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Renewed focus on laundry quality February 2024 • Volume 50, Number 02
The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
1974 - 2024
After the past few years of making do, laundry and linen services need to refocus on quality to attract and keep customers BY MATT POE, EDITOR
O
ver the past few years, laundry and linen services have been in survival mode. The pandemic, lockdowns, supply-chain and labor issues, economic challenges—many operations have been doing all they can to simply process goods. And customers were delighted to have clean linens. That’s changing. The further the world gets from the pandemic and challenges are gradually
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overcome, laundry and linen services must refocus on quality to satisfy customers even as operations are still working to recover.
COMMUNICATION, INVESTMENT
The most challenging pieces of maintaining quality laundry over the past few years have been supply-chain and labor issues, shares Harry Kertenian, COOCFO of Magic Laundry Services headquartered in Montebello, California. “After the pandemic, supply-chain issues were a big challenge for our vendors/suppliers, which was a bit challenging with some areas of our operations,” he says. “Also, the labor market really took a hit in both the finding of workers as well as the quality of labor. It took some time to rebuild our teams, invest in training while simultaneously ‘being live’ with the process, and rethinking how we operate. “We are always mindful to learn from the past so as to continue growing and becoming more educated in building better foundations for the future.” Kertenian shares that labor was a key issue due to loss of previously trained staff who were either moving on or choosing to remain unemployed due to state benefits. “The cost of recruitment, training, and general lack of interested, quality workers was high,” he says. “We were fortunate to continue even with a minimal workforce, while other laundries and hotels were forced to close.” Over the challenging years, Kertenian says that Magic Laundry’s customers didn’t react all that much because the company’s mentality has always been to maintain and improve quality and customer service for its clients. “Internally, we did everything to maintain quality, stability and customer expectation,” he points out.
(Photo: © Olivier26/Depositphotos)
Open lines of communication between customers and teams, experienced employees who have grown from challenges/learning opportunities, and technological resources/reports from the equipment are key to analyzing an operation’s quality, according to Kertenian. “We also have a great team of customer service specialists who are engaged with both our in-house processes/teams as well as open communication with our customers who provide essential feedback that is crucial for maintaining quality,” he adds. “Investment is a key component to growth,” he continues. “Without investment into new technologies, you must focus on training and improving the skills of your labor force. Kertenian recommends building employees and teams from within an organization to raise quality levels. “Have them learn from the challenges we all deal with,” he says. “Then, make sure these challenges/learning opportunities are addressed before they come to a head. “Internally groomed/raised employees who have experienced various challenges already have tested skills and methods. They know better how to make good decisions and are better prepared to handle issues and address them quickly.” To increase processing quality, Kertenian says laundry operations should be looking for better and newer equipment and keeping up with the industry standards. “Also, we are firm believers that having the best equipment alone will not take you over the top unless it’s backed by a welltrained and satisfied labor force,” he adds.
See Quality on Page 6
LATE NEWS Fourth generation takes president role at Plymate SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — Plymate Inc., a uniform, floor mat, and safety rental company based here, reports that Ben Warnecke has been named president of the company. He is the fourth generation of the family to lead Plymate. He replaced his uncle, Todd Plymate, who had been in the role for four decades. “I am thrilled for Ben, and the team looks to him as the leader,” says Todd Plymate. “He is the right person for the job. “I will still be involved with major strategic decisions and capital expenditures but the day-to-day, growing the business is Ben’s baby.” Warnecke joined the business fulltime in 2016. Third-generation owners Todd Plymate and Terri Warnecke planned to prepare Ben by having him train across multiple departments. “The tenure of our workforce is really what helped us get to where we are today, and I’m excited to continue to push the envelope and challenge ourselves to focus on how to attract, retain, and engage our people,” says Ben Warnecke. “My mom and uncle have partnered together for over 30 years and seeing that firsthand makes me optimistic and excited to know that I, too, have a solid right hand. My cousin Sarah (Todd’s daughter) is by my side to help navigate this journey and face challenges together.”
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February 2024 | American Laundry News
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UniFirst boosts primary sponsorship for 2024 NASCAR season No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will appear in five races, up from three last year WILMINGTON, Mass. — UniFirst Corp., a North American provider of customized business uniform programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety services, in partnership with 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports, reports that it has increased its primary race sponsorship schedule for the 2024 NASCAR season. The No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, driven by 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, will appear in five races, a notable increase from three last year. “We are thrilled about this upcoming season as it marks our expanded partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Chase and the entire No. 9 team,” says David Katz, UniFirst executive vice president of sales and marketing. “The No. 9 UniFirst Chevy looks great on the racetrack with its iconic green paint scheme that embodies our brand. We’re excited
to offer fans more opportunities to see Chase deliver wins behind the wheel of this dynamic car.” In addition to the five races, UniFirst also revealed its paint scheme for the upcoming season, featuring the company’s distinctive signature green color and logo designs accompanied by racinginspired black and white accents on the car’s exterior. Elliott and the entire No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports race team will also sport fire suits that complement the UniFirst car design and feature the company’s colors and logo. The No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will debut at Richmond Raceway on March 31, followed by Martinsville Speedway on April 7, Darlington Raceway on May 12, Kansas Speedway on Sept. 29 and Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 13. UniFirst will also serve as an associate sponsor of the No. 9 car
Publisher
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
(Graphic: UniFirst)
for all other races throughout the 2024 campaign. “I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of the UniFirst Chevy next year and race for more wins,” says Elliott, who was recently honored as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for the sixth consecutive year. “It’s been great seeing the partnership with UniFirst continue to grow over time. We’ve had a lot of memorable moments together over the years, and I’m looking forward
to many more.” The 2024 NASCAR season marks the eighth year of UniFirst’s multiyear partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, and it’s the fifth year that the company will serve as a sponsor of Elliott and the No. 9 team. UniFirst continues to be the Official Workwear Provider of Hendrick Motorsports, supplying work clothing and uniforms to the team, as well as to its sister company, Hendrick Automotive Group.
Alliance Laundry Systems negotiates to acquire REM Co. Distributor will become part of company’s South Region based in Versailles, Kentucky RIPON, Wis. — Laundry equipment manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems reports that it and REM Company Inc. have entered into an exclusive agreement, subject to due diligence, to acquire the distribution assets of REM, with a target closing of Feb. 1. “From the very beginnings of the company, the Moore fam-
ily made customer service the number one priority,” says Craig Dakauskas, senior vice president, Americas Commercial, Alliance Laundry Systems. “That commitment remains just as strong today and is a driving factor in our desire to bring them into our direct distribution family.” Upon closing, REM will become
INSIDE: 01
Renewed Focus on Laundry Quality
After the past few years of making do, laundry and linen services need to refocus on quality to attract and keep customers
04
Flawless Execution Involves Planning, Communication
Columnist at Large Tommy Cocanougher shares several key components of installation project planning and execution
04 08
Most Popular Q&A: Engineering Laundry Engineers
Four commercial/industrial laundry representatives talk about how operations can train their own engineers in a market with few candidates
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President
Charles Thompson
part of the Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution South Region while maintaining its Versailles, Kentucky, office. REM’s history in the industry dates back more than four decades to its founding in Bob and Carol Moore’s Lexington apartment. Since then, the couple and their son, current President Mark Moore, built the business into a
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laundry leader covering Kentucky and Tennessee and serving customers in a variety of markets. “As a UniMac distributor for years, I know, without a doubt, that Alliance’s values mirror our own,” says Mark Moore. “I’m optimistic that we will arrive at an agreement and that our customers will continue to be well taken care of.”
Offering Employee Professional Development Opportunities
In this issue, the Panel of Experts shares ways for industrial laundries to provide professional development
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Wildman’s Mission: Clean, Safe and Looking Great
Wildman Business Group takes risks to change the lives of its customers
18
Texcare International: Top Themes for 2024 Event
Organizers share key topics for Nov. 6-9 trade fair
18 19 20 23 23
Career Track Classified Advertising Source Directory Trade Ticker Calendar of Events
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 Janice Ayers Davis • Nick Fertig Deana Griffin • Cecil Lee Edward McCauley Jim Slatcher Main Phone: 312-361-1700 Fax: 312-361-1685
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847-504-8175 847-504-8175 ALN@Omeda.com ALN@Omeda.com www.americanlaundrynews.com American Laundry News (ISSN 1091-9201) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S. 1 year $50.00; 2 years $100.00. Single copies: U.S. $10.00. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Laundry News, Subscription Dept., 125 Schelter Rd., #350, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-3666. Volume 50, number 2. 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 TR ADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2024. 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.
1974 - 2024
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February 2024 | American Laundry News
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Year of development
COLUMNIST AT LARGE Tommy Cocanougher
From The Editor’s Desk Merriam-Webster annually selects a For example, this issue’s question for the “word of the year” based on the volume of Panel of Experts (12) focused on providing lookups. professional development opportunities for For 2023, its word of the year was laundry employees. “authentic,” which had a substantial lookup Why? Because operators have experiincrease based on “stories and conversaenced an increase in career development tions about AI (artificial intelligence), from their employees. celebrity culture, identity and social media.” Because of the lack of trained engineers Based on the articles and conversations overall, which has been an issue for many involved in this issue of American Laundry years, laundry and linen services are considMATT POE News, I’d say the “word of the year” (at least ering the possibility of developing their own for the month) for the laundry industry is laundry engineers (8). “development.” The laundry industry, like most other busiAccording to Merriam-Webster, development means nesses, is continually developing and refocusing (espe“the act, process or result of developing,” and after the cially on quality, see the cover story) to improve and past few years, the industry is in the process of developexceed customer expectations. ing in one way or another. And we’re here to help everybody keep it clean!
Cintas Corp. named one of Newsweek’s 2024 America’s Most Responsible Companies Company makes the list for the third year in a row in Newsweek’s fifth-annual corporate social responsibility rankings CINCINNATI — Cintas Corp., which offers businesses products and services including uniforms, mats, mops and towels, has been honored among Newsweek’s 2024 America’s Most Responsible Companies. In its announcement of its 2024 America’s Most Responsible Companies list, Newsweek notes that its selections are “based on a holistic view of corporate responsibility” and equally considers the three ESG areas in its rankings—environment, social and corporate governance—to formulate a final “CSR Score” that is used to rank companies. “From our inception nearly a century ago, Cintas was built on the foundation of a sustainable business model,” says Todd Schneider, president and CEO of Cintas. “We take immense pride in our operational approach and are sincerely grateful for Newsweek’s acknowledgment of our dedication to environmental, social and governance leadership. “We are committed to our ongoing efforts to minimize our environmental footprint sustainably, cultivate an inclusive and supportive work environment
(Graphic: Business Wire)
for our employee-partners, and maintain ethical and commendable business practices which is a core component of our corporate culture.” The 2024 list marks Cintas’ third straight appearance on Newsweek’s fifth-annual rankings. Statista, a leading global provider of market and consumer data, provided the analysis for Newsweek. Cintas published its 2023 ESG Report in January with updated information about the company’s ESG progress and initiatives through the end of its fiscal year 2023, which ran June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023.
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Top Stories Appearing on americanlaundrynews.com for the 30 Days Ending Jan. 15.
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• DLI Completes 384th Hands-On Drycleaning Course • Study: Small-Business Owners Pessimistic About Future From AmericanCoinOp.com: • Alliance Laundry Negotiating to Acquire Another Distributor • Timeline for Building a New SelfService Laundry
Flawless execution involves planning, communication F
lawless (adjective) without any mistakes or shortcomings; perfect; unimpaired. As I write this, I am reflecting on the many equipment and facility projects that have been executed in our industry during the slower holiday period. Production generally only ceases on Friday night and starts up again on Monday morning, leaving us with a tight, defined time to complete machine swaps, new installations, testing and start-up. Achieving this takes expert planning, engagement of all stakeholders and outstanding communication by the engineer. Most projects are engineer owned and driven from cradle to grave. They are responsible for the planning, execution and communication in advance of the project weekend, and then being the “conductor of the orchestra” over the weekend. Several key components of project planning and execution must be strictly managed to pull off a flawless installation. Tasks not handled properly can tank a project schedule and hinder on-time start-up, not to mention cratering the budget. In all cases, starting up on time is critical to maintaining high levels of customer service and delivery, so there is simply no room for error.
SCOPE
Scoping the job accurately and completely is critical, like the foundation of a house being built. While the overall top-level scope may be “replace boiler & make-up system,” there are going to be impacts across production schedules (what time can we get the boiler down), permitting, plumbing, electrical and rigging that impact the overall schedule and budget. This needs to be assessed by the core team, including the lead engineer, production and reliability managers, and vendors/contractors to ensure no area is left unaddressed. All trades and tasks will be competing for time, space, and money, and it is a major problem if one is somehow overlooked in the planning stage.
DETAIL PLANNING
PLANNING IS After the scope is defined and all stakeholders are identified DEVELOPED then the detail planning can begin. MORE FULLY AND This planning is developed COMPLETELY BY more fully and completely by engaging the known contracENGAGING THE KNOWN tors, trades, safety and health, and managers, and then walking CONTRACTORS, through the project in step-bystep detail. TRADES, SAFETY Those producing movies, TV AND HEALTH, AND shows and commercials do this via “storyboarding” … not a bad MANAGERS, AND THEN concept to use even for machine installation planning. WALKING THROUGH At this point, you may identify THE PROJECT IN STEPa missing task or a stakeholder that you need to engage in the BY-STEP DETAIL. project. The complexity of the project will determine how far in advance you schedule your first team meeting and when or if site visits are necessary. In most cases, a site visit early in the process is helpful while a site visit a couple of weeks prior to installation is critical. Many advances in virtual meetings can aid in holding these conferences, such as via Zoom or Teams. Usually, the project engineer will lead the effort and the call or See At Large on Page 18
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February 2024 | American Laundry News
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Quality
Continued from Page 1
OPTIMIZING PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT, QUALITY CONTROL
In the hospitality market, Tammie L. Hood, vice president/general manager of United Hospitality Services (UHS) in Austell, Georgia, says that hotels are now more experience-based, so the company strives to maintain or exceed the customer experience that is demanded by the guest, and that sometimes makes it challenging in mass production. “The guest categories over the years have shifted from more business to more leisure,” she points out. “That itself requires more attention to detail on our end to make sure linen is cleaner and free of stains as pertaining to new guest categories. “We have to constantly continue to evolve in the market space with adding new formulas and chemistry to make sure guest experience is at peak levels. But we love to take the challenge of providing what our customers expect and demand of us, that’s what makes us the best.” Hood says that the company’s biggest quality challenge after the pandemic has been hotels maintaining par levels. “The supply chain is still recovering, and due to this shortage of linen product, many hotels do not have the proper par levels,” says. “This increases wash and process which wears the linen much quicker and due to the shortage, they are not able to replace linen as needed.” The demand for quality has increased as the pandemic gets farther away in the rearview mirror, and Hood says UHS has been able to keep up with the demand by investing in state-of-the-art equipment and understanding the hotel clientele shift coupled with market shifts on products that stain the linen more and how to use better wash formulas to keep the linen fresh and its hotels ready to provide its clients the experience they expect. Hood’s formula for analyzing laundry processing quality is simple. “Staff training, quality control measures and to communicate to the customers the health of their linen and deterioration a over period of time for proper par installations,” she shares. Her advice for operations to refocus on
(Image licensed by Ingram Image)
“THE GUEST CATEGORIES OVER THE YEARS HAVE SHIFTED FROM MORE BUSINESS TO MORE LEISURE. THAT ITSELF REQUIRES MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL ON OUR END TO MAKE SURE LINEN IS CLEANER AND FREE OF STAINS ... WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CONTINUE TO EVOLVE IN THE MARKET SPACE WITH ADDING NEW FORMULAS AND CHEMISTRY TO MAKE SURE GUEST EXPERIENCE IS AT PEAK LEVELS. BUT WE LOVE TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE OF PROVIDING WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT AND DEMAND OF US ....” — TAMMIE L. HOOD, UHS quality and raise their quality levels follows the same simple, but effective, lines. “Staff training, quality control measures, optimizing detergent/water and energy usage, maintenance and upkeep of equipment, streamlining processes, employee
engagement, customer feedback, and focus on stain removal and educating customers,” she says. What investments does Hood think an operation should be making to increase processing quality? She shares, “Modern equipment, automation and technology, quality control systems, water recycling systems, environmentally friendly detergents and chemicals, training/skill development, inventory management systems, data analytics, and customized solutions.”
THE HUMAN FACTOR
(Image licensed by Ingram Image)
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Angie Ringling, owner and president of Spin Linen, an independently owned linen rental company in Omaha, Nebraska, points to one key issue in the quality drop laundry operations experienced over the past few years. “Staff was just not engaged in owning the quality piece,” she says. “There just was a real drop in caring after COVID.” At Spin Linen, Ringling says goods going through a bagger was probably the worst drop in quality the company experienced. “Operators would walk away from the workstations because the machine would operate itself,” she shares. “They weren’t paying close attention to quality.” Ringling says that customers have been
frustrated by the drop in quality. She says, “Some customers have accepted the new norm that the pre-COVID expectations just have not been able to come back.” When it comes to a laundry analyzing the quality of its processing, Ringling says it has to be done at the operator level. “You have to have operators who will take the time to monitor,” she points out. “It’s hard given the amount of productivity they are trying to achieve. “Training, training and more training of staff is key. You have to always have quality top of mind and top of priority with leads and management watching for it.” Ringling adds, “A really good chemical partner is also key to keeping the rejects down.” She concludes, “A lot of quality measures still come at the human capital level. There are some equipment options that can help locate deficiencies. However, nothing I’ve seen can detect better than a human still.”
FUTURE QUALITY
When asked how laundries can help ensure quality levels during future challenges, Kertenian responds, “With improved technology, training, customer service, and dedicated employees, quality can always be achieved and maintained. Hood says, “Enhanced cleaning and sanitization protocols, staff training on health and safety, flexibility in operations, contactless services, inventory management and supply-chain resilience, communication with customers, customer feedback and adaptation, and an emergency response plan.” Ringling concludes, “You have to stay vigilant on rewash policies, have a good chemical vendor, and management attention to and reinforcement of quality measures that are incorporated into daily routines.”
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February 2024 | American Laundry News
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Q&A: Engineering F laundry engineers
BY MATT POE, EDITOR
Four commercial/industrial laundry representatives talk about how operations can train their own engineers in a market with few candidates
(Image licensed by Ingram Image)
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or years, the laundry and linen services industry has struggled to locate and hire plant engineers. Over the past few years, it’s become more of a challenge to find mechanics, technicians and full engineers to keep operations running smoothly. One solution to this growing problem is for laundry operators to train up engineers from within their facilities. American Laundry News communicated with four laundry professionals involved with the engineering side of the industry to find out how operators can train up their own engineers. Jeffrey A. Carney is corporate maintenance director for United Hospital Services (UHS) based in Indianapolis. Shane Ledbetter is senior vice president of operations for NOVO Health Services which makes its headquarters in Atlanta. Jeremy Jabaay is corporate engineer for Wildman Business Group headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana. David Griggs serves as general manager for Superior Linen Service’s healthcare division based in Oklahoma and is a columnist at large for American Laundry News. How difficult is it to find laundry engineers today? Why? CARNEY: Qualified laundry engineers are extremely hard to find in the market we operate in. Skilled trades are in heavy demand and qualified workers are in short supply. The hospitality, healthcare and manufacturing sectors all draw from the same pool of applicants. We are not graduating enough students with the necessary electrical and mechanical knowledge to step into these roles.
(Image licensed by Ingram Image)
Wages are also a concern as the Midwest has a heavy manufacturing presence that typically can pay a higher wage. LEDBETTER: It is very difficult to find engineers with the unique skill set required by the laundry industry. Today’s equipment requires engineers with an advanced level of industrial automation experience, and there are other technical fields that offer more competitive pay and less stressful environments. It is tough to find employees across the board, but even more difficult to find laundry engineers. JABAAY: Finding experienced laundry engineers has been next to impossible for us. All of our higher-level positions have been filled with candidates from other industries. Mechanical and electrical experience in the industrial setting was the main thing we looked for. GRIGGS: We have seen a big struggle as of late, over the last few years. I think it’s because more people don’t want to go into the service side of jobs. People want to be more of a computer tech or whatever the young people look for when they’re coming out. Even though there are PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and everything in the laundry industry now, we seem to get people who just strictly want to do that, which is only about 2% of the job. 90% of the job is doing preventative maintenance (PM) and cleaning. So, it seems like we’re really struggling to get that person these days. How feasible is it for an operation to train up an engineer? CARNEY: Training someone to be an engineer will take a strong time commitment to do so. You must be willing to dedicate the resources and the hours.
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American Laundry News | February 2024
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Teaching someone basic mechanical skills is relatively easy such as how to remove a nut or a bolt without stripping them out. Electrical expertise such as reading a blueprint and tracing down circuits is a bit more challenging. We have what we call lead mechanics on every one of our shifts. These lead mechanics will oversee our trainees and junior mechanics. The lead mechanics will mentor the trainees and junior mechanics in their job duties. We utilize job classifications in the maintenance department and have promoted from within over the last three years that I have been leading the maintenance department. You would typically start out as a preventative maintenance person who cleans the machinery, blows down the lint from the building and assists the mechanics when assigned. The maintenance tech trainee position is filled from the preventative maintenance classification. This person would receive hands-on training and mentoring for no less than 18 months. The supervisor, lead mechanic and I would have to agree that the person is ready for the next classification after reviewing his attendance and job performance. These individuals are typically assigned to assist mechanics and learn from on-the-job experience. The next step is the junior maintenance technician position where the individual would receive training in pneumatics, hydraulics and electrical. Again, the supervisor, lead mechanic and I would have to
agree that the person is ready for the next classification after reviewing or deciding what additional training is required. The senior maintenance technician classification has completed the training of the previous classifications and would receive machine-specific training to utilize in troubleshooting the machines either in person or through webinars. Lead mechanic classification is responsible for mentoring and training the individuals on his shift and recommending the training needed to advance the individual along. This individual may be sent for machine-specific training by the machine manufacturer. LEDBETTER: It is definitely feasible to train up an engineer, but it requires a strong training program that is well administered and offers a broad range of skill development (for example, not everyone is strong in electrical, mechanical or fluid dynamics). In this industry, the work environment is frequently too demanding, technically detailed and time-sensitive for most techs to be trained successfully. Training from within demands a much longer learning curve, and its success depends upon the types of training programs in place and how well-rounded the existing team is. However, with the right candidate—one who has the ability to learn the field and apply what they learn—and a management team that commits to the practice that technicians will not be assigned tasks for which they have not been thoroughly trained, it is possible to hire and success-
fully train from within. For those organizations that have the proper structure and training in place, it is a great way to promote team growth and elevate overall team performance. JABAAY: Training an entry-level engineer is feasible if you have an experienced engineer able to do so. GRIGGS: Of course, TRSA has a program that helps and then Milnor, Braun and all the major suppliers have schools about their techs. What we’ve done in our Springdale, Arkansas, location is we found a little votech (vocational-technical school) that if we have a person who, our last two really good maintenance guys actually came out of the production side, and we send them there to kind of get cleaned up a little bit. It doesn’t take them all the way to rebuilding machines or anything like that, which is not what we’re looking for anyway. We’re actually exploring this in our Tulsa facility, too. So, if we get a man or woman who seems like they can do the job or wants to do the job, then we’ve been trying to send them and spend the money for vo-tech. What type of employee (skills, qualities, etc.) would you look for to train? CARNEY: The first requirement that I have is that they come to work on time every day. We look for someone who shows an interest in their current position and wants to learn new things. We look for employees who have a great attitude and it
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is reflected in the work they are performing whether they are stacking washcloths or running the dryer line. Most importantly, we look for employees who ask questions and don’t assume things. If you are afraid of asking questions, then I don’t want you as an employee because you will end up hurting yourself or someone else. LEDBETTER: It is helpful when a candidate is hungry for a challenging position like this and possesses a basic mechanical or technical aptitude from the start. The best candidates must have the ability to comprehend basic mechanical concepts, possess a very systematic thought process and they must be very good at problem solving. They also must possess the ability to multitask while remaining calm and collected to efficiently think through solutions, as well as good communication skills. Most importantly, however, they must be motivated by a drive to learn, be committed to grow in the field as a career path and strive for continuous improvement. When an organization finds a candidate that has a skill set like this from the beginning, it should encourage them to share their knowledge and their skills to help improve the team overall. JABAAY: Obviously, industry experience would be best; however, industrial maintenance experience would be preferred. Ideally, a candidate would have a high
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PANEL of EXPERTS
Offering employee professional development opportunities
“I’ve had more employees asking about professional development opportunities. What ideas do you have that we can offer to benefit employees and the company?” Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing Duane Houvener ADI-American Dawn Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.
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Equipment Manufacturing Chuck Anderson Chicago Dryer Company, San Diego, Calif.
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very company, regardless of size, should have or should be thinking about protocols for professional development opportunities for their employees, especially with today’s workforce desiring more meaningful and engaging employment. Upskilling employees will generally always benefit the company. I feel one of the easiest and possibly least expensive ways for a company to accomplish this is through cross-training by having an employee seeking advancement shadow a skilled department manager or team leader. Another idea is to sign up an employee or two to attend a TRSA Production Summit and Plant Tour, of which there are three scheduled for 2024. This provides an excellent platform for networking and insight into how other laundry plants operate. TRSA also offers a Certified Professional Laundry Manager Program
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and a Maintenance Certificate Program, both high-level programs. The Western Textile Service Association and other industry associations offer similar plant tours and networking events. These events could also be used to reward employees who provide exemplary service. The Association for Linen Management (ALM) is another excellent resource dedicated to the professional development of personnel involved in the textile care industry. ALM provides a plethora of training courses, workshops, webinars and certifications for these individuals. Check into the Laundry and Linen College held twice a year. If your audience and budget are larger, maybe look at bringing in a professional sales or leadership training company. I was fortunate to take part in a professional sales training program with a previous employer many years ago and still use the methodology of what I learned today. We maximized the time the sales team was together from all over the country during our annual kick-off meetings and worked on different learning modules each time until the program was complete. Being together as a sales team also gave us an opportunity to collaborate on whether our goals were being achieved
and what areas might need more focus. There are many companies out there that can scale programs to fit your needs. Books are always a great way to learn and something you don’t always think of buying for yourself. I once had a sales manager who would provide the team with a new book each quarter. There are books on about every subject you can think of: leadership, personal development, computer skills, etc. I had a need early on in my career to learn Excel and taught myself by reading Excel for Dummies. It works! Podcasts are another good outlet for professional development and offer asynchronous learning for an individual or a team. Reach out to your vendors to see what training programs they may offer. For example, many equipment manufacturers offer service schools or can provide on-site training for your employees. If an individual employee is seeking professional development outside the company plan which requires flex time or reimbursement, I would always ask for a professional development plan from the employee to make sure it aligns with the company’s goals and objectives and to make sure the employee is committed to continuing their employment.
mployee training and development opportunities are great ways to enhance their skills, boost morale and benefit your company. The following are some ideas and solutions you should consider. Training Programs. Offer workshops, seminars or online courses relevant to their current and possible future roles/ goals. This might include technical skills, leadership training, communication workshops or industry-specific certifications. Contact your current vendors/suppliers for their training programs that will help your employees. Mentorship Programs. Job-shadow employees with more experienced colleagues who can mentor and support them in their development. Tuition Reimbursement or Educational Stipends. Support employees pursuing advanced/industry education or certifications relevant to their roles and goals and offer financial assistance. Such assistance could include complete reimbursement or maybe reimbursement based on the level of achievement in the given course. For example, an “A” gets complete reimbursement while a “B” gets 80% reimbursement. Cross-Training Opportunities. Encourage employees to learn about different departments within the company to broaden their skills and understanding of the business. Job-share with other like companies within the many organizations we have within this industry. Peer Learning or Knowledge-Sharing Sessions. Encourage employees to share their expertise with others in the form of presentations, workshops or informal discussions. Public speaking is an important function of leadership. Getting an employee comfortable doing so is important. Performance-Based Promotions and Incentives. Reward employees who actively engage in learning and skill development. Rewards may be simply recognition, monetary or any other position enhancement. Remember, the key to successful professional development programs is tailoring them to your employees while aligning with the company’s goals and objectives. Always encourage a culture that values continuous learning and growth that will foster employee engagement and loyalty. We have great employees hidden in plain
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sight, at all levels within our organization. Too many employees feel that they can’t, or won’t, be recognized. Giving someone a chance to excel will not only help them, but also help your organization. Probably ten-fold. As Richard Branson famously said, “Train employees well enough so they can leave; treat them well enough that they won’t want to.”
Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry Samantha Propson The Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
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hen an employee wants to expand their professional development with the company they currently work for, managers should be excited about their staff wanting to excel. It can take a lot for an individual to ask an employer to invest in them if they have never done it before. I was in that position when I was unsure of what direction my career was taking me. When companies are willing to work with employees and want to see professional growth, it can speak volumes about leadership and the organization. I have had more employees approach me, both hourly attendants to supervisors, and ask about what they could do to advance in their careers. There are a few different approaches that could work in any industry and that I have personally used in my department. Some of the different methods could include: • On-site training and cross-training from staff that have tenure and experience. This would help the employee by gaining experience in multiple departments. Training from experienced staff offers the skill and knowledge of the company standard.
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Companies benefit by having more flexibility when scheduling and more coverage where there is a need. • Working together to set goals that are obtainable and meeting regularly to ensure they are staying on track. If they are not being challenged by the goals set, they may be ready to take on new projects and responsibilities with proper guidance. This can go hand in hand with frequent performance reviews rather than just annually. The more the employee knows about their performance, the more motivated they are. • Promoting from within and providing proper training to succeed in the new position. It is beneficial for the company to have an employee who has knowledge and standards of the department in mind. • If there is an option for off-site training or seminars, this could prove to be beneficial. Whether it is to network with vendors or to attend motivational/skills workshops. These opportunities foster new ideas and create new working relationships. New partnerships can be made, and the skills learned can be applied to job duties. Investing in our employees plays the biggest part in professional development. Companies benefit from employees who stay engaged and leaders who take the time to listen to the needs and values of their team.
Equipment/Supply Distribution Ross Sanders Streamline Solutions, Orlando, Fla.
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ny time that you can give your workers the opportunity to grow, it is a major plus for both you and them.
Of course, it all depends on the size of your company, where you are currently as a company and the actual employees themselves. We always felt that not only do we want our employees to grow, but we also must make sure that there is a positive atmosphere within our company so that they will want to develop their own actual opportunities through their hard work and want to stay long-term with us. We want them to feel that with their long-term development along with them learning more and more about our company and the industry itself, their long-term success is primarily derived from our working environment and their perseverance. On our end, we have been lucky enough to have extremely smart and strong employees. Every one of them! They all feel like they are a part of a team and when one grows, the entire team and the company does. I don’t mean to make this seem like it is an easy thing to do. Your internal culture is not developed overnight, whether it is good or bad. As a company, you must continually make sure that you “feel the vibe in the room” and help to keep everyone positive and all with the same goals. As the end of the NFL regular season comes to a close, this is the time that you see many coaches leaving their positions, and when that happens, it is the best time for the respective teams to promote those coaches from within to higher positions. The coaches were developed by their teams, and no doubt, each team would prefer to keep those highly qualified individuals on their own team. You would hate to lose those great coaches to a heated rival. Well, it’s no different for us at Streamline Solutions and any of the laundry companies out there. Sometimes we have promoted people but also given them the opportunity to get involved in different aspects of our company, and by doing so, it expands their knowledge of not only our company but even of their inner selves.
How good is it when you allow someone that same growth opportunity who started doing what some may consider basic work for you all those years ago to then become a manager within that same firm? Knowing that someone knew that they had that chance and then developed themselves into something that they may not even thought that they were capable of doing is ridiculously satisfying for all parties involved. Whether it is a set-in-stone program that the laundry has developed and made well known within the company or having that so-called “positive vibe” internally where your workers know that with good old hard work and true dedication that they will have the opportunity to develop and grow within your firm is a true necessity to keeping you strong, viable and growing yourself as a major company in today’s laundry industry.
Healthcare Laundry Jay Juffre ImageFIRST, King of Prussia, Pa.
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nowing what your employees seek professionally is very important. Some folks want to simply come to work, do their job and go home while others aspire beyond their current position. It is our role as leaders to know which group each fall into. The best way to approach this situation is through clear communication. For example, when speaking with employees, talk about these two groups, “If you love what you are doing for us, great! If you desire to do something more with the company, there are plenty of opportunities.” Ensure there is a clear channel for folks
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who want an opportunity to express that to their supervisors. When you have an employee express interest in doing more, there are two key questions you should ask them: why and what. Why do they want additional opportunities? And what do they see themselves doing? The why is so you better understand their motivations. Maybe it is more money. Maybe it is to feel more fulfilled at work. Regardless, getting promoted or taking on bigger assignments at work is never easy and so understanding where they are coming from can be key to helping them succeed. When you know what they want to do, the key is to help determine what is preventing them from getting there. It could be knowledge of the job, technical skills or additional training and development. Whenever you have an employee who wants to take on more, encourage them. Let them know that you want to help them achieve their goals. Make sure they understand the potential difficulty or extra effort it may take to get there. It is important to lay out a clear path to success with milestones and expectations. Gain agreement on the path forward and decide how regularly to touch base on the progress. Ultimately, our industry affords driven individuals to ascend the ranks and have a great career. It is our role to mentor those who want this opportunity and encourage them to get there.
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Chemicals Supply Leonardo Gastelum Norchem Corp., Los Angeles, Calif.
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epending on the position one holds in the organization, and the direction one wants to advance in, I would recommend the following approaches to mutually benefit both the employee and the company. One area that is rapidly advancing and is critical to the commercial laundry industry is technology. As a whole, it applies to nearly every person’s role in a company. Encouraging employees to stay abreast of technological advancements, evolving systems and updated processes within their field is crucial. Sourcing training programs or classes for specific trades, software or equipment the company regularly relies on can serve as an avenue for employees to enhance their knowledge and in turn provide value to the organization. Access to continuous learning about new developments and refining existing skills contributes to professional growth and, more importantly, retains employees in the long term. Allowing employees to demonstrate their skills or passion to advance in the form of new challenges in their current position, cross-functionally or on specific projects can further show a willingness
to allow professional development and enhancement within the organization. We have found in the technical setting that skill-based training is most effective when participants have the opportunity to learn, practice and receive feedback from a mentor or a seasoned employee. If the company does not have the mentor or training infrastructure to support this type of development in-house, then I would highly encourage the company to consider stipends for training programs available in the employee’s specific field or within the textile rental services industry at large. Developmental assignments, whether entirely new or added responsibilities, are key in fostering growth by presenting challenges that push individuals beyond their comfort zones and necessitate innovative thinking and action.
Commercial Laundry Rodrigo Patron Lace House Linen, Petaluma, Calif.
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e have always been interested in providing our employees with training and development opportunities. However, the time and expenses associated with traveling to training sessions can make them difficult to attend. Fortunately, with the advent of efficient video conferencing platforms, it has
become much easier for our employees to receive quality education without having to travel and be away from work for extended periods. Even though some classes are always better in person, especially for hands-on training for engineers or mechanics, it is great to have options for courses that are 100% online or a combination of online and video conferences. We currently select employees for training based on their level of interest and a quick evaluation process that checks basic things like attendance, tardiness and seniority. We generally prefer to send employees who have been with us for at least their probation period. Just recently, two of our supervisors graduated from a three-month laundry supervisory skills training program, which was a great experience for both the employees and the rest of the staff at our plant. Our supervisors graduated at the top of their class and brought many new ideas and skills to our plant. The program was a combination of online and live video conference calls, which made it very convenient for the participants. Most of the classes were available online, and each student could complete the coursework on their own time, with the occasional live video conference that was scheduled in advance. The program offered a lot of value and provided complete information on real-life laundry scenarios. More importantly, it offered a great opportunity for our supervisors to meet other supervisors from different types of laundry plants. We have found TRSA to be a great resource for these types of programs. Most courses are very affordable and sometimes even free of cost for TRSA members. Another great resource for training and getting new ideas is to visit another plant. Although scheduling a plant tour in some laundry companies is harder than getting admitted to an Ivy League school, it is worth asking around. Experiencing another laundry plant during peak working hours is as close as you can get to real-life training, and it’s a great way to learn new things, get new ideas and develop relations with other people from our industry. It goes without saying that if you get to tour another plant, you should always extend an invitation to visit yours!
Consulting Services Stephanie Gregg Vizient, Little Elm, Texas
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have found the best and most effective professional development occurs when the education is hands-on and interactive. Engage in webinars and meetings where panels of experts discuss topics that allow for questions and answers rather than a presentation with a slide deck. Seek a diverse group of experts to learn the business, such as contract specialists, co-op board members, laundry and textile suppliers, and technology suppliers. Utilize professional organizations such as the Association for Linen Management (ALM), the Association for Health Care Environment (AHE), and the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA),
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attending a conference at least every three years. Many have free webinars or virtual classes that you can attend as a group and then discuss how it applies to your organization. If your company is a member of a GPO (group purchasing organization), register for the webinars that offer CEUs (continuing education units) and apply to your business (Joint Commission standards, OSHA Standards, HLAC regulations). Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask questions or request suppliers/consultants hold a training session with your team once a quarter that can be focused on your individual needs.
Textile/Uniform Rental W. Kirby Wagg Performance Matters, Sarasota, Fla.
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mployee engagement is the single most important aspect of operating a business in 2024. Your team members must be your focus; understanding their mindset will benefit your employees and your company. During employee one-on-one meetings (this is a must!) you will find out what drives your team members, what their dreams are, what they need today and tomorrow that will help them continue to learn, grow and develop in your company. If they want to further develop their education or learn a new skill, then you owe it to them to help them make that happen. There are always ways to work out schedules and possibly create ways to allocate dollars that can assist them in achieving their goals. Perhaps you can involve other companies in our industry or the community to partner with you in a way that is mutually beneficial or perhaps split the cost. Your team will see that you are serious about helping them, and through this process, you will build trust.
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Your team will then be more focused on your customers and turnover in your company will see a decrease—your team becomes your recruiters! As a leader, if your team is not your focus, your business will eventually fail. Think about it: if you are always stressing about customers, and not looking after your team members, then you will have a staggering turnover in your team. Simon Sinek (simonsinek.com) says that three factors determine a team’s success: • Trust. • Effective leadership. • A shared vision. A Gallup finding says that just 10% of
people put in manager roles have a strong natural ability to do so. Do we need to better develop our managers? I would say so! Invest in your managers with professional development first, then invest in the rest of your team. The payback is so quick that you will develop a schedule where education and training are always at the forefront of your daily routine. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just effective. Leaders on all levels drive employee engagement and employee retention and the single best skill leaders need to improve both is to build trust. To build trust, leaders need to focus on employees’ needs today versus over092722 KE 4.75x4.75 JR_OL.pdf
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all organizational needs for tomorrow. To build that high level of trust that will retain and engage employees that will lead to productivity and profits, regular sit-down meetings (some call them “stay interviews”) are essential. Listening, probing and note-taking are essential for identifying employees’ greatest needs and addressing them … all to build that high level of trust. Professional development is delivered in many different venues: clinics, online, hands-on courses at local schools or colleges, and other laundries. Listen to your team and your company will be successful!
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Wildman’s mission: Clean, safe and looking great Wildman Business Group takes risks to ‘wildly’ change the lives of its customers
BY MATT POE, EDITOR
phase. And so, he hired an outside CEO, Steve Bryant. CHICAGO — In 1952, Rex Wildman Steve was our CEO for 12 years. He had took a risk. a 40-year career in the laundry business. After flying supplies in China during My dad hired him on a five-year deal to World War II, the veteran came home and double the size of the company again, prostarted a career with Standard Oil. fessionalize it and train the next generation Only a few years later, Wildman decided of leaders. he wanted to be his own boss, to set out on At that time, I was 22 and didn’t want his own. to be in the laundry business, and live in He bought a dry-cleaning business in Warsaw, Indiana, but it got deep in my veins Amish country in Indiana, which was a now. major risk since he had no knowledge about Steve was just a great mentor. I mean dry cleaning, and he had to borrow and business-wise. He was a friend, he’s godfascrape together the money for the purchase. ther to my two sons, and Steve really taught The risk paid off, and what is known today us what it meant to build a business strategy as Wildman Business Group in Warsaw, around a vision and then create a strategic Indiana, was created. plan and go win. Wildman has been built on risk and bold, Our motto back then was “expect you in,” aggressive policies, from that first dry-cleanand we just got out after it and went and ing business to venturing into the industrial worked really hard and organically grew the uniform industry and beyond. company. Next year, we will have grown the Besides uniform rental, the business offers company 25x in 25 years. mats, cleaning services, restroom solutions Our family is Christian. While you cerand first-aid services. It even has a paper tainly don’t need to be a Christian to work at division and a sports licensed consumer our company, we do run the company based goods company. on Biblical values and we really Today, Rex’s grandson, Josh give a lot. Wildman, is CEO of the thirdOne of our key differentiators generation, regional indepenis we give 20% of our profits away dent family business, and conevery year, and we give a lot of tinues the family tradition of risk credit; it’s not we’re that good, it’s and aggressive growth. that God has blessed us with a lot American Laundry News of great people and good fortune. spoke with Josh to learn more It’s pretty rare to be a third- or about the company, the people fourth-generation business. We and how it manages its diverse want to be stewards over this, so JOSH WILDMAN portfolio of businesses. in addition to growing the business organically, we feel it’s imporSince the beginning, Wildman seems tant to have the right support and structure to have been aggressive in its business in place. Seven years ago we put a fiduciary strategies. Why is that and how has that board in place as well as a family counselor. aggressive quality continued throughout The statistics are that 3% make it, and the years? so we put the right governance systems My dad had a vision in 1995. He had a in place as a family and as a business to five-year goal to double the size of the comensure we have good accountability and pany by the year 2000. It was called Vision governance. By doing that, we realized the 2000, and at that time, I think they were laundry industry was bracing for “The Silver a little over $2 million in revenue and he Tsunami” with all these baby boomer indeaccomplished that through one very risky, pendents approaching retirement age and large acquisition just before the year 2000. many of them don’t have a great succession After that, my dad made a big decision, plan. a wise decision to realize he wasn’t the guy While the nationals are obviously very to take the company forward to the next active in acquisitions, independents tradi-
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tionally haven’t been, and so we saw a niche where we could help independents stay independent and really continue that family business legacy. And so, we set out to be a regional independent option. The first in around three decades, these conversations led us to create a really nice playbook. We just completed our eighth acquisition in the last five years. Our largest acquisition was in 2023 with WM Uniform in Holland, Michigan. So, that playbook and strategy has really played well. In addition, we are very much a sales and marketing company with a diversified portfolio. Our revenue is 30% first aid and safety and disinfecting services, 5% apparel and promotional products, and about 65% traditional textile rental/mats. Our very diversified service and product mix is similar to Cintas. In fact, we’re more similar to Cintas than most of the other nationals and definitely all of the independents as far as what we can offer the customer. We’ve been very aggressive. We have a consumer products business that’s licensed with the all of the major teams. We might have over-diversified at one point, but it’s been a beautiful sister company. We’ve learned a lot, and it’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been blessed to grow the business very aggressively specifically over the last 20 years. Have the laundries that you’ve acquired remained their own brands, independent in that way, or part of the Wildman umbrella? Only WM did we leave as a standalone brand, recognizing that they had a 60-year legacy in that market. We were there in part of the market, but they were more well-known in that region. Again, we look at it and ask what’s best for the customer, what’s best for the team? Truly, when we say, “When we partner, we want to add more value than anything that we would ever take.” That strategy has worked really well. The other seven acquisitions we folded into our brand, but we’ve had very good suc-
cess in retaining team members and much better retention of the customers than would even be expected. With the companies that you’ve acquired, talk about the region that you’re covering, about the equipment, the processes that you use, the types of goods that you process. Tell the readers a little bit about your laundry process. Our target markets are the Midwest, South, Southeast, those areas, but specifically, though, that whole Midwest area. We have Winona Services and now Provision Medical Products; we work with other independent laundries as a distributor of first-aid products and towel and tissue products. Within that, we have a broad network of customers, and we just have a lot of really solid relationships. Even though it’s a $30 billion industry, it’s kind of a small industry. Everybody seems to know everybody, for the most part. Just knowing each other we get into conversations. We try to make it known that while we respect all of our competitors if they’re looking to sell we at least want to be part of the conversation. This approach has served us well. A lot of the owners want to see that family heritage for their team members and customers continue. We look at it as we want to help independents stay independent. Overall, what do your laundry customers like most about working with you? Our relationships, that’s one of our core values, building meaningful connections. When our customer knows that frontline account service representative or sales representative on a first-name basis, we win every day. When you’re doing business as friends, it feels good. This high degree of trust leads to long-term partnership that provides values to both parties. Are there certain markets and types of goods that you’re looking at when it comes to acquisitions or are you doing all types
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of laundry goods? We’re primarily industrial. While we have towels and aprons and we have a little bit of flatwork and mops, we’re traditionally looking for industrial mixed plants where we can go inlike WM Uniform, but they did not offer first aid or janitorial. Already we have a first-aid route started there with the recent acquisition of Northern First Aid and we’re able to offer that type of service. Traditionally, we’re looking for an industrial mix business where we can fold in opportunities like first-aid opportunities, that part of our products. Talk a little bit about how you’ve made those other service offerings fit in with the laundry, and then, also you’ve got this diverse portfolio of other businesses. How do you make it all work together? We utilize the Scaling Up model based on the Rockefeller habits. We create one-, three- and five-year plans to support each business unit and then the proper service segmentation strategy. Over the last few years, we’ve seen tremendous success using a customer development rep. They’re above and beyond the normal delivery service personnel or business development (new sales) rep. Their whole job is to make sure that relationship is maintained and our customer knows everything that we can offer and hopefully, they’ll take advantage of that. Do your customers ever use more than one of your services? For example, do they
use laundry and janitorial? How does that work? Oh, yeah. We want full customer penetration, and we have high penetration currently where our laundry customers are using our first-aid service. We’ve also done the math and realized if we could get to 100% of all of our customers buying everything that they could from us, it would literally double the size of the business. It’s obviously very cost-effective to service more customers with existing stock, so that’s a key initiative. It drives a ton of value for the customer, instead of using other vendors. With the higher spend, it could be more cost-effective. If you were speaking with a colleague who ran a laundry and was considering offering other services like you do, what would you say to them—what would your advice be? Definitely take a hard look at the return on invested capital and the talent investment that is going to have to be made to truly build a diversified business. But, it’s really a no-brainer when you’ve done that math and realize the long-term potential value to the customer and to your bottom line and the value to your business by having those additional products. It is a little different opportunity, so you’ve got to be able to commit to a strategy and an investment of talent and resources so it can work. And, we’re here to help. Provision and Winona Services are distribution business-
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es. Their value prop is diversified revenue through the route-based business. We don’t want to just sell you the products. We will come in and help you expand your business. What would your grandfather think about the business today? Even when I was new in my career, Grandpa would come in and just shake his head because you know when he started it, he bought a traditional dry cleaner. He bought himself a business. He would obviously be very proud, but at
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Engineers
Continued from Page 9
degree of mechanical or electrical aptitude, preferably both. GRIGGS: We just want, coming out, that they just have some mechanical abilities and then very light electrical, for the most part. To me, our plants, we kind of divide up in three different tiers. We have our basically PM/ clean-up person, and that’s all they do is with the PMs. Then we have the technical person who can help out and we’ll call in if something is wrong, and then the maintenance manager, who is, in our plant, usually the tech who got promoted to be the manager. He’s the one who should organize the PMs and such. So, the lower level, we’re just looking for a dependable, virtually an oil-change guy. What types of training can be done on-site? CARNEY: We perform all kinds of different training on-site. Some examples are fire extinguisher, confined space, lock-out/ tag-out, aerial lift safety, forklift, ladder and welding safety, just to name a few. We perform bloodborne pathogen and hazardous response training, also. Certified trainers teach and certify people to operate forklifts and aerial lifts with a test and hands-on learning. We have our fire inspection/extinguisher company come in and perform hands-on training where our employees will put out a real fire with the extinguisher. We utilize our insurance provider Gregory & Appel’s online safety training program through their Risk Management Center. Their Online Training Library has a collection of comprehensive online e-learning training courses. Gregory & Appel offer a large library of workplace safety and compliance videos. They have PowerPoint programs for instructor-led training and presentations; one-page safety pointers on a wide range of topics; short, instructional documents and toolbox talks, perfect for group-led
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safety meetings; and quizzes that test employee knowledge with quizzes that complement the training materials. A large portion of their content is both in English and Spanish for our employees. We also utilize Industrial, Mechanical and Electrical Training provided by TPC Training Manuals that the maintenance employees use. LEDBETTER: Implementing a knowledge-based assessment for candidates to be benchmarked with the current engineering team can help determine what a given candidate brings to the table and
identify the specific technical areas that need improvement. Additionally, practical application can be verified by a senior tech in the department. On-site training programs work well, and there are different training platforms on the open market that can be adapted to provide training for the critical skills these positions demand. Programs that contain interactive videos are helpful as well as in-person vendor training. Having an in-house electrical training program including training boards and the opportunity to shadow existing engineers can also be effective. JABAAY: Most of the training is done while working side by side with an experienced engineer. Some of the training would involve online learning. GRIGGS: What we do is we go through our maintenance management software. Of course, going through the lock-out-tag/ out on each individual machine, going through everything that has any power source on a machine. Also, we have it to where you can’t do a PM on a machine until you’ve done the lock-out/tag-out for that. And then on-the-job training as far as the techs training the other techs, we do a lot of in-house training. What training would need to be done off-site? Share some locations/institutions where this training could be done. CARNEY: Equipment-specific training by the manufacturer is also available. We utilize Kannegiesser ETECH’s Pro Support Membership Program. The program gives us access to service seminars both in person and online. There is interactive online training. They provide monthly webinars that are transformed into e-learning courses to view.
LEDBETTER: Nearly every manufacturer offers some kind of machine-specific training on their products. Some provide a remote classroom session (which offers limited disruptions) or some are available on-site at your plant (which facilitates “real world” practice). There are also support/supply vendors to the laundry industry (power transmission and chemical vendors, for example) that offer “learning lunches.” Taking all the above into consideration, there is training available for nearly every budget. JABAAY: Equipment manufacturers often offer off-site training, but this can vary depending on what equipment a plant has. Industry advocate groups also offer good training. TRSA just partnered with TCP Training to develop a maintenance training and certification program. What types of certifications/licenses would be needed, and how could the laundry help ensure these are achieved? CARNEY: Community colleges such as Ivy Tech here in Indianapolis have certificate programs in industrial electrical, industrial mechanical and structural welding that are very useful for the industry. Laundry operators need to utilize these community colleges as part of their training programs for their engineers as they progress through their training. I do plan on purchasing and evaluating what TRSA and TPC Training have developed for an online maintenance tech certificate program. The following is from their website: “TRSA has partnered with TPC Training, a leader in industrial training and workforce management solutions, to offer a new online program for maintenance tech positions, offering plants a way to advance the experience and training of
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their plant maintenance crew without taking them out of the plant. “The program offers three types of maintenance tech training: Maintenance Tech 1, Maintenance Tech 2 and Maintenance Manager. Each maintenance tech type is broken into two certification levels and can be completed in less than 1 year averaging 2-4 hours per week. With no experience or testing out the complete program from beginner mechanical tech to maintenance manager, could take up to six years to complete.” LEDBETTER: Machine-specific training certification is probably most helpful. Also, boiler operator licenses make for better and safer boiler operators, and there are several sources that are publicly available. Additionally, technical schools can help improve general skills that a talented tech can apply to other aspects of their work. JABAAY: Certification requirements would vary based on plant type and location. Some jurisdictions may require a licensed boiler engineer to oversee the boiler. Laundries with wastewater treatment may require a licensed operator. Equipment manufacturers often offer certifications for the maintenance of specific products. These certifications don’t necessarily require college degrees and can usually be achieved with some combination of work experience and classroom time. GRIGGS: Most plants have boilers, so most cities or states have a boiler’s license and that usually needs to be done off-site that is either a state or a city license. You could usually go through a vo-tech and get the training for that, or they will supply the reference books so they can learn and then go take the tests. Boilers and steam are on virtually every machine other than folders. Once you get your certificate on that, you can train up quite a bit on every machine because every machine has a different type of steam valve. And then the vo-techs, they’ll have more of a lighter electrical side. But we try to farm out, have electricians come in to do any of our major electrical. We have people that can do it, but our goal is to have maintenance guys take care of the laundry machinery and then we do try to farm out things we can get hired in by somebody else. How much of an investment would this be for the laundry? Is it worth it? CARNEY: The cost of sending someone to Ivy Tech Community College here in Indianapolis to receive one of these certificates is roughly $3,600 per certificate. I think it is worth sending an engineer if you look at the long term. The online maintenance certificate course from TRSA is relatively inexpensive at current pricing. If you look at it from the perspective that you have promoted an employee from the laundry ranks, the employee has then progressed through different maintenance classifications by learning on the job. The certificate will reinforce his or her knowledge base and show the employee that you are invested in their success. The employee will be loyal to the company because they see the investment that is being made in them. LEDBETTER: When organizations commit to a training budget of $5,000 to $10,000, they are committing to employee development. It boosts morale by showing techni-
cians they can succeed and improve from a technical standpoint, and it reinforces a positive company culture. JABAAY: The cost of training for the maintenance and engineering team is a small investment compared to the potential losses involved with having poorly maintained and incorrectly repaired equipment. GRIGGS: We’ve found that you have to. They’re not trained laundry engineers. We’re in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and there’s only one other laundry in Tulsa, and then over here in Springdale, we don’t even try to look for trained laundry technicians. We train them in-house because there’s nothing, other than the steam ironer or gas-fired ironer, there’s nothing unique to the laundry business. PLC, pneumatics, hydraulics, those skills are out there. Now, them being out there finding them is a little tougher. Share the pros and cons of training up an engineer. CARNEY: The pros are that you have an employee who has risen through the ranks; they tend to be loyal to the company. I have employees here who have risen through the ranks and now have 20 to 30 years of experience. You will always have a pipeline of people ready to move up into positions without having to source from the outside not knowing what you will get. The cons—besides the time involved, I can think of no other con. LEDBETTER: By far, investing in proper training programs helps the entire department improve and boosts overall productivity and efficiency. With the right structure and consistent support from management, allowing departments to train up engineers from within while offering solid training that techs can apply to various parts of their jobs is a win-win for the company and its employees. However, if candidates do not have the drive to learn or a solid technical knowledge base from the beginning, the learning curve can be tough. Additionally, their success depends greatly on how well-rounded their team is already and how effective the company’s training programs are. JABAAY: Pros: • You can teach them how you want things done without them bringing bad habits in from other industries. • They can be taught on your specific equipment and systems. • When fully trained, they will have an intimate knowledge of your specific plant and systems. All the outside training in the world cannot provide them with that. • They often come from an internal promotion. Cons: • You may invest a lot of time and money into their training only to have them leave. • It requires an experienced engineer to teach them. Without that, it’s not really an option. • It costs time and money. What else should be considered? JABAAY: Filling an engineering and maintenance position may take a few tries to get the right one. Once the position is filled, expect it to take years of training for them to operate at the top level.
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Renewed focus on laundry quality February 2024 • Volume 50, Number 02
The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
1974 - 2024
After the past few years of making do, laundry and linen services need to refocus on quality to attract and keep customers BY MATT POE, EDITOR
O
ver the past few years, laundry and linen services have been in survival mode. The pandemic, lockdowns, supply-chain and labor issues, economic challenges—many operations have been doing all they can to simply process goods. And customers were delighted to have clean linens. That’s changing. The further the world gets from the pandemic and challenges are gradually
overcome, laundry and linen services must refocus on quality to satisfy customers even as operations are still working to recover.
COMMUNICATION, INVESTMENT
The most challenging pieces of maintaining quality laundry over the past few years have been supply-chain and labor issues, shares Harry Kertenian, COOCFO of Magic Laundry Services headquartered in Montebello, California. “After the pandemic, supply-chain issues were a big challenge for our vendors/suppliers, which was a bit challenging with some areas of our operations,” he says. “Also, the labor market really took a hit in both the finding of workers as well as the quality of labor. It took some time to rebuild our teams, invest in training while simultaneously ‘being live’ with the process, and rethinking how we operate. “We are always mindful to learn from the past so as to continue growing and becoming more educated in building better foundations for the future.” Kertenian shares that labor was a key issue due to loss of previously trained staff who were either moving on or choosing to remain unemployed due to state benefits. “The cost of recruitment, training, and general lack of interested, quality workers was high,” he says. “We were fortunate to continue even with a minimal workforce, while other laundries and hotels were forced to close.” Over the challenging years, Kertenian says that Magic Laundry’s customers didn’t react all that much because the company’s mentality has always been to maintain and improve quality and customer service for its clients. “Internally, we did everything to maintain quality, stability and customer expectation,” he points out.
(Photo: © Olivier26/Depositphotos)
Open lines of communication between customers and teams, experienced employees who have grown from challenges/learning opportunities, and technological resources/reports from the equipment are key to analyzing an operation’s quality, according to Kertenian. “We also have a great team of customer service specialists who are engaged with both our in-house processes/teams as well as open communication with our customers who provide essential feedback that is crucial for maintaining quality,” he adds. “Investment is a key component to growth,” he continues. “Without investment into new technologies, you must focus on training and improving the skills of your labor force. Kertenian recommends building employees and teams from within an organization to raise quality levels. “Have them learn from the challenges we all deal with,” he says. “Then, make sure these challenges/learning opportunities are addressed before they come to a head. “Internally groomed/raised employees who have experienced various challenges already have tested skills and methods. They know better how to make good decisions and are better prepared to handle issues and address them quickly.” To increase processing quality, Kertenian says laundry operations should be looking for better and newer equipment and keeping up with the industry standards. “Also, we are firm believers that having the best equipment alone will not take you over the top unless it’s backed by a welltrained and satisfied labor force,” he adds.
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See Quality on Page 6
LATE NEWS Fourth generation takes president role at Plymate SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — Plymate Inc., a uniform, floor mat, and safety rental company based here, reports that Ben Warnecke has been named president of the company. He is the fourth generation of the family to lead Plymate. He replaced his uncle, Todd Plymate, who had been in the role for four decades. “I am thrilled for Ben, and the team looks to him as the leader,” says Todd Plymate. “He is the right person for the job. “I will still be involved with major strategic decisions and capital expenditures but the day-to-day, growing the business is Ben’s baby.” Warnecke joined the business fulltime in 2016. Third-generation owners Todd Plymate and Terri Warnecke planned to prepare Ben by having him train across multiple departments. “The tenure of our workforce is really what helped us get to where we are today, and I’m excited to continue to push the envelope and challenge ourselves to focus on how to attract, retain, and engage our people,” says Ben Warnecke. “My mom and uncle have partnered together for over 30 years and seeing that firsthand makes me optimistic and excited to know that I, too, have a solid right hand. My cousin Sarah (Todd’s daughter) is by my side to help navigate this journey and face challenges together.”
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Career Cox rejoins industry as LAVATEC regional sales manager BEACON FALLS, Conn. — Five years after leaving the laundry industry to develop and sharpen his sales skills, Patrick Cox is back as a regional sales manager for LAVATEC, the laundry equipment manufacturer reports. Responsible for the Southeast region of the United States, he is based in the New Orleans area and reports to company President Mark Thrasher. Cox has 10 COX years of sales and engineering experience. He earned a geological engineering degree from the University of Mississippi and worked in that industry before joining Pellerin Laundry Machinery Sales Co. as a project manager in 2016. After five successful years at Louisiana CAT®, Cox was ready for a new challenge. “When I left the laundry industry in 2018, I always knew I would be back,”
he says. “I needed to gain more sales experience to get where I wanted to go. At Pellerin, I paid close attention to what worked well and applied those qualities to my recent success.” Knowing that finding a lucrative sales position in the laundry industry is no small task, Cox began researching companies and narrowed it down to a handful. “LAVATEC stood out to me after speaking to some prior colleagues,” he says. “I contacted Mr. Thrasher and luckily for me, he was looking for a sales rep. “The position and sales area he offered is what intrigued me. My family and I like where we live, but the biggest selling point was how the company operates. It’s like one big family and everyone works well together. “For 2024, my goal is to meet as many clients as possible and partner with them to help achieve their goals. I take customer satisfaction very seriously.” Cox and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for nine years and are the parents of three children. While free time is devoted to his kids’ sports and enjoying new family activities, he will occasionally go deer hunting or play golf. A huge Ole Miss football fan, Cox rooted for his alma mater when the 11th-
Texcare International: Top themes for 2024 event FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — The next Texcare International will take place here from Nov. 6-9, and organizers say that automation, the circular economy and energy efficiency, and hygiene are the top themes that will be driving the industry at the event.
AUTOMATION
The use of digital technologies simplifies work processes and makes them more transparent and cost-efficient. With their help, the flow of goods and data can be optimized and the interfaces to customers improved. Companies can thus track where their laundry is at any time and which processes are used to treat it. Smart solutions for the future will be presented at Texcare International, organizers say. Furthermore, the shortage of personnel is currently one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. Through robotization and artificial intelligence (AI), companies have the opportunity to compensate for staff shortages in skilled and unskilled labor, to make heavy work easier and to become more independent and efficient overall. Employees benefit from a higher quality of work and new opportunities for further training and education.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The issue of sustainability is deeply rooted in the textile care industry and Texcare, organizers point out. Sustainability in reusable textiles follows a holistic approach and considers the entire
0224aln_p001,002,004,006,018-Opening Section-FINAL.indd 18
supply chain. The keywords here are energy efficiency and circular economy. Rising prices for energy worldwide are leading to ever more efficient processes in laundries and dry cleaners. In addition, Texcare will take an in-depth look at the future of the various energy sources: gas, electricity and hydrogen. As a result, the increasing requirements for CO2 reduction, energy use and recovery can be met in the future. Regarding material flows, textile recycling and environmentally friendly packaging are at the forefront of the industry. Wastewater and waste management also play an important role in the companies themselves. The so-called R-strategies (reuse, repair, recycle) are focal points of the circular economy and reduce the consumption of resources in the entire value chain. Retracing (i.e., the traceability of textile products) is used as a supplement.
SAFETY AND WELL-BEING
Textile care companies have always been specialists in the hygienic preparation of textiles. The industry therefore expects demand to continue to grow in the field of textile hygiene in the health care and hotel and tourism sectors, according to Texcare. Innovations in textile hygiene—from disinfecting processes for textile cleaning, hygienic washing processes and detergents and new aspects of documentation to antiviral finishing of textiles during the washing process—will be the focus of Texcare International 2024.
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Track ranked Rebels met Penn State in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Oliver promoted to VP at Venus Group FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — Venus Group, a global textile manufacturer and distributor, reports that Santhakumar (SK) Oliver has been promoted to vice president of sourcing, effective Jan. 1. In his new role, Oliver will oversee endto-end management of all global sourcing activities for Venus Group. He will also lead all R&D of new textile innovations akin to the company’s patented Performance Twill® bed linen, which OLIVER he co-invented. Raj Patel, Venus Group’s president, says, “SK’s contributions to Venus in developing innovative products that preempt customer needs are unmatched. “We look forward to furthering Venus Group’s portfolio of innovative solutions
At Large
with SK in this new leadership role.” Oliver joined Venus Group in 2007, helping to start the company’s hospitality division with the Sheraton North America program launch in the late 2000s. Over the past 15 years, he has helped Venus become a known brand in the textiles industry with customers across the United States. “SK’s leadership and expertise in product development and manufacturing are invaluable to our organization,” says Steve Crow, vice president of sales for the institution division. “He has the unique ability to translate his technical knowledge and market understanding into actions that benefit our customers and their operations. We are thrilled with his promotion and the impact it will have on Venus.” Venus Group’s domestic manufacturing organization is equally excited to partner with Oliver to continue building on the company’s history of innovation within the textile industry. Errol David, vice president of operations, says, “SK, being a textile engineer with deep knowledge and experience in weaving and technical processes of textile manufacturing, is a valuable asset to both global sourcing and domestic manufacturing.”
EXECUTION
visit and will be responsible for the distribution of schedules, notes and followup task assignments. At this point, production must commit to a time when the work area can be closed and made available to the project team. This must be dialed in, usually to a very tight period.
My engineer will typically arrive on the scene two to three days in advance to be sure that all preparations and lastminute items are on schedule, materials are arriving on time and contractors are on schedule. Once the project starts, the engineer becomes the conductor, getting things started on time—then sometimes it is best to get out of the way! Follow-up, track progress and ensure field-engineered changes are assessed and approved as you go.
PLANNING AGENDA
THE BOTTOM LINE
Continued from Page 4
It’s necessary to have a detailed agenda to follow. This is your roadmap. It may vary in complexity and type of plan or schedule by type of job, but every job must have a detailed schedule developed through the planning process. A simple generic planning call agenda may suffice while a complex Gantt chart may be needed, depending on the project. All require each stakeholder to have input, discuss critical steps for execution, and review potential time or space conflicts. This agenda and schedule becomes a checklist of activities, tasks and responsibilities that is built as the project planning proceeds and allows the lead engineer to see and react to gaps in the process quickly.
Great planning, outstanding communication and engaging all necessary stakeholders is a roadmap to a flawless installation. There’s an old saying: “The devil is in the details.” But so is the opportunity for success at a high level. “Winging it” sets you up for failure, whereas following the roadmap for success will provide just that. Tommy Cocanougher is retired from a 30-year career with Cintas Corp. where his roles included plant management, general management, safety and engineering. Prior to joining the laundry industry, he worked 14 years in the sporting goods manufacturing industry as plant manager and engineering manager for Zebco Corp.
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February 2024 | American Laundry News
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Source Directory MAT ROLLERS
PRESSES — EXTRACTION
A convenient guide to sources of products and services
TUNNEL WASHER SYSTEMS
Pellerin Milnor Corp. P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com
FROM SORT TO FINISH Overall solution for global industrial and commercial washing.
Intelligent Automation
SMALL-PIECE FOLDERS
Efficient Washing Professional Finishing
Sea-lion America Westbrook, CT USA 860-316-5563
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Pellerin Milnor Corp. P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com
WASHER-EXTRACTOR — 100 POUNDS OR MORE Pellerin Milnor Corp. P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com
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A.L. Wilson Chemical Co. ....................................................... 7
Lavatec Laundry Technology .......................................... 24
America Supply Inc..................................................................13
Miele ................................................................................................. 15
Direct Machinery....................................................................... 15
Monarch Brands..........................................................................5
The Griffin Group ......................................................................19
Pellerin Milnor Corp. ..................................................................3
JENSEN ...........................................................................................9
Spartan Chemical Company............................................... 11
J.P. Equipment ............................................................................19
Yamamoto ......................................................................................9
Kannegiesser ETECH ...........................................................13
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2024 Listings Regular Boldface Four Line Listing per Year $1,050 $1,325 Display and additional line rates available upon request
All Caps $1,325
All Major Credit Cards Accepted
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American Laundry News | February 2024
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… SUPPLIER NEWS … INDUSTRY EVENTS …
23
TRADE TICKER
… AWARDS AND HONORS … FINANCIAL REPORTS …
(Image: ALM)
Registration open for IMPACT 2024 RICHMOND, Ky. — The Association for Linen Management (ALM) reports that registration is open for its IMPACT conference, scheduled to take place March 18-20 in Salt Lake City. ALM says the conference promises to be a gathering of industry leaders and experts fostering a dynamic environment for professional development, knowledge exchange and networking. This year’s event will provide a platform for professionals to explore and discuss the latest advancements, challenges and opportunities in the textile care services field. The education programming is bolstered by premium opportunities for attendees to explore new products and services and build new partnerships with vendors through features such as IMPACTful Connections, a one-on-one rapid business exchange, networking with sponsors in the Hub, and during evening events, including the perennial favorite, the evening event sponsored by MIP, which will be at Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club. Key highlights of IMPACT 2024 include: 1. General Sessions—These include keynote presenter Troy Nix, sponsored by Kannegiesser ETECH presenting on
the Cadence of Leadership and closing session presenter former Olympian Derek Parra sharing his Reflections from the Ice. 2. Breakout Sessions—Presentations will tackle common obstacles and challenges along with opportunities in laundry operations, leadership development, linen management, and customer service. 3. Networking Opportunities—IMPACT is designed to facilitate networking, collaboration, and partnerships. For more information about ALM’s IMPACT conference, visit http://almnet. org/IMPACT2024.
UniFirst announces 2023 Aldo Croatti Award winners WILMINGTON, Mass. — UniFirst Corp., a provider of customized business uniform programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety services, reports that five route service representatives (RSR) have earned the company’s prestigious Aldo Croatti Award for 2023. This accolade is the most coveted of all UniFirst recognitions. Named after the company founder, the Aldo Croatti Award is presented to RSRs who exemplify customer service excellence by retaining 100% of their customers in the
(Graphic: UniFirst)
most recent fiscal year. Through these awards, UniFirst says it affirms its commitment to providing the highest level of customer service and reinforces its dedication to continually exceed customer expectations every day. Out of its dedicated team of more than 2,500 RSRs who deliver to more than 300,000 customer locations in the U.S. and Canada, the company says only the following elite five earned the distinction for 2023: • Gary Altman, Buffalo, New York. • Daniel Cassel, Fort Worth, Texas. • Mike Colabella, San Diego, California. • Eddie Daniel, Birmingham, Alabama. • Penn Michelini, Nashua, New Hampshire. “Our award winners work hard every day to bring our mission to life: ’To serve the people who do the hard work,’ ” says Steven Sintros, UniFirst president and CEO. “Their remarkable achievements and commitment to always delivering exceptional customer service consistently set a compelling benchmark. I am immensely proud of them.”
Calendar of Events February 21
TRSA
CEO/Executive Ohio Regional Town Hall Columbus, Ohio Info: 703-519-0029
March 7
TRSA
Women in Textile Services Virtual Roundtable Alexandria, Va Info: 703-519-0029
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18
TRSA
How to Respond to EEOC Discrimination Charges: A Guide for Employers Alexandria, Va. Info: 703-519-0029
18-20 Association for Linen Management 2024 IMPACT Conference Salt Lake City, Utah Info: 859-624-0177
April 10-11
TRSA
14th Annual Legislative Conference & Industry Awards Dinner Washington, D.C. Info: 703-519-0029
17-19 ARTA
Education Conference 2024 San Diego, Calif. Info: 863-660-5350
28TCATA May 1 Annual Management &
Educational Conference Austin, Texas Info: 813-348-0075
30
TRSA
HR, Health and Safety Summit Milwaukee, Wis. Info: 703-519-0029
Each Aldo Croatti Award winner was honored at UniFirst’s President’s Club celebrations in Costa Rica in early December, where they received a cash prize and other rewards for their outstanding contributions. Their achievements will also be publicly recognized through customer communications.
In memoriam: Roger McMillan, Colmac Industries SPOKANE, Wash. — Roger McMillan, the former leader of Colmac Industries and Colmac Coil Ma n u f a c tu r i ng , died on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. He was 81. McMi l lan started at Colmac In d u s t r i e s — t h e company founded by his father, Jerry McMillan—in MCMILLAN 1969 after earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1966 and then serving two years in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, as a 2nd and 1st Lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps. McMillan began his time at the company, located in Colville, Washington, working in engineering and product development. He was in this position until his father passed away in 1974, at which time he stepped in to run the company until 2002 and then retired in 2005. During his leadership, the company spawned a second business, Colmac Coil Manufacturing. McMillan was preceded in death by his parents Jerry McMillan and Gwen McMillan and is survived by his wife of 59 years, Dee McMillan. He is also survived by his sister Carol and her family; sons Scott and Brian; grandchildren Savannah, Darby, Harrison and Rosalie; great-grandson Carter; and greatgranddaughter Aspen Jade. A celebration of life was held at Colville Community Church in Colville, Washington, on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
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