a few years back, we developed and then practiced business interruption scenarios, and we used an “all events” plan to address how we would approach nearly every type of problem.

The old paradigm was to plan for each contingency separately, but by adopting an “all events” approach, every scenario we faced shared the same core elements and approaches. The differences in each event response were related to whom might be involved or the resources required.

We practiced scenarios and even faced several real-time events over a few years. We experienced flooding that caused water use restrictions, set up mobile field evacuation centers, delivery truck accidents, labor strike actions, sewer line breaks, including epidemic outbreak response for both major and minor events (influenza, measles and Ebola).

Following every event, we would convene an “after-action” investigation where the first and most important rule was brutal, clear honesty. One of our team leads was a former military field surgeon and medical investigator and he encouraged blunt, respectful discussion. I found these afteraction meetings valuable, and our takeaways always made the next event response go smoother.

One common element in all that experience is that most events are isolated geographically to a location, building, city or region. A baseline condition assumed there would always be support beyond the localized event to be able to reach out to. Suppliers, vendors, specialists could be called on to send supplies or manpower if needed.

“THE OLD PARADIGM WAS TO PLAN FOR EACH CONTINGENCY SEPARATELY, BUT BY ADOPTING AN ‘ALL EVENTS’ APPROACH, EVERY SCENARIO WE FACED SHARED THE SAME CORE ELEMENTS AND APPROACHES. THE DIFFERENCES IN EACH EVENT RESPONSE WERE RELATED TO WHOM MIGHT BE INVOLVED OR THE RESOURCES REQUIRED.”

That all changed in March 2020.

COVID 2020

There are moments in any event where you become aware that most of your experience and planning are no longer relevant, and the events around the 2020 global COVID response have reset our thinking in almost every way. Challenges are combined to become an avalanche of challenges, and they are sent with critical life-threatening mandates.

Every part of our industry has been affected and depending on the type of laundry you operate, or industry you serve, these are extraordinary times.

• How do you plan for a 3-6 month plant shutdown?

• How do you lay off 80%-90% of staff, when you have never had a layoff?

• Machine parts and textiles are available, but they are competing with global transportation to arrive at your plant.

• You need to invest in worksite protection (masks, temperature checks, plexiglass barriers, revised worker schedules and more).

• How do you hire new and returning workers to scale with production, when production is less than 30%. These challenges and more are

facing all types of businesses in our industry. While the problems are substantial, applying an “all events” disaster response framework can provide a roadmap or path for your organization to follow.

First, as each new challenge presents itself, have a core team who perform a “triage” of the event and determine what is critical, what is fatal and then create an essential priority of events to address.

Second, define short-term deliverables, empower your team with authority to act and create a communication plan that reports honestly and often. Focus on the quality of the information presented. Third, be prepared to have hard conversations regards what your team is learning.

CASE STUDY

We helped one linen supply owner who saw 80% of his receivables disappear when his restaurant and hotel customers were forced to close due to COVID restrictions. He needed to focus on collections, retrieving inventory, deciding which employees he needed to retain, which he needed to lay off and how to shut down the plant to protect his assets (textiles and machinery).

He assembled his core team to have these very tough conversations which included legal, HR, senior managers in operations,

sales and engineering. He also included his bank and insurance representatives.

Later he brought in his key vendors in textiles, chemicals and transportation to discuss what they were doing and how they would ride this out together.

Lastly, he called major customers and started conversations about where they were and how they needed to work together.

He documented every meeting and directed everyone to take notes of any key conversation to keep confusion and misunderstandings to a minimum. Constant and candid conversations allowed the business to achieve a holding pattern awaiting the market to return.

Through this, he met with his team members to see how they were doing personally—finding out how their families were holding up and listening to their concerns. Keeping them reassured while others were being laid off was crucial.

As the first wave of COVID lifted and his customers started to return, he had the difficult task of re-hiring, but volumes were so low at first there was not enough work to turn on the plant.

Additionally, returning staff wanted reassurances that they could work safely and not be exposed to infection. Finally, the state restrictions were impacting return-towork requirements, monitoring and reporting.

Once again, prior to re-opening, he convened an action team to address the challenges. He added department supervisors to the response team to develop protocols. By including supervisor and department leads, he was

able to get their buy-in to the company’s commitment to a safe work program.

It is important to note that these protocols were adjusted weekly until the whole plant found a system that worked best for all.

COVID CHALLENGES

Forced to contend with so many issues at the same time has tested companies of all sizes. Having a business interruption response program is essential to business continuation. Having a program and succeeding is dependent on practicing and updating that program to meet the issues foreseen and unforeseen.

Once you assemble your team in response to any event, meet often to see what is working and what is not. Be honest about why a strategy is not working, adjust your track or move away from the track decisively. If something is working, be realistic on how much you can expect from it. Be prepared to change again once that element plays out.

Here is the tough part, work hard to manage your bias. As a leader or team member, keep the focus on the goal and be ready to make room for different approaches. For example, this is a unique time in the labor market and old strategies for attracting workers just may not address the current environment.

You may need to highlight your essential business status, how you are protecting your workers with uniforms, cleaning protocols, and more. How does your business service or support your community, conserve resources, meet national or international standards or certification?

Keeping in mind you may be competing with your customers for the same workers, you may need to highlight limited exposure to the public.

Not having a plan is not really an option in this environment. Having a plan that is not a fit for your team can be catastrophic. There are written guides, consultants and peer groups who can help you develop a plan structure, but it is up to each company to find a program that works best for them.

Not practicing/reviewing your program on a scheduled basis is almost like not having a plan at all. Practicing can be time-consuming, expensive and exhausting to organizations. But drills, after-action review, modification and comprehension can make all the difference in how your business will contend with interruptions of any type, even global pandemics. ALN

is CEO of Laundry Design Group LLC, a professional assessment, design and project services company headquartered in Las Vegas with a Canadian office in Calgary, Alberta.

Bob Corfield

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Corfield

Portland) and four service centers: Yakima, Moses Lake and Spokane, Washington; and Pendleton, Oregon.

“We took over the Portland plant in 2016,” says Snyder. “Prior to the pandemic, it was operating 10 hours a day, four days a week. When our volume dropped during the pandemic, we moved all the production to the Richland plant. The Richland plant runs 18 hours a day, four days a week.”

The Richland plant has the following equipment:

• 1 – 900-pound washerextractor.

• 3 – 675-pound washerextractors.

• 1 – 450-pound washerextractor.

• 2 – 165-pound washerextractors.

• 1 – 600-pound dryer.

• 2 – 450-pound dryers.

• 1 – 300-pound dryer.

• 2 – 75-pound dryers.

• 2 – flatwork ironers.

• 1 – towel bagger.

• 1 – steam tunnel

• 1 – mat roller.

• 1 – 150-horsepower boiler.

• 1 – direct contract hot water heater.

• 1 – ceramic micro-filtration and reverse-osmosis wastewater system.

“We are getting close to opening the Portland plant back up,” shares Snyder. “Last March we had 175 employees. Presently we have 140 employees.”

The Portland plant has the following equipment:

• 1 - 250-pound washerextractor.

• 1 - 450-pound washerextractor.

• 4 - 125-pound washerextractors.

• 1 – 250-pound dryer.

• 1 – 450-pound dryer.

• 4 – 125-pound dryers.

• 1 – washroom shuttle.

• 1 – flatwork ironer.

• 1 – towel bagger.

• 1 – steam tunnel.

• 1 – small-piece folder.

• 1 – mat roller.

• 1 – 80-horsepower boiler.

• 1 – direct contract hot water heater.

Before the pandemic, the service was processing nearly 250,000 pounds of goods per week. When Washington, Oregon and Idaho first went into lockdown, poundage dipped to as low as 130,000 pounds per week.

“Our pounds processed was all over the board last year,” shares Snyder. “Pounds would go up until a new lockdown was implemented. Then the volume would drop, and we would start all over again. This happened several times.

“Right now our volume is close to 200,000 pounds.”

The key to success, he says, is to

create solutions that customers love.

“Everything we do is based on benefiting the customer,” points out Snyder. “Customers don’t just work 9 to 5. We are on call evenings and weekends with our ‘Service When YOU Need It!’

“Customers hated getting big surprise charges for lost goods, damaged goods, or name emblem and prep charges. We implemented a textile maintenance program with our ‘No Surprises Billing & Inventory Plan.’

“One of the biggest issues in our industry is missing garments. We use RFID technology to guar-

antee that garments are returned with 100% accuracy with our Star Tracking System.”

LOOKING BEHIND, AHEAD

While serving so many industries helped keep U.S. Linen & Uniform going, Snyder admits the past year or so has been rough.

“We had to lay off our entire production crew in Portland,” he says. “We laid off some administrative personnel and cut back on hours in the Richland plant. With the PPP money, we were able to bump everyone’s hours up in

Richland, as we had people painting, fixing, cleaning, organizing and several other projects.

“Since we had almost no table linen being rented, we spent that time putting RFID chips in all the table linen, aprons and other linen items.”

Snyder also shares that it was difficult to watch other successful businesses being shut down.

“Lots of our customers suffered more than we did,” he points out. “We did whatever we could to help out. We lowered stop minimums. We charged accounts every other week. If they asked

for something, we would do it. “As with most companies, we weren’t prepared for something like the lockdowns and the shutting down of the entire hospitality and travel industries. Being diversified isn’t the best choice for efficiency, but it was a good thing when this crisis hit. We will continue to be diversified and not get too focused on any one industry.

“We had been in growth mode for quite a while. We should be able to continue that growth and expansion for years to come. We will keep looking for new opportunities.” 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

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Moving toward a post-COVID-19 world

your business functions online, but the pandemic has shown us just how much more we can do online.

I’m sure we can all agree that the world, in general, is a much different place post-COVID.

For many businesses, areas such as sales, operations, procurement, human resources and others had to adapt to many new challenges, market conditions and to unique ways of conducting day-to-day meetings, sales calls and interviews.

For example, just consider how many Zoom meetings you had over the past 18 months. Too many to count, right? So, with all these changes comes a need for adaptation and the following are a few suggestions of how to adjust a few areas of business differently, in this new economy.

During the pandemic, it was hard to generate new, qualified leads and conduct any type of in-person sales meetings. If you are still struggling to bring in new customers, try focusing more on the ones you already have, who are still with you despite the economic challenges.

Focus on creating services and ad campaigns to target their new needs and that will help them continue to generate revenue. They will thank you for it in the form of customer loyalty and continued purchases for many years to come.

In our business, we shifted our sales strategy, successfully, to focus on a secondary channel to market using additional solutions. We sold many of these solutions to our current customer partners who were able to create additional sources of revenue for their own businesses. Win-win for both!

Travel restrictions and lockdowns proved to be challenging during the pandemic. Therefore, it is worth reflecting on moving many of the things you do, online. Consider creating or updating websites, running new social media campaigns or focusing more on e-commerce trends.

Now is the time to increase your online presence. It is likely that you already have many of

For example, our company changed to a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) and Zoom to help us become more efficient with our sales data, customer tracking and accessibility to our remote sales team. The bottom line is, the more processes you can bring online, the more you can stay engaged with both customers and employees.

I learned early in my career from a mentor of mine to always hire, and pay for, the best talent. Make sure to secure your talented partners in this post-COVID time. In today’s tight labor market, it’s harder than ever to fill vacant positions with talented people.

As a business, you did the right things to hire the right talent. Now invest in ways to keep your employees working for you, rather than a competitor. Consider things like supporting their workfrom-home needs, regular continuous-improvement training to hone their existing skills and incentives like additional bonuses or contests to keep things fun and exciting.

Reduce your turnover by investing in your people.

As the world opens back up, there will be more challenges and certainly more changes to the way we conduct business. How will you and your business embrace the new economy?

place post-pandemic, or soon will be, for employers and employees alike. Employers will need to offer pay and benefit options to retain and attract top talent that they never considered before.

Employee expectations have changed as well. What was once acceptable employer behavior regarding pay and benefits is no longer a recipe for success. More changes are coming and to survive, thrive and grow long-term, we will all need to be flexible.

experiencing, we have people working different jobs who ask “why” just a little bit more. It flies along with the thinking of young people today whose desires are different from the baby boomers and who ask, “Why can’t it be different?”

Maintaining strategic inventories will be improved, and ordering practices will be more regular/ consistent and planned. The current (shipping) container issue bears witness to the need for this.

While in some places there is an excess of reusables and disposables ordered and in inventory, education and contact must persist, so our reusable products are the next thing ordered regardless of the time frame.

meetings with customers and our employees. Online virtual meetings allow you to demonstrate your products or discuss topics with a large group of customers and team members in a more cost-effective venue.

Of course, the pandemic did not create virtual meetings, but it raised their popularity drastically. Even though business is starting to get back to normal, we see several advantages in continuing to utilize online meetings for both employees and customers.

Iwould say on the hiring part of the question that, in a word, you need to be “flexible.”

You need to be flexible to considering working odd hours or shifts, remote work (which really isn’t an option in laundry), networking to attract talent and incorporating incentive pay into your operation.

The world is a very different

Ibelieve this post-COVID-19 window is a great opportunity for innovation and acceptance of change. We have customers’ “ears,” and they are listening like no other time. No one wants to be caught flat-footed again regarding the myriad benefits of reusable healthcare products.

We have healthcare workers who prior to COVID-19 never used certain reusable products. We are charged with training them regarding our products, their proper usage, their quality, their life and their enhancements over disposable products. The fact that they are planet-friendly is icing on the cake.

We have excellent reusable products that are unknown to many. While surgical products abound (surgical towels, surgical gowns, isolations gowns, wrappers, barrier fabrics), the same is true for non-surgical linen. The multifaceted uses of a simple quality pillowcase for procedures are relevant whether the item is 100% cotton or a blend.

More focus on having reusables as part of emergency planning is a good strategy. This is the positive consequence of the COVID19 epidemic; it has caused all of us to think differently. The initial reaction to COVID-19 is over, and customers are considering products for their enhancement potential.

I am guessing that with the job opportunity turnover we are

One thing I have always liked about our industry is that it is logical. While COVID-19 was dramatic and traumatic, in the laundry it was more of an expansion of personal protective equipment (PPE) norms. In many respects (PPE), our teachings were validated inside the laundry. Our laundries are safe.

Our opportunity is as simple as the resurgence of the reusable doctor’s/surgical cap … actual usage and access.

I hope all of us collectively market to our invigorated audience in professional, thorough and successful ways. Selling in the reusable healthcare laundry market post-COVID-19 is an opportunity to expose our product training acumen to our customers, both healthcare and hospitality.

We have their attention, let us keep it.

During the pandemic last year, we successfully utilized virtual meetings for interviewing. We also implemented more virtual tours of laundries to demonstrate our products and customer testimonials.

Our manufacturers used virtual meetings on a broader scale to demonstrate their products and discuss certain topics with hundreds of salesmen and management staff. With the absence of Clean Shows and other sales meetings, these virtual meetings proved to be essential and very successful.

We have also used video links to help our customers with programming, maintaining and operating machinery, as well as service and repair demonstrations. Our customers can easily access this data through our websites and video hosting sites like YouTube.

If virtual meetings are used effectively, they can certainly lower operating expenses, help to get more essential people involved and improve time management.

T

he pandemic certainly put constraints on travel and meeting with customers face-to-face. We are gradually seeing our customers be more receptive to in-person meetings and travel is starting to get back to some normalcy.

But like most companies, we turned more to virtual online

As we move into our postCOVID-19 world, we are very focused on how we rebuild while maintaining some of our key business values of service, integrity and quality.

We are fortunate that we were able to retain a key group of employees during the past 16 months, so we have been able to

“As we’re slowly moving toward a post-COVID-19 world, what changes will be needed in our approach to selling (technology, adding markets and products, etc.) and hiring/training/retaining personnel in the new economy?”

Textiles

Cecil B. Lee Standard Textile, Cincinnati, Ohio

Campbell Dodson

adequately service our customers as businesses reopen. We have hired some new employees through referrals, which usually is more effective as the new hires have some understanding of what we do when they start.

We are spending a great deal of time talking to our customers as they are reopening their businesses and trying to determine their needs and weekly orders. We have been very flexible with them but also have emphasized to them how important it is to place orders in advance so that we have the staff and product ready.

We have learned that we can no longer service all customers, especially those who have smaller, specialized items and quantities. We have changed our hours and days of operation, so we have had to be very mindful and strategic on customer management. This is a dramatic change to pre-COVID days when we used to accept all new business because we operated seven days a week.

To be profitable moving forward, we are evaluating our customer base to ensure that each one is a good match for Lace House. This is especially true with our hotel customers who struggle with maintaining adequate linen inventories.

We are being extremely thought-

ful about adding extra hours/days to our production schedule as we rebuild our business.

Another change in our business model is that we are consolidating the number of items offered. It is difficult to find certain items, and we are now limited by our production schedule on how many custom items we can even process. Customers are less interested in the specialty napkin than pre-COVID times, as they are just happy to be open and have clean linen, delivered on time.

It is an interesting time in our country, especially in the hospitality and restaurant industries, so we are happy to have endured the last 15 months and are still operational, and we are cautiously optimistic about the next few months.

It does seem like people are ready to gather and celebrate once again, so we are thrilled to be along for the ride, providing clean linen to our restaurant and hotel partners.

As someone who has the pleasure of calling on over 100 operators on a regular basis, first and foremost, know that if you are having troubles selling business and hiring staff, you are in the majority.

Everywhere I go in the

Northeast, “Employees Wanted” signs are waving and salesmen are out there finding out what customers are still operating and looking for new niche markets to fill up their plants.

I think the COVID-19 technology legacy to business will be how we adapted to online sales meetings and servicing clients. I personally had to make a list of passwords for all the meeting portals I was being exposed to on a regular basis … Bluejean, WebEx, Zoom, just to name a few.

While lacking the “personal touch,” they allow us to make quick meetings happen, get face time with clients and save valuable travel dollars. I don’t see these as taking the place of in-person sales calls, but I do see them rather as opportunities for quick in-person meetings that are a step above a phone call and still allow the personal interaction, volume, inflection and facial expressions that make in-person meetings so valuable to the sales process.

I look to use these ongoing to replace longer phone calls or those calls where a visual perspective gives extra value.

As for adding markets and products, I believe it’s still all about how well you know and research your markets. And those markets that are just beyond your current market reach? Those are the ones that may hold opportunities for you if you get in quickly and strike at market share. Being the last ant to the picnic only leaves you tired and hungry.

How much more the year is going to hold with changes in hiring and training is something that has often come up in my conversations with operators. More so than ever, I think we need to grasp onto technology that keeps our plant employees engaged in the work with as little training as possible.

Things like automated quality grading systems and sorting systems will be at a premium in the coming years to reduce training and fatigue.

For those employees who do office work, we need to have opportunities for working remotely at least some percentage of the workweek, and, finally, be prepared to pay employees on a frequent basis for some jobs. Now I’m not saying we’re going the route of some countries where an employee

leaves their eight hour day with $100 in cash, but with some jobs where very limited training is involved, we have to face that it may be what makes the labor market more accessible to us.

I wish you all the best in taking on these new challenges and hope 2021 is a good recovery year for all of you!

G

ood day, ALN readers! I could write a book on this topic—it is not only wide but long! Let us break it out into segments.

The first thing I would do is take the word “slowly” out! You can be cautious or calculating, but if you are slow, you will be eaten up!

Segment 1: Selling.

Technology—If you are not using a customer relationship management (CRM) solution to contain your information, you must

Equipment Manufacturing Charles Spencer G.A. Braun Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.

Consulting Services

David Graham

Performance Matters, Fort Mill, S.C.

Proper finishing and end-user perception, satisfaction

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — Proper washing of linens is vital to provide end-users clean, hygienic goods.

However, the value of excellent finishing can’t be overlooked to provide linens with the feel and look that convinces customers their goods are truly clean and ready for use.

American Laundry News spoke with two experts in the hotel and healthcare laundry markets—Nick Fertig, director of Central Laundry, Rosen Hotels and Resorts, Orlando, and Randy Bartsch, chairman and CEO of both Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service in Seattle and the Healthcare Linen Alliance (HLA)— to learn more about how to give linens a finish with a flourish to please end-users.

Describe the end-users of your products.

FERTIG: The Rosen portfolio hosts a wide variety of end-users. We have both leisure properties and convention properties. Guests staying with us could be visiting one of the many theme parks within Florida or taking part in a giant convention. We also host many international travelers that typically take part in extended stays.

BARTSCH: The true “end-users” of our linens and textiles are patients and their families who require some level of medical care and are having to interact with the healthcare complex. For many, even most patients, this is a confusing and stressful time. We understand that the linen and laundry services we provide using Hygienically Clean® certified processing standards are important tools used in patient care.

At Ecotex, our commitment to our customers, the hospitals providing this medical care, is to help provide a safe, comfortable environment for patient care.

What do your end-users expect from those products in terms of look and feel? How important is neatness, crispness, the overall appearance and feel of product to the end user’s satisfaction?

FERTIG: Guests are looking for clean, crisp and bright white flatwork on their beds. They also expect soft, fluffy and bright white terry in their bathrooms.

First impressions are everything.

A perfectly made bed with bright, white linens is the first thing a guest sees when they enter the room. It sets the stage for the rest of the stay. If the linens are wrinkled and the terry is rough, guests notice.

Considering how competitive the hospitality market is in Florida, impeccable linens are non-negotiable to both secure business but also ensure the guests return.

BARTSCH: Patient expectations for linens and towels used in a hospital environment vary. They use their home experiences as a bearing point for comparison and judgment. But the common denominator is clean, bright white and fresh linen.

For the bedding, the appearance of ironing is important. For towels, again, clean, bright white and a fresh smell. For most people, these are “tells” that the linen is freshly clean and sanitized.

These are similar product characteristics for the housekeepers who handle the linens, make the beds and deliver the reusable healthcare textiles throughout the hospital are looking for as well. Housekeepers, medical staff, administrators and patients are looking at the carts of clean linen in the hallways. Linen, sheets and towels that are folded need to be stacked neat and straight on the carts.

Other items like lab coats, isolation gowns, patient gowns and scrubs need to appear neat and orderly, whether they are in bags, stacked on carts or on hangers.

If the linens and textiles are correctly processed and sanitized, the hand or feel of the fabric will present as expected. If the pH is off or residue remains in the fabric, the linens will feel not right. The fabric may look a little yellowish or maybe feel hard, even scratchy.

If you’re in the hospital, the first thing you do is size up the place. You need to know you’re going to be safe. This is an experience we have all had during the pandemic when we were out in public. Am I going to be safe?

Just as you experience when you fly, the first thing you do is look for clean seats and tray tables on the plane. If the seats and tray tables are dirty, you wonder how well the airline and its employees really care. This begs the question, is this how they do their engine maintenance, too?

How do you finish your goods so that end-users are pleased?

FERTIG: We partner with Ecolab to ensure that our washer and dryer formulas are spot on. Avoiding stains and ensuring that product is in its peak processing state after exiting the dry cycle is crucial. We perform moisture retention tests for flatwork to identify the percentage that yields the highest quality finished product.

We have a monthly linen budget for all properties that allows us to remove any product that has reached the end of its useful life.

We also utilize a cloud-based preventative maintenance program that ensures all maintenance is being performed on our equipment. Your quality is directly correlated to properly performing equipment. Things like worn-out belts, damaged pads and dirty sensors can all impact finishing quality.

Lastly, we constantly train our associates on proper feeding methods and proper cart loading methods. You can have the best quality in the world as it comes out of your ironer, but if you take that perfect sheet and haphazardly toss it into a metro, you just threw your quality product out the window.

BARTSCH: To assure that the linen and textiles we provide are clean and sanitized we follow the Hygienically Clean® certified processing standards.

We make sure our power plant is generating adequate steam, heat and hot water at all times. That goes for water hardness as well. We monitor the pH of our production batches, do regular titrations for chemicals and conduct tests of our finished goods to assure we are maintaining process integrity.

What are some ways laundries in your market fall short in finishing, and how can those issues be fixed?

FERTIG: The biggest issue that I see, is over-drying. This can easily be corrected by partnering with your chemical and equipment vendors.

There are optimal moisture levels that the product should be at as it exits the wash cycle. Ensuring your linens are hitting this mark prior to processing is key.

BARTSCH: There is a lot of cost pressure on the healthcare laundry sector. Some operators misprice or misjudge the scope of work they signed on for and feel that they need to cut corners. This never ends well over the long term.

We operate under the theory that if you can’t afford to do it right the first time, how can you afford to do it over? Quality assurance programs and proper equipment maintenance

are key to providing good finishing outcomes in your plant.

Describe the challenges you face in properly finishing goods for enduser satisfaction. How have you overcome those challenges?

FERTIG: We have two challenges in our facility: robes and table linens.

Robes are an incredibly hard product to process. They are typically heavy, so a lot cannot be processed at once and once washed they have long dry times. If left to sit in a metro overnight, you will return to a cart full of wrinkles.

In order to eliminate this challenge, we wash robes at the start of the shift and ensure that they are all hung by the time the shift ends. We also purchased a small steam tunnel to assist with our finishing quality.

One production killer is 132-inch round table linen. The most crucial part of processing table linen like this is proper feeding into the ironer. It takes multiple highly trained associates to feed this linen properly. Any misstep and your quality is ruined.

Ensuring your associates are properly trained is the only way to combat this challenge. Unfortunately, there is no easy and fast way to process these items.

BARTSCH: It is important for us to maintain process integrity to assure that the linens and textiles we provide maintain the clean, bright white and fresh appearance we are committed to.

Has the past year changed the importance of finishing on laundered goods? How has it changed and why?

FERTIG: Honestly, COVID did not have a large impact on the way we clean our linens. We were already utilizing the best chemicals and formulas available to ensure our linens are hygienically clean. We have our linens tested regularly to ensure we are in compliance.

The job of the laundry has always been to produce impeccable linens so that we can exceed our guests’ expectations. This will never change.

BARTSCH: The pandemic has caused us all to be hypervigilant about our surroundings and the environment in which we find ourselves, and with good reason. The big question we have been asking ourselves is am I safe? Are my friends, family and loved ones safe?

We have never been more aware about things, like the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. We can’t see it, taste it, smell it, but we know we need to be extra careful. That care and attention is amplified in a hospital or medical clinic setting.

As healthcare laundry and linen service professionals, we have an obligation to be using the industry’s best knowledge and management practices to protect clinicians, frontline care providers, support workers and patients.

What would an optimal finishing process look like in your market? What does the process look like for your company?

BARTSCH: In all the markets we serve, our goal for optimal finishing standards are linens and textiles that are clean, bright white and fresh in appearance.

Linen carts are neatly presented with good-looking stacks of folded sheets and towels, and linen that looks consistent to the eye of hospital employees and patients, day-in, day-out.

What other advice/thoughts do you have about the importance of proper finishing?

FERTIG: The replacement of old linen, linen par levels and rotation of product are paramount. Linen does not last forever. There are things we can do to extend its life, but ultimately linen must be discarded.

Linen must be rotated. We typically operate our properties with a 3.5 par. This means that we have enough linen to fill every room 3.5 times. One par is in the room. Another par is stored in linen closets. The last par is at laundry being processed.

Each par should be cycled giving linens ample time to rest between use and processing. If linen levels are too low or if product is not rotated, operations will be placing the just cleaned sheet right back onto a bed.

Operating like this guarantees that your linen will wear out faster and your quality will be hit.

BARTSCH: We feel it is important to remember that the true “endusers” of our linens and textiles are patients and their families who are in the hospital for care.

If our team can work together with the hospitals and clinics we serve to provide patients with a safe, comfortable environment we will improve the experience and as a result their medical outcomes.

If we can all keep that top of mind, we can help improve people’s lives.

In a healthcare setting, clean, bright white and fresh-smelling linen are “tells” that the goods are freshly clean and sanitized. (Photo: Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service)

Fertig

Bartsch

MILAN, Italy — EXPOdetergo International, a quadrennial event dedicated to equipment, technology, products and services for laundry, ironing and textile cleaning, will take place Oct. 21-24, 2022, at the Fiera Milano Fairgrounds here.

Organizers have opened booth sales for exhibition companies, along with announcing the themes and values of the 2022 edition.

“We are looking to 2022 with confidence because we believe that EXPOdetergo International is important in guiding companies towards recovery,” says Marco Sancassani, president of EXPOdetergo International.

“We are well aware of the challenging times we are facing, thus we feel it is our duty to offer an event that is a unique opportunity for promotion, business and discussion to both our members and to everyone in the industry—an event which is able to attract visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.

“It is certainly a great challenge, but I see the same fighting spirit that has already enabled us to achieve important results in the past, even in difficult times for the industry.”

RESET, RESTART, TOGETHER

The promotional theme of EXPOdetergo International 2022 is “Reset. Restart. Together.”

Organizers say those words, combined with the image of a button in the foreground, symbolize the need and desire to move on, to change, to start again and to

International 2022 on track

relaunch—all together—after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paolo Pizzocaro, exhibition director of EXPOdetergo International, adds, “Companies have been working for months to restart their business, and Fiera Milano’s commitment is, together with Assofornitori and Expo Detergo, to support them, offering an event in which the sector can recognize itself and boost its development.

“With 277 exhibitors (36% from abroad) and 20,756 operators (45% from abroad), the last edition attracted professionals from the five continents, confirming the global importance of this event.”

Organizers say the figures represent a solid base on which their ambitious 2022 objective rests: to offer a unique and highly innovative showcase, acting as a driver for business development in these challenging times at a global level.

This is why, to support those who immediately choose to “get on board,” the event has planned an early booking phase, and all companies that apply by Oct. 31, 2021, can take advantage of a reduced rate.

Thanks to the early booking promotion, organizers say it will be possible to have a clear idea of the major brands that will exhibit at the event, enabling EXPOdetergo International 2022, its key players, strengths and contents, to be shared with the industry as soon as possible.

KEY POINTS

Sustainability, ergonomics

and digitalization, and hygiene and sanitization will be the keywords for the 2022 edition of EXPOdetergo International, say organizers.

The exhibition will show tangible contributions that innovation, research and development can bring to the different laundry markets, whether local or industrial, including hotel, restaurant and healthcare sectors.

Some of the advancements that will be on display include low environmental impact, energy efficiency, and higher quality of work thanks to increasingly ergonomic and digital machines capable of monitoring and making the entire line more efficient but also guaranteeing hygiene during the process.

Organizers say the trade show’s objective is unique: to contribute to the common well-being, guaranteeing cleanliness, hygiene and health both when it comes to washing clothes and in the treatment of fabrics used in areas where, today more than ever, disinfection is essential, whether in hospitals, retirement homes, accommodation facilities or restaurants.

EXPOdetergo International 2022 will once again aim to represent what’s available on the market today in terms of technology, products and services for textile maintenance, including washing machines, ironers, detergents, management systems and 4.0 solutions, complete and automated lines, through to textiles with fine fabrics and linens for rental in hotels, spas and restaurants.

Experts

obtain one. These can come in many sizes and shapes—Salesforce is the best known, but if your route accounting runs on an Alliant system, then you have a module that can be added to your existing system for a reasonable price.

Pipedrive, Monday and Freshworks are also rated highly.

Adding Markets and Products—Before you endure the cost of expanding your markets, you might be wise to begin to saturate your existing market with new products or focus on existing products first. I always defer to hygiene products and services.

Coming out of COVID, the demand for cleanliness has never been higher. Hand sanitizer, soaps, toilet tissue, hand tissue, air fresheners, urinal mats and much more are very available right now and in demand. When you reach a saturation point here, then you can undertake the expense of a branch/depot, more trucks, more staff, more fuel, etc.

When is that? Hard to say, but you will feel the need to move forward.

Segment 2: Hiring, training and maintaining personnel.

Hiring/Training/Retaining Personnel—COVID and the influence of millennials give us a new dimension in this vital area. Some thoughts follow.

Bring your key and hourly employees into the equation. I have seen so many try to hide the numbers from the people who can help you achieve the numbers. Of course, certain data such as payroll dollars and profits are items you may need to hide.

Not so with efficiencies and achievements. When the team hits the numbers, you celebrate! Budget yearly dollars for fun and reward!

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

No business can be successfully run from the conference room. Accountability is the key. Never perform a physical work function unless it is critical or part of training. Your eye on the business is too important.

Pay and Benefits—Are your wage levels competitive? Hiring, staffing and retention of employees is the single greatest challenge we face right now. Very few business sectors aren’t affected and the competition for good talent is at all-time highs.

There are specific strategies you must use to attract and challenge the next generation(s) of employees. It starts with competitive compensation.

Do you offer good benefits such as health insurance (even a 50% contribution is solid), paid time off (PTO) and inexpensive group life, vision and long-term disability? Weight the cost of all these.

Lastly, the “pièce de résistance” or crown jewel: profit sharing. The proper program raises profits for the company and wages for the rank-and-file without sacrificing quality. Who could ask for more? Win-win!

Finally, Performance Matters LLC and I will help you in any manner along the way. Until next time, remember, do not go slowly! ALN

KANNEGIESSER ETECH

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Flatwork Ironers

This unique design results in a substantially smaller machine footprint, Sea-lion says.

The machine is fitted with a touch-screen control that is fully programmable and can be networked with several choices of spreader-feeders and folders to create a fully automated finishing line of the highest quality output, the company says.

www.sealionamerica.com 860-316-5563

The company offers heating sources of steam, thermal oil and self-contained thermal oil/gas. Roll sizes available are 32, 40, 48 and 79 inches in working widths of 118, 120, 130, 138, 142, 157 and 165 inches.

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

UNIMAC

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

With the HPM model, Kannegiesser says it has designed the most durable stainless-steel heating band with a fully heated gap piece or “bridge.” This provides an excellent heat transfer to the linens by increasing the available heated surface and usually calculates to one less roll for the overall production.

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

www.kannegiesser-etech.com 612-722-1366

JENSEN USA

JENSEN reports it has introduced the “Kalor,” the next generation in highly efficient flatwork ironers.

The company says that due to its triplepass thermal boiler, it has documented energy consumption as low as 1,547 Btus per pound of water removed. In addition, the triplepass thermal boiler provides an even more consistent oil temperature across the chest.

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

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

UniMac’s micro-control allows for pre-sets of temperature and speed settings, ensuring the precise speed for the linen type and moisture content. When finished at the end of a day, operators simply press the “stop” button and the control will allow the roll to continue to turn until it reaches a safe temperature before the roll completely stops.

www.unimac.com 800-587-5458

superior heat recovery and surface transfer to linens, adds the company.

The PC120 Chest Ironer—available in three finishing widths with up to three 48-inch diameter rolls—processes up to 164 feet of linen per minute. The PC80— available in three finishing widths with up to three 31.5-inch diameter rolls—offers ironing speeds up to 147 feet of linen per minute.

Girbau Industrial says that when the ironers are paired with a feeder, folder and stacking system—available in several models to match a laundry’s specific needs— productivity, ironing and folding quality further improves.

Available in self-contained natural gas/ thermal oil, steam or remote thermal oil models, PC Series Ironers offer one-pass finishing without dryer conditioning thanks to the exclusive AutoSpeed® System, the company says. This patented feature automatically adjusts control speed variables to properly dry and finish all types of linen.

As linens pass through the ironer, AutoSpeed® adjusts ironing speed and temperature according to fabric type and moisture content. This feature eliminates temperature fluctuations, assuring consistent, quality finishing and even drying.

The PC120 and PC80 are backed by a 7/5/3-year warranty and local, expert support.

www.girbauindustrial.com 800-256-1073

SEA-LION AMERICA

Jiangsu Sea-lion Machinery Co. Ltd. has introduced a new dual chest plate, singleroll ironer for high-output laundry operations.

The CYZ3400IIC-1300 features a single 51-inch diameter roll that is 134 inches wide and can process flatwork linens up to 164 feet per minute, the company says.

The ironing surface includes both steamheated roll and upper and lower press plates. A serpentine flow path regulated by a variable-speed drive allows for ironing on both sides of the linen with the rotation of the roll by up to 510 degrees of contact.

JENSEN says it continues to provide a historically proven design, which was introduced 32 years ago in 1989, with more than 3,100 rolls delivered. The company says it offers energyefficient flatwork ironers with high productivity per square foot in a wide variety of heating sources, roll sizes and working widths available on the market today to properly meet the customer’s needs.

Whether a laundry is processing linens for healthcare, hospitality, or food and beverage, from common linens to the most elegant high-end linens, JENSEN says it has a flatwork ironer to meet the requirement.

GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL

Producing a great finish at rapid speeds, while maintaining up to 93% energy efficiency, Girbau Industrial says its PC120 and PC80 self-contained natural gas/thermal oil chest ironers feature highly flexible touch-screen controls with up to 100 customizable programs.

Offering rigid chest technology for consistent heat circulation and uniform ironing pressure for unsurpassed results, both models offer a mirror-polished ironing bed with a wide channel fluid-flow area for

LAVATEC LAUNDRY TECHNOLOGY

LAVATEC says its PC80/PC120 flatwork ironers are designed to boost productivity for high-volume industrial laundry facilities.

The 32-inch and 48-inch roll diameter products, available in steam or self-contained thermal oil configurations, deliver a quality finish at speeds up to 147 feet per minute while maintaining up to 93% energy efficiency.

Highly reliable, they offer incredible per-

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR

KANNEGIESSER ETECH

UNIMAC

GIRBAU INDUSTRIAL

JENSEN USA

Automatic folder an impactful machine

BY BRENNAN POLLNOW

OSHKOSH, Wis. — When it comes to taking the leap into automation, investing in one piece of equipment can significantly impact business through saved labor hours and catapulted productivity.

In this column, I’ll provide some insight into the most impactful pieces of automation equipment measured in terms of productivity, versatility, quality and return on investment (ROI).

Remember, if you’re considering automation, look to your equipment distributor to help you assess—in hard numbers— what one piece of equipment can do for you.

The most labor-intensive area of a laundry is on the finishing side because it involves folding. The good news is that there are machinery options out there that can significantly reduce those labor hours while upping production, quality and efficiency. This will also help your laundry grow during a time when labor is scarce.

Even better? While you might think investing in automation will break the bank, it won’t. Most folding systems pay for themselves in two years or less.

AUTO-SORT TOWEL/ BLANKET FOLDER

Let’s start with an auto-sort towel/blanket folder. This is an extremely impactful piece of equipment because it automati-

cally sorts, folds and stacks up to 800 pieces per hour with only one operator.

An auto-sort folder makes it possible for laundries to cut labor hours by 87% over hand folding, which equates to a savings of more than eight labor hours per day.

At the same time, laundries enhance quality through consistency of folds and stacks, which simplifies prepping goods for transportation and storage. At the end of the day, every laundry—large or small— should strive to heighten efficiency, maximize productivity, enhance quality and reduce labor. In doing so, they’ll cut processing costs and boost profits.

Ouch! That sounds expensive, right? What if I told you most auto-sort folders have an ROI of fewer than two years?

Remember there are always two costs when you buy: The cost of the machine (automation) and the cost of ownership with or without that machine.

The cost of the machine may seem like a lot, but what’s its operational impact? Compare your finance payment to operational cost savings. Many times, the difference in labor costs will

make up for your financed equipment payment each month.

ALL-IN-ONE IRONING SYSTEM

The other piece of equipment to highlight—again on the finishing side—is an all-in-one ironing system that automatically irons, folds, stacks and accumulates.

There are models on the market offering the versatility of processing everything from fitted and flat sheets to duvets and table linens.

An all-in-one machine is great because it eliminates almost all hands-on flatwork folding and stacking. Using a basic flatwork

ironer, operators must feed, catch and perform the cross folds.

With a higher production allin-one machine, operators feed sheets, but the primary folding, cross folding and stacking are all automatically performed for boosted quality and production.

An all-in-one machine will process (iron, fold and stack) up to 210plus sheets per hour using two operators or 180-260 sheets per hour with a single operator.

Additionally, to further boost quality and production, some,

like GI’s Compact+ 5-in-One, offer optional spreader/feeders.

While an all-in-one is an investment, it’s well worth it. It eliminates hand feeding, folding and stacking for an ROI of just two years.

THE BIG PICTURE

The leading reason for an auto-sort folder or an all-in-one machine is to decrease labor costs and quadruple production. But laundries also enhance quality while positioning themselves for more opportunity and profit.

The icing on the cake? A two-year ROI and a machine that will last and perform for years to come. ALN

Brennan Pollnow, North American business managerGirbau Industrial, assists commercial and industrial laundries with laundry room design and workflow, proper equipment mix and sizing, as well as automation and efficiency recommendations. He interfaces closely with local distributors and customers to ensure seamless communication, installation and startup.

Author says this one piece of equipment can significantly impact a laundry business through automation

Pollnow

formance and rigid-chest technology with large flow passages for consistent and uniform heat circulation, the company says.

Available in widths of 118, 130 and 138 inches, an optional GHelp remote connection transmits real-time data, configuration parameters and diagnostics.

www.LLTUSA.com 203-632-8777

feeders, ironers, folders, and stackers, and when developing the VEGAROLL G1600 self-contained, gas-fired single roll ironer, the company combined its modular design and proven chest technology with unique innovations resulting in an ironer designed and built to provide decades of production.

The G1600 features a program-controlled multi-port twin chest design, 290 degrees of contact surface and the elimination of the need for ironer tapes. The single, thermal fluid-heated roll features a 62-inch diameter and a working width up to 166 inches, chest pressure control and temperature control through the modulating burner design, and its state-of-the-art network control including remote connectivity and adjustable VFD speed synchronization between the feeder, ironer, and folder.

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

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

G.A.

BRAUN INC.

elegant and enhanced consumer experience by providing crisply ironed linen, including, but not limited to, bedsheets, pillowcases, table linens and napkins.

The company uses a single heated cylinder design that maximizes the contact of the linen with up to 75% of the surface of the heated cylinder. By using a compression roll and optimizing the cylinder to an efficient temperature, the company says its GF 1600 x 120 provides the highest production in a compact space.

CMV Sharper Finish adds that its ironers come in a wide customizable variety of configurations, including ample options of heated roll diameters, heat sources, machine widths and more to provide the exact machine that fits a business’ needs.

Add-ons can be appended to these ironers to help feed, fold, cross-fold and stack linens to provide an efficient ironing process while saving on labor cost, leading to optimal laundry efficiency as well as providing a high-quality customer experience, the company adds.

in production capacity and quality of finish.

JBI adds that because the temperature can be accurately controlled, there are no more problems with hotspots scorching or melting the linen, and the operators do not have to move back and forth in front of the ironer in an attempt to keep the temperature equal across the roll.

The company shares that these ironers use less than one-third of the energy of a cylinder finisher with the same production capacity. Since they also last nearly twice as long, the energy savings pay for the cost of the unit over its lifetime.

The diameters available are 20, 24, 32 and 48 inches. All have flexible chests with a dimpled design. Models are available as:

• Front Return.

• Rear Return.

• Rear Return with Primary Folding.

• Ironing, Folding, Crossfolding and Stacking.

• Feeding, Ironing, Folding, Crossfolding and Stacking, all in a small, compact package.

www.jbilaundryfolder.com 561-863-9696

CHICAGO DRYER CO.

B&C TECHNOLOGIES

The IC Series, part of a complete line of ironers from B&C Technologies, provides high-quality results for processing linens and other flat goods, the company says. High efficiency, fewer parts and low maintenance lead to increased savings over the life of the machine.

The energy-efficient drive system allows for incredibly flexible operation, precise speed control and protection for the motor, B&C says. The soft-start technology greatly reduces stress on critical components, contributing to a longer life for the machine.

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

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

www.bandctech.com 850-249-2222

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

Deep chest ironers continue to have the largest heat sink and remain the most energy-efficient; a fully insulated chest, canopies and insulated stainless heat shields contain up to 96% of heat radiation, according to the company.

www.cmvsharperfinish.com 773-276-4800

JB INDUSTRIES INC.

JBI ironers are assembled in Riviera Beach, Florida, using locally sourced purchased components, the company says. The main manufactured parts, such as chests and rolls, are imported from Belgium and feature patented Air-Stream flexible chests.

Chicago Dryer Co. says its Laser Line mid-range ironers are now available with CHI•Touch control system, delivering more control, power and performance than ever. Available in Gas (GT), Steam (ST) and Electric (ET) models, the Laser series is designed to dry and iron sheets, pillowcases, table linen and more.

Ironing is performed by continuous contact between wet linen and Chicago’s revolving heated cylinder, compression roll, and return ribbons to produce a highquality finish. Available in widths of 85,

VEGA SYSTEMS USA

VEGA Systems USA says its Flatwork Technologies division includes a full line of

The dependable chest design enables the working surface to be repaired if a piece of metal should go through the ironer and gouge the chest; replacement is not necessary. G.A. Braun says this is important to consider as a laundry evaluates the best use of its capital.

Both the Precision Series standard and self-contained thermal ironers have proven to provide years of exceptional high-quality output, the company says.

www.gabraun.com /ironer-solutions 800-432-7286

CMV SHARPER FINISH

CMV Sharper Finish says that its flatwork ironer GF 1600 x 120 provides an

Available in four different roll diameters and ironing widths from 68 to 138 inches, JBI says they are perfect for on-premises laundries and party rental stores where high quality is desired.

Because these units are real ironers with real ironing pressure, the company says they outperform cylinder finishers both

100, 110, 120, and 136 inches, Chicago® has a model that works for a laundry’s space and needs.

The addition of CHI•Touch to the Laser series gives operators full control over the ironer, the company says. Completely programmable via the full-color touch-screen display, a new level of machine function is achievable.

CHI•Touch gives a complete visualization of all burner operation functions including the ignition sequence, temperature, speeds and faults to minimize downtime and maximize production all within the easy-to-use signature interface.

www.chidry.com 773-235-4430

CMV SHARPER FINISH JB

CHICAGO DRYER CO. VEGA

BRAUN INC.

B&C TECHNOLOGIES

LAVATEC LAUNDRY TECHNOLOGY

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

SMALL-PIECE FOLDERS

WASHERS

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

ImageFIRST launches Mop Accountability Program

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. — ImageFIRST, a provider of linen rental and laundry programs for the healthcare industry, reports it has launched a Mop Accountability Program to address heavy expenses at customer facilities associated with the difficult nature of keeping track of and the loss of mops.

“We’re dedicated to developing worry-free solutions that help healthcare facilities nationwide operate more efficiently and cost-effectively,” says Jim Cashman, president and CEO of ImageFIRST.

“When we heard from a customer that they were struggling with maintaining mop inventory—a traditionally high loss, high replacement cost item—we worked with them to develop and implement our Mop Accountability Program. This program helps to decrease replacement costs down to essentially zero.”

With the Mop Accountability Program, facilities can securely maintain their mop inventory with a simple, compact solution.

The company says the system leverages an easy-to-use cabinet with a compact footprint that securely stores and dispenses RFID-chipped microfiber mops, giving health

facilities inventory visibility and loss accountability.

Furthermore, ImageFIRST says the program includes the rental and laundry of mops to ensure facilities are meeting their infection prevention goals while managing costs—a crucially important assurance in the wake of the pandemic.

This allows facilities to safeguard their patients and staff with ImageFIRST’s wash process for microfiber mops and other linens.

“By leveraging this unique, one-of-a-kind solution, we’re now able to offer an easy-to-use, compact dispensing cabinet to help facilities worry less about costly mops and focus more on patients and staff,” Cashman says.

Alliance Laundry Systems closes on Washburn Machinery deal

RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems closed on its purchase of the distribution assets of Washburn Machinery Inc., based in Elk Grove Village, Ill., at the beginning of June.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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.

Alliance says the acquisition is its latest move to bring “extraordinary service and factory support to expanding markets where there is an opportunity to partner with exceptional people.”

“With the completion of this transaction, our third acquisition of 2021, combining with Washburn further illustrates our strong commitment to explore every opportunity to better serve our customers,” says Rick Pyle, Alliance’s president and chief commercial officer.

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

“Joining forces with the largest manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment in the world will provide us access to an unbelievable support system to fuel our growth,” Fox says. “We are excited about the future and are always looking to add professionals in all areas of our expanding company.”

Fibertech adds rotational molding machine, new jobs

ELBERFELD, Ind. — Fibertech Inc., a manufacturer of custom-engineered, rotational-molded plastic products including laundry carts, reports it has added a Rotoline 260 press to its facility here.

The addition of this machine will necessitate additional staff, so Fibertech says it will be adding 10 additional fulltime employees to the team.

“We are committed to investing in the latest technological advancements in order to meet and exceed the needs of our customers,” says Brent Rasche, Fibertech’s chief operating officer.

“With the addition of this new, state-of-the-art machine and a recent expansion of our facility, we are now fully equipped to create and innovate with the latest in roto molding technology for years to come.”

The carousel Rotoline 260 machine will allow Fibertech to expand its custom contracts division to produce even more custom small to medium size parts. This machine is incremental to Fibertech’s current capacity.

In memoriam: Jim Corrigan, G.A. Braun

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — G.A. Braun reports that Jim Corrigan, vice president of sales, U.S./Canada, died unexpectedly May 23 due to cardiac arrest.

The company says that Corrigan, who was a team member for more than 22 years, played a major role in much of Braun’s success and growth during the past two decades.

July

21 American Laundry News

Podcast: Employees and Substance Abuse Chicago, Ill.

Info: 312-361-1700

29 MTSA

Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds Chicago, Ill.

Info: 888-672-6872

August

8-12 TRSA

57th Annual Executive Management Institute (EMI) Hyattsville, Md.

Info: 703-519-0029

8-12 TRSA

32nd Annual Professional Management Institute (PMI) Hyattsville, Md.

Info: 703-519-0029

8-12 TRSA

29th Annual Maintenance Management Institute (MMI) Hyattsville, Md.

Info: 703-519-0029

September

20-24 Association for Linen Management Laundry & Linen College: Laundry Processing & Operations Richmond, Ky.

Info: 859-624-0177

22 American Laundry News

Podcast: Expanding Laundry Business Revenue Chicago, Ill.

Info: 312-361-1700

October

19-22 TRSA

108th Annual Conference Carlsbad, Calif. Info: 703-519-0029

November

3-5 Association for Linen Management

2021 IMPACT Conference Greenville, S.C. Info: 859-624-0177 ALN

Before coming on board with G.A. Braun, Corrigan held a sales position with Senking/ELX and was responsible for many of their successful installations in the United States and Canada.

An ambassador and promoter of the laundry industry, he was active in the Independent Textile Rental Association (ITRA), the International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM) and TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services.

The company shares that Corrigan was considered a dear friend by many in the industry and was well respected by many more. He is survived by his wife Penny; his daughters Stephanie (Tim) Darden and Alex (Darin) Bjork; and grandchildren Roselyn, Denver, Dani and Dutch.

G.A. Braun adds that Corrigan always had a smile on his face and made everyone he met feel important and valued. He would know everything about a person by the time he finished talking with them, and he was the glue that brought everything together. Whether it was with family, friends or work, he was there for them.

“He will be missed and never forgotten as he touched us all and made us better people because we knew him,” the company shares.

A cabinet stores and dispenses RFID-chipped mops. ( Photo: ImageFIRST)

Fibertech Inc. added a Rotoline 260 press to its facility earlier this year, which also adds 10 full-time jobs to the operation. ( Photo: Fibertech Inc.)

Corrigan