Content about CHICAGO

CHICAGO — Those who manage laundry/linen services or textile rental firms find that tracking and counting the goods streaming in and out of their plants improves productivity and inventory control.

Yes, washing, drying and finishing goods for an end-user or client is only part of a professional launderer’s job. Keeping track of the linen, garments or mats flowing into and out of their facility is just as important.

So, how does a laundry go about tackling that task in the most efficient way possible?

RFID SYSTEMS

Radio-frequency identification, or RFID, first used for item tracking and access-control applications, made its way into the textile service industry in the 1990s. Key components of an RFID system generally include a tag or chip (packaged into a rugged plastic casing specially designed to withstand harsh industrial laundry processes), an antenna connected to a reader, and a reader connected to a software system that collects and manages the data collected. The tag or chip is affixed to a garment or linen in some fashion.

“Such devices come in many forms and sizes, from small wires and tags to tiny chips,” says Ecolab’s Jim Mitchell, who discussed linen tracking while a member of the American Laundry News Panel of Experts. “Using these devices to track linen flow is becoming commonplace, especially with more expensive linens such as uniforms, bed linens and silks.

“Although some laundries use RFID tags or chips for inventorying, sorting and tracking of all linens, having these devices applied to common linens such as sheets and terry may not be practical or economical in your operation.”

RFID technology is constantly improving, according to Mitchell, and devices on the market are smaller, more cost-effective and offer greater resistance to adverse cleaning elements.

There are many instances of organizations using RFID tracking to better maintain their inventories. For example, Four Winds Casinos recently selected InvoTech’s RFID Multi-Property Uniform Tracking System to centrally consolidate uniform inventory, tracking and purchases for all of its properties to reduce labor and purchasing costs.

Four Winds use the InvoTech system coupled with a White Conveyors system to automatically deliver uniforms to employees’ hands. InvoTech centrally tracks uniform use, controls inventories, monitors laundry cycles, and consolidates purchasing for more than 10,000 uniforms.

“We now have an accurate combined uniform inventory count for all properties on one database and can purchase in larger numbers to benefit from higher-volume buys,” says Jennifer Lasiewicz, Four Winds Casinos’ vice president of hotel operations.

Four Winds launders its own uniforms and uses an RFID drop-chute reader to record when staff returns soiled items.

“It reads each uniform’s RFID chip as the garment is dropped,” Lasiewicz says. “We do not manually count every piece the staff returns to our laundry. With a large number of employees, that would take a long time. InvoTech monitors uniforms coming and going at all properties, and we maintain a central bulk inventory at Four Winds New Buffalo to simplify our operation.”

Some hotels are even using RFID technology to deter theft. They are sewing tags into pricey linens such as towels, bathrobes and high-thread-count sheets. When a tag is read by a strategically placed RFID reader, a system instantly alerts staff that an item is in danger of being pilfered.

A Hawaii hotel which introduced the technology a couple of years ago claimed to have reduced theft of its pool towels from 4,000 a month to just 750, saving $16,000 in replacement costs monthly.

BAR-CODE LABELING

Bar coding is a more mature, simpler technology than RFID. Such a system can provide a launderer with information about each individual item, including when it was last turned in, how many times it has been processed, and when it was originally issued. Bar codes are generally thought to be less expensive than RFID tags.

But bar-code labeling has some limitations. It requires line of sight, which RFID does not in most cases. RFID systems can read multiple tags simultaneously, while bar codes are read one at a time. Many RFID tags are read/write, while a bar code is read-only. And most fixed RFID readers don’t require human involvement to collect data, while most bar-code scanners require a human to operate them.

Some large plants apply a bar-code label as well as an RFID tag, so if something prevents the RFID tag from being read, the bar code serves as a backup.

Regardless of how one goes about tracking their textiles, gathering the information is just the first step. Then one has to decide what the data means and then put it to use it in their operation.

 “Item tracking with RFID chips, bar codes, electronic route accounting, etc., are all important opportunities to help you control your merchandise,” says American Dawn’s Steve Kallenbach, a former member of the American Laundry News Panel of Experts. “However, if you don’t have good reconciliation processes, any of these systems will only allow you to know what’s missing!”

CHICAGO — Managing or overseeing an institutional, commercial or industrial laundry causes at least moderate stress, according to more than three-quarters of respondents to this month’s American Laundry News Wire survey. And their stressors range from a co-worker or customer/end-user to any number of other variables, including the nature of their job and/or the volume of work.

The stress felt by most of this month’s survey-takers is either “Moderate” (47.1%), “Low” (29.4%) or “Serious” (23.5%). No one deemed their stress to be “Extreme.”

For about one in five respondents, their job stress is chiefly caused by their relationship with another person they work with. The same holds true for respondents who say a customer or end-user causes their job stress.

Aside from these troublesome relationships, the nature of their job and its responsibilities causes stress for nearly 40% of respondents, followed closely by workload (30.8%). Condition of equipment (23.1%), lack of resources (15.4%), fear of service being outsourced/losing account (15.4%), the physical work environment (7.7%) and personal health issues (7.7%) were also cited. (Respondents could check as many options as applied and/or an “Other” option.)

Nearly half of the respondents did select “Other,” describing stressors that include family issues, the U.S. economy, communication issues, expectations by upper management, and the quality of finished linen being received from a commercial laundry.

Roughly 41% say they feel job stress even when they’re away from their workplace, and approximately 35% say their stress level previously has reached a point where they considered looking for another job or possibly even another line of work.

But for all the negatives this survey may have generated, virtually every respondent said their job has positive aspects. Helping others, working with people, and creating customer satisfaction were just some of the positives they shared.

“I get to do what I love every day,” wrote one respondent. “I have an incredible opportunity to coach and grow the leaders and managers of our company.”

“Rewarding to work with people with disabilities,” wrote another. “When the going is good, it feels really good.”

Respondents ranged in rank from laundry managers and directors of housekeeping/laundry to general managers and plant owners.

While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

CHICAGO — For Toledo’s NuCentury Textile Services, 2012 began under horrible circumstances.

Published reports indicate that, on Jan. 3 last year, an employee failed to turn off and lock a folder before servicing it. His clothes got caught in the machine, and his hand and forearm were injured. He later died from complications while recovering at home.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) cited NuCentury for several alleged safety violations and fined it $40,000. NuCentury hired a safety consultant and took other steps to improve its safety program, prompting OSHA to lower the fine to $19,600.

Despite best efforts, on-the-job accidents do occur in and around textile service facilities, and employees are injured or, on rare occasions, even killed.

There are resources available to  help an operator ensure his plant is being run safely, and among them is SafeTRSA, a program offered by the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA).

It provides safety training materials to TRSA members and measures the industry’s progress in implementing enhanced practices to reduce and eliminate occupational injuries and illnesses in plants and depots, according to Ken Koepper, director of marketing and public relations for the association.

Success is quantified when TRSA administers its annual survey of its members’ occupational injury and illness data, he explains. “Such tracking over the past several years has prompted TRSA’s creation of industry-specific initiatives and resources to focus on the industry’s highest risk areas and those cited most frequently by OSHA.”

This has resulted in TRSA members’ adoption of proven policies and procedures for maintaining equipment (lockout/tagout), handling soiled linen (especially bloodborne pathogens) and working in confined spaces, Koepper says.

“The networking and information-sharing between members on such matters has generated new programming for educational institutes and conferences as well as publications, online resources, videos and more.”

Membership-wide safety statistics enable TRSA companies to easily compare their improvements to the industry norm and foster further gains.

Data from 2011, reported in 2012, will be released by TRSA shortly.

“Our survey from 2010 covered 59 textile services companies operating 720 processing facilities and depots,” Koepper says. “It showed that in the prior four years, the industry experienced across-the-board reductions in its injury and illness rates. TRSA calculates separate TRIR and DART rates for plants and depots.

“The new report will reflect further reductions. Also, participation in the survey increased in 2012, to 66 companies operating 792 facilities.”

TRIR stands for Total Recordable Incidence Rate. DART is short for Day Aways, Restricted or Transferred.

From 2006 to 2010, TRSA respondents reduced their total number of recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 employees (TRIR Rate) from 9.5 to 5.5, Koepper says. Injuries and illnesses per 100 employees resulting in days away from work, job restrictions and/or job transfers (DART Rate) dropped from 5.8 to 3.9.

TRSA also calculates separate figures for the industrial and linen segments. The new report will cross-reference these with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) industry-wide figures, according to Koepper.

In 2011, at TRSA’s request, for the first time in roughly a decade, BLS published separate TRIR and DART rates for textile services (industrial and linen) as opposed to the agency’s prior practice of only consolidating them with all other types of commercial laundry (mostly dry cleaning and coin laundry).

Koepper says TRSA requested this reporting enhancement as a means for tracking future industry-wide improvements.

“Although TRSA and BLS results show that the industry is still short of achieving its ultimate objective—eliminating occupational injuries and illnesses in its facilities—these reports also demonstrate dramatic progress towards achieving that goal,” he says.

TRSA hosted a Safety Summit last year that focused on enhancing safety cultures across the industry.

“It had been four years since the industry conducted a single-subject meeting on safety,” Koepper says. “Although it was a seminar topic in conferences and educational institutes, too much time had passed since an event dedicated to the subject was held.”

Audiences for prior safety-focused meetings had consisted mostly of hands-on safety professionals. The Summit concept involved the highest levels of textile services management, elevating TRSA’s involvement in guiding operators in increasing the prominence of safety in their corporate cultures.

“The Summit went beyond day-to-day injury prevention tactics,” Koepper says. “It examined options the industry could exercise collectively to hire the proper expertise, immediately assess the greatest risks and devise near-term action plans for developing standards and communicating them to operators.”

The TRSA Safety Committee is working on those plans, and a second Safety Summit has been scheduled for May 22 in Indianapolis.

Koepper says he’s seen the industry make great strides in automation in recent decades.

Automated material handling reduces the “manual labor requirement for this purpose. Soil bags are hoisted and carried on rails automatically to washers. Computing drives clean-side garment sorting. To prevent hazardous discharge of energy, smart systems are limiting access to areas where electricity must be controlled to ensure machines don’t start unexpectedly.”

But automation isn’t likely to ever completely eliminate all the different types of human movement required to provide textile services.

“Route service, for example, will always involve an individual walking from a truck to a customer’s receiving area,” Koepper says. “To reduce exposure, the industry has increased its proficiency in safer lifting, carrying and pushing. More individuals are cross-trained to perform different jobs in the course of a day to curtail redundant motion.”

TRSA is guiding members in their quest to convince every employee that safety comes first and productivity second.

While it is still a huge job to get to zero incidents in an industry so heavily dependent on athleticism and individual workers’ judgment, Koepper says TRSA is pleased with the gains of recent years and believes more improvement lies ahead.  

AVENTURA, Fla. — William Kalman “Bill” Steiner, founder of Steiner-Atlantic Corp. and Dryclean USA, died Dec. 27 after a three-year struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 82.

The Chicago-born Steiner worked hard his entire life, beginning as a newsboy at age 9. He held part-time jobs throughout high school and worked his way through Baltimore Business College to earn his accounting degree.

While working as an accountant, a client asked Steiner to help him book rock ’n’ roll shows around Baltimore. Show business soon enthralled him, and he booked prominent 1950s stars such as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and the Kingston Trio at concerts around the country. But he eventually tired of the constant travel and moved in 1959 to Miami, where he met his future wife, Sheila. They married in 1961.

It was in Miami that Steiner began a new career in the dry cleaning business. He founded Steiner-Atlantic Corp., a distributor of commercial laundry and dry cleaning equipment, boilers, parts and service, in 1959. Michael Steiner took over the reins of that company in 1987.

After building and selling several of his own dry cleaning plants, Bill Steiner co-founded Dryclean USA, a dry cleaning business franchisor, in 1977. That business also continues through this day under Michael’s leadership.

Bill Steiner constantly sought to improve dry cleaning machinery in order to make the industry more environmentally friendly, and he is the holder of several patents for environmentally safe dry cleaning equipment and processes.

Bill and Sheila Steiner have been members of Beth Torah Congregation in Aventura for many years. They provided the educational center there in memory of son Jim, who died in a 1989 auto accident at age 21. But they were also generous in their community. In honor of their long-time support, the Jackson Memorial Hospital Foundation renamed a part of the hospital the Bill and Sheila Steiner Family North Lobby.

Surviving Steiner are his wife, Sheila; four sons, Robert, Richard, Michael and David; a brother, Tom; and four grandchildren.

Donations in Steiner’s memory may be made to the Beth Torah Congregation, Jackson Memorial Hospital, or the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.  

CHICAGO — When a laundry services operation is in the market for equipment, its administrator or manager can choose from among new, used, rebuilt/refurbished, or a combination, so it’s important to be able to compare options as far as total costs vs. benefits are concerned. How does one go about deciding which choice is the best?

American Laundry News has tackled this topic in depth at various times and in various ways over the years, but it never hurts to have a refresher. Given today’s give-me-the-highlights culture, we’ll summarize some basic guidelines for you to keep in mind when in the buying mood.

BUYING NEW

It’s easiest, but likely more expensive, to buy new. You’ll have the opportunity to examine the equipment closely and may even see it in operation at a manufacturing facility or distributor’s showroom, at a laundry that’s using the same type of equipment, or at a major trade show such as the Clean Show.

But seek out other laundries that have this equipment and learn what issues they may have experienced with it. You’ll know soon enough if it will fit your task.

New equipment will come with brochures, the owner’s manual, and a great deal of other documentation. You’ll receive assistance from the manufacturer and/or distributor regarding the equipment’s transportation and installation, staff training, replacement parts, and more. Everything is under warranty, and the manufacturer and/or distributor will make certain the equipment is working properly and that you’re satisfied.

By buying a new piece of equipment, you’ll know that the recommended preventive maintenance and repairs are carried out from the date of purchase. Your new equipment will invariably have the latest technological advances and safety devices, plus you’ll have the opportunity to add as many bells and whistles as you’re willing to pay for.

BUYING USED OR REBUILT/REFURBISHED

Previously owned machinery can work out quite well, and you can save money in the long run, but take care of the due diligence before signing on the bottom line.

There may be a good deal to be had if, for example, a laundry shuts down, relocates or expands and can no longer use a piece of equipment that’s in good shape. When considering used machinery, ask these questions:

• When was the machine originally manufactured, and how long did it run? Was it used during multiple shifts? (The average life expectancy on well-maintained laundry equipment operating in a single-shift operation is about 15 years.)
• Did the previous owner run constant, heavy-soil formulas, or light-soil formulas?
• Was the machine maintained while in service, and are there any records to support this?
• What is the availability of repair parts?
• Why is the current owner willing to part with this equipment?

Ask for photos of the equipment, at a minimum. If you’re able, see the equipment in operation. If the used machine has been removed from service and can’t be hooked to power and air so you can see if it works, you won’t be able to fully evaluate its condition. You’ll be buying “as is.”

An alternative to buying used is buying a unit that has been rebuilt or refurbished, often to OEM standards.

Want to compare the costs vs. benefits of the different options? Try adding all the savings and benefits each year while subtracting all costs involved each year throughout the lifetime of both options.

Finally, no matter which choice is in front of you, you have to weigh it against your operation and its needs:

Return on Investment — How does it compare between the options you’re considering?

Financial Position — Can you pay cash for the purchase? If not, how will you finance it?

Efficiency — Which offers the greatest efficiency in terms of energy, processing capacity, chemical/water usage, etc.?

Environment — Which option is greenest?

Labor — How will the options reduce your labor needs?

Space — Which option offers the greatest production capacity for the least amount of space?

Installation — Which installation will disrupt your operation the least?

Vendor Reputation — How well known in the industry is the organization or business from whom you’re considering buying?

Morale/Image — Which option will have a more positive effect on employee morale and on your operation’s marketable image?

Every situation is unique, so be sure to research the equipment thoroughly. Determine how it might fit into your organization’s short- and long-term goals before buying anything, new or used.

CHICAGO — With Thanksgiving coming up, American Laundry News asked laundry managers this month to comment via the Wire survey on the things they are thankful for.

Nearly 93% agreed with the statement, “I’m thankful, because our operation is performing well,” while just 7.4% disagreed.

Equal shares of 44.4% either “completely agree” or “somewhat agree” that “our (end-users or clients) appreciate our services.” There were also equal shares of 3.7% that “neither agree nor disagree,” “somewhat disagree” and “completely disagree.”

Respondents’ positions on equipment were slightly more varied. As for “Our equipment works well, and isn’t a concern,” 44.4% “somewhat agree” with the statement while 33.3% “completely agree.” Equal shares of 11.1% “neither agree nor disagree” and “somewhat disagree.” No one who took the unscientific survey “completely” disagreed with the statement.

Survey-takers were asked how confident they were in next year being better for everyone. Thirty-seven percent of respondents “somewhat agree” that 2013 will be better for everyone. Approximately 26% “neither agree nor disagree,” 18.5% “completely disagree,” 14.8% “completely agree” and 3.7% “somewhat disagree.”

Practically everyone who took this month’s survey could identify his or her biggest “turkey,” or headache-causer. Nearly 26% selected the all-encompassing “other” category, with explanations that touched on the federal government, union contracts, and insurance “chaos.” One respondent says he/she does not “get ‘headaches’ from people or equipment.”

Others on the list of “turkeys” were equipment (22.2%), end-users or clients (18.5%), employee(s) (18.5%), management (11.1%) and equipment distributor (3.7%). No one singled out a chemicals supplier, textiles supplier, competitor(s), or government regulator.

Lastly, the survey invited respondents to name one aspect of their service for which they give thanks every day. Many replies related to personnel, but there were others, such as:

• “That we have plenty of customers who come to us every day!”
• “When the day has ended and everything was done in a timely manner.”
• “Rehabilitation of the mentally ill, and providing high-quality linens during rehabilitation stay.”
• “That we have a product that is in constant need, and it cannot be outsourced to another country.”

While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take a brief industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

CHICAGO — If U.S. voters side with the majority of institutional and industrial laundry managers and administrators who responded to October's AmericanLaundryNews.com Wire survey, Mitt Romney will be elected the 45th president of the United States next month.

Roughly 62% of Wire subscribers (which include personnel from institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries) polled in the anonymous, unscientific survey say they are supporting the Republican ticket of Romney and running mate Paul Ryan. Roughly 15% are supporting Democratic incumbents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and 23.1% are not sure at this time. No one who took the survey said they would not be voting for president, or that they are supporting a third-party or write-in candidate.

The state of the economy will be most influential in helping 50% of respondents decide how to cast their vote next month. (Respondents were asked to pick one issue from a list of 19, including “other.”) Next is debt management (selected by 23.1%) and “other” (chosen by 7.7%; most said they would be influenced by multiple issues). Equal shares of 3.8% see the environment/global warming, foreign policy, healthcare, party affiliation, or taxes as the issue that will most influence their decision.

No matter who is elected next month, they will have a lot of work to do. Regardless of who's elected, what is the one issue that you think the administration must address immediately?

Among respondents, their answers most often related to the economy, government spending and job creation. Some examples:

• “Balance budget without increasing or adding any new taxes. Stop all this government spending. Middle-class people can't afford it.”
• “Jobs. The American people have been very patient with the administration for the past four years, but it is time that people get out there and make some money. People need to get their homes back, and big businesses need to play a part in all this. The banks should be forced to return the money given to them by the feds.”
• “Putting people back to work. Reduce the welfare rolls. Try something like the old WPA that worked during the Depression, and stop all this crap from China. Force American-made first by having companies have to manufacture at least 30% of their products here instead of abroad. No tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas.”
• “The economy. If more people are back to work, that will generate more revenue for the government. However, the government needs to cut spending and create a budget.”
• “The economy is the most important issue. If not addressed, we, as a nation, are doomed.”

While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

Editor's Note: Ken Tyler is on break. AmericanLaundryNews.com is reposting a column that originally appeared on the site in July 2008.

CHICAGO — 1. No matter how much you would like to complicate the chemical process of laundering, water is the key element associated with it. Without water, you have nothing.

2. It has been proven that washing in low, controlled temperatures can produce textiles as hygienically clean as washing in high temperatures. Don’t forget that most laundered items reach high temperatures during drying, steam finishing or ironing.

3. The key to maintaining the quality of textile processing or cleaning is service. Don’t overcomplicate the laundry chemistry process — there is little difference between products that are available. Be careful about being oversold on products.

4. Really know your cost to operate. Purchasing/processing textiles through and out of a laundry are way past the 50 cents-per-pound scenario. Don’t forget about capital depreciation, fringe-benefit labor costs, and energy and transportation costs, along with the other costs that are part of the process.

5. Your operation can only be as good as the employees you hire, so treat them with respect and dignity. Walk the floor; know your people and the systems that make your operation run.

6. Don’t purchase any equipment without establishing a process to gauge production, potential cost savings, and ergonomic value — be able to ascertain the total cost, not just the net cost. In other words, determine the best value. Make sure that you purchase equipment from someone who can provide the service you need within a timely basis. Always specify the terms and conditions of the purchase — I recommend you pay 90% on delivery and 10% on acceptance. Always make sure you have a way to get new equipment in and out of your facility.

7. A sound maintenance program requires expertise, not just a handyman. Spend as much time training these folks as you do anyone else. Every manufacturer has a training program — make the investment. One of the most critical aspects of a successful laundry program is a sound routine and preventative maintenance program. Without such a program, you might as well shut your doors.

8. Never forget that you will learn something every day in this industry. Never think you know it all — no one does.

9. Never forget that the laundry is a production facility, not a warehouse. Get off the kick of quotas, give the customer whatever they want or even think they need, and don’t make our business more complicated than it is. Invest in a good textile management system, as well as a production management system that is not linked to in-house systems. Learn the importance or lack of importance of pounds per productive employee. Never forget that employees have little control over production, especially where machine design pretty much controls the process — you can’t get blood out of a turnip. Think incentives for production — those who have it out-produce those who don’t.

10. Become active in the industry, learn how to write performance specifications for equipment (I had to throw that in), and always invest in your future with the formal educational programs and seminars that are available.  

CHICAGO — Fire is a constant threat to those working in the institutional or industrial laundry industry. And nearly half of managers who responded to this month’s AmericanLaundryNews.com Wiresurvey—45.5%—say their laundry, or one under their administration, has suffered a fire during their tenure.

For two-thirds of respondents, their operation’s most recent fire started in a dryer. Equal shares (16.7%) experienced fires that started either in an ironer or in a cart containing textiles. No one who took the anonymous survey reported having suffered a fire related to chemicals or the laundry structure.

Based on those results, it’s not surprising that laundry equipment presents the biggest worry (50%) for managers concerned about fire potential. “Other” was next on the list at 30%; every respondent who chose this response pointed to lint as the factor. Equal shares of 10% worry about textiles or a boiler or water heater. No one who took the survey is concerned about the fire potential of laundry chemicals or the structure.

Half of the fires cited in the survey caused minor damage. One-third caused moderate damage, and the remaining 16.7% caused major damage. Some descriptions:

• “Resident comforter was poly filled and had a tear in it.”
• “Lint fire in plumbing area under the ironer was caused by a bad bearing. Improved housekeeping program.”
• “Spontaneous combustion of dietary rags sitting in dryer. Dryer was left running at end of shift. Maintenance department found the fire. Dryer was destroyed and replaced. All loads MUST be complete and unloaded before end of shift now.”
• “Clean kitchen mops were not cooled properly.”
• “Operator hit wrong button.”

Eighty percent of respondents say their laundry has had a fire drill either within the last month (40%) or last six months (40%). Everyone who responded to the survey believes his or her facility is safer today than it was at the time of the most recent fire.

While the Wiresurvey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wiree-mails are invited to take a brief industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

CHICAGO — Your company is weighing its laundry services options, and pursuing a new plant is a possibility. So what should the average laundry manager know about plant design?

American Laundry News recently invited several engineering, construction and consulting firms with laundry services expertise to respond to some questions about this issue.

ALN: How does designing a laundry for renovation differ from designing a laundry from scratch?

GLEN PHILLIPS, P.E., PRESIDENT AND SENIOR ASSOCIATE, PHILLIPS & ASSOCIATES, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.

Phillips & Associates has to go through all of the discovery steps whether the project is a new design/build project or a renovation project. There is not much difference, except a renovation project already has a shell that could be renovated for use after the fact. A totally new project takes longer to plan and usually costs more money.

DAVID BERNSTEIN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TURN-KEY INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.

As mentioned earlier, planning for an entirely new facility allows the new operation to be designed from the inside out, ensuring the most efficient use of space and layout of equipment. The renovation of an existing facility, on the other hand, can be fraught with its own particular challenges, especially in maintaining productivity, efficiency and safety during the renovation process.

In these cases, operators need to be sure to include careful pre-planning of construction, utility upgrades, equipment arrival, rigging, installation and start-up schedules in order to have as limited an impact as possible on the existing operation.

Third-party vendors should receive training by your company’s safety director so that they are aware of your practices, rules and unique circumstances. Training should be documented and provided to all third-party workers prior to granting entry onto the production floor. Be certain that you also obtain appropriate insurance certificates listing your company as an additional insured.

Another instance to be considered is the one in which a new plant is desired but the costs associated with buying land, erecting a new facility and installing the necessary infrastructure are prohibitive. In this case, the best approach is to find a building that meets the production, staffing, utility and space requirements of the operation, but only after taking the critically important step of undergoing a rigorous and detailed pre-design phase to determine the specific requirements for the building search.

BOB CORFIELD, PRESIDENT/CEO, LAUNDRY DESIGN GROUP, PHOENIX, ARIZ.

Well, consider that you have to “undo before you can do” and that’s the start of it. Can your facility withstand a major or minor construction delay to enable a retrofit? If it can, and there is enough space to accommodate all critical elements (sorting, washing, drying, clean transport, finishing, and packing of additional volume), then there can be a considerable cost benefit for a plant to retrofit, rather than build new.

Retrofit projects are also usually a much faster process during decision-making. A retrofit will limit what you might be able to do, and so with fewer decisions to make, decisions are made more quickly.

New plants take much longer in development. Since you might be able to do almost anything, you need to be diligent in what the new plant will be designed to do today—and then what it might need to be in the future.

Because of the budgets involved, there are many more stakeholders whose concerns will need to be addressed. Then there are the decisions related to construction: do you build from greenfield, modify an existing structure, do you own, or lease the site? Finally, a new plant often must get city planning and local code compliance reviews for traffic, noise and more, which can take months or years to clear.

ED KWASNICK, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, LAUNDRY DIVISION, ARCO/MURRAY NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CO., OAKBROOK TERRACE, ILL.

The biggest difference is that renovating an existing laundry or converting an existing building into a laundry has certain inherent boundaries and constraints, including:

• Building footprint and height
• Building column spacing (distance between structural columns)
• Existing utility sizes (water main, sewer, electrical main, natural gas main)
• Floor slab thickness and condition
• Quantity and height of docks
• Dock location
• Office location
• Building construction

You need to either work with these existing constraints or work around them. If you build a laundry from scratch, these existing constraints do not exist. You get a clean palette with which to paint, and can customize the building footprint, height, column spacing, etc. to meet your specific needs.

GERARD O'NEILL, PRESIDENT/CEO, AMERICAN LAUNDRY SYSTEMS, HAVERHILL, MASS.

Designing a renovation is completely different and a most challenging process compared to designing a laundry from scratch. When renovating an existing running facility, we have to ensure that we do not shut down the operation. All the work has to be done off hours or when the plant is not in operation.

Safety is another big challenge as all the construction areas have to be properly taped off and equipment must be “tagged and locked out” to ensure the safety of all the people working in the laundry plant.

Along with all the challenges come the rewards. Retrofitting/renovating an existing laundry is much cheaper than going out and building a laundry from scratch. We have seen approximately 50% reductions in project budgets/costs by retrofitting a laundry vs. building from scratch. As long as we have the space to expand within the same location and we can get additional utilities (if required) to support the new plant, retrofit/renovation of existing laundry is, most of the time, the way to go.

ALN: What aspect(s) of laundry plant design can be the most challenging and why?

BERNSTEIN

One of the most challenging aspects of laundry plant design can be breaking people out of rigid thinking or the unwillingness to consider new paradigms. Our industry is plagued with an attitude of “That won’t work in a laundry” or “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” which has no place in the planning and design of a new facility.

We encourage our clients to think outside the box, offering and encouraging suggestions for solutions that, under old paradigms, might seem unworkable. Once all options are on the table, we can apply critical thinking, data collection, and analysis to determine which offer benefits and solutions considering the goals and vision for the project at hand.

CORFIELD

I would say planning and budgeting are the biggest challenge. Whether a new plant build or a major retrofit, it is challenging to know all aspects to your proposed plan. Will there be utility constraints, access and rigging limitations, what items can be moved and what cannot, are there code issues that you may need to comply with, does your existing infrastructure support your goals?

Then once you have what appears to be a good plan, look seriously at the constructability issues and develop a budget that is reasonable and achievable for the goals you want to achieve. If you are not certain what brand or type of equipment you might get, then your budget needs to take into account the worst-case scenario. Asking for too little during budgeting and then needing to compromise can mean missing your goals considerably and risk having your project cancelled or fail.

Lastly, know enough about your design that if a budget issue cuts or limits your project, you can identify the essential elements and keep your targets in site.

KWASNICK

Designing a mixed laundry facility (linen and industrial) is very challenging. The diversity of product mix, the different pieces of equipment and material-handling systems, and the various product flows within the same building make the process of designing the plant to be both flexible and efficient very challenging.

O'NEILL

Getting the laundry owner/operator to understand the benefit of new technology and the value of his investment is one of the most challenging aspects. More often than not, the owner/operator tends to pursue the cheapest option rather than the option that provides the best value (return on investment). It becomes part of the job of the laundry consultant/designer to clarify the benefits of new technology, provides pros and cons, and explain why the new investment is critical for the future business needs/growth.

PHILLIPS

Usually, the powerhouse requires the most time to plan and execute. The powerhouse is the heart of any laundry and, if it is not done correctly, can cause the most aggravation during the start-up phase of the plant.

ALN: How might the design of an on-premise laundry differ from the design of a textile rental plant that serves clients across a broad area, and vice versa?

CORFIELD

An OPL is usually limited by space because it serves only a few outside customers (if any), but if we are discussing an off-site cooperative or central laundry vs. commercial, there is almost no difference if they are processing the same type of work (healthcare vs. hotel resort, etc.). The only real consideration is that an OPL or co-op will be highly specialized, while a textile rental plant might be set up to take on a broader mix of work.

Generally, a textile rental plant will be physically larger, as a commercial laundry business can serve hundreds of customers and therefore needs considerable more storage, inventory and cart-assembly area. A commercial business will also have more trucks for routes for those deliveries.

KWASNICK

On-premise laundries are typically built to process smaller volumes of goods with a limited number of classifications. They are built for a specific purpose: to produce laundry for the “mother ship.” They typically use less automation, more labor, and more utilities (per pound). This is partially due to the fact that they are processing less laundry, which means the up-front investment in automation has a longer ROI. I would say OPLs are typically more “old school” in their design and operation.

Large rental plants are more flexible in their design. They process a higher volume and greater diversity of products. Reduction in labor and utility costs due to automation and utility conservation is more prevalent. Systems to track, control and offset inventory losses are used to reduce costs. Productivity tracking systems are used to improve employee productivity and production scheduling. Rental laundries are typically more “new school” in their design and daily operation.

O'NEILL

The biggest difference is the amount/volume of work that is being processed through each plant. The typical OPL is designed for low volume and more flexibility in the operation, while a central textile rental plant is designed for high volume, similar type of work, and high productivity. The ROI on high-productivity, high-efficiency equipment is much quicker in central rental plants when compared to most OPLs.

PHILLIPS

If an on-premise laundry is being considered, that is fairly easy since the presumption is the facility has a central power plant and a big chunk of time can be eliminated from the planning scope. In essence, the planner only has to deal with a production facility, thus eliminating work in another area.

BERNSTEIN

There are two critical differences between the design of on-premise laundries and off-site facilities (whether company-owned, co-op, or textile rental). Specifically, on-premise laundries often offer challenges of space, without the logistical demands that are placed on off-site operations.

ALN: Are there any particular laundry design trends that have become more prevalent in the last few years?

KWASNICK

In recent years, the pendulum has swung from all-steam to steamless laundries. However, the trend seems to be moving back toward a hybrid solution of using less steam instead of going steamless. Steam still makes sense for certain types of equipment and systems (steam tunnels, presses, tunnel washers, etc.). Using steam, but on a limited basis, helps reduce long-term fuel consumption and up-front installation costs.

Wide ironers are becoming more prevalent. A wide ironer gives you the ability to do two lanes of tabletops simultaneously, which equates to a lot more productivity per ironer. Self-contained thermal ironers are also popular. They can maintain higher temperatures and operate at high speeds, again equating to greater productivity.

Press-to-dryer rail systems are becoming more prevalent. This is an efficient, cost-effective way to store work-in-process goods after they come out of a tunnel extraction press. The goods drop into slings, are queued on a rail, and are then loaded into a dryer automatically. This system allows you to use fewer dryers with your tunnel washer system.

O'NEILL

Shuttle-free wash rooms, use of self-contained thermal ironers, and use of tunnel washers with extra-wide presses are some of the design trends that have become more prevalent in the last few years. Also, the trend of steamless/less steam laundry plants has started to pick up in the last two years. All of the aforementioned ideas are tried and true and the payback can be considerable when compared to the “now” obsolete typical ideas that have been used for years. If your budget can handle it, then you should absolutely investigate it.

PHILLIPS

After years of discussing water shortages, water reclamation, rising energy costs, gas conservation and the like, laundry operators are finally starting to see the practical side to some of these issues. A complete dissertation could be written on this topic alone.

BERNSTEIN

One of the most significant trends we’ve seen in recent years is an increased emphasis on the health and safety of our industry’s production employees, and this translates directly into the design process of new laundries.

We are also seeing a greater emphasis on automated systems, which clearly also impacts the design of new and renovated plants. The industry’s vendors have done a nice job of stepping up the sophistication, productivity, usability and affordability of automated systems. At the same time, our industry is doing a better job of educating production, maintenance and management personnel.

Finally, at least among our clients, we are seeing a trend toward leaner, balanced operations with less work in process. Whereas clients used to tell us that they wanted to design material-handling systems and floor space to accommodate four (or more) hours of work in process just in case something went wrong, now clients are designing their plants considering Lean Manufacturing and Lean Six Sigma principles of “pulling” work through the plant, rather than “pushing” it through. The result is less wasted space, smaller rail and conveyor systems, and more pounds processed per square foot of facility.

CORFIELD

While there is a certain buzz around steamless or “less steam” laundry design, I think the two biggest trends have been the size and sophistication of monorail sortation and clean distribution systems, and batch washer size.

When I began in the industry in the late ’80s, sort decks for healthcare were 12-16 sort classifications. We now see 36-54 sort classifications on automated sort decks. This ability to achieve the lowest common sort type makes large plants highly efficient, even with small classifications.

Large batch washers (those over 50 kilograms or 110 pounds) entered the North American market in the mid ’90s. Most new plants consider 150 pounds the new minimum, with 220-250 pounds the new maximum. While washing is one consideration, it has been the extraction of those larger loads that has challenged the industry. With wider presses achieving lower moisture levels and faster cycle times, large batch systems will be the norm for plants at 15 million pounds and higher.

ALN: What advice can you give a laundry services manager who is being asked to be involved in plant design for the first time?

O'NEILL

Listen, listen, listen! Do not go down that all-too-familiar road of “This is the way we/I have been doing it for 20 years.” This attitude must change if you are to take advantage of the new ideas and concepts that are being used in our industry today in the cutting-edge plants that your competitor is building. If you want to stay in business for a long time and stay competitive, then listen to what your “consultant” is saying and see for yourself the results that your peers in the industry have been enjoying for quite some time.

PHILLIPS

Take the lead and plan, plan, plan. The laundry services manager will have to live with the plant for some time to come, so it is imperative for the laundry services manager to contribute to the planning discussion. Phillips & Associates has developed a complete design-planning checklist that could become the basis for an entire article on the planning process.

BERNSTEIN

I can offer three key pieces of advice:

1.  Speak your mind— As an experienced laundry services manager, you understand the day-to-day needs and challenges that you’ve faced in your operation. Consultants, engineers, architects, equipment providers, and others involved in this process need your perspective and experience to ensure that the final design meets all your requirements. Do not hesitate to provide your opinion and perspective, because just as there are no dumb questions, there are no wrong opinions!

2. Ask questions and listen to the answers— Involve your staff in the plant design processes and ask them their opinions on designs, solutions, equipment, etc. Just as your experience can aid the professionals you’ve brought in to assist in the technical details, the experience and opinions of ground-level team members oftentimes result in some of the most innovative solutions.

3. Keep an open mind— Time after time we hear people in our industry telling us, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” or “That may work someplace else, but it won’t work here.” In some cases, they’re right, but in others, they were glad that we pushed back and encouraged them to take a second look at an idea and the data that supported its implementation. Considering the realities of today’s world, it pays to be open-minded and consider options that, at first blush, may seem a bit out there. The result may just be a safer, more efficient, more productive, and more profitable laundry.

CORFIELD

First, know what your goals are and be clear on them. Then get your passport updated, get a good suitcase and hit the road—start visiting plants similar to your type of work. See things for yourself, talk to plant folks who do what you do. See what works for them (and what does not) and get educated about what might work for your new plant or retrofit. These road trips will be invaluable, and you can defend your decisions one way or another with your management team or board with first-hand understanding.

If traveling is not an option, get a reputable independent consultant that can help you navigate this process. Making key decisions without the experience to know if your approach is viable can be costly. Before you finalize your plan, seek an independent review of the project by your peers who have gone through anything similar. You may not take their advice, but having a few sets of experienced eyes take a look at your project is always valuable.

KWASNICK

Remember three letters: SRM. They stand for Simple, Repeatable and Manageable. Your laundry design should be simple. If it looks complicated on paper, it will be even more complicated in practice. The design should allow your processes to be repeatable. If you can repeat the same efficient, high-quality process day after day, you will be successful. Lastly, it should be manageable. A manageable laundry is flexible and able to meet your customer’s ever-changing needs.

It’s OK to be on the leading edge of technology and push the envelope. But don’t get out on the “bleeding” edge of technology. That’s where people get hurt.

Surround yourself with experience and expertise. But remember, you know your own business better than anybody. You need to determine the final course and direction for your laundry.

Click here for Part 1!

CHICAGO — Many laundry production workers face conditions that make them especially vulnerable to safety and health hazards, and higher summer temperatures increase the risk. So, it should be no surprise that virtually everyone who responded to this month’s AmericanLaundryNews.com Wire survey—96.3%—utilize direct or indirect cooling equipment in his/her laundry.

Fans, whether permanent or portable, is the most popular type of cooling equipment in place, utilized by 80.8% of respondents. Nearly half (46.2%) have air conditioning.

Spot cooling systems (34.6%), swamp coolers (19.2%), portable evaporative coolers (7.7%) and “other” equipment are also used.

Some plants adjust their production schedules during extended periods of hot weather. Among the 44.4% of respondents who do this, it’s fairly common for production to begin one to two hours earlier than usual, with additional breaks. But some get started even sooner.

“If the weather is going to be above 97 degrees, we start production at 3:30 a.m. (normal start is 7 a.m.),” explains a plant operator. “This usually allows us to finish production before 1 p.m.”

Others push through in spite of the heat. “At no time is the plant cool,” says another manager. “Starting earlier or later does not cool the plant. We operate 16-18 hours daily.”

Roughly 70% of respondents say they post instructional posters about heat stress and/or offer instruction or training to their employees in how to keep cool on the job.

While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take a brief industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

To sign up for the Wire, click the “Subscriptions” button at the top right-hand corner of this page and follow the instructions.