APRIL 2022
JENSEN-GROUP reports revenue increase for 2021 BURGDORF, Switzerland — Laundry equipment manufacturer JENSEN-GROUP reports a revenue of $286 million U.S. for 2021, an increase of 6% compared with 2020, as well as an order intake of $380 million U.S. “High order intake and a doubling of net profit in 2021—this success in the new normal reaffirms our strategy of having local representation in all major markets and maintaining all in-person points of sale and service with our worldwide customer base,” says Jesper Munch Jensen, CEO. Given the overall level of activity and the difficulties the world faced in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Group is very satisfied with the 2021 results. The COVID-19 limitations imposed on tourism and travel particularly affect the Group’s level of activities in the hospitality business as many customers continue to reduce or close down parts of their operations. Most of the recovery in the healthcare and industrial laundry industries was made in Europe ALN and North America.
Personal customer service laundry access HMT Industrial Laundry in Arkansas prides itself on service that inspires loyalty BY MATT POE, EDITOR PANGBURN, Ark. — As one of the only family-owned and operated laundry businesses in the state, the focus of HMT Industrial Laundry has and always will be on personal customer service. “A key difference between our company and our competitors is that our customers have our personal cell numbers and are encouraged to call when they need anything—we’ve delivered on weekends, holidays, bad weather, you name it, and we’re there when you need us,” says owner Brad Watlington. He says this type of service inspires loyalty from HMT’s customers. In the almost 20 years the company has been in business, it has experienced a remarkable less than 2% customer turnover. “Our customers have watched our three boys grow from toddlers to teenagers; they personally know us and we know them,” shares Brad. “Once a business becomes our customer,
HMT Industrial Laundry owners Brad Watlington (left) and his father, Gary. (Photo: HMT Industrial Laundry)
they become part of our customer family and we show them how much we value them.” HMT serves businesses that need rugs, towels, linens and uniforms, including hotels, medical facilities, restaurants, gas stations, schools, colleges and manufacturers. “While we specialize in smaller to mid-size
businesses, we also service larger, Arkansasbased companies that appreciate the personal service we can provide them,” adds Brad. HMT Industrial Laundry was started by Brad and his father, Gary, in April 2003. See HMT on Page 6
Moving from customer-owned goods to rental services The pandemic accelerated a healthcare shift from COG to rental goods; hospitality is a work in progress BY MATT POE, EDITOR CHICAGO — Linen rental is advantageous for both laundry services and their customers. Healthcare providers have been moving toward rental for some time while hospitality customers still like the branding options of owning the goods. But how has the pandemic affected customers’ attitudes toward customer-owned goods (COG) and rental? And what does it mean for laundry operations? American Laundry News reached out to the Healthcare Linen Alliance (HLA), the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA), the Association for Linen Management (ALM), and TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, to find out what their laundry and linen service See GOODS on Page 8
(Image licensed by Ingram Image) Volume 48, Number 4
INSIDE Laundries and Distributors Three reps share ways for laundry operators and distributors to work better together.
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Panel of Experts In this issue, the experts share strategies to handle today’s laundry labor demands.
The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
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[12] PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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