TRSA Welcomes Former White House Economic Director to 1st Blended Annual Convention

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Members of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), representing the $15 billion textile services and commercial laundry industry, are preparing for the group’s Annual Convention slated for Oct. 17-19 at The Lodge in Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Calif.

Next month’s event—the first since the unification of the Uniform & Textile Service Association (UTSA) and TRSA—is expected to attract 150 owners, operators and senior executives from the largest national, regional and local linen, uniform, industrial and healthcare laundries across the country.

Todd Buchholz, former White House director of economic policy under President George H.W. Bush and a regular CNBC contributor, will offer insights from his latest book, New Ideas from Dead CEOs: Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office, uncovering the secrets of great CEOs through aspects of their professional and personal lives.

Other speakers include business leaders and experts who will discuss sales, workplace safety and compliance:

• Help, I’m Being Audited by OSHA! — David Casavant, CFM, executive director of the Workplace Safety Awareness Council, focuses on reducing work-related injuries and illnesses nationwide based on his award-winning book, Emergency Preparedness for Facilities — a Guide to Safety Planning and Business Continuity.
• OSHA and the Laundry Industry — John C. Sullivan, senior manager, Occupational Safety and Health, Sodexo, and former OSHA compliance officer, will cover commonly cited safety hazards, standards and solutions (best practices) and SafeTRSA resources to reduce workplace injury and illnesses.
• Key Wage & Hour Compliance Requirements for Laundry Operations — Jeffrey Wohl and Ryan Hess, Paul Hastings Employment Law, will address employment law issues, such as employee vs. independent contractor classification, overtime-exempt status, and compensability of an employee’s time.
• Set Your Sale: Upselling in a Down Market — Sean McArdle, American Management Association faculty and founder/chair of LifeAnswers Inc., offers insight into leveraging a market’s twists and turns to improve sales to gain a competitive advantage.

The Annual Convention will also offer a number of networking opportunities, including playing the famous Torrey Pines South Golf Course, a private winery tour, a Welcome Reception, and the Chair Awards Dinner that will feature the introduction of TRSA’s new officers and board of directors.

The reception offers participants an “icebreaking” opportunity to create “Build-a-Bears” that will be donated to local healthcare and social service professionals for distribution to children at area emergency rooms or in other care settings where a cuddly bear could ease a child’s anxieties. Attendee teams will have to complete a list of tasks to receive the stuffing, clothes and heart needed to complete their bears.

To register, or for more information, click here; The Lodge at Torrey Pines is approximately 25 minutes from the San Diego airport, and attendees must contact the hotel directly (800-656-0087, www.lodgetorreypines.com) for reservations (ask for the “TRSA Annual Convention” room rate).