American Laundry News - January 2022

JANUARY 2022

Late News Texcare International to return in 2024 FRANKFURT, Germany — Trade fair organizer Messe Frankfurt reports that the next Texcare International will take place here Nov. 9-13, 2024.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade fair, held every four years, had to be suspended in 2020/2021. Messe Frankfurt and its partners, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, and the German Textile Cleaning Association, jointly agreed on the new date.

“There were two decisive reasons for choosing the new date,” says Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim, director of Texcare International.

“On the one hand, it fits very well into the international trade fair calendar. On the other hand, it was favored by exhibitors and visitors because it is during the low season for the tourism industry when most investments are made.

“We are already looking forward to the next Texcare International, to real business encounters and live presentations in 2024, and are working with full energy toward the success of the event.”

In the United States, preparations are already in full swing for the Clean Show from July 30-Aug. 2, 2022. ALN

Laundry facility in Kentucky goes solar SITEX continues sustainability, laundry quality efforts with Solar Energy Project Initiative

BY MATT POE, EDITOR HENDERSON, Ky. — Jan. 1, 1961, is an important date for the Sights family.

That’s the day they founded Industrial Uniform Services Inc. here.

The family set out with no business, a shallow line of credit, some very used laundry equipment and one delivery truck to establish a customer base in uniform rental service within a 25-five-mile radius of its plant.

“With a small but aggressive sales force and a commitment to providing its customers with exceptional service, we grew to five routes and expanded our territory to a 75-mile radius within five years,” says Wes Sights, president and CEO, part of the third generation of the family involved with the business.

Expansion continued as the uniform service steadily acquired volume and services See SITEX on Page 6

SITEX recently installed 572 solar panels at its Henderson, Kentucky, plant. (Image: SITEX Corp.)

Laundry operations in ‘new abnormal’ Several laundry representatives share how they see the industry ‘flexing’ to maintain business and quality COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHICAGO — Without a doubt, COVID-19 was a major disrupter in the laundry and linen services industry.

From lockdowns to supply-chain and labor issues, what was normal before 2020 isn’t normal anymore.

So, how can a laundry operation operate what could be described as the “new abnormal?”

American Laundry News posed this question to the industry, and what follows are the responses from five laundry leaders around the country.

See NORMAL on Page 10

(Image licensed by Ingram Image) Volume 48, Number 1

INSIDE Columnist at Large In this issue, Eric Frederick shares about the need for good people management skills.

www.americanlaundrynews.com

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Panel of Experts Get to know our new panelists as they introduce themselves, their operations and more.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

[12]

Supply-Chain Issues During a CSCNetwork webinar, experts shared thoughts, advice on challenges.

[14]

2 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

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Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo moved to 2022 Trade fair postponed in support of Chinese government’s pandemic control measures HONG KONG — The organizers of Texcare Asia & China Laundry Expo (TXC & CLE) report that the event was pushed from late December to 2021 August 2022.

The trade show had previously been postponed from September 2021 and was scheduled to take place in December.

According to the statement issued by organizers, the event, to be held Aug. 11-13, 2022, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, was postponed in support of the Chinese government’s pandemic control measures.

“Following the recent emergence of local COVID-19 cases in Shanghai and its surrounding areas, several Chinese provinces have stepped up their pandemic control efforts,” the organizers

said in the announcement.

“Uncertainty surrounding the ability of participants to travel safely, as well as the government’s

guidance on large scale events were therefore decisive factors in the postponement of TXC & CLE, with the decision taken after

extensive consultations with the fair’s stakeholders, and in close contact with the exhibition venue.”

TXCA & CLE is organized by the China Laundry Association and the China Light Industry Machinery Association, as well as Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and Unifair Exhibition Service Co Ltd. By moving the event to August, TXC & CLE returns to its usual Q3 time slot. The trade show highlights businesses in the fabricare supply chain, including machinery, cleaning systems, chemicals, leather care products, tools, peripheries, rental services and more.

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

ALN com/brand.

Publisher

Charles Thompson Phone: 312-361-1680 E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director Donald Feinstein Phone: 312-361-1682 E-Mail: dfeinstein@ ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs Phone: 312-361-1683 E-Mail: bbeggs@ ATMags.com

Editor

Matt Poe Phone: 866-942-5694 E-Mail: mpoe@ ATMags.com

Production Manager Mathew Pawlak

Digital Media Director

HLSG acquires Angelica New York processing facility Location expands service area, to be rebranded as Logan’s Healthcare Linen

ST. CHARLES, Ill. — Healthcare Linen Services Group (HLSG), a provider of healthcare laundry services in the Midwest and central United States, reports it has acquired the Angelica facility in Batavia, New York.

The acquisition adds the 10th laundry facility and 20 million pounds of processing capacity, serving customers in the Ohio and New York markets.

“The acquisition of the New York facility aligns with our growth and

expansion plans in the Ohio and New York markets,” says Joseph LaPorta, HLSG’s president and CEO. “We are excited to bring additional capacity, redundancy and linen management expertise to the New York and Ohio markets,” The New York location aligns with HLSG’s Logan’s Healthcare Linen Division’s footprint in the upper Midwest market and will be rebranded as Logan’s Healthcare Linen, a member of Healthcare ALN Linen Services Group.

[4]

HHS Acquires Foussard Montague Associates

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Tools of the Trade

The acquisition of FMA will add laundry plant management to HHS’s current suite of healthcare offerings

[18] Career Track [19] Classified Advertising [23] Trade Ticker

[20] Source Directory

[23] Calendar of Events

David Barbe Janice Ayers Davis • Nick Fertig Deana Griffin • Cecil Lee Edward McCauley Jim Slatcher

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

Acquisition of Minneapolis laundry part of company’s geographic expansion plan

January 2022 • Vol. 48 | No. 1

Advisory Board

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

ImageFIRST extending coverage to the Twin Cities

INSIDE:

Nathan Frerichs Phone: 312-361-1681 E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. — ImageFIRST, a provider of linen and laundry services for the healthcare industry, reports it has acquired Elite Healthcare Laundry in Minneapolis.

The acquisition marks ImageFIRST’s first facility in the state of Minnesota. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Elite Healthcare Laundry was originally established in 2007 as an ImageFIRST franchise and transitioned to a standalone company in 2017. The healthcare-only laundry provider operates in Minnesota with its service coverage currently extending from Minneapolis to St. Paul.

“As we continue to explore opportunities nationally, we recognized the blue-ribbon medi-

cal facilities in Minnesota were clearly missing a linen provider of the same caliber,” says Jim Cashman, president and CEO of ImageFIRST. “We look forward to bringing our world-class service to these healthcare facilities.”

ImageFIRST says this latest acquisition in Minnesota serves as a vital step in its geographic expansion, providing the laundry specialists with increasing opportunities to insource processing and enhance service capabilities nationwide.

This strengthened national coverage also supports ImageFIRST’s expanding national account division as it seeks to grow its service offerings to more ALN multilocation accounts.

American Laundry News (ISSN 1091-9201) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S. 1 year $50.00; 2 years $100.00. Foreign, 1 year $120.00; 2 years $240.00.

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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 48, number 1. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Laundry News is distributed selectively to qualified laundry and linen management and distributors in the United States. © Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2022. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Laundry News does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within.

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

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4 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

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Goodbye ... and hello A

s the calendar page turns, it’s time to say “goodbye” and “hello.”

First, and most obvious, it’s goodbye to 2021.

From my desk, it seems like it is a more cordial goodbye than the good riddance the industry had for the year 2020.

Is COVID-19 gone? No. Are there still supply-chain, labor and other issues we’re facing because of the pandemic? Yes, but at least it seems like we’re doing better.

At the very least, we’re living, moving forward, and not stuck in place by fear of the unknown.

That means it’s hello to 2022.

Another year removed from 2020 and a little bit brighter on the horizon.

A new year in which to put the lessons we’ve learned over the past two years to good use. You’ll

From The Editor’s Desk MATT POE find some of those lessons in the “new abnormal” feature that starts on page 1 and in the report from the supply-chain webinar CSCNetwork hosted, starting on page 14.

The new year also means saying goodbye to some of the folks who have written for and advised

American Laundry News.

First, goodbye, and sincerest thanks, to the 2021 Panel of Experts. You’ve been a source of knowledge and inspiration over the past 12 months.

And hello to the 2022 Panel (see page 12). I’m sure we all look forward to your insights this year.

Finally, it’s goodbye to two Editorial Advisory Board members. Steve Kallenbach from American Dawn and David Carter from Pellerin Milnor Corp.— thank you for your input, advice and guidance over the past few years.

And it’s hello to Cecil Lee of Standard Textile and Jim Slatcher from Lavatec Laundry Technology.

I can’t wait to get started working with you to help everybody ALN keep it clean!

HHS acquires Foussard Montague Associates Inc. DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — Bobby Floyd, CEO of HHS LLC, a privately-held support services company, reports the company has acquired Foussard Montague Associates Inc. (FMA), a laundry and linen management company.

“We believe our two respective organizations share a similar culture and mission in our dedication to our people and the quality of the services we provide,” says Floyd. “We have developed a deep respect and admiration for the FMA team and its reputation in the industry, and we are excited to welcome them into our company.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

FMA founding owners Phil Foussard and Tim Montague will remain in their current roles as key leaders of the FMA organization, which will operate as an autonomous division under the

HHS umbrella.

HHS and FMA are private, family-owned companies that have been in business for several decades. HHS was established in Austin, Texas, in 1975 and currently services more than 400 hospitals. FMA, founded in 1989 in St. Paul, Minnesota, currently operates seven laundry plants servicing more than 170 hospitals nationwide.

Both companies have a large presence in the healthcare industry and have worked together in the past serving mutual customers.

The acquisition of FMA will add laundry plant management to HHS’s current suite of healthcare offerings that include environmental services, food and nutrition services, facilities management, patient transport, valet, and linen utilization management.

“This acquisition launches HHS into a new market, with expanded capabilities and resources available to serve our healthcare customers, and brings new opportunities for our people to grow,” Floyd says.

“Tim Montague and I have known the principals of HHS for over 25 years and have always had great respect for their employee focus and the way they approach their business,” adds Foussard.

“As we looked at the possible alternatives for the future of our firm, we found HHS to be the best possible partner for our team and customers. The depth of HHS in the areas of training, staff development and technology will allow our firm to enhance our current services and grow in the future.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that this transaction will provide our staff and customALN ers.”

Top Stories Appearing on AmericanLaundryNews.com for the 30 Days Ending December 15 (WE) = WEB EXCLUSIVE

NEWS

COLUMNISTS/FEATURES

OUR SISTER WEBSITES

• In Memoriam: Kevin Minissian, Norchem Corp.

• The Ever-Present Problem: Rewash

From AmericanDrycleaner.com:

• Gittard Retires from JENSEN USA

• Tracking, Measuring, Improving Laundry Performance

• Cherokee Uniforms Donates 115,000 Trees

• Laundry B2B Relationship Building, Maintenance Post-COVID-19

• Cleaners: Raise Your Prices!

(Myth No. 3) • SBA Announces Updated Guidance for EIDL Program

• HHS Acquires Foussard Montague Associates Inc.

• Bringing Laundry, Opportunity Home

• HLSG Acquires Angelica New York Processing Facility

• Eric Frederick: Thankful, Engaged, Moving Forward

From AmericanCoinOp.com: • Alliance Laundry Systems Hires Meyers as GM • Curb Appeal in Today’s Laundromats

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

Consistent challenge: Effective management F

ive years ago in late December, I retired from active laundry management after a 44-year career. I have watched the industry with great interest from the sidelines ever since.

I saw many changes during my working years, so it came as no surprise that changes continued to hit the industry.

In many ways, I am very glad to sit on the sideline and watch and not have to deal with supply-chain problems and the need to adapt to COVID-19. But one challenge has remained constant throughout my 44 years of active management and into my five years of retirement.

That constant is the effective management of our most crucial resource, our people.

During the past five years, I have gotten to travel the world and get involved as a part-time worker in the car rental business.

I have watched as COVID shut down for a while and then fundamentally changed that industry. I have watched as supervisors and managers struggled with handling the challenges of working with a smaller work crew.

Suddenly, effective personnel and productivity management became a key concern for these companies. The need for improved interview skills, employee training, employee guidance and effective discipline became increasingly more important.

The industry transformed, suddenly, from employing retired workers as part-time drivers to having to change to younger employees because of the health concerns of their elder employees.

Trying to attract new employees while competing against generous unemployment benefits was a very real challenge.

Needing to hire the right person for the job instead of just anyone became more important. Effectively managing your employee group to attain good productivity with a minimum of turnover became even more important.

Understanding the value your company brings to each employee helps in hiring correctly and in lowering employee turnover.

Many of these challenges also exist in the laundry industry.

Both are entry-level jobs, and there are many parallels between the needs of both industries.

So, what are you doing to meet these needs? Do all your supervisors and lead workers utilize good people management skills?

Most importantly, is everyone treated the same and held to the same standards?

Nothing causes problems faster than giving special privileges to a small number of employees. Employees expect fair treatment and expect everyone to play by the same set of rules. They expect their raises to either be across the board equal or fairly based on some measurable criteria.

If based on measurable criteria, they expect to be given updates throughout the year on how they are doing. Evaluation time should never come as a surprise.

With the start of 2022, it is time to do an organizational assessment and review how you are doing in the people department.

During a recent employee feedback session at my part-time job, the human resources representative asked a group of my fellow employees what we liked most about our current job.

The answer given most frequently was that we all really enjoyed working together both as a team and on a social basis.

That feeling can easily be destroyed by a poor hire or poor personnel management.

Over the past 49 years, I have seen many challenges come and go, but the need for good personnel management never ALN changes.

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

6 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

SITEX

Continued from Page 1

from other area companies, and in 1995, Industrial Uniform Service Inc., d/b/a Sani-Clean Services, officially changed its corporate and operating name to SITEX Corp.

The company says the name SITEX, short for Sights Textiles, provided it not only with a new name, but also a new image—one that was clean, attractive and in touch with the times.

It’s also a name the company says will be known throughout its market area as the leader in the textile rental industry.

But SITEX hasn’t been standing still since 1995. It has continued to grow and expand, and its most recent acquisition happened in October with the uniform, linen and textile rental business from New Day Uniforms and Linens Inc. in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Despite the continual growth, SITEX says it maintains a local, small-town feel with the “best team members in the industry” to serve its customers—all while remaining “in touch with the times.”

The company says it uses stateof-the-art technology and is continually increasing the sustainability and green nature of its products and services.

In November, the company announced that the Henderson laundry processing facility went solar, installing a massive new solar PV system through AmerLight Energy.

“SITEX has long been an active participant in the global efforts toward making the commercial laundry industry cleaner, greener, and more sustainable,” Sights shares. “This new solar initiative is in line with our pre-existing sustainability efforts.”

SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT INITIATIVE SITEX says its Solar Energy Project Initiative is part of the company’s continuous effort and commitment toward providing every

customer with cleaner, greener and more sustainable services.

What exactly does the company’s switch to solar energy mean?

To understand more about the impact of its Solar Energy Project Initiative, SITEX looks to the numbers: • SITEX installed 572 ZNShine Solar ZXM6-NHLD144445/M solar panels and three Growatt MAC 70KTL3-X MV inverters.

• The new solar power system can produce 338,593 kWh of energy, powering 38.48% of the facility’s energy needs.

• The solar panels have a lifespan of more than 30 years, while the inverters have a 10-year lifespan.

• With the power that its solar power system can produce, the company looking at preventing 311,506 pounds of carbon emissions, significantly lowering the carbon footprint of processing customers’ laundry.

• SITEX’s Solar Energy Project Initiative reduces carbon emissions equivalent to the work of 6,490 trees.

SUSTAINABLE LAUNDRY Alongside reducing its energy consumption, SITEX says it has also been following several sustainability practices that have been in place for years: • Using green detergent and laundry chemicals in its facilities, in partnership with EPA Award-winning chemical partner, Washing Systems Inc. • Strict wastewater monitoring to ensure that the company is not dumping pollutants into the water.

• Charter involvement in the Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program (Laundry ESP).

• Choosing Green Seal-certified products for its restroom supply services.

• Reduced paper usage in its financial transactions (e.g., billing, payroll, banking, etc.).

• Reduced fuel consumption through efficient delivery

www.AmericanLaundryNews.com

Jon Sights (left), executive VP and COO, and Wes Sights, president and CEO, are the third generation of the Sights family involved with SITEX. (Photos: SITEX Corp.)

route systems.

• Hanger recycling to reduce waste.

• Environmentally conscious laundry procedures while ensuring clean, hygienic laundry results.

• Locker-, rack- and bin-refurbishing efforts for more sustainable uniform and linen storage.

• Reduced water consumption for its laundry processes.

• Conscious effort to use products and materials that align with the company’s sustainability efforts.

• With the addition of its new Solar Energy Project Initiative, SITEX says it can guarantee a significant reduction in the amount of energy used to process customers’ linens and uniforms.

“SITEX continues to commit to and seek out new and better opportunities to bring eco-friendlier uniform and linen services,” says Sights. “Customers can trust that our continued effort towards greener operations will, in no way, reduce the quality and cleanliness of their items.

SITEX says it uses leading industry technology and provides customers with 100% accuracy through its automated tracking system, SITRAX.

“In fact, these new efforts align with and empower our aim at achieving the best quality results for your linens and uniforms.”

OPERATION TODAY Achieving “best quality results” takes 150 team members working a single shift (for the most part) Monday-Friday in a highly automated laundry plant, producing approximately 12 million pounds of clean goods annually.

Besides the main plant in Henderson, SITEX has branches in Louisville and Paducah, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; and Jasper, Indiana. It’s service area covers Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee SITEX’s “service footprint” spans an approximately 200-mile radius from the corporate office in Henderson. Products and services offered by the company include uniform service, kitchen apparel, linen service, restroom and mat service, and first aid service.

“Our services are not only for uniforms but also for many other types of linens that a business may need,” shares Sights. “We have medical apparel as well as restau-

rant and kitchen linen services, restroom and first aid services available to businesses in many different industries.”

SITEX likes to say it has everything from “the shop floor to the top floor.” The company says its uniforms, workwear and custom apparel promote pride and teamwork in the workforce as well as customer security and professionalism since employees can be easily recognized in their uniforms.

The company has state-of-theart customization and embroidery equipment with colors, styles and fits that influence customer perception of quality and service.

“Our technology is the leading technology in the industry and provides customers with 100% accuracy through our automated tracking system, SITRAX,” points out Sights.

“Our team members, our technology, and our products and services are what make the difference.

We have the best, most skilled and well-trained team members in the industry.

“Our customers are the best and we strive to continually provide them with the best products and ALN services possible.”

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8 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

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Tools f

the Trade

Microfiber mop dispenser box developed

Monarch Brands reports it has invented the SmartPads microfiber mop dispenser box to fulfill multiple floor cleaning scenarios, taking its lead from the success of its SmartRags microfiber cloth dispenser box.

Priced to be used as a disposable mop pad, SmartPads may be washed and reused several times due to the woven microfiber polyester construction.

The company says SmartPads pick up more dirt than non-woven disposable pads, are more economical and keep mop pads out of landfills.

Uses: • Used for both wet mopping and dry dusting, SmartPads clean all types of hard floors.

• In highly contagious “danger” zones such as hospital wards, restrooms, gyms and locker rooms, SmartPads are ideal for mopping and tossing.

• In low-traffic “safe” zones, or areas that do not warrant strict cleaning protocols, such as offices, living spaces and retail stores, SmartPads should be used, washed and reused.

Features: • An innovative dispensing box distributes one pad while priming the next pad for use.

• Universally fits 18-inch commercial frames (e.g., Rubbermaid) and home mops (e.g., Swiffer).

• The attractive retail packaging pops off the shelf and is compact to fit any POP display, janitorial closet or cart.

Benefits: • Available in blue and green to mitigate crosscontamination when reusing pads.

• SmartPads drive the cost of mopping down.

They are priced similarly to most commercial disposable pads but can be washed several times before replacing.

• One box of SmartPads replaces several boxes of dry disposable pads for the home.

• SmartPads dispenser box neatly keeps mops fresh and ready for use. www.monarchbrands.com 215-482-6100

Hospital-grade microfiber used to develop infection prevention materials

UMF Corp. says its Micrillon® microfiber, made in the United States, is the first hospital-grade microfiber that can be converted into a wide range of long-lasting, reusable products, including towels, cubicle curtains, socks, gloves, walk-off mats, reusable N95-rated facemasks and color-coded microfiber cleaning products.

The company says manufacturers are using the microfiber yarns to develop a new standard for materials targeting infec-

tion prevention in hospitals, hotels, cruise lines, long-term care and many other industries.

Micrillon is a rechargeable polymer additive that can be incorporated into manmade fibers, films and plastics and then charged with chlorine molecules. The Micrillon chemistry recharges for the life of the product and will not leach into the environment.

When microbes come into contact with a Micrillon surface, they are eliminated; viruses are inactivated.

UMF says its series of highperformance Micrillon yarns, including sheath and core, bicomponent segmented pie and hollow-core segmented pie, demonstrate significant antiviral properties against the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, and human influenza A (H1N1) virus in just minutes.

The company says Micrillon also demonstrates 100% antibacterial elimination of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli 0157:H7. www.perfectclean.com 888-920-0370

Hybrid solution created to help eliminate two sources of plastic waste for hotels Standard Textile Co. Inc., a textile manufacturer for the healthcare and hospitality markets, has launched its latest innovation, the VersaValet™, a washable and reusable laundry bag designed to function as both a hotel laundry collection bag as well as a clean return garment bag.

Eliminating the need for single-use plastic laundry and dry-cleaning bags, VersaValet™ provides hoteliers with a sustainable and simple solution to support their green initiatives and the environment, according to the company.

Made from 100% recycled yarns, the VersaValet™ is sustainably manufactured and features an antimicrobial finish for added protection and peace of mind. The hybrid laundry/garment bag solution allows hoteliers to support their sustainability goals while improving operational efficiencies.

Standard Textile says VersaValet™ is simple for hotels to employ as part of their normal guest housekeeping services. Housekeeping places a fresh VersaValet™ laundry bag in the hotel room closet, guests fill it with soiled garments, the bag is laundered with the other garments and then returned to the guest as a garment bag containing the freshly laundered apparel. www.standardtextile.com 800-323-5246

Medical scrubs with EPA-registered textile kills 99.99% of bacteria

Livinguard, the Swiss-based manufacturer of self-disinfecting hygiene technology, reports it has launched an apparel line of permanent self-disinfecting scrubs, underscrubs and lab coats utilizing its EPAregistered bacteria-killing textile.

The company says scrubs buyers, who have been limited to comfort and fashion features, can today add the third and most important dimension, self-disinfection.

Now, and in a post-pandemic world, healthcare professionals are looking for advanced hygienic solutions to keep themselves, their

families and their patients more protected.

Livinguard EPA registration was announced earlier this year with a promise to transform categories.

Livinguard scrubs are also feature-packed with comfort and fit. These competitively priced scrubs offer super soft and sensible fashion for healthcare environments. They come in a wide range of sizes and colors and have numerous pockets (some hidden) for medical tools, equipment, and personal items. www.livinguard.com support.usa@livinguard.com

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

July 30 – August 2, 2022 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia USA

THE CLEAN SHOW IS THE #1

PLACE TO BE NEXT SUMMER!

If you attend one industry event in 2022, The Clean Show should be it! Discover new products, exciting technology, and groundbreaking research in commercial laundering, dry-cleaning, and the textile service industry as exhibitors from around the world showcase their latest innovations.

Registration opens this winter.

Start making your plans to attend!

Explore the Floorplan

www.cleanshow.com

10 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

Normal Continued from Page 1 CHRIS WELCH, PRUDENTIAL OVERALL SUPPLY Having your head on a swivel is more important now than ever.

With ongoing evolving challenges to the business—government regulation, supply-chain disruption, tight labor markets, etc.—it is critical that leaders be principled but flexible in their approach to whatever comes next.

What is working today may not work three months from now.

Being sharply focused on your core competency is imperative in today’s marketplace, but at the same time, you have to be actively listening to what the street wants or may want in the near future.

Taking some well-educated risks may pay off, but you have to make sure that your financial model has the resiliency to survive the bets that you lose.

Having the business on a solid footing from both talent and finance perspectives has been the foundation of everything else we have done.

Welch With the feet of our business firmly on the ground, it has enabled us to successfully move from issue to issue, looking for opportunities where they present themselves and continuing to properly service our customers and support our employees.

Knowing who you are and having a strong foundation makes all the difference. When you aren’t overly worried about the day-today and your leadership knows what the direction is, it becomes much easier to rally the team around what needs to be accomplished and go to work.

A healthy balance sheet and well-trained talent at the local level allow for more boots-onthe-ground decision-making that takes full advantage of opportunities as they arise while still allowing for some overarching strategy to drive other pieces of the business forward.

Upper management needs to listen aggressively and communicate aggressively. Silence breeds paranoia. Make sure your teammates know things are really okay and what you hope to accomplish not just now but at the end of this cycle of tumult.

Well-trained, goal-aligned employees can be much more self-directed and fulfill the company strategy with limited need for corporate oversight.

I think laundries will return to pre-COVID operating statuses.

None of these things last forever.

www.AmericanLaundryNews.com

In five years (or less), we will all be overcoming new crises that arise (no water in the Western U.S., for example).

WILLIAM MUSE, UNITED HOSPITAL SERVICES As a healthcare rental provider, we have been fortunate that COVID-19 hasn’t changed how we do business and serve our customers. It has, however, brought about a greater level of communication between customer and provider.

The fact that we were able to provide service without interruption to our customers in a world of supply-chain challenges, labor challenges and product shortages has elevated the level of trust and improved satisfaction across our accounts. I am optimistic that the challenges hospitals face today can have a positive impact on driving change and increasing the adoption rate of reusable goods over the traditional disposable options currently used.

As a provider that serves only the healthcare industry, I don’t believe there has been some large shift within our market making operating successfully any more or less challenging. That said, the importance of building and maintaining good relationships with both customers and vendors alike is even more important in today’s environment as customers will remember how their vendors withstood the challenges presented during this time.

We have found customers to be extremely understanding of the challenges presented so long as the communication is present, and they are kept in the know.

As with any crisis, there is nothing more important than planning. We, of course, didn’t plan for a global lockdown, but in my experience, laundry operators are great at rolling with the punches.

Looking back on the last almost two years, the one word that comes to mind is communication.

Early on when COVID was a new topic and before mask recommendations etc., we found that there was a lot of fear and misinformation being shared throughout the workforce.

To combat this, we held weekly town hall meetings with staff Muse enabling us to keep everyone informed.

This helped to really enhance the employee relationship as they knew we had their wellbeing at our focus.

Customers were also facing their own challenges in trying to stay safe with this new, unknown virus. We will all likely not forget the images of nurses and caregivers wearing trash bags and dishpan gloves to care for sick

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patients. That said, by establishing and maintaining a much greater level of communication with our customers, we were able to reduce the panic and ensure calm as our customers elevated us in their eyes from vendor to partner.

I think going forward, communication will continue to be key as we work to overcome labor shortages, supply-chain interruptions, etc.

I think that laundries will return to pre-COVID operations, as many have already recovered and seen growth in their local markets. That said, as we continue to look beyond COVID at what comes next, what’s more important is to identify what we learned, where we excelled and where we failed. These are the lessons we can learn from to improve our product, our service and our relationships with customers and employees alike.

The best way to maintain operations is to control and perfect what is within your control.

Ensure you maintain great relationships with your customers, and remain competitive in the areas of price, quality and service.

PHOEBE ELLIS, LACE HOUSE LINEN SUPPLY This is a relevant question for all of us in our “essential” industry, and I am a bit uncertain how to respond in these “unprecedented and challenging times”—but I am giving it my best effort!

It is interesting how the “new normal” from 2020 has now become the “new abnormal” in 2021. I’m not sure what the mantra will be in 2022—the “new normal abnormal?”

We have all made many changes, quick decisions and continue to try to predict/project what will happen next week, next month and next year, and I think we can all agree that the only certain response is that we cannot predict much more than what is happening each day.

We have learned that the best way to operate in this “new abnormal” is to be flexible, agile and grateful for each employee, each delivery and each customer.

After laying off nearly 50% of our employees in March of 2020, some of them 20-plus-year employees, and having more than 80% of our customers close, we were not Ellis sure what Lace House would look like in the future or would we even be able to keep our doors open.

Fortunately, we received a PPP loan, which allowed us to get through the first six months of the pandemic and to keep a key group of employees on board. As we started to rebuild when businesses reopened in the summer of 2020, we had seasoned employees to get the work done as we were only operating three days a week.

Although we have always valued our employees, it is even more evident now how much we need committed employees who care and are engaged at their work at Lace House. We are increasingly mindful of their personal lives, second jobs and family demands, so we are being very strategic in staffing our production and delivery schedules to avoid burnout, injuries and complacency at work.

We are focused on our key employees with training, education about our industry and what our customers need—and as a result, we have fewer employees who are working more efficiently.

We notice a remarkable difference in the mood, vibe and energy in our plant when people are not working overtime each day and extra shifts.

Knowing that we have fewer employees and have a reduced

production schedule, we have realized that being a mixed plant is essential and we are grateful to be serving food and beverage, hospitality, uniforms, and dustcontrol customers. We are very aware that this product diversity creates production challenges, but our mixed customer base was critical to maintaining some volume during the past 18 months.

We have spent a great deal of time analyzing our customer base and have terminated some customers because they were not solid partners, either because they did not manage adequate linen inventories, did not pay their bill or did not appreciate our service.

As we start to think about growth again in 2022 after nearly two years of no growth, we are very focused on markets and locations where we are confident that we can manage the product and delivery demands while offering quality goods and customer service.

We are excited to be open and thriving and continue to focus on a healthy work environment, positive employee engagement and close customer relationships.

Our management team maintains flexibility and agility, and we are working to improve communications with employees and customers so that all are aware of daily concerns.

We have all learned a ton during this time and now realize that not even the best operator could have prepared and planned for such a time in our business.

As our director of operations, Rodrigo Patron, tells us, “It is not daily increase, but daily decrease, hack away the unessential.” (Bruce Lee). We have all embraced this mantra as we realize how essential we all are in this industry and that our customers expect excellent, honest, quality linen service.

For us at Lace House, navigating the “new abnormal” includes focusing on the essential, necessary services to meet customer daily demands while ensuring that our employees and owners are healthy, happy and hopeful and celebrating our accomplishments daily. Cheers to our industry!

RICK SNYDER, U.S. LINEN & UNIFORM I don’t know that COVID has changed very much. We observed universal precautions prior to the pandemic and have continued to follow them.

We had any customer affected

by COVID sign a suspension of service. We have kept in contact with all those customers and were ready to serve them again when they needed it.

The pandemic, plus the labor and supply-chain issues, have made us look at all the markets we are in. We are re-focusing on the markets that we prefer to be in.

We have determined that some of the high labor and high servicetime accounts, such as catering customers and sheet accounts, are

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not markets that we want to be in.

It was very tough for some focused linen companies that lost 95% of their revenue overnight.

We are in a rural area, so we have been able to focus on one market.

In the long run, the more focused you are, the better your business should be. It may also be good to branch out into similar markets.

If you are all linen maybe you want to branch out into medical or food processing.

It is not easy for companies in our industry to move into a new market quickly. The sales process is long. It takes quite a while to get any economies of scale. If you can find something that you could move into quickly, that would be a big help when revenue drops off.

If you need new equipment to service a new market, that is going to slow you down and be expensive.

Do you have room for it?

What happens when the rest of the business comes back?

Snyder Does that new equipment get in the way of your old processes? If there is a market, like janitorial supplies, that doesn’t require new equipment, then it is easier to move into that market.

If the company is going to move into new markets, they need to make sure the people can perform the required tasks for the new market. Do the salespeople understand the new sales techniques they need? Can production process the new items?

Employees need training if they are going to enter new markets.

I think we will eventually return to pre-COVID levels. This is just taking longer than expected, but at some point, it will not be that deadly. It will most likely be like the flu.

Do everything you can to maintain your operating levels. That might include taking on some temporary work. I wouldn’t take on new markets just for the sake of increasing revenue. If you don’t do it right, it won’t be good for you in the long run.

GREGORY GICEWICZ, STERILE SURGICAL SYSTEMS COVID-19 has exaggerated the things we already should be doing as a healthcare laundry. Everything from personal protective equipment (PPE) to functional separation to surface disinfection to proper wash formulas to inventory management to hiring has taken on amplified importance.

COVID-19 has forced us to bring our “A” game every day in the “blocking and tackling” of operating a healthcare laundry.

The consequences of bringing your “B” or “C” game are more severe than before.

For a laundry focused on one market to stay in business today, it depends on the market. In the healthcare world, business has grown in certain areas and decreased in others. Reusable PPE (e.g., reusable isolation gowns) demand has increased considerably due to supply-chain and quality issues with single-use PPE. On the other hand, surgery volume is down in most hospitals, so overall processed poundage has taken a hit. Certain healthcarerelated areas, such as physical

therapy or massage clinics, have seen big volume losses. Lost volume ultimately must be replaced, and this can be a challenge in our new COVID-19 world.

As with most areas, laundry agility has taken on additional importance in our new COVID19 world. As business opportunities dry up, the agile laundry will find even better opportunities to add value elsewhere.

While bulk linen poundage has decreased in many instances due to canceled elective surgeries, we have found additional business demand for specialty services, such as cubicle curtain processing, linen distribution services, gait belt processing and sterile surgical textile pack processing services.

These specialty services not only add value to our customers but they help move us up the value chain from Gicewicz vendors to strategic partners.

Our operation did not require much change in order to navigate COVID-19 and continue in business today. As I already mentioned, as a healthcare laundry, COVID-19 exaggerated the things we already should be doing.

Also as previously mentioned, in a COVID-19 world, tolerances for poor performances are much smaller and consequences more severe. I am sure I am not alone in stating that these are the most difficult times we as an industry have faced in years. The difficulties span all areas of the business including hiring, training, main-

tenance, infrastructure, purchasing, pricing and more.

Therefore, we must evolve our processes around agility in order to stay competitive. Agility is the ability to think, understand and react quickly. This is easier said than done but here are some examples: • Equipment—Idle equipment costs money. Have a plan to offline equipment not needed in order to save on maintenance, utilities and space.

Have a plan to quickly bring it back online when needed.

• Chemicals—If you are like most laundries, your product mix has changed with COVID-19. New product lines require different wash formulas and different chemistry. Have the ability to quickly pivot your wash formulas to these new wash formulas. Some of these products may not process well in conventional dryers. Have a plan for alternative drying solutions.

• Processes—Processes must be agile to support an agile business. Streamline your standard operating procedure (SOP) change process or, better yet, automate parts of this. Remember, any SOP change requires an update to training and other collateral. Streamline this process through off-the-shelf or internally built workflow automation.

The most important task of upper management is to inspire confidence and trust in employees and customers both in good times and in challenging times.

An upper manager proactively and confidently pivoting business

11

to new markets during a downturn inspires the team, demonstrating to them that they are in good hands.

An upper manager wearing a flat panic on his/her face because of pandemic-related lost business will make a challenging situation that much worse for the employees looking to him/her for strength and conviction.

In the laundry world, there will never be a return to yesteryear.

COVID operating statuses are with us for good. We can only move forward.

We, and “the experts,” can try to predict the future but there are too many moving parts. We will always be wrong. Nonetheless, we can and should take lessons learned during extraordinary times and make ourselves better prepared for the next extraordinary times! What have we learned in the COVID world that we can take forward? A few examples: 1. Always have a backup stock and plan for supply-chain disruptions.

2. Ensure your contracts have verbiage allowing off-schedule price increases under certain conditions.

3. Make sure you have a pandemic plan as part of your standard operating procedures.

4. We are and always will be a people resource first business. As such, we must put as much emphasis on hiring, training and retaining as any part of our plant I would tell colleagues to keep lean, strong and positive (even if you are not on the inside). You will get through this challenging time and emerge stronger and ALN smarter than before.

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Get to know our new panelists as they introduce themselves, their operations and more from their industry segments.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Introducing: The 2022 Panel of Experts

Fashion Seal had the foresight in early 2020 to secure additional fabric and garments that we are continuing to supply to our customers. We now have more inventory than ever to support our customers’ needs.

Fashion Seal Healthcare employees treat each other like family, and we extend that sentiment to our customers. We continue to invest in our business and look to support and bring innovation to the textile rental industry.

Equipment Manufacturing Al Adcock B&C Technologies, Panama City, Fla.

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t is my privilege to be selected to serve on the American Laundry News Panel of Experts.

I’ve been in the laundry industry for almost 30 years now, and it doesn’t seem like 1992 was that long ago.

I started as an industrial and manufacturing engineer at the UniMac Company, then a family-owned business, right out of college. After a few years, I was promoted into product engineering and began the job of integrating variable-speed drives onto our cabinet hard mounts.

In 1998, I accepted an engineering position with Washex Machinery, then onto IPSO USA where I was on the design team that developed the first 300 G-force hard-mount washer in the industry via our SmartSpinTM patent.

In 2000, I was honored to be on the startup team for B&C Technologies, where we started with a clean sheet of paper and designed an entirely new family of commercial and industrial laundry equipment.

In 2013, I was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing for the company and have served in this capacity since.

The year 2021 has presented many challenges to manufacturers, including variability and unavailability of key manufacturing components, significant instability in the transportation industry, and interesting labor and personnel challenges.

This year, 2022, will likely be a continuation of 2021 well into the year, so there are plenty of challenges to solve in the upcoming year—and great opportunities for learning and understanding each other to help reduce these problems in our industry and the world at large.

Working together with kindness, understanding and empathy will allow us to work past the problems of 2021 and create a successful 2022.

Consulting Services Jon Witschy

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Spindle, Woodridge, Ill.

I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and helping others to solve their commercial laundry problems.

Equipment/ Supply Distribution Armand Lemieux STN Laundry Systems LLC, Hamden, Conn.

I

am honored to be chosen as part of the Panel, and I hope to contribute in a meaningful and positive way.

Growing up in a New Haven, Connecticut, suburb, I never thought about the laundry business as a career path. Following my older siblings, I went to college and graduated from Quinnipiac University with a degree in health science.

After spending six years working in the healthcare field, I quickly realized my motivation and hands-on personality were not being satisfied. In 1999, I started a small construction business with my brother, who has remained my business partner ever since.

As our business grew over the next few years, and I was able to see the positive impact I could make on the people close to us, as well as the entire community, I was hooked.

Since then, I have co-owned and operated many other ventures, starting with my first Laundromat in 2001, which I built completely from scratch in a rental space. The Laundromat grew over the next several years and became a neighborhood success.

As its growth reached a plateau, in the year 2004 I founded Soap to Nuts Laundry Systems, which I still run today. I was able to use my knowledge acquired from the Laundromat to help other laundries with challenges they were facing.

Soap to Nuts Laundry Systems started as a small, two-person operation focused on servicing local coin laundries. Over the next 17 years, the company grew into a multi-faceted business, with eight full-time employees, a fully-stocked plant, and operations on all levels of the laundry business, including coin, commercial and industrial equipment.

Soap to Nuts Laundry Systems provides new and refurbished equipment, maintenance, as well as service and repairs in four states.

My professional goals for the future are to keep growing my laundry business, continue to provide quality employment and training for my technicians, and offer mentorship to young business owners. I am also passionate about helping other businesses in the industry and seeing them succeed.

Uniforms/ Workwear Manufacturing Dan Schwartz Fashion Seal Healthcare, Seminole, Fla.

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his year we celebrated our 101st year in business, an achievement the entire Fashion Seal team is extremely proud of. I am honored to serve as the senior vice president of sales and operations for Fashion Seal Healthcare, a division of Superior Group of Companies.

While COVID-19 has and continues to present a unique set of challenges, we have spent our 101st year in business powering forward in our tradition of providing unmatched customer experiences.

This was, and will be, made possible through continued operational support and investment, and while the pandemic has delayed some of our plans, we are now in a position to provide better service than ever.

We opened our second owned sewing factory in Haiti, along with investing in our flagship distribution center in Eudora, Arkansas.

We are also launching a new customer portal and support services to enhance the customer experience and give our customers more access to better information.

While the worldwide supply chain remains severely delayed,

A

fter receiving a degree in textile engineering technology from Southern Tech, I began my career in 1993 as a vendor of industrial automation systems to the textile rental and textile manufacturing industries. I joined Spindle as sales manager in 2012.

Spindle gives operations actionable insights into how their plant is performing in realtime. Improve employee productivity, maximize equipment utilization, monitor utilities and schedule preventive maintenance all in one place.

Spindle’s original productivity-monitoring software has delivered significant savings for our customers by helping to reduce labor costs.

The evolution to our current, more robust platform was driven by the need to address additional major cost considerations within a laundry: maximizing overall equipment effectiveness and efficient utility consumption.

Spindle achieves these goals by providing the right information, to the right people, at the right time—from the shop floor to the head office.

In addition to engaging employees through the visual workplace to increase their performance, Spindle also features analysis tools and a unique Facility Health Score.

Its real-time data helps laundry operations make better decisions, on their schedules.

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Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with personnel from the production floor to the corporate office and learn about the challenges facing our businesses. My goal in partnering with customers has always been to improve efficiency, quality and safety.

In each of my professional roles, I have supported process controllers, automation systems and operations management software through all stages of design, sale, installation and training.

It’s an honor to be selected to serve on ALN’s Panel of Experts.

There often seems to be an endless list of concerns for the laundry industry: operating costs, quality, customer service … and many others.

This Panel format provides an excellent opportunity to share ideas and experiences that can lead to breakthroughs. I look forward to providing information for the benefit and growth of our industry.

to Quitman, Georgia, and started working large industrial laundry maintenance. From there I moved to Brunswick and signed on as a laundry maintenance engineer with the world’s premier resort.

I work as a maintenance engineer for a five-star resort in South Georgia. We average approximately 200,000 pounds of linen processed per year. We process sheets, towels, table linen and the occasional load of chair covers. We are also a backup facility for a local hospital.

Our accomplishments this year have been to replace some outdated equipment that has freed us up to make improvements on the older equipment.

Our most challenging issues are finished linen quality and operator training.

Chemicals Supply John Schafer Diversey, Fort Mill, S.C.

Hotel/Motel/ Resort Laundry Kelly Reynolds

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Sea Island Acquisitions, Sea Island, Ga.

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ello, my name is Kelly Reynolds. I began my light commercial laundry career in 2002 for a small hotel and cabin operation in Cherokee, North Carolina.

In 2006, I moved to Valdosta, Georgia, and worked for two hotels in Valdosta and Lake Park through 2011.

After a two-year hiatus from laundry maintenance, I returned

have been in the chemical supply business for nearly 30 years having worked for Diversey, Ecolab, GOJO and Staples.

I am currently employed as a business development manager for Diversey working with hotels, restaurants, nursing homes and hospitals for their cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting chemical needs.

My past roles include sales manager, national accounts sales manager, sales director and restaurant manager.

Though I sell chemicals, I also work with customers on their labor, equipment and util-

ity costs, which are a far higher spend than their chemical cost.

When I work with a customer, they are really buying three things from me: chemicals, results and service. Though they often focus on the invoice cost of the chemicals I supply them, those chemicals are used to produce a result, whether a clean glass, floor or towel, and the equipment used, the procedures used along with the chemicals used, affect those results.

Finally, we provide service to maintain our dispensers, provide training and program customerowned machines. The service is provided at no additional charge as part of the price the customer pays for our chemicals.

A big challenge I face is to help customers focus on their other costs associated with cleaning besides the cost of the chemical. Labor is a huge component of their cleaning costs, and if I can reduce their labor costs by 10%, I could charge double for my chemicals and still save them money. Most customers are hesitant to incorporate this overall cost accounting in their analysis for choosing a chemical vendor.

I am excited to be a part of this Panel. I hope my experiences will provide helpful solutions to the challenges you face.

Healthcare Laundry William Muse United Hospital Services, Indianapolis, Ind.

T

here’s no better way to learn a business or an industry than by doing it yourself and learning

American Laundry News Thanks Members of the 2021 Panel of Experts for Their Contributions Tammy Barrett, HHS Environmental Services Campbell Dodson, Lavo Solutions LLC Phoebe Ellis, Lace House Linen David Graham, Performance Matters Cecil B. Lee, Standard Textile Scott McClure, Pellerin Laundry Machinery Charles Spencer, G.A. Braun Inc. Monique C. Walker, Vi at Grayhawk Frank Zacchigna, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs American Laundry News is still seeking 2022 Panel of Experts candidates to represent linen supply, textiles, textile/uniform rental and other institution laundry segments. If you think you would be a good fit, or can suggest someone who is, please contact Matt Poe, editor, at mpoe@atmags.com, 866-942-5694. from those around you. I hope to be one more resource for you as you continue to learn, grow and evolve within the industry.

I have worked in the healthcare laundry sector for seven years serving many roles, including information technology manager, plant manager, interim maintenance chief, and now director of service and sales, all of which have quickly broadened my knowledge and experience within the industry.

My 10 years’ prior experience in the technology sector has enabled me to bring a different perspective and an agile mentality to the healthcare operation.

As director of service and sales for United Hospital Services, I oversee all hospital accounts across the state of Indiana for our 50 million-pound operation. As a co-op of over 50 years, United Hospital Services has grown into one of the largest healthcare laundry cooperatives in the United States with no plan on stopping anytime soon!

I believe 2021 will be remem-

bered for the many challenges presented by COVID-19, labor availability and supply-chain interruptions.

That said, we have gracefully overcome these challenges with nearly no supply-chain impact, maintained our workforce throughout COVID-19 and the great exit of 2021, and have experienced zero service impact on our customers as a result.

This is a testament to our leadership team and the planning in place to ensure the best service to our customers regardless of outside circumstances.

Looking toward 2022 and beyond, the challenges I face at United Hospital Services are much like the challenges you likely face within your operations. We must continue to find ways to overcome labor shortages and supply-chain interruptions while we navigate the continued onslaught of COVID-19.

With all of this in mind, we as an industry must look beyond See EXPERT on Page 15

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Continuing supply-chain challenges, solutions CSCNetwork webinar panelists discuss issues, share advice pertinent to laundry and linen service operators

BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHICAGO — David Bernstein, executive director of CSCNetwork, a resource for independent laundry and linen services, says that pandemic-induced challenges in the global supply chain continue as the world works to recover from COVID-19.

Entire sectors of the global economy—manufacturing, transportation, logistics and energy, just to name a few—are being strained beyond their limits.

“Under normal circumstances, disruption in any one of these sectors could cause temporary ripples in global markets, but when they occur simultaneously it creates a perfect storm,” Bernstein points out.

CSCNetwork hosted the webinar “The Perfect Storm: Managing Supply Chain Risks in 2021,” reviewing what caused the crisis, how long experts expect it to last, strategies and tactics to help with supply-chain planning, sourcing, and procurement, and what laundry-industry professionals can do in the long term to protect their businesses.

Bernstein moderated the webi-

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nar panel, which consisted of American Dawn’s Jeff Landry, director of global solutions, and Steve Kallenbach, director of market solutions; Jon Wynkoop, CFO of Gurtler Industries Inc.; Jeremy Lott, president of SanMar

Corp.; and Ty Acton, president of Tingue.

SUPPLY-CHAIN OVERVIEW Landry started the webinar with an overview of some of

“Once a container arrives in the United States, we’re having tremendous inland shortages. There’s about a 140,000 truck driver shortage, and chassis shortages. So getting product off the boat, getting in and out of the port, getting it into your dock, getting it unloaded—the reliability schedule is down, the costs are up. We’ve seen over 300% cost on some containers, 8% unfinished product, and that’s grown on a daily basis.” — Jeff Landry, American Dawn

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the issues facing the global supply chain, which affects laundry operations.

“One of the largest issues we are dealing with today, and I believe every company in America is dealing with, is transportation issues,” he says. “That becomes multi-level, starting with containers coming from overseas production.”

“What we’ve seen … as all of the containers that were full of COVID product arrive, some of those goods move quickly, and there are goods that are stuck in containers. So this created a great container shortage and that’s a global impact and that is from every continent.”

With the container shortage, Landry says he’s seen costs go from $2,000 a container to $12,000, even $20,000. The cost increase eventually gets passed onto the customer—linen services and end-users.

But the transport issue doesn’t end at the docks.

“Once a container arrives in the United States, we’re having tremendous inland shortages,” Landry says. “There’s about a 140,000 truck driver shortage, and chassis shortages. So getting product off the boat, getting in and out of the port, getting it into your dock, getting it unloaded— the reliability schedule is down, the costs are up. We’ve seen over 300% cost on some containers, 8% unfinished product, and that’s grown on a daily basis.”

For a textile products company like American Dawn, supply and shipping challenges for materials are problematic, but then there are increased fuel costs.

“As the world seems, politically, to want to flex to more of an elec-

trical market, they start cutting off somewhat of the exploration of petrol products and the production of petrol products, and that increases the price of oil,” Landry points out.

“Now people are driving again, ships are going, planes are flying, and so oil is going back up and I’m not saying they’re reaching record levels but they’ve gone from basically zero to somewhere in the high 50s and the 60s, and that affects all transportation costs but it also affects the manufacturing cost of raw supply.”

The limited raw supply is of petrochemical products used to make polyester goods. Add in cotton shortages, and the textile side of the supply equation is very tight.

This next challenge, Landry says, is somewhat of a complicated issue—the monetary policy of the United States. In the past year, the United States has printed trillions of dollars, not revenue generated, he points out. The government printed cash and brought up the national debt.

“Now, what does that mean for us? Well, most countries, and a lot of the countries that we produce product in, base their monetary policies on the U.S. dollar, but as the U.S. dollar gets printed and exploited into large amounts of cash, trillions of dollars, not billions, but trillions, that all of a sudden changes the currency factors,” Landry says.

“What we’ve seen in some of our main countries, like Pakistan, is we’ve lost 9% value of the rupee to the dollar. So that means the U.S. dollar basically buys 10% less product. So, the cost of labor See CHAIN on Page 16

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Expert

Continued from Page 13

recovery and toward growth once again!

It’s an honor to be selected as a member of this Panel. I hope that my experiences provide you with the information and tools needed to overcome challenges within your operations.

Commercial Laundry

of Experts.

The organization that I work for consists of three facilities.

The campus includes a skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility and an independent living facility.

When I first began my career with the organization in November 2004, I was working full time on second shift in the laundry department. At the same time, I was also working another full-time job on first shift at another company, which I had been with for 10 years.

Over the next 12 months, I moved into a newly created posi-

tion as director of central supply. This would entail creating a central supply storage location, developing and implementing procedures and policies, developing a purchase requisition system, a delivery system to get product to all the departments, creating contracts with vendors, and doing the annual inventory of the facility.

I facilitate between suppliers, manufacturers and internal departments at all three facilities.

I also effectively build lasting relationships with suppliers that help with sourcing the best quality and best-priced goods and

services.

This new opportunity was going to be a fun and exciting challenge that I looked forward to. Though accepting this new opportunity meant leaving the other full-time job that I had been at for 10 years, it has been well worth it. It has been a very satisfying career choice for me.

In less than 12 months as director of central supply, I acquired two additional departments to manage, laundry and housekeeping. My title then changed to director of purchasing and support services.

After several years, the house-

keeping department was transferred over to the maintenance department assistant manager so that I could focus more on purchasing and the laundry department.

In the middle of September 2021, the laundry department was transferred over to the housekeeping manager so that I could give more attention to purchasing, budgeting and general operations. It has been and still is an exciting and challenging career with a great company.

Thank you for this opportunity.

I look forward to contributing my career skills and experience. ALN

Lee Baldauf Superior Linen Service, Tacoma, Wash.

M

y pathway to this job was one I never thought would lead me here. I spent the better part of three decades working the construction trades and have a tech degree in engineering. I was selfemployed until the end of 2011 as a general contractor focused on demolition and excavation work.

After enduring a three-year struggle with the economy, I decided to shift gears and answered a Craigslist ad for a maintenance management position. I have not looked back since the beginning of 2012.

I had a better than average understanding of electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics, scheduling, compliance, etc. What I knew little about was our industry itself.

This was overcome by tenacity and a supportive family of owners. I was, and still am, given every opportunity to learn and grow.

I am now a 10-year veteran of the industry. The company I work for is a fourth-generation family-owned independent with the fifth generation currently mastering their respective roles.

My oldest son, 26, has also been working in the industry for our production department in high school and college and is now our chemical rep working for an “unnamed company.”

I am bewildered by how large and small this industry is, and I have a lot of gratitude for being fortunate enough to stumble into it.

This company, and the industry, have been exceptionally beneficial to me and mine, and I hope to remain a positive influence here for another 15 years.

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Long-Term Care Laundry Juli Reding Wood-Lawn Inc., Batesville, Ark.

I

t is an honor and a privilege to serve on this year’s ALN Panel

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

JANUARY 2022

Late News Texcare International to return in 2024 FRANKFURT, Germany — Trade fair organizer Messe Frankfurt reports that the next Texcare International will take place here Nov. 9-13, 2024.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade fair, held every four years, had to be suspended in 2020/2021. Messe Frankfurt and its partners, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, and the German Textile Cleaning Association, jointly agreed on the new date.

“There were two decisive reasons for choosing the new date,” says Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim, director of Texcare International.

“On the one hand, it fits very well into the international trade fair calendar. On the other hand, it was favored by exhibitors and visitors because it is during the low season for the tourism industry when most investments are made.

“We are already looking forward to the next Texcare International, to real business encounters and live presentations in 2024, and are working with full energy toward the success of the event.”

In the United States, preparations are already in full swing for the Clean Show from July 30-Aug. 2, 2022. ALN

Laundry facility in Kentucky goes solar SITEX continues sustainability, laundry quality efforts with Solar Energy Project Initiative

BY MATT POE, EDITOR HENDERSON, Ky. — Jan. 1, 1961, is an important date for the Sights family.

That’s the day they founded Industrial Uniform Services Inc. here.

The family set out with no business, a shallow line of credit, some very used laundry equipment and one delivery truck to establish a customer base in uniform rental service within a 25-five-mile radius of its plant.

“With a small but aggressive sales force and a commitment to providing its customers with exceptional service, we grew to five routes and expanded our territory to a 75-mile radius within five years,” says Wes Sights, president and CEO, part of the third generation of the family involved with the business.

Expansion continued as the uniform service steadily acquired volume and services See SITEX on Page 6

SITEX recently installed 572 solar panels at its Henderson, Kentucky, plant. (Image: SITEX Corp.)

Laundry operations in ‘new abnormal’ Several laundry representatives share how they see the industry ‘flexing’ to maintain business and quality COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHICAGO — Without a doubt, COVID-19 was a major disrupter in the laundry and linen services industry.

From lockdowns to supply-chain and labor issues, what was normal before 2020 isn’t normal anymore.

So, how can a laundry operation operate what could be described as the “new abnormal?”

American Laundry News posed this question to the industry, and what follows are the responses from five laundry leaders around the country.

See NORMAL on Page 10

(Image licensed by Ingram Image) Volume 48, Number 1

INSIDE Columnist at Large In this issue, Eric Frederick shares about the need for good people management skills.

www.americanlaundrynews.com

[4]

Panel of Experts Get to know our new panelists as they introduce themselves, their operations and more.

15

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

[12]

Supply-Chain Issues During a CSCNetwork webinar, experts shared thoughts, advice on challenges.

[14]

16 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

Chain

Continued from Page 14

in other countries, the cost of water, the cost of chemicals, the cost of fuel, with no other factor affecting any of these things, the costs have gone up 10% That’s what our dollars buy.

“In China, we’re seeing about 10% also, but you can almost go to every country around the world and the United States dollar is the gold standard, but it has been weakened as we continue to print cash. And so until the dollar starts to strengthen again, we will see a continuation of currency revaluations.”

Finally, Landry says the Consumer Price Index, a factor of inflation, has hit the industry and the supply chain hard—especially in a tight labor market.

“I hear this from the laundries because, to some extent, they’re buying extra product because they’re having such a hard time processing product because they’re having such a hard time hiring people to work,” he shares.

“We struggle to hire good people, and when you get to that type of economy, the way you

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have to accommodate that is you start paying a higher wage, and that’s what I think you’re seeing around the country is an increase in wages. That’s an inflationary pressure that affects the CPI, like the monetary policy, higher fuel costs, all of those started getting into everything we do.

“We live in a world with Kaizen as a manufacturing concept— everybody wants to run ‘just in time.’ Inventory is money. You don’t maintain huge amounts of inventory, so any disruptions in your supply chain will impact your cost and your delivery and … very significant impacts on every aspect of everything we do in our business.”

BIGGEST PROBLEMS, STRATEGIES After Landry’s presentation, Bernstein allowed each panelist an opportunity to introduce themselves and share what supply-chain challenges their companies are facing.

Then he asked the participants to share their greatest challenges and solutions to help laundry operators.

BERNSTEIN: I’m curious to know briefly from each of you,

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

which of these challenges would you say is the biggest problem for you? And what advice and strategies would you give to folks who own or operate laundries—Jeff?

LANDRY: I would say at this point the largest impact we

“ I just think we have to really think differently about availability and really try to plan ahead, provide options on different product. I think that’s going to be the best way that we all get through this together.” — Jeremy Lott, SanMar Corp.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

have is having supply, and it’s due mostly to the transportation issues. Our offshore products we have the ability to produce, the costs are increasing with the difficult challenges to transport it.

The only advice, and we are doing this with our customer base, is trying to make sure that they are open to alternative products that are similar.

We produce so many products that are almost identical, but customers have kind of put themselves where they want to be able to differentiate it, which is fine in normal times, but there are times where you might have to take an alternate product at basically the same cost, same performance.

Maybe it has a little different look or doesn’t necessarily have the stripe you want, but it will perform the same functionality.

So, we’re trying to get our customers to be flexible, to take product we have in stock because the products that are coming in, it’s almost undefinable about when we’re going to be able to get them on a boat, off the boat, into the warehouse and shipped to a location.

BERNSTEIN: Jeremy, would you say the same thing, or is it a different issue?

LOTT: It’s very much the same thing for us. It’s our inventory levels, and the ability to how fast we can move them back is our biggest problem. And so our customers, just like Jeff said, we encourage flexibility in terms of the product that they’re choosing.

So, if you know an end-user wants this jacket or this shirt, make sure we’re showing them multiple options. They’re going to perform well but maybe are slightly different than the one they want.

And I just think we have to really think differently about availability and really try to plan ahead, provide options on different product. I think that’s going

to be the best way that we all get through this together.

BERNSTEIN: Steve, from a marketing perspective, how do you help your customers when they need this style of widget but you can only provide this other style, which is similar. How do you help them deal with that with the end-users as well?

KALLENBACH: The largest issue is a different mode of communicating. When things are going great, we’re all rolling along—and then we’re reactive to the outliers, right? In this case, we need to, as an industry, change the way that we communicate to customers. It needs to be proactive.

They should be hearing what you’re hearing today so that they don’t sit there and guess why is my stuff not showing up. Well, if they knew this information, they would probably come to you and say, what other options do I have?

So we need to educate them and be proactive about that, and then I think the journey will be much easier for all of us because they want to be partners as well.

We want to be partners with our customers. Our customers have customers as well, and we just need to open up and make sure that they understand what the dynamics are.

I think most of America probably understands that there’s a commodity pipeline issue right now. That there’s a bottleneck and there’s going to be a bottleneck, but I’m not sure everybody really understands the total picture and not that they need to know as much as (we do), but I think it needs to make sense.

And to me when I’m teaching, I want to make things simple and understandable and memorable and just have it make sense. So, that would be my advice from a marketing perspective: Change the message to simple and memorable so that they help you.

BERNSTEIN: Ty, what would

AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS | JANUARY 2022

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you say is, of these issues, your biggest issue? And again, what advice do you have?

ACTON: For us, it’s labor.

Supply-chain issues and late and shortages of supplies are certainly a challenge, but for us, it’s labor.

We manufacture a lot of things that we send out custom-cut and sew-and-fit, so it’s a challenge.

We’ve got a sales manager going in next week to help in the belting department. We’re pulling supervisors who are not really coaching, they’re actually processing work.

We paused our 401K match during the height of COVID, and we’ve reinstated that. We’re using ZipRecruiter, Indeed, LinkedIn and our local chamber of commerce is helping where they can.

We’re paying thousand-dollar employee referrals, half at 30 days and the other half at 120 days— if the referral remains with the organization. In some cases, we can’t get people to apply.

As Steve alluded to, he’s so right, educating our customers and really educating our field reps to let the customer know to go ahead and order it at the first sign of fraying belts or cover wear or anything that you see that may pose a problem. Go ahead and get it on order because it may be three or four weeks before you get it. And if you wait too long, it’s

better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

BERNSTEIN: John, what would you say of these is No. 1 for you, and again, same question, what advice do you have for your customers and their end-users?

WYNKOOP: Probably the biggest thing is product availability for us, as we were just talking.

It would be nice to be able to build up a lot of supply in our warehouses and therefore have it available for everybody, but just sometimes things are going in and out still.

Unfortunately, since things are on assignment, we just get dribbles and drabs, just enough to make sure that we’re providing enough products to our customers but difficult really to try to get ahead.

I would say probably the biggest thing that our customers could assist in is really be prudent and purchase what you need and let’s not get back into the situation we had where toilet paper was being hoarded and things like that. There’s no reason to do that.

The supply chain, at least from our standpoint, is going to be adequate as long as things don’t go into crisis mode trying to stock up. So what we’re doing on our end is we’re ensuring that we don’t overstock at any of our dis-

tribution points. We don’t overstock in any of our consignment and inventory situations. We’re trying to really manage how we’re sending these products out.

And I think, inevitably, everyone’s going to have to allow for delays in freight. And be sure to have enough for a backup because if you tell us ship in a week and we arrange for a carrier and you’re going to run out in a week, that’s kind of a recipe for disaster. The carrier may not show up at our end or may be delayed in delivering at your end.

If you’re going to be running out that day, that kind of gets that crisis-mode view in a very quick fashion. It’s better to plan ahead a little bit and don’t stock up but just make sure you have enough inventory.

I think what Steve said, the messaging is really everything, and I think it’s important to make sure that everybody understands the implications of the supply chain and how that’s going to affect them.

BERNSTEIN: I’m going to ask each of you to sort of stare into your crystal ball. How long do you foresee this going on? When will the storm clouds clear and the sky turn blue? Jeff, what are your thoughts?

LANDRY: I think we’re look-

ing at early 2022 to some return of normalcy. If there are no other major impacts, you know, any major COVID outbreaks, major transportation issues, major fuel issues, so if everything remains constant, we’re probably looking at is some gradual improvement as we go through the year to whatever the new normal will be.

LOTT: I’d probably echo Jeff ’s sentiment. I think it’s end of Q1 2022 to Q2, at least from what we can see it. We have to not only buy inventory to support sales but buy inventory to support getting back to a more normalized level. Doing that in a time where there are yarn shortages and other things, it’s just going to take time.

So, I think we have another, you know, maybe not quite 12 months, but close to that. It’s going to be challenging.

KALLENBACH: I would say that COVID bit us pretty hard, but it’s not going to win. We’re better than that as a country and as a people and as a world, so I just encourage everybody to look at this adversity and just get better.

Be strong, get agile. Enjoy the new abnormal ride and believe you’ll win. We’re going to make it.

WYNKOOP: I would just say from my chemical world perspec-

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17

tive, I know that we are going to continue pretty much where we are today, and I’m hearing some rumblings that things will be starting to ease up. In other words, supply will start catching up with demand, so maybe that’s a good sign for heading into 2022.

If nothing else happens, I can foresee that.

Demand is strong right now.

The industry is strong, but everything is really backed up. It’s just a matter of picking up on the backlog.

BERNSTEIN: Ty, it looks like you get the last word.

ACTON: I think a lot of the recovery is contingent upon the world being vaccinated. A lot of the supply-chain issues are coming from other parts of the world.

I know that China developed a vaccine. The data seems to show it’s not quite as effective as the U.S. vaccine. So hopefully, the world gets vaccinated and we all get back to work.

So, I would say into Q2 for supply-chain issues. As far as labor, I think that we will start getting a little more labor, so we’re hopeful as well.

Steve had a great message of encouragement, and, you know, we’re going to come out of this better than ever. It just may take ALN some time.

18 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

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Career G.A. Braun promotes Welsh to president SYRACUSE, N.Y. — JB Werner, CEO and chairman of the Board for laundry equipment manufacturer G.A. Braun reports that David Welsh has been promoted from director of operations to president.

He succeeds Rick Rudmann, who will remain on Welsh as a strategic advisor.

“Dave has done a tremendous job as director of operations and is well deserving of his new role as president,” Werner says. “I look forward to working closely with Dave as we continue to grow G. A. Braun Inc.” Welsh held the position of director of operations for the past 18 years, responsible for managing Braun’s purchasing, assembly, fabrication, quality, logistics, safety, plant maintenance and training.

He holds a degree in mechanical engineering and has more than 34 years of experience in manufacturing environments.

Martinenza promoted to Penn Emblem client support director PHILADELPHIA — Penn Emblem Co. reports it has promoted Debbie Martinenza to the position of client support director.

In this role, she facilitates client support in both the Trevose and Mira Loma locations. Some of her daily tasks include, but are not limited to, managing the daily operations of the client support areas and serving as the liaison between customer service, sales and service areas.

In addition, Martinenza oversees about 20 customer-service employees. In this role, she teaches her employees to manage customer orders, customer issues and customer opportunities.

Her career with Penn Emblem Martinenza began as a part-time employee in 1988. As a junior in high school, she applied for the position because it was within walking distance from her school, Archbishop Ryan High School. She was hired to help assemble customer literature such as color charts and flyers.

After she graduated in June

1989, Martinenza was hired as a full-time order entry clerk. Since starting with Penn Emblem full time, she has transitioned to many roles, such as production planning clerk, temporary art room supervisor, art room manager, artist/digitizer, art room/ digitizing manager, order entry manager, customer service manager, corporate customer service manager, and ERP manager.

Martinenza earned the 1996 President’s Award; the 2008 Chairman’s Award; and 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 Penn Award, which are all a reflection of her hard work and dedication to the company.

Throughout her tenure with Penn Emblem, Martinenza believes that it is the people that have made the journey the most rewarding.

“I have been very lucky to grow up in an environment where everyone was treated like family,” she says. “I was young and did not know anything about emblems but from the beginning, I was taken under the wings of many great mentors who believed in me and my capabilities.

“It all started with Robert Blumenthal and now the same with Randi they believed in me and continued to help me grow over my 32 years at Penn by providing career growth, learning and development.”

In addition, she is thoroughly grateful and proud of the team she works alongside between employees, managers, superiors and plant team members.

Martinenza says one of her favorite parts about her job is working with the client support teams.

With so much accomplished thus far, she has even bigger goals for the coming years.

“My personal goal is to help implement a new ERP system along with a brand-new, fully e-commerce website,” says Martinenza. “Having the new platforms in place will help in so many areas but most importantly, it will improve our customer experience which truly is my number one goal. Our CS teams will have the appropriate tools and real-time data to better service our customers and our internal sales team.”

She says her goal is to continue working alongside the executive team members and managers to improve processes, procedures, KPIs and internal systems, which will result in better team morale, better outcomes and a much more effective team.

While working to create a better internal and external environment for Penn Emblem, Martinenza foresees only one outcome “to be the best emblem and decoration company in the world.”

“Her contribution, loyalty, quest to continue learning, and

Track

her support to her team members and customers exceed the expectations,” says President Randi Blumenthal. “She is an exemplary model of a team player, hard worker and brand advocate.”

Gittard retires from JENSEN USA PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Simon Nield, president of JENSEN USA, based here, reports that long-time employee Norbert Gittard has retired.

“It is with great pleasure, yet heavy heart, that we announce the retirement of a 35-year laundry industry veteran, Mr. Norbert Gittard, VP of sales and marketing for JENSEN USA,” says Nield.

Gittard Gittard spent his entire 35-year laundry industry career with JENSEN, starting when JENSEN USA was named Central Finishing Systems. He began as parts manager, with promotions to parts and service manager, VP of operations, ending his career as VP of sales and marketing.

JENSEN USA says he was an integral part of the growth of the business into one of the leading suppliers of industrial laundry equipment in North America.

Gittard has served on a variety of industry councils over the years and attended many of the industry’s major meetings and conventions, quite often with his lovely, Connie.

“On behalf of all at JENSENGROUP, we would like to express our gratitude to Norbert for the dedication and passion he exhibited year after year,” the company says. “You will be missed.”

Meyers joins Alliance Laundry Systems RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems, a manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment, has tapped Eric Meyers to lead its North America trade/ on-premises laundry segment as general manager.

In a recent reorganization, the company combined the two segments under one leader.

“Eric’s track record of success and communication skills make him a perfect fit for lead-

ing the sales organization we are building,” says Craig Dakauskas senior vice president, North Meyers America Commercial for Alliance Laundry Systems.

“I’m excited to watch him guide this team to next-level success.”

Meyers, who owns Stay and Play Delux Laundromats, most recently held the role of sales consultant at Yankee Equipment Systems. He also served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and National Guard, piloting a variety of aircraft, including the A-10 Thunderbolt.

“I’m humbled to be given this opportunity … it doesn’t get any better than this,” Meyers says of joining Alliance Laundry Systems. “I’m excited to begin building relationships with our valued distributor partners and end customers.”

New chief financial officer at Ecolab ST. PAUL, Minn. — Water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services provider Ecolab reports that Dan Schmechel stepped down as its chief financial officer on Dec. 31.

Schmechel has been Ecolab’s CFO since 2012.

CEO Christophe Schmechel Beck says that Scott Kirkland took over as CFO on Jan.1. Schmechel will remain with Ecolab through a transition period and retire in mid-year 2022.

“Dan has made outstanding contributions to Ecolab throughout his 27 years of service with Ecolab,” Beck says. “During his tenure, Dan did exceptional work across every major finance function.

“Under his leadership, we strengthened our talent, processes and technology, bringing additional value and insights that further advanced our world-class operations while also developing a very strong team of finance leaders. His deep knowledge and unwavering commitment to our company, its people and to improving our finance function have been essential to our growth.

“He has always acted as a business partner, consistently bringing strategic leadership to the entire management team. His

dedication and commitment to building a world-class finance team and financial excellence at Ecolab have been a hallmark of his work. We are a much better and stronger company because of his contributions.”

Kirkland joined Ecolab in 2005. Previously, he was senior vice president and corporate controller with global responsibility for corporate planning and analysis, accounting and internal audit functions.

During his 15-year career with Ecolab, he has shown consistently strong perKirkland formance and leadership across a breadth of functions, including as senior vice president of finance for Ecolab’s former energy segment, vice president of finance for global institutional, vice president of corporate planning and analysis, vice president of finance for Asia Pacific and Latin America, and controller for textile care in North America.

“Scott has been very intentionally prepared for the chief financial officer position and is very qualified to assist Ecolab in achieving our aggressive growth goals,” Beck says. “His outstanding performance and contributions in critical finance areas across our businesses have served Ecolab and its shareholders well, and we expect that value to only increase in his new role.

“We look forward to Scott’s leadership as we further drive our aggressive growth plans in the years ahead.”

UNX hires Morgan as territory manager GREENVILLE, N.C. — Chemical provider UNX Industries reports that it has hired Anthony Morgan as a territory manager.

He will be serving customers in Central and Northern Indiana.

The company says Morgan brings with him many years of experience from multiple indusMorgan tries, and he has a high standard when it comes to serving his customers.

Outside of work, UNX says one might find Morgan relaxing, preparing for a family pool party or watching a Reds baseball ALN game.

AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS | JANUARY 2022

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CARTS, TRUCKS & BASKETS

Quality

Triple Connie Turbo www.colmacind.com

800-926-5622

...for the Long Haul.

Precision built, all welded, anodized aluminum carts, specifically engineered for the extremes of loading, handling, cartwash and off-site transport in your busy laundry. Available in a wide range of models and sizes, and always to your custom requirements.

CARTS, TRUCKS & BASKETS

For more information:

Performance Driven PRECISION MADE

G.S. Manufacturing 1-800-363-CART (2278) www.gsm-cart.com

CA R T S

BUL BULK ULK UL LK DELIVERY DEL DE ELI LIV IVE VER ERY TRUCKS

Rugged, non-marring non-marr r ing trucks in 14 rr sizes i up to 84 cu. ft. f capacities i i for f in-plant and on site needs.

And with plants in NY, PA, FL, IN, HI we reduce delivery times and cost.

Ask about our removable, adjustable hanger bars for Bulk Trucks!

Since 1961 CONTACT US TODAY!

TQind.com | 800.826.1245 | TQcarts@TQind.com

Durable, Long-Lasting Laundry Carts Diversified Plastics, Inc. South Carolina & Georgia • 800.768.7636 sales@dpiroto.com • dpiroto.com

Sani-Trux Carts Deliver a Larger Workload With Less Effort

• 80 different models • Won’t warp • Twice the life span as Poly Carts.

• 2000lb capacity • Fire Retardant Rated ASTM E1354 • Many different options: caster upgrades, drain valves, bumpers, brakes, P-Locks, gas props, locking doors & push handles.

mcclurequotes@gmail.com www.mcclureindustries.com • 800-752-2821

www.AmericanLaundryNews.com

000+

M7090 Easy loading front cut out and locking security covers

l ws lo w M7070, 1 ft. shorter allows ansititi more visibility in transit

6 l-800-275-2436 maxi-movers.com m Email:sales@maxi-movers.com om

M.I.T. POLY-CART 211 CENTRAL PARK WEST, NEW YORK, NY 10024 800-234-7659, FAX: 212-721-9022 WWW.MITPOLYCART.COM

Annual Visitors

Advertise Today Contact Don Feinstein • 312-361-1682

www.

americanlaundrynews .com

Source Directory listings in American Laundry News are sold on an annual basis at the following rates:

2022 Listings Regular Boldface Four Line Listing per Year $960 $1,205 Display and additional line rates available upon request

All Caps $1,205

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS | JANUARY 2022

www.AmericanLaundryNews.com

Source Directory CART-WASHING SYSTEMS

21

A convenient guide to sources of products and services

DRYER BOOSTER & EXHAUST FANS

ELECTRONIC REPAIRS

You can get it wet or get it cleaned and sanitized inside and out with Saniwash  Swing down Boom for deep cleaning of carts inside & Out  Chemical & UV Lighting Sanitization  Up to 30 Carts per hour for proper Sanitization  Uses existing utilities no remodel costs.

+

 Long lasting 20-30 years depending on usage & maintenance

MCCLURE INDUSTRIES, INC. email: mcclurequotes@gmail.com

800-752-2821 : www.mcclureindustries.com

ENERGENICS KARTWASHERS

HIGH PRESSURE FOGGING - LOW WATER CONSUMPTION Designed to wash and sanitize all popular laundry carts • 30 second dwell • Disinfection by fogging • EPA registered device • Up to 40 carts/hour

Concentrates wash effectiveness on the cart interior

Fast automatic washing, sanitizing and drying insure optimum cleaning • Low water usage • Self chemical production on demand • Exceeds healthcare certifications • No residue

1470 Don St. • Naples, FL 34104 • 800-944-1711

www.energenics.com

COIN/TOKEN OPERATED PARTS

LINT COLLECTORS & FILTERS DRYERS – 100 POUNDS OR LESS Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

DLF Models LINT LASSO

DRYERS – 100 POUNDS OR MORE Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

TO PLACE YOUR AD

Automatic Blow Down

In-Line Lint Filter

OPL Series

Utility Free

CCS MODELS AVAILABLE FOR ANY SIZE OF LAUNDRY OPERATION 800-826-1245 • cleancyclesystems.com

CALL DON FEINSTEIN

Reach 750+

312-361-1682

Laundry Professionals Advertise Today Contact Don Feinstein • 312-361-1682

Source Directory listings in American Laundry News are sold on an annual basis at the following rates:

2022 Listings Regular Boldface Four Line Listing per Year $960 $1,205 Display and additional line rates available upon request

All Caps $1,205

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

22 JANUARY 2022 | AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS

www.AmericanLaundryNews.com

Source Directory PARTS & SUPPLIES

SURFACE DISINFECTION

Save 30% WF Plastic Bags

THE WORKHORSES OF YOUR DISINFECTION PROGRAM

LINT COLLECTORS & FILTERS

ENERGENICS CORPORATION

TALK TO OUR DESIGN AND ENGINEERING STAFF ABOUT YOUR NEEDS

›› Our In-Line Lint Filter mounts inside, saves space! ›› OPL Duct Mounted Lint Filters 1,000 to 2,700 CFM ›› Fiberglass or Stainless Steel Dry Filters ›› Hundreds Sold Annually

A convenient guide to sources of products and services

Reduce Waste - Cut out the Middle Man - Build Profit

Wash Fold Bags Comforter Bags Blanket Bags

ENERGENICS DISINFECTION

• “Quick Kill” Hypochlorous Generator • “UV-MAX” Ultraviolet Disinfector • “UV-Conveyor” Ultraviolet Conveyor Belts 1470 Don St. • Naples, FL 34104 • 800-944-1711

www.energenics.com

Factory Direct

Plastic

1470 Don St. • Naples, FL 34104 • 800-944-1711

www.energenics.com

TUNNEL WASHER SYSTEMS

Made in Wisconsin Family Owned & Operated

MATERIAL HANDLING / CONVEYORS Gardner Machinery Corporation P.O. Box 33818, Charlotte, NC 28233 Ph.: (704)372-3890; Fax: (704)342-0758 www.gardnermachinery.com

PRESSES – EXTRACTION

MAT ROLLERS

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

WASHERS – CONTINUOUS BATCH

SMALL-PIECE FOLDERS

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 LESS Pellerin Milnor Corp.

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

www.

americanlaundrynews

.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

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Company

Page

Company

Page

Clean Show .................................................................................................9

Norchem Corp. ...........................................................................................5

Continental Girbau .....................................................................................7

Pellerin Milnor Corp. .................................................................................3

Direct Machinery......................................................................................19

R&B Wire Products .................................................................................13

The Griffin Group .....................................................................................19

Royal Basket Trucks ............................................................................... 11

J.P. Equipment .........................................................................................19

Stanco Industries .....................................................................................19

Lavatec Laundry Technology .................................................................24

Source Directory listings in American Laundry News are sold on an annual basis at the following rates:

2022 Listings Regular Boldface Four Line Listing per Year $960 $1,205 Display and additional line rates available upon request

All Caps $1,205

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

AMERICAN LAUNDRY NEWS | JANUARY 2022

www.AmericanLaundryNews.com

The One Heart Movement has partnered with Cherokee Uniforms, which has donated 115,000 trees to the growing One Heart Forest to honor every healthcare worker lost to COVID-19 globally. (Photo: Business Wire)

causes, including unification, mental health, racial injustice, empowering women and caring for our environment, we are glad we can honor the sacrifices of these healthcare professionals while bridging our environmental crisis with something more relatable—human connection.”

This partnership will take place in conjunction with Careismatic Brands’ new medical apparel launch, Euphoria by Cherokee Uniforms. Euphoria is an all-new scrubs collection inspired by nature and crafted with Sorona®, a plant-based fabric that’s breathable, soft and form-flattering.

“Together with The One Heart Movement, we are literally planting the seeds of care for future generations in the One Heart Forest, while also honoring the worldwide healthcare community,” says Michael Singer, CEO of Careismatic Brands Inc. “All of us at Careismatic Brands are deeply honored to support The One Heart Movement and its powerful mission.”

The One Heart Forest is an initiative of The One Heart Movement to contribute to the United Nations Trillion Tree Campaign while providing sustainable livelihoods among other benefits.

Cherokee Uniforms donates 115,000 Trees to One Heart Forest

In memoriam: Kevin Minissian, Norchem Corp.

LOS ANGELES — The One Heart Movement reports it has partnered with Cherokee Uniforms, a Careismatic Brand and designer, manufacturer and distributor of medical apparel.

Cherokee Uniforms has donated 115,000 trees to the growing One Heart Forest to honor every healthcare worker lost to COVID-19 globally.

On an annual basis, these 115,000 trees will: • Release 11,500 tons of oxygen, roughly the amount consumed by 14,000 people in a year.

• Absorb 2,875 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking 625 cars off the road annually.

• Reforest over 107,600 square feet of land, the size of 284 football fields.

This marks the first major collaborative effort to expand the One Heart Forest since it was announced on World Environment Day last June. The One Heart Movement is continuing to raise funds in support of its goal of planting over 5 million trees in honor of every life lost to the global pandemic.

“We are so grateful and excited to have Careismatic Brands and Cherokee Uniforms on board to support the One Heart Forest,” says Krista Kleiner, founder and executive director of The One Heart Movement.

“The One Heart Movement was inspired by the valiant efforts of healthcare workers who have put themselves on the line to save others over the course of the pandemic.

“As we have expanded to support additional local and global

LOS ANGELES — Kevin Minissian, president and CEO of Norchem Corp., died the afternoon of Nov. 23 after being shot by a gunman in nearby Pasadena, the company reports.

Pasadena police received several calls reporting shots fired and patrol units arrived to find Minissian, 70, with several gunshot wounds. Meanwhile, the suspect—identified only as a man in his 20s—attempted to carjack a woman to evade capture but fled on foot as officers arrived. He later took a second woman hostage before being fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire with police a few blocks away.

Authorities don’t know what led to the fatal shooting of Minissian and are continuing to investigate the incident.

The company says that for more than four decades, Minissian dedicated himself to developing innovative chemistry solutions and advanced water systems for the textile services industry.

“Kevin’s commitment to excellence paired with his passion to serve his customers enabled him to acquire tremendous respect and positive influence amongst his customers and colleagues, many of whom have become dear friends,” shares Norchem.

As founder and CEO, the company says Minissian’s inventive genius helped shape the industry by offering state-of-the-art solutions for the betterment of the environment, including wastewater reclamation, green chemistry, automated dosing systems and other process technologies focused on sustainability.

Calendar January 12

New Orleans, La. Info: 703-519-0029

February 2

MTSA 2022 Annual Dinner Event Chicago, Ill. Info: 888-672-6872

American Laundry News Podcast: Laundry Operations & OSHA Chicago, Ill. Info: 312-361-1700

TRSA Webinar: Interns & The Industry Alexandria, Va. Info: 703-519-0029

American Reusable Textile Association Virtual Speaker Series: Lessons from Covid-19 – How to Win and Maintain Conversions Mission, Kan. Info: 863-660-5350

19

20

2-3

TRSA F&B, Hospitality & Industrial Conference

14

JENSEN Winter/Spring 2022 Online Service Webinars: JWE & JTD Series Washer/ Extractors & Tumbler/Dryers Panama City, Fla. Info: 850-271-5959 ALN

23

As an industry thought leader, he was an active member of TRSA, CSC, ITRA, ALM, WTSA, TCATA and served as a council member of the Los Angeles Sanitation Districts’ Advisory Council.

He was also on the 2019 Panel of Experts for American Laundry News.

Minissian’s expertise in electrical engineering and biochemistry paired with his Minissian innovative nature enabled him to explore “what’s possible” when troubleshooting operational challenges and pragmatically applying advanced solutions to achieve sustainable and scalable outcomes.

In honor of his ongoing passion for innovation, Norchem Corp. and the families have established the Kevin Minissian Memorial Fund at CalTech (https://securelb.imodules. com/s/1709/devassoc/giving/giving.aspx?sid=1709&gid=3&pg id=1598&cid=4019).

When he was not serving customers, he could be found enthusiastically and tirelessly working in the lab to simplify the laundry cleaning process for greater efficiency.

“He will be incredibly missed and never forgotten, as he left an indelible impact with all those he knew and encountered,” the company says.

Minissian is survived by his beloved wife, four children, siblings, and nieces and nephews. His legacy will be carried out by his family and the steadfast team of dedicated, loyal members of Norchem, the company shares.

Woodson elected, Bartsch, Sanchez re-elected to ARTA Board MISSION, Kan. — American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) President Gabriel Boardman reports that Shane Woodson of SourceAmerica was elected and two incumbent directors have been re-elected—Bryan Bartsch of Ecotex and Dan Sanchez of Medline—to the association’s Board of Directors.

Their terms began Jan. 1. ARTA director terms are for two years.

The Board of Directors confirmed the results of this year’s election at its recent meeting. The complete roster for ARTA’s Woodson 2022-23 Board of Directors includes: • President Boardman of MIP, Montreal, Quebec.

• 1st Vice President Jerry Martin of Prudential Overall Supply, Irvine, California.

• 2nd Vice President Duane Houvener, America Dawn, Nashville.

• Secretary Steven Tinker of Gurtler Industries, Inc., South Holland, Bartsch Illinois.

• Treasurer Dave Balliet of HCSC, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

• Past President Brendan O’Neill of London Hospital Linen Service, Inc., London, Ontario.

• Director Jeff Courey of George Courey, Montreal, Quebec.

• Director Bartsch of Ecotex, Abbotsford, British Columbia.

• Director Nicole Grubich of Sanchez WMSHL, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

• Director Cecil Lee of Standard Textile, Cincinnati.

• Director Sanchez of Medline Industries, Inc., Mundelein, Illinois.

• Director Woodson, SourceAmerica, Jonesboro, Tennessee.

• Legislative Director Scott Delin of Superior Uniform Group, Seminole, Florida.

In addition, Nancy Jenkins of Jenkins Integrated Marketing serves as executive director and editor of ARTA. ARTA will hold its election for the 2023-24 board in the spring, with results announced at Clean 2022 in Atlanta. ALN