Content about CEO

SAN DIEGO — Scripps Health has signed a multi-year contract extension to retain Emerald Textiles as the health system’s exclusive linen and laundry services provider through 2017, Emerald reports.

“We are very proud of our relationship with Scripps Health, and the opportunity to help them achieve higher patient satisfaction and operational efficiencies,” says Tom Gildred, founder and CEO of Emerald Textiles. “Over the last couple of years, we have provided Scripps with significant savings while delivering upgraded linens and higher service quality. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Scripps Health for many years to come.”

San Diego-based Scripps Health treats a half-million patients annually. Emerald Textiles has managed laundry services and linen supplies for the health system’s five acute-care hospital campuses and 23 outpatient clinics since 2010.

FRANKFORT, Ill. — Rocco Romeo, CEO of HLS Linen Services, Ottawa, Ont., was elected president of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) during the organization’s recent 2013 elections.

Other officers for the year are Chuck Rosmiller, Crothall Laundry Services, vice president; Robert Potack, Unitex Textile Rental Services, secretary/treasurer; Nancy Bjerke, BSN, RN, MPH, CIC, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), immediate past president; and Bradley J. Bushman, Standard Textile Co., director-at-large.

Myles Noel, COMTEX, and Neil Pascoe, RN, BSN, CIC, Texas Department of State Health Services, were elected to the HLAC Board of Directors for the first time. They join the following directors who are continuing their terms into 2013: Gregory Gicewicz, Sterile Surgical Systems; Sandra J. Hensley, RN, MSEM, BSN, CIC, University of Toledo Medical Center; Rick Kislia, Crescent Laundry; and John Scherberger, CHESP, Healthcare Risk Mitigation Inc.

“HLAC made significant progress in many different areas this past year,” says Romeo. “Thanks to a strong, dynamic board and leadership team, HLAC continued to grow, ensuring its presence as the premier accrediting body in the healthcare laundry industry.”

The new HLAC Standards (including the introduction of Part III, Surgical Pack Assembly Room Standards for the Operating Room), were successfully implemented, the organization reports.

There are more than 170 accredited HLAC laundries in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Israel, and the organization plans to pursue additional opportunities in other countries.

“Laundries seeking accreditation do so voluntarily and demonstrate their commitment to healthcare customers and patients by promoting a culture of excellence and continuous process improvement,” Romeo says.

HLAC is planning a series of webinars this year that will assist laundries seeking accreditation and will promote patient safety and infection control.

OMAHA, Neb. — Angie McGee, the owner and CEO of Spin Linen, recently realized her dream to upgrade and modernize the company’s processing facility. The manual and labor-intensive operation started in 1932 and purchased by her father and grandfather in 1979 is now a modern, efficient plant.

McGee recognized that for her business to compete in the ever-expanding healthcare market in the region, she would need to reinvest. Modern, more efficient wash room, finishing and material-handling equipment were all evaluated during the critical decision-making process.

FINDING THE ROOM

She enlisted the assistance of American Laundry Systems (ALS), and the project presented the commercial laundry design/mechanical contracting firm with some challenges.

First was to find room in an already crowded and cramped facility. The simple answer was to build an expansion and make that area the starting place for the retrofit, but ALS quickly concluded that it wasn’t financially feasible (with building/expansion costs in the $75-$100 per square foot range), and that dealing with the City of Omaha could be difficult, especially considering Spin Linen’s proximity to a nearby bridge. Having to add parking spaces to bring the facility up to code, along with the building expansion issues, led ALS to look at other alternatives.

By adding/expanding to a more modern sorting deck with additional overhead storage for customer bags and sorted soil classifications, ALS was able to find the room to expand the wash room. The firm’s design changes would allow Spin Linen to use the “cube” (height as well as length and depth), and so ALS went to bid with material-handling vendors for additional monorail storage and superstructure. With the help of Bobco Systems, ALS completed that part of the design so that it could start reorienting the various pieces of equipment in the plant.

ADDING A TUNNEL

A local on-premise laundry in a nearby hospital had closed its doors just prior to the project/design phase, and its equipment became available for purchase. With ALS’ help, McGee negotiated a deal with hospital administrators. ALS “de-rigged” the facility and placed the equipment into warehouse storage. Part of the equipment package was a Milnor CBW® system with hydraulic press, shuttle and batch dryers. Only one existing conventional washer was removed and replaced with the high-production tunnel system.

Adding a tunnel washer to a conventional plant brings different challenges. Smooth workflow to and from the tunnel is needed to avoid bottlenecks that could hamper its performance. ALS accomplished this by repositioning the entire finishing department. Turning the ironers and small-piece folders, along with using a common takeaway conveyor, helped bring work to a common/central area for cart makeup.

Turning the ironers 90 degrees created enough space between them and the tunnel dryers to efficiently stage work behind the feeders. This also reduced cart pushing and associated labor.

Adding a tunnel washer meant that the plant’s wash capacity per hour would be increased. It had to be balanced on the finishing side with either equipment upgrades or additions so bottlenecks could be avoided. A small ironer was replaced with a larger machine and high-production feeders were added to keep up with the extra work coming from the wash room.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

When utility consumption was analyzed, it was determined that the plant’s steam, air and water demands had all increased. The existing steam boiler was replaced with a new, efficient boiler. Spin purchased a new air compressor, and the existing compressor was re-tasked as a backup or for use during high demand. The water softener was upgraded to ensure water quality would not be compromised by the added workload.

At the time of the retrofit, the process water system was already taxed by the earlier addition of larger conventional washers for which it was not designed. The plant would need bigger water and sewer lines to keep up with the added workload, resulting in huge project costs due to impact fees and other charges. This challenge was answered by using bigger buffer tanks for process water and better controls to keep the water demand balanced during the work cycle.

Spin Linen purchased a refurbished TEA process water tanks and pump set to project costs down. With TEA’s help, and some new parts, the system was as good as new.

After reviewing the existing Kemco wastewater system, it was decided to keep the hardware (wastewater pump, heat exchanger, four-way valves, etc.) but upgrade controls. The new Kemco controls ensured the tanks didn’t overflow, and the heat exchanger and energy reclamation system worked properly to extract useful Btu out of wastewater to keep the system in a steady state.

The synergy of the TEA-Kemco process water system worked well, ALS says. The larger pumps and larger process water lines to the wash room reduced fill time at the washers and improved equipment efficiency. All new utility headers (water, steam, steam return, and air) were engineered and installed by ALS to meet the new demand as well as future growth.

CART WASHER CHALLENGE

Another challenge in converting the linen plant to do healthcare work was to add a cart washer. Why? Because the same building footprint that has added a new tunnel washer, shuttle, hydraulic press, four batch dryers, larger control panel, larger ironer, a feeder, process tanks, water softener and an air compressor would have to accommodate it without an addition/expansion.

The ALS design team was able to find a location where the cart washer would complement the overall plant workflow process and make sense. After consulting with Spin Linen’s management team, the ALS installation crew built a custom cart washer that cost 50% less than a conventional cart washer. The only downtime, less than 48 hours, was required to cure the concrete before the water was turned on, according to the company.

THE RESULTS

Overall, ALS designed and engineered the plant retrofit; assisted Spin Linen in equipment selection and negotiating equipment contracts; demolished and disconnected old/existing equipment; installed new equipment and relocated existing equipment; installed new mechanical infrastructure, new process water equipment, new boiler system and new tunnel washer system; and designed/built a new cart washer. The company provided complete project management and supervisory services, as well as coordinated all subcontractor activities and equipment deliveries.

Before the project, Spin Linen was processing 85,000 pounds of mixed linen per 40 hours at a rate of 2,125 pounds per hour (85-90 pounds per operator hour), ALS says. There was no room to grow or expand without adding work hours or a second shift.

Today, Spin Linen has a production capacity of 3,600-4,000 pounds per hour. Proper workflow design and better use of material-handling equipment has improved pounds-per-operator-hour performance. Energy efficiency is better thanks to the tunnel washer system, boiler and process system controls. And Spin Linen can now process mixed linen and healthcare linen under the same roof.

The entire retrofit project was completed for less than $1.2 million and without shutting down the plant.

RØNNE, Denmark — Queen Margrethe II of Denmark usually rounds off the summer with a cruise on the Royal private yacht Dannebrog to meet and greet her kingdom’s citizens. On Sept. 5-6, the Royal escort paid an official visit to the island of Bornholm, home of industrial laundry equipment maker JENSEN-GROUP.

Welcoming the Queen were CEO Jesper Munch Jensen; his mother, Lise Munch Jensen (widow of the late Jørn Munch Jensen); and Steen Nielsen, managing director of JENSEN Denmark and executive director for JENSEN’s Finishing Technology business unit.

Lise Munch Jensen presented the Queen with a bouquet of acorns; the acorns came from an oak tree planted on the JENSEN grounds 22 years earlier in honor of the Queen’s 50th birthday.

Nielsen gave a short presentation of JENSEN-GROUP’s activities, detailing the industry and the type of customers that JENSEN-GROUP serves. Some of JENSEN’s customers also supply to other Royal households, so Queen Margrethe and Prince Consort Henrik have certainly already been in touch with linen that has been processed on JENSEN equipment, the company says.

Jesper Munch Jensen personally guided the Royal visit. The Queen accepted an invitation to try the Jenfeed Logic Plus feeder herself, becoming the company’s first Royal machine operator.

The table linen that was fed into a test finishing line bore the official monogram of H.M. Queen Margrethe II. After successful operation, the company offered the linen to the Royal family as a souvenir.

JENSEN-GROUP maintains U.S. operations in Panama City, Fla.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — When William J. Tingue and William E. Brown formed Tingue, Brown & Co. in New York in 1902, the Yankees were still called the Baltimore Orioles, the first movie theater had just opened its doors, and paper dollars were still redeemed for gold at the U.S. Treasury.

Though much has changed in the 110 years since the company’s founding, the core values, the product innovations and the focus on service to the laundry industry remain staunchly the same, the company says.

Integrity, loyalty and ingenuity set a strong foundation that enabled many good people to thrive in and grow the company, according to David Tingue, fourth-generation CEO of the close-knit family-owned and -operated laundry product supplier.

“Frankly, we’re busy trying to focus on today, on one customer at a time, one laundry at a time and then at the end of the year, we realize another year has gone by and hopefully we can look back and feel proud of our efforts and the results,” says Tingue. “That we’re still doing this after 110 years is both humbling and gratifying.”

Originally launched offering specialty felts, aprons and accessories for ironers during the infancy of the commercial laundry industry, Tingue, Brown & Co. devised, developed and often patented a host of product innovations to suit the many flatwork ironers and other machines then coming on the market, earning renown for their quality and the expertise of its representatives.

That proven formula lives on today as “Team Tingue” continues to roll out new products that help laundries worldwide boost finish quality, reduce energy consumption and support safety programs, among other objectives, while providing expert, personal service and on-site installation.

“As long as we move forward with this level of knowledge, dedication and commitment to customer service, then I feel we’ll be prepared for whatever the next 110 years may bring,” Tingue says.

Tingue, Brown & Co. today also encompasses laundry cart manufacturer Meese Orbitron Dunne Co., Ashtabula, Ohio; and laundry machine parts and equipment manufacturer Talley Machinery, Greensboro, N.C., also founded in 1902.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Association for Linen Management returns here on June 24-27 for its 72nd Annual Conference.

The “Plan for Excellence” event at The Seelbach Hilton is built on an extensive array of educational sessions, as well as association activities and networking/social events.

An optional pre-conference program on June 24 will feature sessions on Implementing AORN’s Recommended Practice for Surgical Attireand Success by the Numbers...Production Standards & Metrics.

Keynote speaker Paul Fayad, CEO of HHA Services, will kick off the conference June 25 as he identifies the essentials to being Equipped for Success.

The morning of June 26 brings a new feature as participants “eavesdrop” on a panel discussion about the industry’s changing structure, its place in the investment world, and how these changes may impact business structure and design. Panelists include Swisher Hygiene’s Doug Story, Laundry-Consulting.com’s David Chadsey and ARCO Murray’s Ed Kwasnick.

Breakout sessions throughout the conference include:

• Efficiencies in the Wash Process, Steven Tinker, Gurtler Industries — The program will address rewash and reclaim numbers that can be costly and finding solutions to problem soils without tipping the balance sheet.
• An Exchange Cart Program that Works, Barbara Williams, Standard Textile — Whether you’ve been building exchange carts for years or are just starting a program, this session will provide solutions to problems and opportunities to maximize successes.
• Is It Time for a Tunnel?, Chadsey — Tunnel/continuous batch washers provide savings in chemicals, water and labor. But how do you make an accurate assessment of the situation vs. a “guess”?
• Linen’s Role in Improving Patient Outcomes, Carol Stamas, CLLM, and Janice Larson, CLLM, Encompass — Understanding the inherent nature of the products, how they impact healing, and their appropriate use can make the difference in patient and fiscal outcomes.
• Satisfaction Surveys That Work, Jerry Palmer, Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) — This program will focus on designing a survey tool to identify what the patient/customer deems important and using that information to improve services and retain customers.
• Quality Assurance: Textiles in Patient Care Areas, Nancy Bjerke, MSN — A quality healthcare laundry provides hygienically clean textiles to the hospital customer. But what steps are taken to maintain the hygienic integrity of those products once they arrive at the facility? Identify areas of issue or concern, and the approach to managing those situations.
• Customer Satisfaction Rule 1: Communication, Jennifer Fairchild, EKU — This session will provide attendees with keys to listening, accurately understanding what their customer wants vs. needs, and assessing performance.
• Isolation Gowns for Lean & Green Operations, Peter Menaker, CLLM, American Dawn — Reusable gowns definitely provide a green approach but how can facilities manage the costs (inventory and processing) while assuring clinicians safe and quality products?
• Prep for the Consultant, Jeff Cohen, MedAssets — The C-Suite (CEO, CFO and COO) has just announced that it has hired a consulting firm to assess operations and identify areas where improvements can be made. What will they expect from you? And what can you expect when all is said and done?
• Infection Control: Bed Change Considerations, Marcia Pierce, EKU — Can you “marry” good utilization and the related cost savings with the concerns over infection prevention?
• Out for Bid, Menaker — This will be a discussion of the critical elements of the product bidding process and the problems that you can encounter.
• Real Performance Improvement in Linen Utilization, Sarah James, RLLD, IPA — This session will go beyond concepts to walk you through an actual situation where linen utilization provided significant outcomes in a healthcare facility.

ALM will also name the year’s top laundry manager and allied tradesperson during the conference.

To learn more about the conference, visit the association's website.

For more information about this Textile Rental Services Association event, click here.

CHICAGO — In more than 40 years as a manager, platoon sergeant, platoon commander, officer in charge, commanding officer, director, program manager or CEO, I have heard peers and other managers say that they would like to be able to voice their opinion during a meeting.

Based on observation, some of it could have to do with their inability to get noticed. They remain wallflowers partly because they never say anything constructive about the subject at hand, or anything at all. I call them “yes” people.

The success-minded people holding the meeting often recognize these issues as they solicit ideas. There is head bobbing, when everyone seems to agree with the concepts that are being presented. But after the meeting, you often hear, “I don’t agree with that” and so forth.

We have all met people who talk too much during meetings. They love the sound of their voice and will speak at length on any given topic whether or not they have anything worthwhile to say. It’s during these times that the meeting leader must stand tall to move the agenda yet still listen in hope they will eventually say something of benefit.

Think about this: you’re in a meeting when you think of something you could say. You sit there, wondering whether to speak up, but you are nervous. Is it worth saying or is it a silly point?

A couple minutes pass while you try to decide whether to take the plunge. Then, before you can open your mouth, someone else pipes up and makes exactly the point you were going to make. Everything thinks it’s a helpful contribution, and you’re left cursing yourself.

I have some suggestions for making a positive impression at your next meeting.

Assuming you have an agenda—this is essential; my philosophy: no agenda, no plan, no meeting—prepare something to say. If the manager sends out the agenda for comment, do not ignore this opportunity to have input.

Always review the agenda to see what issues are coming up. Speak to others and find out what they think about them. Then sit for a moment and consider the topics. What do you know about them? What questions do you have? Can you think of anything useful to say?

Try to prepare a few talking points or questions. Write a list to take to your meeting. That way, you won’t be caught with nothing to say and be forced to try to think of something on the spur of the moment. You can always add to the list if other things come to mind.

Always have a goal to contribute something. Don’t just see how you feel when the time comes, make your presence felt. Sometimes, you just have to say what is in your gut. While it may raise eyebrows, it does force everyone to think.

Another tip: you don’t have to express an opinion to make a contribution. Asking a question can also get you noticed and be seen as more thoughtful and constructive.

Even just agreeing with someone else can be useful, especially if you can add something. Be aware of the attendee who sits back and waits for others to comment so he/she can attempt to be critical no matter how ridiculous the comments are.

Speaking up initially can cause you to be nervous, especially as that moment arrives when you are just about to say something, but having prepared what to say will help a lot.

Follow a simple structure to prevent nerves from taking over and to make sure what you say is clear.

If you are going to express an opinion, prepare a single point to make. State it clearly and give one reason in support.

Don’t try to say too much or go into a lot of detail. This is usually left to the person who jumps at the opportunity to make him or herself look good. In reality, they actually make themselves look helpless and insecure.

As you grow more confident, you will be more able to think on your feet (or on your backside, if it’s a meeting) and won’t be so reliant on your notes.

Watch your body language and listen to your tone. See how other attendees involved in the meeting are seated. You’ll notice they tend to sit forward, look attentive and maintain eye contact with others. They don’t slouch, look down and avoid the gaze of others.

Pick out the people you think are effective and watch what they do, when they speak, what they say, and how they sit. Model yourself after them.

ACWORTH, Ga. — 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Softrol Systems, a multi-disciplinary design, manufacturing and software development company that provides solutions to the textile rental and manufacturing industries.

Chad and Brent Keith founded the company in 1987 and used their experience providing solutions for chemical, water and wastewater issues encountered by wet process clients to develop leading-edge process control technology. Softrol now provides total plant solutions in chemical systems, automation systems, management systems and rail systems, the company says.

Over the years, the company has grown by providing solutions that increase its customers’ bottom line, says CEO Chad Keith. Complete washroom automation and real-time production information are just two examples of technology advancements that have become mainstream throughout the industry.

“We see greater adoption rates for systems that we have been developing and deploying to advance the collection of data, the integration of it into actionable information, and now, finally, into real-time business intelligence for better plant management,” he says.

For any plant, Softrol can provide an “Automated Production Management System” that includes labor management, production reporting, equipment information and business intelligence, the company says. “It all comes down to total plant management,” says Keith. “We are one of a few companies in the industry that can manage your products and information from the soil dock to the shipping dock.”

And Softrol is primed to maintain its strong position with new technological advancements and RFID solutions, according to Keith.

“As we prepare for sustained success in the future, we will continue to serve the changing demands of our customers and will also expand our industry solutions to foreign markets,” he says. “It’s this strategic planning and futuristic attentiveness that has kept and will keep Softrol as a forerunner in the industry.”

Softrol plans to host multiple events throughout the year to celebrate its quarter-century stint. “To commemorate our 25-year anniversary, we plan to remind the industry of the full range of laundry processing solutions we have developed since 1987, and to continue to develop industry-leading solutions to take us forward for the next 25 years,” Keith says.

To learn more about Softrol and its product lines, visit www.softrol.com/ALN.

DUBOIS, Pa. — ARCO/Murray National Construction Co. reports that it recently completed a facility expansion and equipment installation project for Paris Companies, a regional textile services company servicing the uniform and healthcare markets and led by CEO David Stern.

The project consisted of three expansions, totaling 14,000 square feet, to the DuBois healthcare facility originally built in 2008. Work included a new soil-dock expansion (tailored to Paris’ custom twin-level “super” trailers), finishing-area addition (creating more folding capacity, supplemented by installation of another ironer line), and wash-floor expansion (creating room for a new tunnel washer and dryers, plus additional soil storage rail).

Construction was completed while the plant was operating three shifts, six days a week, and Paris’ quota of 900,000 pounds per week was not affected, ARCO/Murray says. Paris had converted to three shifts earlier this year to cover increased volume. With the third tunnel washer operational in October, the plant was able to return to two shifts.

ARCO/Murray attributes the project’s successful completion to close coordination with Tom Walsh, Paris Cos. director of engineering, and CJ Spencer, the plant’s general manager.

Representing ARCO/Murray were Elliot Mata, project executive, and Anthony Lovero, project manager. The new wash equipment was procured through Frank Constable and distributor PAC Industries, and the material-handling portion was done with Jensen Futurail represented by Simon Nield.

OAK CREEK, Wis. — When Crothall Laundry Services officially opened its new 83,000-square-foot plant during a June 27 ribbon-cutting ceremony, it marked a couple of important firsts for the Crothall Healthcare service line.

The $13 million state-of-the-art facility is the first that Crothall has built from the ground up, and it is reportedly the first laundry in the world to certify (its processing included) under certain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design) standards. And Crothall managed to complete the construction project—aided by many industry vendors—in nine months.

A hundred dignitaries filed into a tent erected in the plant’s parking lot to listen to congratulatory remarks from Bobby Kutteh, CEO of parent company Compass Group; Steve Carpenter, president of Crothall Laundry Services; and others before touring the gleaming facility.

The plant can process approximately 25 million pounds of clean linen per year in one shift or up to 50 million pounds annually on two shifts. Crothall claims it is producing efficiencies exceeding 150 pounds per operator hour.

Crothall built the stand-alone plant south of Milwaukee after Aurora Health Care decided that its Crothall-run campus laundry in Milwaukee would be converted to another use. The facility processes 18 million pounds annually for 17 hospitals. Crothall has been processing linen for Aurora Health Care since 2000.

ARCO/Murray National Construction Co. was responsible for all construction phases. Various manufacturers and Pellerin Laundry Machinery Sales Co. provided design, installation, start-up and training services. Herb Fitzgerald Co. assisted locally.

Three PulseFlow® tunnel washers (150-pound modules) from Pellerin Milnor Corp. supply the needed washing capacity. Their patent-pending technology incorporates top-transfer batch processing. On average, the system is capable of laundering healthcare linen at a water-consumption rate of approximately 0.45 gal/lb, saving Crothall roughly 8.5 million gallons—or 39% compared to the traditional tunnel washing process—annually.

The E-Tech soil-sort area utilizes continuous sorting on rail, featuring LED-display sort windows and computerized tunnel-load sequencing.

A press-to-dry rail system automatically carries 300-pound bags of clean laundry on rails overhead to any available Milnor dryer, replacing the traditional shuttle.

Next page: The new plant processes laundry without using high-pressure steam boilers…