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TORONTO, Ontario, Canada — Clairvest Group Inc., Clairvest Equity Partners IV Limited Partnership and Claire Equity Partners IV-A Limited Partnership have entered the linen rental industry via a combined $8.6 million investment in Linen King, an Oklahoma-based textile services company that provides commercial laundry services to the healthcare and hospitality industries.

“Our team has followed the textile rental industry for a number of years,” says David Sturdee, Clairvest managing director. “We are excited by the opportunity to partner with a strong and ambitious management team led by the founders of the company, who will continue to own a meaningful percent of the company.

“Linen King has an outstanding reputation for reliability and customer service, and we look forward to working with management to help execute their growth initiatives.

“I’m thrilled to have Clairvest as our partner to help fuel the next stage of our expansion,” says Leonard McCullough, Linen King’s CEO. “We’ve spent the last 12 years rapidly becoming one of the largest textile rental companies in the central U.S. and are enthusiastic about working with Clairvest to expand our footprint throughout the country.”

Linen King operates plants that serve the Oklahoma City, northwest Arkansas, mid-Missouri and central Arkansas regions. The company was formed in 1999.

CHAPIN, S.C. — Allied Laundry Lines has been formed to provide equipment, market knowledge, consulting services and complete support services for an extensive portfolio of commercial and industrial laundry equipment to a select established and qualified dealer and service network throughout the United States and Canada, the company reports.

SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. — The International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM) hosted its 41st Annual Meeting earlier this year and announced its officers and board of trustees for 2011.

WILMINGTON, Mass. — If you want to see a sickly expression on a hospital administrator’s face, point out that the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID) says hospital-acquired infections cause more than $30 billion a year in needless healthcare-industry overhead which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conservatively reflects 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths annually.

MISSION, Kan. — Due to higher-than-expected sponsor support for the American Reusable Textile Association’s (ARTA) first-ever Green Summit in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, the organization has reduced the registration fee through June 15.

The new Green Summit registration fee schedule is as follows:

MISSION, Kan. — Early-bird registration for the American Reusable Textile Association's (ARTA) first-ever Green Summit in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, ends a week from today. Registering by next Monday will save an attendee $100.

The July 22-23 meeting at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac will feature an overview of new textile life-cycle assessment research, how-to information and tools to help attendees market the benefits of reusables, as well as information on how to enhance and measure the sustainability of current operations.

NEW ORLEANS — When the drying tumblers stop tumbling, the garment conveyors stop conveying and the steam hisses no more for the day, it’ll be time for Clean Show attendees to experience what the locals call lagniappe (pronounced lan-yap)— the lingo for “a little something extra.”

WILMINGTON, Mass. — UniFirst Corp. has named six of its employees Route Sales Representatives of the Year for 2008 and given them its Aldo Croatti Award for having 100% customer retention during fiscal year 2008.

CINCINNATI – The battle between Cintas Corp. and UNITE HERE shows no signs of weakening, as each fired a new salvo at the other last week.

Cintas filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against UNITE HERE, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Change to Win on Wednesday, alleging extortion in the labor unions’ efforts to organize Cintas workers.

OKLAHOMA CITY — UniFirst, a textile and work uniform service company with operations in the United States, Canada and Europe, is ready to construct the foundation for its newest 72,000-square-foot industrial laundry facility after breaking ground here a week ago.

The 4.3-acre construction site is at the junction of Interstate Highways 40 and 35, a highly visible and convenient location just east of downtown.

ATLANTA — Building upon the success of an event that has grown more popular annually, the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) welcomed more than 250 attendees to sunny Georgia Tech University on Tuesday, Feb. 26, to begin Tech/Plant Summit 2007.

TEXTILE/UNIFORM RENTAL: Roger Bourdeau is chief engineer for the Angelica Textile Services plant in Pawtucket, R.I. He's worked 22 years in the plant, having started as a production associate in 1983. He's completed many training programs and has a Rhode Island Stationary Operating Engineer license.

Being invited to participate in this forum is a pleasant surprise. How does a guy working in a small plant in a 100-year-old building get to “run with the big dogs”?