JULY 2016
Late News Cintas collaborates with Google on smart garments CINCINNATI — Cintas Corp. has entered a joint collaboration with Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group (ATAP) to explore advancing Project Jacquard into the enterprise space, the company reports. Jacquard is a smart garment technology developed by Google’s ATAP team that enables conductive fibers to be woven into textiles, connecting interactive apparel wirelessly to devices, software platforms and cloud services, according to Cintas. ATAP presented advancements in the technology at Google’s recent developers conference, Google I/O. Cintas says it and ATAP are collaborating to advance use cases in work environments, with the goal of developing Jacquard-enhanced uniforms. “Cintas is excited to collaborate with Google ATAP. Together, we are developing use cases in the healthcare vertical in cooperation with a number of leading hospitals,” says Paul Jantsch, Cintas senior vice president of corporate strategy and development. “We see many applications for the technology to impact productivity, compliance, health and safety, not only in healthcare, but in virtually all industries.” ALN
Volume 42, Number 7
Texcare International 2016 breaks records Largest version of trade fair since it began in 1956 BY MATT POE, EDITOR FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — Texcare International 2016 was staged here June 11-15, and textile professionals from around the world had a lot to take in. The 2016 edition of the World Market for Modern Textile Care was the largest in the trade fair’s 60-year history, officials say. Messe Frankfurt, the show manager, said a record 15,700 textile services professionals from 112 countries around the world visited the trade fair over the five days. Texcare International also broke records this year in terms of vendors. A record 319 exhibitors from 28 countries displayed products and services, according to the show operator. Wolfgang Marzin, president and
CEO of Messe Frankfurt, opened the show from the steps of the Galleria, in between Hall 8 and the Hall 9 into which the fair expanded for the first time ever. “For the first time, we are opening the fair in the middle of the exhibition, because vendors decided to expand their presence here,” Marzin says. “This goes to show that textile care is one of the biggest growth industries in the world.” 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The opening of the trade fair in the Galleria featured something special: a celebration in honor of the event’s 60th anniversary. The fair started in 1956 as the International Laundry Trade Exhibition, with 164 exhibitors. From 1968 to 1990, it was called the International Laundry and Dry Cleaning Exhibition (IWC). In 1994, the trade fair started using the Texcare name. Of the original exhibiting companies, nine have attended the fair
every four years since its inception. Representatives from each of the nine—Burnus, Cordes, Clayton, Kannegiesser, Kreussler, Miele, Polymark, Seibt + Kapp, Seitz and Gottlob Stahl—were honored during the anniversary celebration. “Sixty years ago when the trade
fair began, the focus was on automation,” Marzin says. “That automation included labor-saving washers and dryers.” The brief anniversary celebration concluded with champagne and See TEXCARE on Page 6
Healthcare laundry self-regulation goes under the microscope What industry standards programs are available, and what will happen in the future? BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHICAGO — Healthcare laundry standards have been a hot topic over the past few years. Every time an infection outbreak occurs, and linen services companies are implicated in the outbreak, standards in the healthcare laundry industry go under the microscope. What are the standards? Are the standards stringent enough? And who verifies that laundries are observing
the necessary protocols? Industrywide, healthcare laundry professionals agree that self-regulation is appropriate and effective to meet accepted industry standards, along with meeting requirements of organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Linda Fairbanks, executive director of the Association for Linen Management (ALM), says that her association supports efforts to improve practices and believes that voluntary laundry regulation programs can help to advance this aim. “It’s recommended that each laundry research published best practices and follow
www.americanlaundrynews.com
INSIDE Columnist at Large Eric Frederick discusses the small things that can cause big problems.
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Texcare International 2016 exhibitors filled Hall 8 from floor to ceiling. (Photos: Matt Poe)
to the best ability,” says Nancy Jenkins, executive director of the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA). “Improving safety and compliance of every laundry facility improves service to our industry’s customers and raises the level of professionalism of the entire industry,” adds Joseph Ricci, CEO and president of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA). Two programs have come to the forefront when it comes to healthcare laundry self-regulation: the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) program and TRSA’s Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification. Both HLAC’s accreditation and TRSA’s certiSee HEALTHCARE on Page 10 The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
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Panel of Experts Safety has to be the No. 1 priority of a laundry to be successful.
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Uniform Systems
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Healthcare facilities can use a uniform policy for safety and comfort.
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