Content about Garment industry

ATLANTA — The Clean Executive Committee has selected Global Experience Specialists (GES) to serve as the official services contractor for the 2013 Clean Show in New Orleans.

Three companies submitted proposals for the June 2013 show. “GES did our show in New Orleans in 2009 and did a great job,” says John Riddle, president of Riddle & Associates, the Clean Show’s management company. “We look forward to working with them again in 2013.”

Chicago hosted the first Clean Show in 1977. United Exposition Service Co. was the official services contractor for that event and subsequent shows. GES purchased United in 1993, and the Las Vegas-based company has continued its partnership with the Clean Show for many shows since.

GES produces 3,000 exhibitions and events annually.

The Clean Show—officially titled the World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning—attracts people across all segments of the textile care industry, from single-owner, coin-operated laundry and drycleaning establishments to giant industrial and institutional laundries and textile rental companies.

An AmericanLaundryNews.com Exclusive

CHICAGO — Based on discussions over the last several years with folks having just completed educational programs sponsored by various entities, I am astonished that many managers in the laundry industry are still unable to complete essential tasks that are key components to making them a success.

It is not totally the fault of teaching establishments. The number of dedicated, knowledgeable professionals in our field is becoming less and less due to attrition and the inability of certain organizations to fill vacancies with qualified individuals who have demonstrated proven abilities in laundry management.

Many new managers (and some old) are not able to properly design a new laundry system. They seem to not know or have forgotten that things like water, steam, air and chemicals are the basis by which one begins the design process. For example, do not start designing a wash system without knowing what type of ancillary design systems exist to support the effort.

You don’t design a new laundry that doesn’t have adequate steam pressure or facilities to support new systems. You don’t build a new laundry without incorporating employee facilities such as restrooms, dining areas, parking, etc. You don’t specify a new item of equipment if you cannot get to the spot of installation.

You specify washing and drying systems based on production capabilities demonstrated in a proposal, and then hold the supplier responsible for meeting those requirements. Never, ever specify how many wash chambers you need for a continuous batch washer, as the technology that has evolved over 10 years demonstrates a vast difference between what top- and bottom-transfer designs can achieve.

Writing specifications for textiles can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be this way. I recently read a specification in which the customer stated only that it desired a 180-thread-count sheet. I was shocked, but not for the first time. Absent were finished sizes/dimensions, fabric construction, shrinkage allowances, colors (if required), fabric weights, types of fabric, labeling requirements, country of origin restrictions/requirements, delivery expectations, and applicable ASTM requirements, and I’m sure I may have missed some other points.

I retrieved some information that was part of the International Fabricare Institute (IFI)—now the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute (DLI)—educational program, where you went to school for months, studying everything from operations to the nuts and bolts of laundry and drycleaning chemistry. IFI did much work to restore products for the Smithsonian Institution in those days.

If you are placed in a position to specify a textile product, think of the following:

• Quality of fibers, fabrics and manufacturer

• Aesthetic appeal

• Comfort expectations

• Does it fit the purpose?

• Does it meet the target market?

• How well is it designed and constructed?

• What are the expectations, and will it perform?

While the corporate logistics novice desiring to make a name for himself or herself will never understand or appreciate this, standardization of laundry equipment and systems for an organization or corporate entity goes beyond making any sense (I’m being nice here).

Every laundry is built and designed differently. There are differences in floor structure, roof-load situations, clear ceiling heights, HVAC locations, water conditions, installation requirements, structure access, system loading/unloading needs, production needs, and types of items to be processed. Drain configurations and utility designs always vary from one plant to the next, and all have different ancillary support systems—air, water, chemicals, steam quality and pressure, thermal, etc. Expectations for automation are always unique; I could go on and on.

If you do not know laundry operations and the systems that process laundry, rely on those with true experience and expertise; keep in mind that titles and supporting programs like contracting do not necessarily demonstrate expertise or experience. Buyers should rely on technical expertise before making contractual decisions.

Most importantly, understand that standardization doesn’t permit determining best value and won’t allow one to take advantage of changes in the state of the art, which is always evolving.

I challenge our industry to step up to the plate, to get more involved in educational programs, to develop unbiased experts who can really inform customers and buyers of the pros and cons.

The old warhorses of our industry are fading or have faded away. I am proud to say that I learned from many of these giants. We need to regenerate or create the same type of environment that these true experts left for many of us.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When laundry and linen distribution managers are faced with quality issues regarding their linen products, the root cause could be their equipment, the ways the textiles are being processed, or even the textiles themselves.

FRANKFORT, Ill. — The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) will begin accepting nominations on Wednesday for its 2011 Board of Directors. Nominations are for a 2011-2013 term.

Per the HLAC Bylaws, four positions are elected or re-elected to the Board of Directors each year. Board seats are categorized into four classes.
 
Class 1 represents the commercial healthcare textile laundry operator. Rob Potack, vice president, operations, Unitex Textile Rental is running for re-election. There is also an open seat.

ATLANTA — Exhibit space sales are under way for Clean 2011, which takes place June 6-9, 2011, in the Las Vegas Convention Center. More than 400 companies will offer virtually every product and service used in the textile-care industry at the world’s largest trade show for laundry, drycleaning and textile services.

I read with interest your article in the June 2009 issue of American Laundry News titled Define criteria for ragging out linen, then train staff to recognize signs, take action. There were many excellent points brought up by your Panel of Experts.

I feel that you missed an opportunity to suggest to your readers that they should consider selling their discards to a reputable wiping cloth company.

An AmericanLaundryNews.com Exclusive

CHICAGO — American Laundry News has selected its “Panel of Experts” for 2009. The esteemed group will represent the many segments of the textile services industry in answering questions for the monthly trade journal. The 2009 Panel includes:

HEALTHCARE LAUNDERING

DURHAM, N.C. – While the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) focused its inaugural seminar two years ago on processing and marketing, The Insider’s Guide II: Reusable Medical Textiles – The Role of Textiles and Successful Pack Room Operations, promises to go deeper into the details and specifics of running a successful healthcare laundry.

CHICAGO — Working in a laundry isn’t in the Top 10 list of most dangerous U.S. occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but that doesn’t mean the job doesn’t have its share of danger or risk.

While rare, laundry-related fatalities grab the headlines. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $2.78 million in penalties against Cintas Corp. following the March 2007 death of a worker who fell into a dryer while clearing a jam of wet laundry.

The Bed Wars, Spa Wars and now Chef Wars have created enormous challenges for textile service companies and managers. The impact on hospitality laundry operations has only been exceeded by the impact on the guest experience. Demands have been excruciating, all at a time when hotels are coming under increased scrutiny to best manage assets and become “green.”

Steam tunnel finishers are simple pieces of equipment that provide extremely reliable production throughout each processing day, but the process of tunnel finishing your garment production is not as simple as one might think.

Just as preventative maintenance is an important part of garment quality, consistency, energy consumption and the reliability of your tunnel finisher, the proper handling of garments and wash-floor etiquette play significant roles in finished quality.

Effective finishing begins with proper sorting, washing and handling.