Content about Person Attributes

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 — The laundry and dry cleaning industry lost two vendor leaders recently with the passings of Steven Katz, CEO of ThermoSteam Industries, and Gene Blumenthal, founder and president of Metro-Chem Inc.

Steven Mark Katz, 1948-2012

Katz, 63, South Bend, Ind., died Monday. He was born and raised in South Bend. He attended Indiana University, where he graduated with a history degree in 1970. He pursued a career in laundry and dry cleaning, and eventually became the CEO of two companies: ThermoSteam Systems, manufacturer of packaged steam boilers, and Kay Industries, producer of phase converters.

Katz was active in the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), having served on its board of directors for four years and as treasurer for two.

He was also active in his local community and his congregation, Sinai Synagogue. He was known as an extraordinary orator and was called upon to emcee various events in the South Bend area over the years.

Surviving him are his wife, Laurie Katz; three children, Hal, David and Jamie Katz; three brothers, Larry, Marty and Stuart Katz; a sister, Debbie Sandock; and four grandsons. Condolences may be sent to the family via McGann Hay Funerals.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sinai Synagogue, 1102 E. LaSalle Ave., South Bend, IN 46617; or to the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley, 3202 Shalom Way, South Bend, IN 46615.

Eugene “Gene” G. Blumenthal, 1940-2012

Blumenthal, 71, of Marlboro, N.J., died July 30 at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, N.J.

He began his career in the late 1960s as a sales representative for Stauffer Chemical before moving on to become a regional sales manager for PQ Corp. in the 1970s.

Building on his personable style, technical knowledge and ability to formulate innovative laundry chemistry, Blumenthal became founder and president of Metro-Chem, a formulator of chemicals for the laundry industry, in 1980. He oversaw the company until his death. His partner of 32 years, Pete Potocki, has assumed the role of Metro-Chem’s president.

Surviving Blumenthal are his wife of 26 years, Elizabeth; his son, David; his daughter, Helaine; his mother, Beatrice; his brother, Allen; and four grandchildren. Condolences may be sent to the family via Freeman Funeral Homes.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that any donations be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An investigation is under way to determine how a Cintas Corp. maintenance technician was killed early Friday morning when the industrial dryer he was servicing started.

Kevin Lee Burgess, 55, died from blunt-force trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to local authorities. Police are conducting a death investigation but believe the incident that occurred sometime before 4:45 a.m. Friday was an accident, according to local media reports.

“Cintas is devastated to have learned about the accident that took the life of one of our employee-partners at our uniform rental facility in Louisville overnight,” the company says in a prepared statement. “Our deepest heartfelt sympathy is extended to his family.

“The safety and security of our employee-partners is a priority at Cintas, and we are shaken by this news. The company remains focused on providing support to the family and his co-workers at the facility. A thorough investigation has begun to determine the cause of this accident.”

In March 2007, a Cintas worker was killed when he fell into an industrial dryer at the company’s Tulsa, Okla., plant. The death sparked a federal investigation of Cintas and prompted U.S. lawmakers to introduce laws for even greater federal oversight of worksite safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) later fined Cintas for safety violations at the Tulsa plant and five other locations.

Cintas reached an agreement with OSHA pertaining to all automated and semi-automated laundry facilities under OSHA’s federal jurisdiction in December 2008, and agreed to pay $2.76 million in fines.

The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) says this latest incident “comes amid steady improvements in the industry’s overall safety record as reflected in TRSA’s latest Safety Survey, which indicated that total recordable injuries and illnesses (TRIR) dropped by 5% from 2009-10.”

“This incident occurred despite substantial improvements and our industry’s investment in safety,” TRSA CEO Joseph Ricci says in an association blog entry. “We should respond by strengthening the industry’s resolve to continue our focus on developing safety cultures and striving for zero tolerance.”

Cintas has worked closely with TRSA to help educate industry colleagues on best practices for accident/illness prevention, according to the association, sponsoring tours of its semi-automated wash aisle facilities (one is scheduled at the company’s Lawrenceville, Ga., plant next week) and participating in various panel discussions on safety issues.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Gaylord Opryland Resort is taking guest reservations for a Nov. 15 reopening, just six months after massive springtime flooding from the adjacent Cumberland River left the hotel, the legendary Grand Ole Opry and the company’s other area facilities severely damaged.

As of mid-September, clean-up and remediation work had been completed and construction was under way, according to Pete Weien, senior vice president and general manager, who posted an update on the resort’s website.

FLOSSMOOR, Ill. — John F. Dobrez Jr., 81, founder and former president of Illinois-based Dober Chemical Corp., died Tuesday at his home.

CINCINNATI — Cintas Corp. founder Richard T. Farmer has retired as chairman of the board, assuming the role of chairman emeritus and remaining on the board of directors. The board elected Vice Chairman Robert J. Kohlhepp to replace him as chairman.

Farmer established Cintas Corp. in 1968. The company grew from a small uniform- and towel-supply company to the nation’s largest uniform company and a leading business-to-business services provider with sales approaching $4 billion annually, the company says.

TULSA, Okla. — An employee of Superior Linen Service was fatally crushed June 12 when the hydraulic scissor lift he was working under fell on him, according to Officer Leland Ashley of the Tulsa Police Department.

Douglas Ray Ramey, 33, was working on a lift used to load trucks at the plant when the accident occurred. Ramey disconnected an improperly working hydraulic hose, Ashley says in quoting from the police report, and the lift fell. Ramey was trapped underneath the equipment and was pronounced dead at the scene.

WACO, Texas — Ray D. Supak, 61, retired textile care manager for the Waco VA Medical Center, died May 17 at a local hospital, according to the Grace Gardens Funeral Home Chapel.

Supak was a Registered Laundry and Linen Director (RLLD), a former facilitator at the American Laundry & Linen College (ALLC), and a member of the Association for Linen Management (ALM), the association reports. He served 37 years at the Waco VA Medical Center before his retirement, according to a published obituary.

KANSAS CITY – John “Jack” S. Spence, 80, retired president of Faultless Laundry Co., Kansas City, Mo., died here Friday, Feb. 15.

Spence represented the third generation in the family business, working several years with his father, John B. Spence, and his grandmother, Cora Spence. He became president in 1962, marking a time in which he would start to aggressively grow the business for the next 30 years.

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — The board of directors for Tingue, Brown & Co. has named David M. Tingue president and chief executive officer. His father, William J. Tingue, who became president in September 1986 and had been CEO since July 1992, made the announcement.

William Tingue retired to the position of nonexecutive chairman upon David Tingue assuming the corporate reins.

BILLINGS, Mont. — A route relief driver for Big Sky Linen Supply was killed Sept. 19 when the step van he was driving collided with a pickup truck and overturned, pinning him beneath his vehicle, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

CINCINNATI — With his company facing $2.78 million in penalties stemming from an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation, Cintas CEO Scott Farmer is defending his company’s workplace safety and says it will contest the agency’s findings.

Eleazar Torres-Gomez, 46, was killed March 6 when he fell into an operating industrial dryer while clearing wet laundry jammed on a conveyor at Cintas’ Tulsa, Okla., plant. Last Thursday, OSHA announced findings alleging 46 violations of safety standards in the plant.