American Laundry News - October 2021

Late News

Uniform system installed at Resorts World Las Vegas

LOS ANGELES — InvoTech Systems Inc. reports it has installed its uniform system at Resorts World Las Vegas. The installed system manages the uniform inventory for 7,500 employees.

Resorts World Las Vegas opened on June 24 after the company’s onsite installation and training services to ensure all uniforms were issued and recorded properly before the grand opening.

This marks the fourth Resorts World property to implement the InvoTech uniform system joining Resorts World Manila, Resorts World New York City and Resorts World Sentosa.

In addition to complete uniform management, Resorts World Las Vegas utilizes the human resources interface, which allows for added benefits such as eliminating errors, automated transactions, reduced processing time for new employees and changes to existing employees.

“We are very excited to implement our uniform system at Resorts World Las Vegas and deliver efficient and effective inventory tracking, employee assignment and laundry activity history processes,” says Oswald Lares, director of sales and marketing at InvoTech Systems. ALN

Aiming high all around in laundry/linen services

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CORTLAND, N.Y. — In the early 1900s, Harry L. Ames began working in the laundry industry in Upstate New York.

In 1919, he joined Associated Laundries of CNY as a manager in a Syracuse plant. Moving quickly, in 1921, he purchased his own laundry in Ithaca.

Later, Ames purchased the Cortland Steam Laundry and moved operations to Cortland.

Today, the fourth generation of the Ames family, Johanna, owns and operates what is now known as Ames Linen Service, which is celebrating 100 years of laundry and linen service providing textile services in the hospitality, food and beverage, healthcare and industrial markets.

Laundry chemistry changes post-pandemic

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — Laundry and linen services always work to provide hygienic, clean goods to their customers.

But the COVID-19 pandemic made laundries take an in-depth look at the chemistry they use.

While many elements of laundry chemistry have remained the same, there have been some changes.

American Laundry News heard from some of those in the know and learned about what operations need to know regarding their chemistry.

Those experts are Kevin Minissian, CEO/president, and Vaughn Minissian, director of operations, Norchem Corp. in Los Angeles; Doug Story, president of large laundry sales for UNX in Greenville, North Carolina; and Scott Pariser, co-president of Pariser Industries in Paterson, New Jersey.

Rewash

Panel of Experts

In this issue, the Experts share ways to gain capital approval from management in tight times.

Comparing the Goods Way for operators to compare supplier/ goods, and maybe add products.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

Experts share how COVID-19 affected chemical usage in processing, future considerations

Challenges

Adapting processes to reduce rewash can help improve a laundry’s bottom line.

Ames Linen Service is celebrating 100 years of service in Upstate New York by expecting the best from everyone involved

Ames Linen Service in Cortland, New York, is celebrating 100 years in business under the leadership of just one family over four generations. (Photo: Ames Linen Service)

Michael Soussa (left), sales director, and Martin Mora, engineering project manager work on the NorFlow-WIN Chemical Dispensing Systems masked up during the pandemic. (Photo: Norchem Corp.)

Texcare International in Germany canceled

FRANKFURT, Germany —

Texcare International will not take place in 2021 because leading suppliers have canceled their participation due to concerns about the pandemic, according to organizer Messe Frankfurt.

Texcare International was scheduled to take place Nov. 27-Dec. 1 in Germany. Originally scheduled to be held in 2020, the pandemic forced organizers to move the event to 2021.

Given the continuing COVID19 crisis, Messe Frankfurt offered exhibitors of Texcare International the right to cancel their participation free of charge until Sept. 3.

Leading suppliers of laundry and dry-cleaning technology recently used the free deadline to cancel their participation. In view of this, the Advisory Council of the textile-care fair voted to cancel the trade fair for this year because its success could no longer be guaranteed.

After rescheduling the 2020 event, Messe Frankfurt says the overall outlook became increasingly positive, and by the beginning of August, around 200 companies—including the important and big manufacturers from all parts of the textile-care sector—had registered to exhibit at Texcare International.

Factors contributing to this included the growing pace of vaccination around the world, the categorization of trade fairs as business events, and the officially approved protection and hygiene concept of Messe Frankfurt.

Nevertheless, organizers say the mood changed shortly before the cancellation deadline as leading companies decided to withdraw from the event because of uncer-

tainties regarding the future development of the pandemic.

“Together with our partners, we worked untiringly to stage the Texcare International for the textile-care sector in the autumn,” says Kerstin Horaczek, vice president of technology shows at Messe Frankfurt. “However, a leading international trade fair with a significantly reduced spectrum on show would not do justice to participants’ expectations of the fair

as the most important meeting place and innovation hub for the sector. Therefore, we have decided to accept the vote of the Advisory Council and cancel Texcare International 2021.

“We are extremely sorry about this. At the same time, we are grateful for the ongoing, high level of commitment demonstrated by the sector for their most important trade fair.”

Until the next edition, Messe

Frankfurt says it can offer the textile-care sector several events where it can do business in other important economic regions of the world, including the Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo.

At the Clean Show in 2022, the biggest trade fair for textile care on the American continent, also organized by Messe Frankfurt, the industry will present its latest innovations and developments in Atlanta from July 30 to Aug. 2. ALN

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

HONG KONG — The 2021 edition of Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo (TXCA & CLE) will now take place from Dec. 22-24 instead of its original lateSeptember date, reports Messe Frankfurt, which organizes the event with the China Laundry Association, the China Light Industry Machinery Association

and Unifair Exhibition Service Co. Ltd.

The postponement is due to uncertainty around participants being able to travel to Shanghai at this time, as China continues with its anti-epidemic measures following an increase in Covid

Publisher/ National Sales Director

Associate

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

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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 10. 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

(Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH)

Milnor has a better solution through dilution.

When Milnor introduced PulseFlow® technology, CBW® washing was thrust into the future. The idea of balancing time, temperature, mechanical action and chemistry was missing one critical piece of the pie – DILUTION through the efficient use of water.

PulseFlow combines the innovative RecircONE® fast wet down and chemical immersion in the first module with standing bath washing in every spacious process module. Thorough and efficient dilution occurs by way of intermittent high velocity counterflow rinsing and traditional True Top Transfer.

The result is hygienically clean linen using less water (as low as 0.3 gallons per pound/2.5 liters per kilogram) and less energy as proven time and again by hundreds of PulseFlow tunnels in a variety of laundry applications worldwide.

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

www.milnor.com

Maximum flexibility

N

ext to my note on this page, you’ll see that Eric Frederick’s column this issue is about change. I can relate to that.

As we worked on this issue of American Laundry News, my family moved into a new house. I’m sure most of you can relate to the change that comes with a new home.

Besides the simple fact of locational change, spaces change, neighbors change … the budget changes. Just a little stressful.

To handle these changes, I’ve had to increase my maximum flexibility. Change isn’t easy for me, and I value my routines.

There is no “routine” about moving, and it seems as if everything familiar has changed.

Hence, the need for flexibility in my processes, my thinking and my emotions. (We won’t talk about physical flexibility; that gets less and less as the years go by.)

Change and flexibility are major topics in this issue.

Besides Eric’s thoughts on being flexible and having a positive attitude, there are several articles in the following pages that touch on changes (and what hasn’t changed over the past 19-20 months?).

For example, leadership

The Editor’s Desk MATT POE

qualities have undergone changes.

On page 18, industry veteran and executive director of CSCNetwork David Bernstein writes about what laundry leaders need today: agility, flexibility and digital literacy.

He stresses the importance of leaders reaching “beyond the knowledge, skills and experience they accumulated in their preCOVID careers and education and evolve into new versions of themselves by taking on attributes that have been specifically adapted to our new normal.”

Textile supply and manufacturing are challenging these days, to say the least, and operators need to be flexible when it comes to supplies and products.

On page 14, insiders share how laundries can best vet suppliers and products to provide goods that satisfy customers and endusers.

Also, Hal Kanefsky, president of Monarch Brands, examines what’s going on with hospitality textile shortages and manufacturing challenges on page 16.

Need an example of how being flexible can lead to laundry success? Read the cover story on Ames Linen Service in Cortland, New York.

The laundry is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and it’s under the fourth-generation leadership of Johanna Ames.

Over 100 years, you can be sure Ames had to flex and bend and make significant changes to stay in business … and be successful.

And there’s much more in this issue to help you be flexible and successful.

From the Panel of Experts on page 12 sharing ideas about getting management approval for new, necessary purchases, to a look at how laundry chemistry has changed (page 1), there’s plenty of information to help you be flexible … and keep it clean, everybody! ALN

Changing seasons, changing business

A s I sit down to write this article many schools are reopening, Labor Day is fast approaching and the end of summer is right around the corner.

These changing times should remind us that life, jobs and weather go through seasons and change sometimes without notice. The best we can do is plan for an uncertain future, make sure our plans are flexible and always keep a positive attitude.

I can remember when I was working in Milwaukee and just beginning to try to develop a surgical pack program. All the experts advised me that I should start with surgical towel packs and then move into gown and towel packs.

I, of course, tried to follow their advice, but the surgical departments I worked with refused to consider towel packs but were open to trying gown and towel packs. Delighted to have the opportunity to prove ourselves, we embraced this opportunity and develop a well-accepted program in this area. The surgeons and staff preferred the reusable gowns because they were easier to use and were more comfortable.

Then, overnight, there was a worldwide disposable surgical towel shortage. The Chinese had shifted production from inexpensive surgical towels to other textiles because of a trade dispute with the United States.

I was surprised and delighted to get a phone call from the surgical departments asking me if I could help fill the void during this time of shortage. I still had access to high-quality OR towels made in the USA through my prime vendor and agreed to fill in on a temporary basis until the regular supply became available.

into account, it was deemed preferable to delay the fair until later in the year to ensure all exhibitors and visitors will be able to travel to Shanghai.

cases in late July.

Following discussions with the fair’s stakeholders, the organizers of TXCA & CLE decided to delay the event until December to provide more certainty to participants in their preparation.

Taking the government’s guidelines for pandemic containment

With new dates already confirmed with the fairground, the organizers say they will now focus their efforts on providing the best possible trading platform for the textile laundry, leather care, cleaning technology and equipment sectors.

Additional public health measures will also be put in place during this year’s edition. These

include real identity pre-registration, entry checkpoints to verify the digital health code of all participants and onsite temperature scans. Frequent sanitization of facilities will take place, and distancing measures will be implemented for seminar attendees.

TXCA & CLE will remain at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre for the new December dates.

For more details about the show, please e-mail txcacle@ china.messefrankfurt.com or txcacle@unifair.com. ALN

We had planned for the day they would change their minds but never expected an urgent call and an immediate demand. We quickly geared up production and changed work schedules so we could keep the current supply in circulation as much as possible.

We went far beyond what a normal vendor would do to meet the needs of our member hospitals. Because of our preplanning, we were able to provide a high-quality product on a consistent basis.

All we ever wanted was the opportunity to prove that we could meet their needs.

When the supply shortage was solved, the surgical departments never returned to the disposable towels. They went one step further and took all the disposable towels and gowns out of their custom surgical packs and gave the work to us. I had faith that eventually we would get the opportunity to prove ourselves but it came in a very unexpected way.

While I worked in Roanoke, Virginia, I had been working on developing a strong management staff. We had good leaders and several key people who showed potential to move up if an opening became available.

Suddenly a routine back surgery on one of my supervisors went very wrong. They spent months in recovery including extensive physical therapy. This supervisor was never able to return.

But thanks to our employee development program we had a person we could promote into that position who did an excellent job. This was not how we expected the change to come but we were ready.

Through all these events the management and line staff looked to me for guidance direction and to set the tone. I always made sure that we were in a “we can handle this” attitude. That we were ready and able to meet the changes when they occur. That we were prepared for almost anything we could dream up. This time of the year should remind us that with the changing of the seasons we should be preparing for changes in our lives and in our businesses

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

“I describe us as a mid-sized, mixed plant operator in our region,” shares Johanna. “We are Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified and we also enjoy significant relationships in the food and beverage and hospitality space.

“While our plant may be more challenging to operate because it is mixed, our diversification of revenue has served us well over many, many years.”

Johanna joined the company in 2001 and purchased it in 2007.

“Since that time, we have more than doubled in size through organic growth and acquisitions and proudly maintain our accredited status,” she says.

CENTURY FAMILY AFFAIR

Johanna’s grandfather, Henry Ames’ son, joined the company in 1936 when Henry fell ill. He added dry-cleaning and coin-operated Laundromats to the service offerings and largely continued to operate the business as a family laundry service.

“My father joined the company in 1964 and worked diligently to convert the company to a textile rental operation and expanded services into the healthcare sector,” she says. “His leadership drove efficiency, quality and profitability that fostered significant growth and suc-

cess.”

The next generation of leaders of Ames Linen Service is in the fifth and seventh grades.

“We will have to wait and see,” Johanna quips.

Not many businesses make it 100 years, let alone with a single family at the helm, but Ames has, and Johanna attributes this longevity to five key points:

1. A loyal customer base that values us as partners.

2. An amazingly talented and dedicated group of employees

3. Continually asking ourselves, “How can we do better?”

4. Addressing every opportunity in an ethical and disciplined manner with a keen eye for detail.

5. A lot of hard work (and sweat) over four generations.

Some of that hard work goes into benefitting the industry as a whole.

“I serve on the TRSA Board of Directors and value the support and advocacy that the organization has brought to my company over at least two generations,” shares Johanna.

“I was proud to be the Inaugural Chair of the Women in Textiles Committee, which has now become the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and enjoys new leadership.”

OPERATIONS

Today, Ames Linen Service operates a 45,000-square-foot plant five days a week, processing between 10 and 11 million pounds of goods annually for customers throughout

the Syracuse, Binghamton, Ithaca and Utica regions. And that footprint continues to expand.

The company uses the latest technology and equipment to ensure customers’ products are processed to achieve the highest quality possible.

The machinery and workflow is designed to handle a variety of linens from the markets the company serves through each step of the process—from washing and drying through to finishing and delivery.

The facility is designed for efficiency and quality, embracing LEAN philosophies and being as environmentally sustainable as possible, from water conservation to heat reclamation, from recycling hangers to using energy-efficient lighting.

“We are continually investing in our plant and our people,” shares Johanna.

In January 2020, she says Ames installed a new tunnel system with a press and dryers.

Johanna adds that the laundry uses a mix of open pocket washerextractors, dryers, feeding and folding equipment for three ironer lines, a full complement of dry fold equipment, and a garment steam tunnel

and conveyor system.

“Right now we are preparing to install additional soil rail storage capacity and a sling loading system for the tunnel to replace our Conway,” she shares. “We invest in the inventory needed to keep our plant operating efficiently and so as never to break a promise to a customer.”

In order to make those promises happen, Ames is Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certified, and the company trains rigorously on its quality and safety standards.

“We expect the best from our people and our vendor partners,” Johanna points out. “We work to maintain duplicity in our operation—in plant and fleet—and we invest in the spare parts inventory necessary to avoid significant downtime events.

“Above all else, we have people who care.”

Like many independent laundry operators, Johanna points to its outstanding customer service and product quality as key qualities of the business.

“In the past year as we have all faced the pandemic-induced challenges, I am more convinced that our service proposition is second to none,” she says.

“We will always answer the phone in person. We will not stop until we resolve questions or concerns. We admit that we will make mistakes and we invite our customers to judge how quickly we resolve those mistakes.

“One of our longstanding mantras is, ‘Honesty and integrity in all that we do.’ We solicit feedback from our customers and implement changes based on that feedback.

“We are nimble. We are not bureaucratic.”

From start to finish, the smallest details are handled by well-trained and qualified staff, especially the forward-facing route service reps, who are empowered to address needs and concerns immediately.

And everyone involved is committed to best practices with a goal of 100% customer satisfaction. Ames has a very low reject rate of .0025%.

CHALLENGES, SUCCESSES

When it comes to sharing about the challenges Ames Linen Service has faced over the years, Johanna says that it is difficult to not focus singularly on the pandemic and the consequent challenges around supply chain, variable and inconsistent demand from customers.

And the labor crisis plaguing the country.

“With every challenging situation, we identify the incremental details surrounding the opportunity, we formulate a plan and we execute,” she shares.

But there is one challenge Johanna points to that shows how her team handles adversity.

“As I look back over the years, the single largest challenge that we have faced was the sudden loss of our beloved GM, Todd Pinti, in 2016,” she says.

“In the midst of their own personal heartbreak, the team came together to not only ‘do the work’ but to support our production associates, route service representatives and customers.

“They led by example and leaned on each other as we navigated something so sad and unexpected.”

Until the pandemic, Ames Linen Service grew consistently, year over year, for decades, enjoying a very high rate of customer retention.

“We have a beautiful plant and we work hard to take care of it,” says Johanna. “With just about everything, we sweat the details and we work with discipline and urgency.”

THE FUTURE

While it remains to be seen if a fifth generation of the Ames family will lead the laundry and linen service in the future, the company is in great hands with Johanna at the helm.

“I will work to restore the company to our pre-Covid volumes and growth trajectories,” she says. “I will work to maintain our culture and our value proposition to our customers.

“I will continue to invest in our people.”

Johanna Ames joined the company in 2001 and purchased it in 2007 as the fourth generation of the family to helm the laundry.

TOP: Donald S. “Bud” Ames was the third generation of the family to lead the company, joining in 1964.

PORTRAIT ABOVE: Harry L. Ames began working in the laundry industry in Upstate New York in the early 1900s.

RIGHT: Donald F. Ames, the second generation of the family, joined the company in 1936. (Photos: Ames Linen Service)

Results on whites are excellent. On colors, you have nothing more to lose and everything to gain by trying YellowGo. YellowGo may take out color you want to keep. But if it removes the unwanted dye without damaging the underlying color, you win! You won’t have to pay for the dye-stained garments and you won’t disappoint your customers.

So use YellowGo to keep your customers happy and keep them coming back.

Tools f the Trade

Disinfectant effective in three minutes or less

Accreditation Standard Requirement:

EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant effective against HIV and HBV.

Mint D-3 is formulated for use in daily maintenance programs with a balance of detergents and malodor counteractants that deliver effective cleaning, disinfecting and odor control.

Intended for washable hard, nonporous, non-food surfaces, the company says Mint D-3 is an ideal detergent/ sanitizer/disinfectant for critical control points in healthcare laundry operations such as:

Complete steel laundry base solutions offered

Gurtler Industries reports it has developed Mint D-3, a concentrated, one-step, hospital-use disinfectant that is effective against pathogenic bacteria and viruses in three minutes or less.

The company says Mint D-3 is a fast-acting, EPAregistered, all-purpose quaternary cleaner-disinfectant.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gurtler family and its team of research experts and application technologists say they have worked to create breakthrough laundering and sanitation products and processes ideal for use in institutional healthcare settings.

Mint D-3 is registered as effective versus SARSCoV2—the virus that causes COVID-19, with only 60 seconds of contact time. Mint D-3 meets the HLAC

• laundry-cart washing systems.

• linen conveyor belts.

• outer-door surfaces of washers/extractors.

• inside surfaces of linen delivery vehicles.

• employee break rooms, lunchrooms, door handles.

• restrooms, locker rooms, and more.

Gurtler also provides automatic dilution systems that can prepare the proper dilution of Mint D-3 for mop pails or spray bottles.

The company says that when used as directed, Mint D-3 works against a broad spectrum of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It also inhibits the growth of mold and mildew and the odors they produce.

www.gurtler.com 800-638-7300

Laundrybases LLC says it provides customized steel laundry equipment bases for operations using innovative engineering solutions.

“We see ourselves as partners in our customers’ success with a distinct and important role to play,” says Daniel Greiff.

“Whether we are customizing engineering designs, shipping and tracking products, our goal is always the same: to exceed our customers’ expectations, every time.”

Greiff has more than four decades of hands-on experience in the metals service center industry. In 2017, he founded Laundrybases to provide laundry bases to the commercial laundry industry.

Laundrybases’ products are

made for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users, seeking high-value steel bases for laundry rooms.

The company says its commercial washer bases are produced at the highest level of quality, competitively priced and offered to customers with a wide choice of readily available products.

The bases are produced using state-of-the-art fabrication equipment, which consists of laser or plasma machines for cutting, CNC press brakes for bending and robotic or manual welders to secure the bases. The company must adhere to all standards approved by ISO (International Organization for Standardization). www.laundrybases.com 920-252-8181, ext. 3

Hydro Systems, a provider of chemical dispensing and dosing solutions, reports it has released its Connected Total Eclipse Controller, an IoT-enabled version of its most popular electronic controller designed for on-premises laundries with up to four washers.

It leverages the Hydro Connect platform and a cellular gateway to provide greater visibility and cost savings through on-demand reporting.

The Connected Total Eclipse Controller can be added to most Hydro laundry dispensers, including the LM-200 peristaltic pumps or EvoClean, and it delivers critical site data with real-time or historical reporting on productivity, chemical usage, costs and alarms through Hydro Connect.

Automating reporting simplifies processes and helps managers avoid alarm conditions like incomplete or stopped loads that drive up rewash rates.

The controller can be purchased new with a dispenser or easily retrofitted to any existing installation with Hydro Systems’ laundry equipment. Simply swap out the existing

controllers and add a cellular gateway. Formulas and setups can be programmed at the controller or with the Formula Editor software and onboard USB flash drive. With the addition of Hydro’s real-time service plan, users can remotely change configurations for dosage, load weight and more from any place with an internet connection to reduce the frequency of expensive site visits. www.hydrosystemsco.com 513-271-8800

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.

Every year, hotels and other hospitality facilities discard thousands of barely-used bath and bed linens because of stubborn cosmetic and tanning lotion stains. Cleaning these products is often labor-intensive and not cost-effective, making disposal a costly, but necessary, option.

UNX Industries reports it has launched a premium pre-spotter treatment, Oust.

The company says Oust’s proprietary concentrated solvent makes it an exceptionally versatile pre-spotter, effectively removing tough oily dirt and stains on linens, towels and clothing. Shirt laundry businesses will find Oust a quick and economical pre-treater to help remove embedded food, cosmetic and body oil stains from cuffs and collars with minimal brushing.

“In our conversations with customers, specifically in the hospitality and commercial laundry industries, we knew that rec-

lamation is a significant area for potential costsavings,” says Josh Lilley, president of UNX.

“Over the past year, we’ve put significant effort behind developing a new product formula to address this challenge. We’re excited to see Oust hit the market and deliver a real money-saving benefit for our customers.”

“The challenge on the research team was to develop a concentrated solvent that would work effectively on a wide variety of fabrics and really tackle those stubborn oily stains from make-up, as well as body oil,” according to Chief Technology Officer Ryan Cotroneo.

“In our testing, Oust proved highlyeffective on embedded stains from food, cosmetics and other substances on bed linen, khakis, polos and numerous other fabric types.”

www.unxinc.com 800-869-6171

Pre-spotter treatment to help reduce hospitality rewash due to stains

IoT-enabled electronic controller designed for on-premises laundries

What did COVID-19 do to the focus on laundry chemistry?

MINISSIAN: We became ever more focused on laundry chemistry since the shipping, supply chain availability of materials and travel became obstacles. The volume dropped as most hotel and restaurants were ordered to close down or limit themselves to takeout. We went back to the lab and developed newer chemistry to replace chemicals that were either force majeure or price unrealistic.

STORY: Not so much a “concentration on the laundry chemistry” as the focus on the effectiveness of the laundry process in producing hygienically clean linens.

“Did the process … water, mechanical action, temperature, chemistry, finishing, etc., create linens that were effectively free of/ low in concentrations of microbes especially pathogens such a COVID-19” seemed to be the driving focus in all laundries and not just the healthcare facilities.

PARISER: Sars-CoV-2 served to raise the consciousness of operators looking to ensure that appropriate procedures for linen handling and processing were in place in their operations. This evolving oversight has enhanced linen sanitation as well as worker safety.

Did anything regarding chemistry change because of the pandemic? If so, what?

MINISSIAN: The supply chain has been strained significantly with some items shooting up in price from 50% to 250% depending on the item and availability dwindling.

STORY: Yes, many operations increased the use of laundry sanitizing agents in the processing of linens. Bacteriostatic agent and sanitizing agent usage increased in the healthcare operations and these agents actually grew in usage among the linen and hospitality laundry operations as well.

PARISER: Not significantly. Best practice laundering procedures in place before the pandemic apply presently; however, linen users are now more cognizant of them, including the disciplines necessary to enforce these methodologies.

In many instances, operators and their customers are now looking for assurances that the processes in place are in compliance with governing guidance.

Over the past year, what have your laundry customers needed, and what recommendations have you given them?

MINISSIAN: They’ve needed the same support we’ve always given them in even faster time frames. Unfortunately, with a shortage of truck drivers, we have asked our customers and our technicians to forecast orders instead

of placing them at the last minute.

STORY: Information and support as they have tried to work through ways to ensure the product they are producing is free from stains and hygienically clean. The pressure on labor shortages has added a new dimension to the laundry production process.

We have assisted the customer by providing information and on-site applications testing that provided data as to how well their laundry is doing in terms of “stains” and hygienically clean.

We are doing what we can to work with customers in streamlining the production process to aid

in more efficiency (doing the same or more with less personnel) during these times of reduced labor availability.

PARISER: In the healthcare sector specifically, more information has been requested relative to the maintenance of the critical infrastructure necessary for successful laundering.

Items such as minimally acceptable hot water temperatures, oversight of washer and water level maintenance, safe and appropriate soil sorting procedures ( i.e., employee use of personal protection), and adherence to proper linen handling practices.

How can an operation best evaluate its chemistry in order to best serve its customers?

MINISSIAN: They need to be able to monitor the pH of their goods leaving the washers, conduct quality audits on washer formulas and request SDS sheets from their vendors to make sure they understand what’s being used to wash their textiles.

The most important thing they should be doing is making sure they maintain soft water, obtain a robust chemical pumping system to ensure reliable injection of all chemicals, and have a clear understanding of the purpose of

each product and the benefits it provides to their operation.

STORY: This is a team effort between the chemical supplier, operation management and finishing management. What do the titration reports look like? Do they include audits that detail the quality of the work that is being produced?

Has the chemical supplier worked with operations and finishing to conduct quality audits and then detail the issues found during these quality audits? The results of the quality audits will reflect back as far as the end-user

Best practices for attacking rewash challenges

Adapting processes can help your laundry keep rewash numbers in check to help improve your bottom line

BY GABRIEL DIPERNA

RIPON, Wis. — It’s the rallying cry of all on-premises laundry operations—maximum efficiency.

We invest in washer-extractors and tumble dryers with features and functions that reduce utility and water consumption while helping speed cycle times. Managers work closely with their chemical company representatives to ensure tailored programs and dosing for the best results.

The overall goal of efficiency through dialed-in processes contributes to longer linen life and lower per-pound costs.

And then there’s rewash.

If you want to effectively negate all that investment in highly efficient laundry equipment, don’t keep an eye on your rewash percentage. Nothing kills the efficiency of an operation faster than doing a load of laundry … and then doing it again.

The bottom line is paying attention to and adapting processes can help your laundry keep rewash numbers in check to help improve your bottom line.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

The standard baseline for rewash in most linen processing facilities is roughly 5%. Admittedly, it will be a tall order to improve on that number for the simple fact that linen is coming in from off-site clients, where the plant has no control over housekeeping staff.

Hotels, long-term care facilities and other locations that are processing loads in on-premises

laundries may run closer to 2 to 3% rewash or better. Though adding in food and beverage linens are likely to raise the rewash percentage.

THE COST

We’ve already covered that rewash costs a laundry operation in utilities, water and chemicals. Add in the wasted labor, and high rewash percentages take that cost higher.

Then there’s the major cost— linen replacement. As any facility manager knows, linen replacement cost is a significant expense, and maximizing linen life is always a priority.

Whereas normal costs to process loads can range from two to five cents per pound, heavy reclaim numbers can take that cost to 20 cents per pound.

Still think reducing rewash loads isn’t worth your time?

Quite simply, rewash is a leading cause toward prematurely wearing out linens. More washing and, in particular, the more aggressive formulas utilized in rewash programs are rough on the linen fibers.

Baked-in stains require what laundry professionals refer to as the “thermonuclear” wash program to bring the linens back to life. That means a heavy dose of chlorine, which can prematurely fade colors and is just harsh on fibers. Again, the best offense is a defense—limit rewash as much as possible.

START WITH THE FRONT LINE

There’s nothing overly complicated to addressing rewash. It

starts with frontline training.

Simply empowering housekeeping staff to separate stained linens and place them in a dedicated bag will have the biggest impact on getting a handle on rewash. Presorting really is 75% of the battle and doesn’t cost anything.

The goal is always to catch the heavy soil items before they enter the washer-extractors and definitely before they make it to the tumble dryers and become bakedin stains. So, obviously, catching these items on the front line makes the most sense and takes pressure off the laundry staff.

Stained items have a far greater chance of being caught by housekeeping staff moving from room to room collecting linens. By the time pieces reach the laundry room, they are piled in carts and the focus is on getting the washer-extractor loaded as quickly as possible.

Therefore, it’s unreasonable to expect laundry staff to be the only line of defense in separating heavy-soiled pieces.

FOCUS ON FORMULA

We can all agree that totally eliminating rewash/reclaim isn’t really a reasonable expectation. So, then the next focus becomes ensuring staining is removed and items can be returned to service without further damage or stress to the fiber. That challenge comes down to the five elements of cleaning—time, temperature, mechanical action, chemicals and process.

Again, the key is working with your chemical company representative to dial in programming. This is also where machine flexibility makes a giant difference.

For instance, the best results on reclaim cycles should start with a cool water flush to relax the stains. Machines with higher-end controls will enable you to get specific on temperature; whereas a basic machine might decide for you that cool is 40 degrees. For our purposes, we want “cool” closer to about 70 degrees for best results.

If you have older machines or models that don’t allow significant programming flexibility, your chemical company will be working with a major handicap in getting the desired results.

As with all elements of your laundry operation, training and process control will be equally important. Heavily stained items will no doubt require some form of pretreatment.

Guess what? The most popular pre-spotters among laundry staff offer a heavy dose of chlorine, and while it’s a great stain remover, it’s also harsh on fabric. That’s why it’s important that staff is trained to A) use as prescribed (more is definitely NOT better), and B) don’t allow the pre-spotter to stay on linens any longer than necessary.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There’s no one simple answer to rewash loads. As with most things in an on-premises laundry, it’s a multi-pronged attack with communication at the center.

Start with communicating the need to reduce the rewash percentage. By bring-

ing all facility partners to the table and establishing that there is a real cost incurred by rewash, you will create urgency and importance to the task.

From there, getting housekeeping and floor staff onboard as the first line of defense and equipping them with separate bags and/or bins for heavily soiled items will have the greatest impact.

Investing in laundry equipment that enables you to tailor cycles to specific pieces and soil levels while giving chemical company representatives greater control over cycle steps and temperatures, also will be an investment that will pay dividends.

The final piece is simple—continuing to put processes in place to monitor the effectiveness of your plan and communicate results to staff.

Most of all, don’t forget to celebrate your victories along the way with staff. Small rewards such as pizza at lunch or dooughnuts and coffee marking a great job of housekeeping and laundry staff can have a great impact on team morale and keep them focused on getting the desired results. ALN

Gabriel DiPerna is an account manager for Alliance Laundry Systems. He has eight years of commercial laundry experience, including assisting onpremises laundry managers as a representative for a major chemical company. He can be reached at gabriel.diperna@alliancels.com.

Proper sorting and formula usage can help reduce rewash. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)

DiPerna

Minimizing rewash can help a laundry operation reduce costs. (Image licensed by Ingram Image)

in terms of the actions that are needed to be initiated in order to solve the cause of any out of specification items

PARISER: Laundry management should be speaking to various chemical vendors to gain and contrast the guidance given to them. Additionally, through the use of independent linen testing, the operator can review objective quantitative feedback on the quality of the linen products they are providing to their customers.

Has anything changed regarding what laundry employees need to know about chemistry? If so, what?

MINISSIAN: Laundry employees today more than ever need to be aware of the health and safety of new chemicals used in the laundry. Employees need to be more proactive in paying attention to linen quality and wash chemistry.

STORY: Redouble their efforts to not let the pails run dry. Or, insist on your supplier using a system with a low-level alarm. Otherwise, not so much.

All chemicals should be treated as if they are hazardous and each

employee should be trained in the Right to Know (RTK) process on how to stay safe as they handle the chemicals in the operation.

PARISER: What has changed in our view is the required sense of urgency needed to comply with recommended industry standards and best practice linen processing protocols.

How has chemistry training for employees changed? How can a service best ensure thorough, proper training?

MINISSIAN: Hazmat training is critical. SDS documentation and proper labeling and handling are in that scope. The customer must understand how each chemical interacts with their equipment so they don’t assume the chemicals are always what’s causing equipment failures.

They should, most importantly, understand what the most critical chemical is in the whole plant: water. If it’s not good quality and is not soft, no amount of added chemicals will save the day.

STORY: RTK OSHA regs and training are still part of the process. There has been a name change to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS); they are now called Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and they have become globally harmonized with new terms and pictorials but all of this will be covered in the

RTK training.

OSHA provides a good library of training materials that can be used for this function, if you want to produce the training in-house (your chemical supplier can be a great resource as the operation builds its program). There are also many consultants that can be hired for the yearly training programs that are needed to comply with RTK.

Keeping track via electronic or written records of the training and follow-up review testing of the employees should be kept for each individual that has attended the training programs.

PARISER: In-service training, while not a new concept, has taken on a greater importance, not only as it relates to washing equipment performance, but to proper water temperatures and chemical inventory controls as well. Product runouts will cause increased rewash and non-hygienic results.

Proper linen sanitation and operational risk aversion demand that supervisors educate themselves and their employees on all aspects of the laundering process from soil sort to clean linen delivery.

How can a laundry best ensure its chemistry is as solid as possible for the future?

MINISSIAN: Get familiar with wash chemistry and understand what value and benefits each

chemical can provide to minimize stain and washovers.

Install a reliable and robust chemical pumping station to minimize downtime and emergency repairs, forecast their orders, accept price increases or watch their quality suffer, raise their own prices, train their employees on chemical hazmat, and keep their equipment functioning per manufacturers specifications.

STORY: “Trust but Verify” comes to mind. There are many ways to qualify and quantify the quality being generated from an operation, including titration records produced on a regular basis, quality audits developed against a quality standard set by the laundry management, stain audits, consistency measure audits and end-user audits.

PARISER: By talking to various experts in the field, including more than one chemical company, and by reading the available data from the CDC, TRSA and other accredited sources.

Please share any other thoughts regarding laundry/linen service chemistry in today’s environment.

MINISSIAN: Today’s laundry needs to look for more environmentally friendly wash chemicals to lower energy and water consumption. Minimize health hazards to their employees, avoid

employees handling chemicals.

STORY: Chemistry is part of the process that is needed to produce hygienically clean linens in terms of the COVID-19 issues we are dealing with, but it has always been part of the process as illustrated in what our industry has called the laundry pie.

As laundry management along with their chemical suppliers consider changes and modifications that need to be made in an operation, all of these factors must be incorporated into the decisionmaking process as these are what is called a zero-sum game. All contribute to one degree or another to the outcome of the work. If you take from one, then one or more of the others must grow in proportion to what is being taken.

There are two other factors that probably should be added to this pie: fabric types and soiling. They, too, have an influence on both the cleanliness and hygienic conditions of the goods being produced.

PARISER: Having a good knowledge of laundering principles and practices provides the keys to supplying hygienic and efficiently processed linens.

Taking the time to prioritize the necessary conditions and implementing the disciplines appropriate to their maintenance will ensure successful outcomes during and outside of public health crises. ALN

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Pitching for new outlays in tight financial times

This is something I am currently addressing with both of my hospitals. We are needing blanket warmers installed on several units, and I know the budget is tight.

My best selling point is to present to the administration the education and science I have discovered in my career experience. We will save in processing charges and possibly lost linen charges if we use the warmed blankets the proper way.

This will add to the patient experience as it is proven to be the best patient practice. This can also increase patient satisfaction scores.

Yes, this is an upfront cost; it will, however, turn into yearover-year savings.

duce as low as 1,000 pounds per hour of linen, you should consider a small automated continuous batch washer (CBW) system to produce your linen.

your operation, sorting smallpiece folders may be the right choice.

year ROI’s being justified.

have never been easier but nothing lasts forever.

1. Whoever purchases your equipment must get three competitive quotes for your needs and do it quickly. If the owner purchases equipment, the owner should get input from the team as to what they need to improve their operation. Getting them involved, since they may be closest to the action, makes complete sense. Get away from any top/ down management and go bottom-up. Owners are smart but may not know it all.

Some manufacturers and suppliers may have excess inventory and want to move it even at a low margin. Check for incentives whether they be manufacturer or governmental. Check with your accountant for tax advantages.

2. There are multiple ways to pay for these purchases. Cash is, and always will be, king. However, in this instance, we are using financing.

The largest operational expense in any laundry has historically been labor. Since the pandemic, many laundries are having to increase wages to attract and maintain their employees.

Now more than ever, ownership is challenged with a smaller labor pool calling for higher wages. Figuring out how to produce more linen with fewer employees is a major key to succeeding during this pandemic.

There are many ways laundry equipment can be utilized to save labor. One of the hardest tasks in a washroom is manually loading and unloading conventional washers and dryers.

If your laundry needs to pro-

An automated tunnel wash system can streamline your laundry production by processing small manageable loads while using less labor and increasing production capabilities. Systems can also be set up to be automatically loaded, washed, extracted, dried and unloaded with the use of simple sling and shuttle/conveyor systems.

Not to mention, the CBW system can be expanded for increased production as your facility grows.

Another benefit of tunnel washing systems is the water/ sewer savings. In many cases, tunnel systems use 70% less water than conventional washerextractor systems.

There are many ways to automate and save labor within the flatwork finishing and folding process. For example one operator utilizing an automatic towel folder can process two to three times the number of folded products than one operator can fold by hand. Depending on

Automatic cornerless feeders for sheet and table linen ironers can produce more linen per operator by eliminating the need to find and clip corners of sheets or feed linen by hand.

Utilizing sling systems to automatically transport linen from your wash aisle directly to your ironers and folding stations can reduce labor while utilizing the vertical footprint of your facility.

Depending on what is best for your operation, using conveyors to accumulate your folded linen can reduce labor by eliminating the need for employees to be stationed behind each ironer or folding system.

Laundry equipment and service distributors should be eager to assist with realistic payback analysis showing the advantages of new labor-saving laundry equipment solutions over existing operations.

We generally recommend solutions that offer sufficient labor and utility savings that yield less than a five-year ROI. But with today’s volatile labor market, we are seeing eight to 10

Increasing your throughput capabilities of pounds per operator hour (PPOH) should be a key factor in getting new laundry equipment solutions approved for your facility.

We can get manufacturer financing in many cases and get it at very good rates. Remember, they are hungry right now. Your other option would be financing from a bank or other financial entity. Interest rates have never been better, and you should shop for multiple alternatives. Again, check with your accountant for tax advantages.

3. Calculating a return on investment (ROI) is a huge selling point to your senior leadership. A poorly thought-out or arbitrary request will only get you turned down immediately. Perform your ROI honestly and do it conservatively. Show them why this will help your customers, your employees and your company.

Good day ALN readers!

It is my fervent hope that you are doing extremely well and that your operations are doing better today than pre-Covid. Many are doing just that! Covid is behind us, so let us accelerate smartly into our future.

There are many manufacturers that are recovering just as you might be. This offers you a great opportunity to get what you want at the price you can afford. How do you do it?

Be smart and be aggressive. Accessing new equipment may

You always want to under promise and over deliver in your ROI calculations. There are many models on the Internet that you can access, or I could certainly assist you. Just reach out to me.

4. If you are challenged for financing, I have had many clients over the years utilize their valid service agreements as collateral.

5. As far as products and other suppliers go, you, more than likely, have a primary supplier. You need back-ups always and forever. Great pricing, great tickets to the

“My laundry really needs new equipment and goods, but COVID-19 has made finances very tight. How can I pitch these needs to upper management for the best chance of approval?”

Equipment/ Supply Distribution

Scott McClure

Pellerin Laundry Machinery, Kenner, La.

Healthcare Laundry

Tammy Barrett HHS Environmental Services, Bonita Springs, Fla.

Consulting Services

David Graham

Performance Matters, Fort Mill, S.C.

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ballgame and a smile from someone you love can only get you so far. If they cannot deliver the goods timely and completely, then you must look at your options.

Excuses to your customers for supplier inadequacies will only get you so far even with a great relationship. You will lose the business shortly.

In summary, be fired up and get your team fired up but execute like a surgeon when it comes to moving your team and operation forward. If you do not continue to invest in improvements, you may go out of business eventually.

Until next time!

finance it, as compared to the status quo. No change.

If you’re pitching new equipment or goods for any other reason, it may be justified; however, an ROI should always be given. If a piece of equipment is becoming obsolete due to lack of parts availability for example, maybe the ROI is much longer, but the risk of long-term downtime is growing as the equipment ages and parts are harder to find.

Even in that circumstance, there needs to be some value assigned to this and it’s always our job to find that value and relate it to the decision-makers. That said, we should always be willing to adjust our budgets to reflect the “value” of capital purchases, and expect and welcome the responsibility that comes with justifying the equipment or goods and its performance.

Here’s a cheat sheet in no particular order, as the importance of these may vary with the specific purchase: 1. Labor Savings

Whenever budget season was upon us, my former boss would tell the story about his previous employer. “They couldn’t spell ‘capital,’” he would say, referring to the many years their plants went with minimal reinvestment of new equipment.

While the story made me laugh, it always gave me plenty of incentive to find ways to justify what I felt we needed. I’m happy to say that we were very successful, and to his credit, we became somewhat of “spelling bee” champions when it came to spelling “capital” at that company.

All kidding aside, we focused on the return on investment (ROI) and stayed away from eye candy … my term for things that look nice for a plant tour but don’t have any real value to the bottom line.

I would define a good capital purchase as anything with an ROI of under two years or less. That ROI cost analysis should always be the savings or possible improved revenue of the equipment or goods and all associated costs to install, implement and

Utility Savings: Gas/Steam/ Water/Electric/Sewage

Increased Revenue

Increased Safety/Risk Aversion

Maintenance Labor Savings

Maintenance Parts Savings 7. Cost Aversion: Purchasing X, will allow you to avoid purchasing both Y and Z

I hope you find these things helpful, and perhaps you can even add a few items to my list?

Meanwhile, best of luck on your next round of capital requests!

est financial environment. If the need exists to borrow dollars, I don’t see where the time will get better to borrow.

The thing about new equipment is that it normally reduces daily production costs, which aids in increased dollar availability or cash flow.

If the need is for additional linen to serve customers and to eliminate the overtime being worked to process additional linen to cover a gap, it should be purchased.

Regarding equipment, while it is possible to replace a piece of equipment in isolation with anything else without any gains, most of the time there is a gain.

A 12-year-old cross folder that drops linen excessively and has poor and inconsistent folds is costing you money. Just count the drops and reruns over the course of a few hours. Basically, the difference in your feeder and fold counts makes the point.

analytical reasons to justify purchases. When you can numerically justify needs, you have served your facility well.

Fundamentally we are talking about return on investment. Why does the laundry need a new piece of equipment or additional linen? What does the new purchase cost? How long will it take to pay for itself? What are the savings from what we are currently doing?

Justifying the need for new equipment, linen or other goods can be justified in any season.

Let’s address finances first. We continue to exist in a low-inter-

Overtime can cost more than the purchase of additional linen. More important, you pay for linen as a one-time event, while overtime to cover linen need gaps is ongoing. Add up the overtime costs daily and compare them to the cost of the additional linen needed.

If you are feeding 900 pieces per hour (or 15 pieces per minute) and it is dropping five pieces per minute, you are losing a third of your work and it is costing you. This is how you justify purchases. You also experience savings from wasted energy, wear and tear on pads and other equipment in the process.

Upper management needs

Regarding COVID-19, as you know, we are currently challenged in replacing employees. If equipment can help you by not having to replace a departing employee, there is a savings that will reduce the time for investment payback.

This is how you justify purchases. Good luck with your efforts.

ALN

Textiles

Cecil B. Lee Standard Textile, Cincinnati, Ohio

Equipment Manufacturing

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

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Textile comparisons, adding products

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

CHICAGO — In today’s environment of supply challenges and the continual quest for the best, most cost-effective goods, research is key.

That’s more true today regarding textile goods in laundry/linen services than ever before.

Operations need goods that please the customer (and the enduser) while meeting an acceptable price point and lifespan.

And laundries may also be considering adding products to add to their bottom lines. How can an operation best compare textile suppliers, goods and possibly new products?

American Laundry News reached out to several textile experts to find out solid methods for these comparisons in order to help operations make the best decisions possible.

Many of these decisions might be influenced by the supply issues the textile industry is facing, and American Laundry News will examine the supply-chain difficulties in a future issue.

SUPPLIER EVALUATIONS

Steve Gasner, vice president of commercial laundry sales for A1 American based in Pacoima, California, says the best process when looking at textile suppliers is to understand the operation’s linen specifications, the county of origin and the requirements.

“It is best to do this pro-actively, so now is the time to outlook 2022,” he says. “If you’re doing it on the fly, you might not get the right parallel item. Sampling is a must and if you can wash test, it is a valuable exercise.”

Strategic versus transactional relationships are becoming more important with key suppliers, shares Bob Pestrak, director of linen rental 1Concier headquartered in Miami.

“When comparing textiles from different companies, they should consider the overall value,” he recommends.

“This includes strength of the company, product innovation and how broad their product offer is in the category they are evaluating: prices, product specification differences, laundry wash trials, ROI (return on investment data), references from other laundries that have done business with a vendor they are considering, the technical support team and the account executive to troubleshoot and be responsive to problems and the service model.”

Chuck Loitz, senior vice president of the institution division for Venus Group in Foothill Ranch, California, says that it’s

important to find a supplier that has a reputation for providing excellent service and good quality products.

“Venus has always been service-minded and always has provided the best quality products for the application,” he shares. “The laundries should not ‘jump ship’ unless there is no other alternative.

“Requesting samples is a good way to compare vendors.”

For Steve Kallenbach, director of market solutions for American Dawn Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, the key to comparing suppliers is running a cost and life-cycle analysis of the goods.

“Obviously, with short supply, durability needs to be more of an issue than the recent years of low prices and largely available close by inventories,” says Timothy Voit, chief marketing officer for Thomaston Mills in Wyncote, Pennsylvania.

“There are a lot of ways to make money in the textile busi ness, and there are a lot of ways to sell the product as one qual ity and make it as another, and unless the buyer is extremely versed on buying textiles they will not notice until the product gets a lot less turns than normal,” points out Lenore Law, owner of California Textiles in Corona, California.

She says one of the best ways to compare suppliers is to trust the vendors and know that they lead with integrity.

“A long-term, appreciated partnership is for the best of both the customer and the vendor,” she shares.

A key method of comparing goods for Law is to weigh textile bales. She says many companies used to do that but have left the step out on production floors over the years.

“The other thing that is very important is to know is whether your product is a first quality (aka A Grade in the industry) or a B Grade (slight flaws or a second quality in production grading) and lastly an IR or C Grade, also known as a rag quality,” she says.

“Many companies mix different grades together, either in production overseas or in their warehouse, and actually ship you two different kinds of grades;

however, the bales will look the same. The lot numbers on the bales are slightly different, and a lot of money is saved on import fees as well as purchase fees— many times as much as fifty cents a pound, and that also depends on the item.”

The third way for laundries to compare textiles, according to Law, is by the yarn size, the weight and the types of looms that the product is actually manufactured on. All three of these factors qualify for different price points, as well as the longevity of the product.

“There are many types of looming machines, and some are very inexpensive and some are very costly,” she points out. “Because of the various loom qualities, the towels can look much different in terms of weft and warp and pile and the actual

throw them into production to see how long they last,” she says. “Mark them so you know who gave you which towels.”

Alex Heiman, healthcare business unit leader of Standard Textile in Cincinnati, says his company recommends three categories of inquiry when comparing products:

1. Spec basics: Color, weight, dimensions, etc.

2. Performance: Durability, consistency, hand, shrinkage, regulatory compliance (for items like isolation gowns), etc.

3. Utility: Asking the question, “How is this product used in the healthcare setting and is a presented alternative comparable on that basis?”

Very often, we see customers asking for specific product characteristics because of order history even if a small change (e.g. different style of a scrub top) would accomplish the same task for the end-user and potentially offer new benefits.

“Since the larger commercial laundries historically contract mostly with a very short list of larger suppliers, who they remain very loyal to, it’s rare for a larger laundry to contract with smaller suppliers,” says Joe Haughey, senior vice president of sales for Star Linen USA in Moorestown, New Jersey.

annual purchase orders from both sides are valuable if you want everything to go as planned.”

“When it comes to introducing new products to customers, we recommend that the laundry sales or management team partner with the textile company in conversations with customers,” Heiman says.

“The textile company brings expertise not just about what the product is but how it works in a variety of patient and clinician circumstances. The laundry brings a great relationship and processing expertise to the table.”

He goes on to say that when it comes to getting fair pricing, it’s all about measuring value produced by the new product.

“We see three avenues of potential value that a textile company can develop,” Heiman points out. “Decrease overall cost of ownership through levers like acquisition price, durability or reduction of processing cost; make the patient recover faster and be more comfortable during their stay; and help the clinician succeed in unique and compelling ways.

“All three of these avenues typically come with hard cost ramifications that directly drive a fair price.”

Kallenbach says that when a linen service evaluates new products to offer, first it needs to determine the market need.

hand feel of the towel.

“So, weights can be identical but the end product will look much different, and sometimes you cannot just purchase by the unit cost. You have to actually know the towel construction and the types of looms made on as well as the yarn size and the pic and the pile.”

Comparing terry and other kinds of towels is done by warp, weft and fill weave, Law says.

“The best test on that is to see how easily the towel pulls apart, and if it pulls apart very easily, it is all fill weave,” she says. “This also applies to lower-end bath and hand towels.”

Lastly, Law recommends testing samples by placing a black, indelible ink mark on the bottom corner of them and start washing them.

“Or ask your supplier for the same towel but different color stripes, a dozen of them, and

“Hopefully, the pandemic and this particular era in our industry will convince the larger laundries to divest some of the business to smaller suppliers.”

“I think the key words at this time are patience and understanding,” shares Laura Lewis, business development manager, sales and marketing, for Boca Terry in Deerfield Beach, Florida. “Goods are coming just not as quickly.”

ADDING PRODUCTS

When it comes to adding new products and lines for added income, the key is making sure the products in question serve customers.

First, Gasner says a laundry/ linen service must understand its customer requirements, making sure it can deliver on promises.

“Certainly, sustainability is critical, so gain the right commitment from the supplier and the customer,” he says. “Today, you need a clear understanding of timing or lead time. Advance

“Identify the core product attributes,” he says. “Vet out potential products against the technical specs realized, and decide if you want to meet or exceed the market need.

“Study the market pricing and back into the needed cost. Evaluate the product, price point, cost (including acquisition and life-cycle), and margin, based on your product positioning against the norm (same/better/economical alternative).”

“Look beyond list price to value and effective life of a product,” recommends Voit. “Shortterm thinking is a trend whose time has come and gone.”

“Adding product lines is risky unless you know that the lines will be available after all the supply chain problems are gone,” cautions Loitz. “Sticking with a dependable supplier like Venus assures the customer that the products will be top quality and available when the pandemic is over.”

“I believe that most commercial laundry customers when considering new products, vet the supplier’s experience and competence along with the product(s) itself before entering into any type of supply agreement,” Haughey adds.

Textile experts share ways for laundry operators to compare suppliers/goods and maybe add product for income

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product development retires

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — J.B. Werner, CEO and chairman of the Board for G.A. Braun, a laundry equipment manufacturer based here, reports that Steve Wilbur, director of engineering and product development has retired after 13 years of service.

His successor, Ryan Blair, has been with the company since 2005.

“We wish Steve much enjoyment and relaxation as he embarks on the next chapter of his life and thank him for 13 years of dedication to team Braun,” says Werner.

The company says that Wilbur successfully led his team of engineers through numerous product design and development initiatives, ensuring the latest technology was incorporated into Braun’s washroom equipment.

He also authored several articles and presented on several technologies at various association meetings and events and has instructed at educational venues throughout the industry.

Blair started at G. A. Braun as dryer product engineer and

Track Career

was quickly promoted to lead engineer for dryer technology. After several years in that role, He was promoted to mechanical engineering manager for all washroom equipment including dryers, washers, batch tunnel washers, presses and conveyance equipment.

“We also congratulate Ryan on his promotion and are highly confident that with his leadership he will strongly complement our strategic business pursuits well into the future,” Werner adds.

The company says that one of Blair’s most significant achievements yielded him two U.S. Patents for the inner cylinder safety locking mechanism on the Braun Advantage® Side Loader. He also developed vastly improved dryer airflow designs and a new onboard lint collection system that garnered him his first U.S. Patent.

Blair holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Cromwell Textile, based here, reports it has hired Hailey Gagnon as an account representative.

“Six months into the role of account representative, Hailey is learning every aspect of the business and has already completed her CLLM certification,” the company says. “She is hopeful and excited to be a part of the Cromwell Textile team.”

A graduate from the University of Hartford, Gagnon brings with her more than 10 years of customer service experience including five spent supporting the public and fostering relationships as an employee of the Legislative Branch of Connecticut.

Away from the office, Cromwell Textiles shares that she loves to be active, playing soccer, rock climbing and spending her time exploring the outdoors. In the office, she prides herself on her interpersonal skills and attention to detail.

Gagnon resides in Newington, Connecticut.

Acton takes over as West regional sales manager for Tingue

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Tingue, Brown & Co., a fourgeneration family-owned and -managed supplier of aftermarket parts and supplies for the industrial laundry industry, reports that Cory Acton has been added to the management team of its Tingue division.

Acton will serve as the West region sales manager, overseeing Tingue’s business in Texas and everything west of the Rockies.

The company says he comes to the firm from Magic Laundry Services in Montebello, California, where he served as vice president of operations for the hotelier laundry. He had previously managed sales in the West region for a major industry equipment manufacturer.

Acton graduated from Florida State University in 2014 with a degree in International Affairs.

He is no stranger to his new company. His father, Ty Acton Jr., is the president of the company, having started with the firm as a sales representative in

Florida immediately after his college graduation in 1983.

Cory’s grandfather, Ty Acton Sr., also worked for the company for nearly 35 years, serving as a sales rep in Alabama and Tennessee and managing other reps across the South.

“Cory had already made a great name for himself in his years selling equipment for Kannegiesser,” says Ty Acton. “So much so, in fact, that one of his customers hired him away. The operational and sales management skills that Cory developed in his previous roles will serve him and Tingue well for years to come.”

Tingue says Cory Acton’s commitment to helping others has shown with his consistent involvement in industry association activities, particularly with TRSA. He served regularly on panels involving the hospitality segment of the industry, as well as with various leadership workshops.

At Magic, he regularly opened the company’s doors to share ideas to better the industry for all.

“It is a significant understatement to say that the Acton family has played an important role in the history of our great company,” adds CEO David Tingue. “It’s not just their individual achievements, but the people they have directly

G.A Braun’s director of engineering,

Cromwell Textile welcomes new account representative

CROMWELL, Conn. —

Gagnon

Wilbur

Acton

Blair

Examining 2021 hospitality textile shortages, manufacturing challenges

BY HAL KANEFSKY

PHILADELPHIA — If you don’t know yet, the hospitality textile market in Q1 and Q2 of 2021 saw its fair share of challenges. There is a good chance the hotel you stayed in this summer had towels and sheets that looked a bit old.

The reason is that the property (and industry) will be short on replacements as textile manufacturing challenges continue to grow.

In my years as a CEO distributing both hospitality and retail textiles, I’ve never seen so many factors come into play, putting an entire industry into chaos.

Let’s begin with some obvious facts. In 2020 the COVID-19 epidemic rocked the travel industry.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates that travel spending in 2020 was down 42%.

Those numbers worsen from late March 2020 through the end of the year, totaling $492 billion in losses.

UNDERSTANDING THE SUPPLIER PIPELINE

As a supplier to the industry manufacturing towels, your supply pipeline typically consists of approximately six months of product estimates. Traditionally a distributor would have two to three months of stock on hand and two to four months in the production pipeline, including goods in transit, weaving, bleaching, etc.

When closures and travel restrictions began in March 2020, the suppliers in both hospitality and retail hit the brakes hard and developed new forecasts for the balance of 2020.

Traditional buying patterns were adjusted down to new levels commensurate with “pandemic” conditions.

RETAIL SALES DROP, ONLINE SALES GROW

Retail stores closed indefinitely—some closed forever, including Pier 1, Gordmans/Stage Stores and Stein Mart. Stores that lacked full online stores suffered because customers continued buying online.

According to The NPD Group, online purchases accounted for 29% of home textiles sales from July through September, up from 23% during the same period of 2019.

As people remained at home, they focused on buying new decor and updating the spaces where they were now spending most of their time.

Good for us? Not really. Let me explain as we create the supply side landscape.

SUPPLY-SIDE MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES

While hospitality and traditional retail came to a screeching halt, the supply side was also navigating through COVID-19related issues. An important fact to know is that conventional towel and sheet manufacturing typically runs multiple shifts with hundreds to thousands of workers in each shift—all of them in very close proximity to each other on the factory floor.

With the onset of the pandemic, social distancing restrictions started very quickly in virtually every country. In the fall of 2020, this was not much of an issue, with lower estimates of demand and weak global orders.

When the hospitality industry established forecasts for Q2 and Q3 of 2021, the spring production demands aligned with over 300,000 new COVID cases daily and massive government shutdowns.

With product demand at a two-year high and lockdowns in manufacturing facilities, there have been product shortages throughout the market.

GLOBAL GRIDLOCK ADDS TO CHALLENGES

In September of 2020, India’s Parliament passed three farm acts that caused what has commonly been referred to as the India Farmer Protest. These acts are:

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020.

• The Farmers Empowerment and Protection Agreement on Price Assurance and the Farm Services Act, 2020.

• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Indian farmers wanted guaranteed minimal pricing for their crops. Over the four months following these acts, Indian farm-

ers have also been protesting to bring awareness to their plight with massive gatherings and road blockages leading to delays of raw materials, mainly in Punjab Provence.

Free passage of raw materials and finished goods has been disrupted for months, leading to delays of finished products to market.

SHIPPING INDUSTRY TAKES ADVANTAGE TO STAY ‘AFLOAT’

Another major factor in towel shortages and rising pricing has been the shipping industry as a whole.

China, the first market that had COVID-19-related issues, was also the first to reopen. Chinese manufacturing facilities ramped up production and shipping; however, the rest of the world could not receive all the containers.

There was no time to clear the extensive backlog of vessels with limited workers before more ships started arriving, so they returned them at the same rate.

With North America facing an estimated 40% imbalance, 100 containers come into port, while only 40 leave; 60 of 100 containers continue to accumulate, a staggering figure considering the Chinato-USA trade route sustains on average 900,000 TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent or approximate cargo space) per month. That’s during a normal year.

The shipping volume was at record highs earlier this year—up 23.3% compared to last year, according to Descartes Datamyne, the world’s largest database of import trade data, import-export data, trade intelligence data and international trade statistics.

According to Drewry, a supply chain advisor in the United Kingdom, the world container index as of June 3 shows that freight companies are taking

advantage of shortages with record costs for freight movement, increasing up to over four times costs from the previous year.

For an up-to-the-minute look at these numbers look here: https://www.drewry.co.uk/supplychain-advisors/supply-chainexpertise/world-container-indexassessed-by-drewry

MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES AND THE DEPRECIATING DOLLAR

Finally, over the last year, the dollar has been steadily declining against the Yuan, Indian Rupee and Pakistani Rupee. These three main textile producers are causing an increase in landed prices of finished products.

As the U.S. dollar has decreased in value against currencies of leading textile producers, there has been increased pricing pressure on finished goods. Essentially, more dollars are required to purchase the finished product simply due to the decreased value of U.S. currency.

CURRENT SUPPLY VS. DEMAND IMBALANCE

With the supply-side shortages and pricing pressures, there has also been increased demand for towels over the last several months. According to Destination Analysts:

• Optimism Is Up as Vaccinations Continue—At the end of May, 73.4% of American travelers have or will get vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those who have been inoculated, 87.3% are more comfortable with the idea of traveling. Overall, nearly twothirds of American travelers believe the pandemic situation will improve in the U.S. next month;

only 8.6% anticipate it will worsen. Americans are feeling safer and more confident about travel than ever during the pandemic.

• Americans Continue to Actively Dream and Plan—In early June, 77.5% dreamed and/or planned travel, up nearly five percentage points. One-third report that they researched travel ideas online. Nearly 77% of American travelers say they are in a ready-to-travel mindset.

Americans are Booking and Going—Again, in early June, 18.7% of American travelers made a travel booking and/or reservation, primarily hotels (56.9% of travel bookers) and airline tickets (43.5% of travel bookers, up from 32.5% the previous week).

Americans reported they will take an average of 2.3 leisure trips over the summer months.

So, with increased travel and increased bookings comes increased demand for towels and sheets, which are simply not supported due to supply-side disruptions. What that means to the hospitality industry is shortages in availability.

So, if those towels at your hotel looked a bit “tired” this summer, most likely, the property simply didn’t have a new product available to replace the old towels.

DOES YOUR SUPPLIER HAVE A STRONG ENOUGH PIPELINE?

In conclusion, over the last six months, a host of factors have disrupted the production, transport, and pricing of finished products.

Increased demand due to the reopening of travel and a summer travel season with vaccines has led to new forecasting of textile needs to replenish supplies in hotels, VRBO’s and vacation destinations.

While manufacturers and distributors are rushing to get products to the United States, shipping delays are not filling the pipeline. Strategy, planning and time are the only ways to help keep the supply chain filled.

The supply of home and commercial textile products this spring and summer will certainly be interesting, and those with products on the shelves and a strategic supply chain will be the big “winners” through the rest of 2021. ALN

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

Kanefsky

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Career

attracted to the organization that has created the great culture that we all enjoy today.

“I am excited to know that Cory will be putting his stamp on the company as well.”

Franzen named Thermopatch sales mgr. Western Territory

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Thermopatch, a laundry company specializing in supplying garment/textile identification labeling systems including the manufacture of various garment embellishment products, reports it has added Austin Franzen as its regional sales manager for the Western states.

The company says he will be responsible for account

management and new business development of Thermopatch’s line of textile labeling equipment and supplies, as well as Deco-Print, Thermopatch’s line for branding and textile decorating.

Franzen will report to John Paleczny, manager of sales and marketing.

Franzen has more than 15 years of experience as a results-driven professional in sales, management and marketing, the company shares. Distinguished throughout his career for his sales growth and leadership skills, Franzen has set the standard for customer value and his dedicated performance in the manufacturing industry.

His passion and drive are among the reasons he is also known for being an entrepreneur on Shark Tank

Gurtler Industries adds market development manager

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. — Gurtler Industries Inc., a manufacturer of advanced detergents and specialty chemicals for the commercial laundry

industry, reports it has added Patrick Jackson to its team.

Jackson joined Gurtler in July 2021 and will be manager of market development in the D.C., Virginia and West Virginia area. He brings with him 20-plus years of experience in the laundry industry.

Miele USA appoints Lam VP of marketing

PRINCETON, N.J. — Miele, a family-owned premium appliance manufacturer, reports that it has appointed Kelly Lam to vice president marketing of Miele USA, effective Sept. 7.

As part of the executive leadership team and reporting to the president and CEO, he will be responsible for all marketing and product activities related to the go-to-market strategy Miele USA will take for the residential kitchen

appliances, dishwashers, laundry and floorcare categories.

Lam brings a wealth of expertise to this role, most recently serving as the VP of marketing for Miele Canada.

“We are very excited that Kelly Lam is joining Miele in the U.S. as our new vice president of marketing,” says Jan Heck, president and CEO, Miele USA. “I had the opportunity to hire and work with Kelly in Canada and, when this opportunity came about, his name immediately rose to the top.

“As a leader for Miele Canada, Kelly was integral in tripling the size of the business while changing the distribution system, further developing the product portfolio and expand the brand’s awareness and digital capabilities.”

“It is an extreme honor to bring my experiences to Miele USA and continue to work with a company that I already have such a strong affinity for,” Lam says. “This is a pivotal time to join the leadership team in the U.S. as the company embarks on launching the largest product introduction in the history of Miele USA.”

Before joining Miele USA, Lam spent more than a decade working with Miele Canada. He began his tenure with Miele Canada in 2008 as director of marketing and assumed the role of vice president of marketing in 2011.

Similar to his role in the United States, he was responsible for leading all marketing and product development initiatives. Before his career at Miele Canada, Lam held several marketing positions for BMW Group Canada.

During his 10-year tenure at BMW Group, he developed and rolled out a new CRM platform and program. He was also named one of the top ten North American “Customer Champions” by OneToOne Magazine in 2007 for his CRM strategies and initiatives.

Lam succeeds Christian Schwarz, who has assumed a new role for Miele Global. ALN

LATEST!

Employees and Substance Abuse

Guest Susan Fahey Desmond, a principal in the New Orleans office of Jackson Lewis P.C., shares her expertise on laundry management and safety in an era of increasing substance abuse.

Meeting Hygienic and Sanitary Laundry Expectations

Rocco Romeo, CEO of HLS Linen Services based in Ottawa, Ontario, and a member of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council’s (HLAC) Board of Directors, provides an update on healthcare laundry during COVID-19 and what lies ahead for the industry segment.

Effective Washer-Extractor Usage

Guest Josh Steinhardt, a sales development manager of onpremises laundry at Alliance Laundry Systems, draws on his 20 years of experience to share washer-extractor advice for throughput, efficiency and quality.

Listen in at: americanlaundrynews.com/podcasts

Lam

Jackson Franzen

Laundry leadership today: agility, flexibility, digital literacy

BY DAVID BERNSTEIN

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — It has been said that the pandemic accelerated innovation and the adoption of new methods, skills and technologies so dramatically that five to 10 years of innovation have been condensed into just one.

I am not just referring to how quickly Zoom became as ubiquitous of a synecdoche (brand names that become genericized) as Kleenex, Xerox and Coke, but rather to the fact that all of us have had to rapidly adapt to a world that was unlike any most of us had ever lived in.

What this means to today’s leaders is that they need to reach beyond the knowledge, skills and experience they accumulated in their pre-COVID careers and education and evolve into new versions of themselves by taking on attributes that have been specifically adapted to our new normal.

In On The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin theorized that living things take generations to take on new physical and behavioral traits in response to external stimuli, but just like the acceleration of digital technologies since last spring, the acceleration of the evolution of today’s laundry leaders has taken place at faster-than-light speed as compared to the evolution of Darwin’s finches, tortoises and iguanas.

Among the new attributes that have become necessary are agility, flexibility and digital literacy.

AGILITY

Many of us thought we understood the meaning of the term “agility” before the pandemic, but

its meaning was brought right to our doorsteps when the worldwide economy shut down virtually overnight.

For some it had been an abstract concept: see an obstacle in your path; figure out the best way around, over or under it; and try not to slow down or be stopped by it.

The businesses that survived those early days and weeks after the initial lockdowns, and that will continue to thrive going forward, are those led by the most agile leaders—the people who have been most able to come up with temporary solutions, determine which worked and which didn’t, apply new methods and technologies, and determine which initiatives to continue through and past the pandemic.

And what determines the most agile leaders are those people who also take some time, even while they continue to move their businesses forward, to look back at the obstacle and to learn and adapt from the experience of moving past it.

FLEXIBILITY

During those early days of the pandemic, and ever since, leaders have learned that the world is now governed by a new set of rules, some that change on a daily or weekly basis.

Examples are everywhere and include changing public health strategies; the shift to remote work; on-again-off-again lockdowns; differing rules between towns, counties, states and countries; supply-chain issues; product shortages; and more.

As a result of this new world

order, even the most rigid leaders, to be successful, have had to evolve virtually overnight and sometimes from hour to hour. These micro-evolutions were forced upon them by the government, customers, colleagues, medical professionals, team members and technology.

Unanticipated and unexpected changes have become the rule rather than the exception, so being prepared for and willing to adapt to change—be they shortterm, long-term, temporary or permanent—will ensure your personal, professional and your business’ success.

Now let’s think beyond the pandemic. Imagine how your new superpowers of agility and flexibility can help you lead your company through the inevitable regional or local interruption in your business due to, for instance, a natural disaster or in the face of a more micro event such as a fire in your plant.

Taking the lessons you’ve learned in agility and flexibility, and of course the requisite planning for more predictable business interruptions, will yield dramatic results if you are ever faced with such an occurrence.

DIGITAL LITERACY

The fastest acceleration in innovation and adoption among businesses has been in technology; successful leaders who were not tech-savvy before the pandemic certainly are now.

Some of the technologies upon that we now rely so heavily in business also became critical to ensuring personal connections (e.g., Zoom, Slack, iMessage,

WeChat) during the pandemic, which helped to boost adoption and reduce the fear of technology.

It probably also helped that, in addition to Zooming, many were also using technology for fitness (e.g., Peloton), mental health (e.g., Calm), physical health (e.g., telehealth), entertainment (e.g., Netflix), groceries (e.g., Instacart) and dining out, er, in (e.g., Door Dash)!

Your willingness to adopt new technology to get work done is going to serve you well not just during the waning days of the pandemic but for many years to come. Because while you may not be able to allow your production employees to work remotely (I mean, unless they all have flatwork ironers, tunnel washers or steam tunnels at home), for many employees work-from-home, at least for a portion of the workweek, may be here to stay.

As we’ve also learned, customers expect you to adopt new technologies for your interactions with them as well and, as a result, business travel and customer visits may have changed forever.

You would be wise, therefore, to ensure that your business has considered and created plans for videoconferencing, contactless proposals, e-signatures, and the like.

FINAL THOUGHTS

These three traits (agility, flexibility and

digital literacy) are just a few of the new traits that today’s rapidly evolving business leaders need to adopt in order to ensure that they are fit to survive through and beyond the pandemic.

There are others, of course, including a healthy dose of humility, empathy, the ability to actively engage team members and build a healthy and collaborative company culture that fosters employees, raises up leaders who are honest, approachable, reasonable, consistent and fair.

As a friend in the industry recently mentioned to me, we’ve made it this far and times are still tough, but I am confident that leaders who adopt these new traits and allow themselves to evolve will emerge through the other side of the pandemic stronger and more successful than ever before.

I sincerely hope you are one of them! ALN

David Bernstein is executive director of CSCNetwork. He’s been associated with the industry for almost 30 years, working for equipment manufacturers, engineering and consulting firms, and with associations.

His experience and specialties include plant operations, production management, process improvement, sales and marketing, customer service, equipment specification, plant layout, technology, and route sales enhancement.

Author says today’s (and tomorrow’s) laundry leaders need to reach beyond their current knowledge, skills and experience and evolve into new versions of themselves

Bernstein

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PARTS FOR SALE

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

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

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

Pellerin

Laundry Design Group awarded GSA MAS contract

LAS VEGAS — Laundry Design Group LLC, a laundry industry consulting firm based here, has been awarded a contract with the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), reports Bob Corfield, president and CEO.

The company is offering consulting services regarding sustainability, process improvement, process investigations, outsourcing support and laundry systems planning for VA, DOE, DOD, local and state laundry customers.

“We are very excited to announce after a 2 ½-year process, Laundry Design Group has been awarded a GSA MAS contract with the U.S. Federal Government,” says Corfield.

The GSA Schedule (also referred to as MAS and Federal Supply Schedule) is a long-term governmentwide contract with commercial firms providing federal, state and local government buyers access to more than 11 million commercial supplies (products) and services at volume pricing.

Corfield says having a GSA Schedule provides excellent marketing tools for contract holders. GSA Advantage!, for example, is essentially the “Amazon” of GSA and allows contractors to upload products, product photos, product descriptions, and use key search words and main selling factors to optimize search results.

Corfield adds that the GSA MAS award is part of the long-term growth plan for Laundry Design Group to expand services.

New Choctaw Central Laundry opened in Oklahoma

HUGO, Okla. — The Choctaw Nation reports that it has opened its new Choctaw Nation Central Laundry Facility here.

The opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 15. Chief Gary Batton, Choctaw Nation Tribal Council members, employees and community members were in attendance to celebrate.

“It’s exciting to have another opportunity to employ people in our nation’s reservation,” says Batton.

“Not only are we able to expand our operations to handle the significant amount of laundry with the new Durant expansion and other area resorts, but we’re able to provide jobs in an area that doesn’t see a lot of new opportunities.”

With the increase of laundry services, Choctaw Nation Central Laundry will provide an easier, more efficient way to manage and will service all laundry from the three casino and resort properties in Durant, Pocola and Grant.

As part of its continued investment in the region, the Tribe says it added approximately 23 new jobs totaling 45 jobs at the new facility.

Pacific Avenue purchases Emerald Textiles from limited partners

LOS ANGELES — Pacific Avenue Capital Partners LLC, a private investment firm based here, reports that it has raised new capital to purchase Emerald Textiles, a provider of fully outsourced healthcare linen management services in the Western United States, from existing limited partner investors through a continuation vehicle.

“Pacific Avenue, alongside the Emerald team, have transformed the linen services landscape in the Western United States,” says Chris Sznewajs, founder and managing partner of Pacific Avenue. “The continuation vehicle represents our continued focus building a world-class healthcare linen provider that serves the market.

“We are thankful for the partnership of our equity partners and their support validates Pacific Avenue’s disciplined investment approach.”

The transaction and Pacific Avenue’s continued involvement position Emerald to take advantage of significant market opportunities while also providing liquidity for the original limited partners.

The vehicle is funded by a group of leading institutional investors including Glendower Capital, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock Private Equity Partners, DWS Private Equity, Allstate Investments, CH Investment Partners, and other blue-chip investors. Furthermore, the transaction includes a significant investment from the Emerald management team and Pacific Avenue.

The transaction includes more than $200 million of committed equity capital to support Emerald’s next phase of growth and to buy out certain limited partners.

The transaction also includes a refinancing of Emerald’s existing credit facilities with funds managed by the Credit Group of Ares Management Corporation providing a unitranche solution and Wells Fargo Capital Finance providing an ABL revolver.

“This is an exciting day for our company, employees, supply partners and customer partners,” says Andy Kratky, Emerald’s CEO. “We have invested heavily in facilities and state-of-the-art equipment and have achieved incredible growth in partnership with Chris and the team over the past four years.

“The continuation vehicle allows us to leverage what we have done well and accelerate our investment plans to serve and provide value to all of our partners. Our deep commitment to customer service, superior cleanliness, resource preservation and safety have established Emerald as the leading provider of outsourced linen management services in the Western United States.”

Jones Day served as M&A legal and debt counsel to

Pacific Avenue. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is serving as counsel for the continuation fund. Piper Sandler & Co. and Stephens Inc. advised on the private debt financing. UBS Investment Bank acted as the exclusive placement agent for the equity financing.

Pacific Avenue will act as the general partner of the single asset vehicle.

Romeo named president-elect of HLAC Board

PLAINFIELD, Ill. — The Board of Directors of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) has voted Rocco Romeo as president-elect.

On Jan. 1, 2022, Romeo will assume the duties of Board president of HLAC, a nonprofit organization formed to inspect and accredit laundries processing healthcare textiles for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.

Romeo, an HLAC Board member several times over the years, is CEO of HLS Linen Services, Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served as HLAC’s Board president from 2012-13. He currently serves as the Board’s secretary/treasurer, a position he also holds on the board of the International Association of Healthcare Textiles Management (IAHTM), and he was recently elected a director of the Association for Linen Management (ALM).

Romeo will succeed Linda McCurdy, who has been HLAC’s board president since January 2020.

“Rocco Romeo has a great reputation within the industry,” McCurdy says. “His vast knowledge of our business, his high level of professionalism and his passion for this industry are all exceptional and unparalleled.

“Plus, with his affable, approachable nature he will be an ideal leader as HLAC continues to grow in the years ahead. We’ll be fortunate to have him at the helm.”

In memoriam: Jamey Cashman, CSCNetwork

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — CSCNetwork reports that Jamey Cashman died Aug. 29 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

He served as executive director for the buying group and marketing alliance resource for independent laundries from 2009-2021.

“He will be remembered as an industry leader, as well as a friend and mentor, who has left an indelible legacy on the industry in general and on CSC in particular,” the organization shares.

CSC says Cashman brought the organization to new highs with his thoughtful and decisive leadership, and he will be remembered for the many contributions he made during his 28-plus years in the industry.

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“Jamey was a leader we admired, respected and honored,” says CSC. “His calm, supportive and disciplined approach taught us qualities we all try to emulate.

“A fixture at most CSC meetings, Jamey loved fostering relationships as is reflected in his ability to remember details such as family member names and important events. His humor and classic one-liners endeared him to everyone he met.

“He was thoughtful, humble, generous, and so very kind. We will miss him dearly, and we know our members and suppliers will as well.”

Before joining CSC, Cashman worked in marketing for VR Corp.

He is survived by his wife Pamela, son Trey (Kacy), daughter Blakely (Charles), four grandchildren, sister Mathilda, and brothers Patrick and Bill.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Cashman’s honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute.

Romeo Cashman