Content about News

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.

FRANKFURT, Germany — With Texcare International wrapping up today, many exhibitors with U.S. ties expressed delight in this year’s event and vow to return to the World Market for Modern Textile Care in four years.

Robin Thurgood, vice president and general manager of Rennco, brought his Michigan company’s industrial laundry packaging solutions to the show and found attendees intrigued by the prospect of packaging linens automatically rather than by hand.

“This is our first foray into Europe,” Thurgood says. “I’m not sure there’s anything like us over here yet. I’m not sure they’ve gone into this style of packaging. They’re all very interested.”

Dexter Laundry exhibited at Texcare in hopes of opening up new on-premise and coin laundry markets for its washers and dryers, according to Kevin Hietpas, vice president of sales and marketing.

“Honestly, I think we’re more ready for the customers on the coin side, but we’re seeing what the OPL market is like here in Europe and elsewhere in the world, what those customers need,” Hietpas says. “I think we’re close on some counts (and) we’ve got additional product development to do in other areas.”

Dexter has used the show to establish new contacts and will follow up with many potential opportunities with a long-term view, he adds.

The largest booth in the exhibition belonged to Germany’s own Kannegiesser, and Phil Hart, executive vice president of Kannegiesser USA, says the company’s founder is devoted to exhibitions and displaying a full range of high-technology products and systems to the industry.

“It’s been a very full booth,” Hart says. “The number of visitors has been quite high. And the variety. It really is a worldwide show. One of the side benefits of this is we can introduce customers from various parts of the world and just let them talk, let them compare notes and there’s a certain synergy that goes on at that point.”

Sustainability was a buzzword for this exhibition. AquaRecycle President Jeff Lebedin found that it wasn’t water recycling that had visitors to his booth talking but rather the recycling of dryer exhaust made possible by his company’s ThermalRecycle equipment.

“There are a lot of centralized laundries in Europe, and they do a lot of tunnel washing,” says Lebedin, whose company is based in Georgia. “We just don’t see a huge market yet for recycling water, but when it gets into the dryer part of it, recycling dryer exhaust is in its infancy in our industry because very few companies know what it costs them to dry their linen.”

There were 264 exhibitors from 26 nations represented at the five-day show. The United States was third in number of companies attending behind host nation Germany and Italy.

FRANKFURT, Germany — Energy and resource efficiency are key factors in the professional textile care sector, and sustainable and efficient technology and processes for dry cleaners, laundries and textile service providers were on display as Texcare International opened its five-day run on Saturday.

There are 264 exhibitors hailing from 26 countries in Hall 8 and the adjoining Galleria. “The mood in the sector is very good,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, who accompanied media members during a guided tour of the show floor. “Hall 8 is fully booked up. All international market leaders have registered and will present their cutting-edge technologies. They expect the world’s leading trade fair for their sector to generate powerful business impulses.”

Marzin likened Texcare to the “Olympics of textile care,” referencing the show’s every-four-years cycle.

The main theme of Texcare International 2012 is sustainability and the machinery and plant construction industry will present resource and energy-efficient solutions designed to make companies more ecologically and economically competitive in the future.

Underscoring this is the new BLUECOMPETENCE initiative of the Federation of German Machine and Plant Manufacturers, spotlighting sustainable machines and systems that are in line with economic, ecological and social demands.

“We aim to show that sustainability is not just a buzzword,” says Elgar Straub, director of VDMA Garment and Leather Technology, who led the guided tour for the trade media. “On the contrary, technology is the key to resource conservation. For our sector, Texcare International is the ideal platform for future-oriented presentations.”

The Texcare Forum opened its schedule of educational lectures with “Future Day,” featuring an agenda devoted to training opportunities and efficient marketing concepts for dry cleaners.

Texcare International continues today and runs through Wednesday.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Worldwide Laundry Inc., Miami, was recently recognized with the On-Premises Laundry (OPL) Excellence Award during the Maytag® Commercial Laundry 54th Annual Meeting in Marco Island, Fla.

The honor acknowledges the distributor’s effective and efficient service to its OPL customers.

“Worldwide Laundry consistently delivers exceptional results by responding to customers’ inquiries in less than 24 hours, through its strategic direct-marketing efforts and by fostering relationships within the OPL market,” says Bob English, general manager of global commercial laundry at Whirlpool Corp.

“Our reputation as an efficient and dependable distributor is a top priority for us,” says Marco Giancola, vice president at Worldwide Laundry. “Maytag® Commercial Laundry manufactures top-of-the-line products with industry-leading warranties, which help meet and exceed customer expectations daily.”

Worldwide Laundry is a full-service laundry equipment, parts and supplies company with 40 years of combined experience in the distribution of on-premise, coin laundry, and drycleaning equipment at competitive prices worldwide.

Marco and Chuck Giancola and Robert Gonzalez were on hand to receive the award for Worldwide Laundry. Also present at the awards dinner was Fritz Maytag, great-grandson of founder Fred Maytag.

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — Sustainability will be the dominant theme of Texcare International — World Market for Modern Textile Care when it returns here in two weeks.

Show organizer Messe Frankfurt says all international market leaders—including the Alliance International brands, Barbanti, Beirholms Vaeverier, Ecolab, Girbau, Heprotex, Jensen, Kannegiesser, Kreussler, LG Electronics, Lavatec Laundry Technology, Macpi, Miele, Multimatic, Pellerin Milnor, Renzacci and Veit—have registered to exhibit during the May 5-9 show.

Altogether, Messe Frankfurt expects to welcome around 250 exhibitors and 15,000 trade visitors. As in previous shows (the event is staged every four years), the proportion of manufacturers from outside Germany will exceed 60%; the most important exhibitor nations besides Germany are Italy and the United States, Messe Frankfurt says.

“Texcare International is the leading meeting place for the sector,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt. “Only in Frankfurt do the top companies from all around the world launch so many new products. Only here is it possible to make so many business contacts. And only at the world’s leading trade fair for the sector can visitors gather so much detailed information.”

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND BUSINESS SUCCESS

One of the main objectives of industrial textile care is sustainable economic development because business success depends greatly on efficient machinery and plant coupled with effective processes and durable textiles.

As an information platform, Texcare International plays a key role by offering a comprehensive overview of the latest trends in the mechanical engineering sector, as well as in the fields of detergents and textiles, Messe Frankfurt says.

Plant and control systems that provide energy at the right time and in the right quantity are the key to the future. Thus, steam-on-demand is the starting point for highly efficient, low-loss heating processes. But other developments in the field of consumption-dependent control technologies are also expected at Texcare.

Recycling is another key issue and includes highly efficient recovery systems for the optimum use of heat energy, as well as the best possible circulation system and practical, economical process-water treatment processes. Additionally, existing technologies, such as solar energy and bioenergy, are generating new impulses in the world of industrial textile care.

IT’S IN THE WASH

Sustainability is also of great importance to manufacturers of detergents and washing additives. With the development of effective low-temperature processes, the chemical industry is making a significant contribution to the reduction of energy consumption.

New, customized concentrations of active agents improve washing results while cutting the need for post-treatment or rewashing. Other important issues at Texcare will include ecologically harmless “green” detergents, washing and impregnating agents. Discussion will be offered on a variety of topics, including nonhalogen solvents that are not marked as hazardous, as well as alternatives to hydrophobizing agents.

Moreover, increased attention is being given to the ecological balance of a product and the sector will pay increased attention to systems such as carbon footprint, cradle-to-cradle and life-cycle assessment.

MODERN COLORS, DESIGNS

Instead of the monotone royal blue and standard twill fabric of the traditional boiler suit, modern colors and designs, as well as multi-faceted materials and surfaces, now characterize the image of trade and industry. Elegance and style have conquered large sections of the workwear sector. Even protective clothing is oriented more than ever before to fashion.

Exhibitors from the textile and apparel industry, as well as the accessories and finishing sectors, will present the latest trends for a modern, functional and professional appearance. Concepts for corporate fashions will also play an important role.

Designs and colors are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Fabric manufacturers are taking up decorative elements from the 1970s, using striped patterns in herringbone and satin weaves, creating new Panama looks, reinventing the cavalry style and interpreting denim for workwear applications.

In addition to vintage-look hues, the current color spectrums are supplemented by fashionable natural and earth shades. Other highlights are classics from the world of suits and costumes, such as black, graphite, anthracite and night blue, which are now playing a leading role on the workwear stage.

Streetwear trends mainly influence the collections. The outfits are more robust in appearance, the pockets bigger, the cut more casual although practical, the material combinations and color mix less conventional, and the details more stylish.

INTEGRATING PROTECTION, COMFORT

In the past, the focus was on providing comprehensive protection against as many possible dangers at work as possible. Now, aspects such as moisture management, breathability, climate comfort and freedom of movement are growing in importance.

The latest developments in the fiber, yarn and textile industry diminish the symptoms of physical stress by minimizing the effects caused by perspiration and an increased core-body temperature. Special mixtures make it possible to produce fabrics for modern protective clothing that combines quality protection with a comfortable wearing climate. Additionally, the industry is working on further improvements to the elasticity of protective and professional clothing.

TEXCARE FORUM

Apart from the activities surrounding what is sure to be a busy exhibition floor, the international Texcare Forum will give the sector an opportunity to find out about the latest developments in the fields of science and research, as well as to exchange ideas and opinions with colleagues from home and abroad.

The Association of the Textile Service Industry (Industrieverband Textil Service – intex) and the German Dry Cleaning Association (Deutscher Textilreinigungsverband – DTV), in cooperation with Messe Frankfurt, will treat attendees to a free educational program for two hours each afternoon.

For the first time, each day of the Forum is individually themed. The conference will be of particular interest to dry cleaners and laundries on May 5-6 and to textile service companies and laundries on May 7-8. Here are some of the topics (tentative):

• May 5, Future Day — Professional textile care in 2012; E-DryClean: online instruction for European dry cleaners; experiential marketing of dry cleaning; how textile service providers can face the challenges of the future.
• May 6, Innovation Day — Teamwork between research and practice; recycling of personal protective equipment from the standards and certification perspective; innovative control options for laundry and finishing processes using test fabrics; antimicrobial textiles from laboratory to practical usage.
• May 7, Sustainable Day — Holistic view of sustainability; ISO 26000 standard; energy efficiency; efficiency management in commercial laundries; water and energy savings for laundries.
• May 8, Market Day — Regulatory and market trends for European textile services; the U.S. textile services market; HORECA (hotel/restaurant/café) market and the potential for textile services; professional textile services and the market demand in 2030; workwear developments.

WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

Texcare will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 5-8 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9. Admission tickets can be purchased quickly and easily online at Texcare.com. Cost in advance is 15 euros (roughly $20) for a one-day ticket, 35 euros (roughly $46) for the entire show. If purchasing at the box office, cost will be 22 euros (roughly $30) for a one-day ticket, 48 euros (roughly $63) for the entire show.

For additional show information and updates, visit Texcare.com.

American Laundry News will be attending the show — Watch for updates beginning May 7!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Swisher Hygiene reports that it has acquired certain assets of two more linen services companies: Green on Whites Inc. in South Florida and CMI LV Inc., also known as Cactus Mats, in Nevada.

Green on Whites provides linen and facilities rental services to foodservice and hospitality customers in the greater Miami market.

“Our South Florida operations have expanded considerably in the last year through acquisitions and especially organic growth, which has led us to be at near capacity at our current facility in the region,” says Steven R. Berrard, Swisher Hygiene CEO. “Through this acquisition, we have secured a larger platform which will enable us to further grow our linen services presence in South Florida.”

Swisher Hygiene paid approximately $371,000 in cash, assumed certain liabilities, and issued a promissory note equivalent to as many as 77,495 shares of common stock for Green on Whites.

Cactus Mats provides linen and facilities rental services, including the rental of floor mats, towels and mops, primarily to foodservice and retail customers in the greater Las Vegas market.

“We continue to build our full-service coverage and strong presence in the Southwestern U.S. through today’s acquisition, which will expand our linen service coverage in the major metropolitan region of Las Vegas, as well as enabling us to additionally cover the greater Phoenix market going forward,” Berrard said at the time of the Cactus Mats acquisition.

Swisher Hygiene paid an undisclosed amount of cash and issued a promissory note equivalent to as many as 71,429 shares of common stock for Cactus Mats.

CHICAGO — The Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) has unveiled its new professional education brand identity—ENGAGE.

It reflects AHE’s leadership position in providing on-target education pertaining to the healthcare environment. Each of AHE’s professional education programs will operate under this master brand.

“The AHE brand, launched in 2010, conveys a sense of professional excellence,” says Patti Costello, AHE executive director. “This strategic business decision leverages the strength of the AHE’s brand while emphasizing a wide array of educational offerings and reflects AHE’s commitment to career-long learning.”

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.

FAIRWAY, Kan. — There’s nothing like learning from peers who have blazed a trail of success. That’s why the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) will feature operator roundtable sessions—on sales and controlling linen losses—each day of its 2012 Education Conference next week in Memphis, Tenn.

The Tuesday through Thursday conference is titled Marketing Reusables in 2012: How Clean is Clean, How to Sell Clients – and Control Losses After the Sale. In addition to operator roundtables with Q&A, ARTA will host speakers from the Mayo Clinic, 3M, Encompass Group, the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) and more.

A technical service representative from 3M will address Standards of Clean – How Do We Measure It? Francis Zieman, RN, BSN, MS, CSPDT, will provide an overview of tools and methods to measure cleanliness and then invite members of the audience to test different items, based on written instructions.

HLAC Inspection Chair Judy Reino, Reino Linen, will review best practices during Infection Prevention 101: Practices for the Laundry. Her review will include facility design, personnel, equipment and processes, transportation and clean-linen storage.

Mayo Clinic’s Cindy Molko, RLLD, director of linen services, will offer practical advice you can take back to the office in the session, Infection Prevention and You.

Some other sessions include an update on Cotton and Textile Issues in 2012: What to Expect from Tom Langdon, vice president of sourcing and purchasing for Encompass Group, and Hotel Guest, Hospital Patient or Visitor: Is Your Health at Risk? by Steve Tinker, vice president, Gurtler Industries.

The two operator roundtables planned, Capturing the Healthcare Sale and Case Studies on Stop-Loss Strategies, will feature profit and not-for-profit, regional, and national operators sharing their strategies for selling reusable surgical textiles and controlling losses. All sessions will leave time for Q&A from the audience.

ARTA’s conference will take place at The Peabody Hotel and is open to members and nonmembers, as well as all sister associations.

The Welcome Reception hosted by MIP and Encompass kicks off the event on Tuesday. Attendees who arrive that afternoon can sign up for a tour of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare Laundry or visit Graceland.

The education program starts Wednesday with sessions running all day, and includes a group lunch. Attendees can mingle and network at the Sponsors’ Reception that evening at The Cotton Museum and Exchange.

The conference ends at noon on Thursday. Continental breakfast is included both days before education sessions begin.

Registration is still open. Visit the ARTA website or contact Executive Director Nancy Jenkins at njenkins@arta1.com for more information.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Swisher Hygiene has acquired the assets and business of Savoy Linen Services, a Connecticut-based linen services company.

Started in 1924, Savoy provides linen rental and laundry services primarily to foodservice customers in the southern New England and greater metro New York City markets. Concurrent with the acquisition, Paul Vazzano, the owner of Savoy, joins Swisher Hygiene and will contribute to the continued growth of its linen services business.

“The acquisition of Savoy is a continuation of our efforts to build upon our existing presence in the linen and dust control markets and expand throughout North America,” says Steven R. Berrard, Swisher Hygiene CEO. “We will be very deliberate in making value-added acquisitions and building additional facilities in order to further expand our linen production capabilities, properly leverage our customer base and create additional cross-selling opportunities for our full-service platform.”

Total consideration paid by Swisher Hygiene included cash and a promissory note that may be converted to a maximum of 171,428 shares of Swisher Hygiene common stock.
 

IRVINE, Calif. — Prudential Overall Supply has added industrial uniform rental and related services to its Denver cleanroom garment service center, the company reports. 

“Through the diligent work of our Denver service team, we have positioned ourselves to grow our product and service offering to include industrial services for the greater Denver business community,” says Tom Watts, the company’s president.

He credited Prudential’s longtime cleanroom laundry clients with enabling the company to expand its product offerings.

“We have been serving some of Colorado’s largest high-tech companies for many years with cleanroom laundry services,” Watts says. “We look forward to offering our customers Prudential’s complete product line.”

WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — As the commercial laundry industry commits to a more sustainable future, ASTM International is proposing a new standard to identify and define sustainable management practices to help commercial laundries reduce their impact on the environment.

The standard, known as ASTM WK35985 or Practice for Sustainable Laundry Best Management Practices, is being developed by a subcommittee under the jurisdiction of ASTM International Committee D13 on Textiles.

Gary Gramp of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) is chairing the task group developing the new standard. “We are looking to further reduce our carbon footprint and enhance our environmental stewardship by developing ASTM WK35985. Our goal is to encourage the implementation of best management practices for sustainability at all commercial laundry facilities.”

Gramp says the methodology for assessing the best practices will certify that any given laundry process is sustainable and compliant to the standard. The proposed standard hits on such areas as water-reuse technology; heat recovery; environmentally friendly and low-temperature detergents; wastewater treatment; and energy-efficient lighting, among others.

In addition to commercial laundry facilities, Gramp says potential stakeholder groups include users of reusable textiles in the restaurant, hospitality and healthcare industries; government agencies; and environmental organizations.

The next ASTM Committee D13 meeting is set for June 24-27 in San Diego. For more on the proposed standard or to participate in its development, contact Gary Gramp at 703-519-0029, ext. 111; e-mail ggramp@trsa.org.

ASTM International is an international firm focused on standards development and delivery systems. Visit astm.org to learn more about the organization.