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May 21, 2012
TRSA Continues Push to Phase Out NPE Usage by End of 2014

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — EPA: Industrial laundries “well along the way to reaching phase-out goals”

ALEXANDRIA, Va. —At a high-level meeting last week at the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency, officials of the EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics and the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) continued their positive relationship by collaborating on plans to promote and document the steady elimination of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) from wash chemistry.

The meeting followed EPA’s May 9 release of its analysis of NPE alternatives, which cited TRSA’s “industrial/institutional (I/I) laundry” constituency phasing out NPEs. EPA cited laundry wash chemistry formulators’ response to market demand for NPE alternatives and laundry operators’ pledge to eliminate NPE in saying the industry is “well along the way to reaching phase-out goals.”

The cooperative effort began in 2010 when TRSA told EPA that it would lead an industrywide phase-out of NPEs from all liquid detergent formulations by Dec. 31, 2013, and all powders one year later.

“This meeting with EPA officials represents continued cooperation between TRSA and regulators. I am pleased with the quality and expansion of our relationship,” says TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci.

May 2, 2012
TRSA Safety Summit Slated for May 21-22

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Pushing the industry to be Safer Together

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) is sponsoring Safer Together, a May 21-22 Safety Summit intended to generate increased safety awareness within the textile services industry while providing an opportunity for practical, hands-on analysis of trends and issues.

A panel featuring some of the textile services industry’s most recognizable names will convene during the Bloomington, Minn., meeting to discuss their companies’ commitment to safe practices and the importance of establishing a top-down safety culture, TRSA says.

Participants will include Bill Evans, president/CEO of AmeriPride Services; Scott Farmer, CEO of Cintas Corp.; Karl Fillip, president/CEO of Alliance Laundry & Textile Services; and Jeff Wright, executive vice president and CFO of G&K Services.

Additionally, there will be breakout sessions to discuss executive management support, driver/fleet safety, wash aisle and lockout/tagout, injury prevention programs, and ergonomics.

Discussions will identify risks in laundry plant and service work that require improved mitigation and propose solutions.

Safety experts emphasize that while management often claims a “commitment to safety,” the real or imagined pressures of production can and often do defeat safety programs as the majority of these efforts focus on compliance and requirements, not zero-based objectives, TRSA says.

The Summit will foster novel approaches by identifying the most difficult obstacles the industry faces in eliminating injuries and illnesses and developing consensus proposals for overcoming them. Conclusions will drive TRSA programming such as best practices documentation, conference presentations, education/training, research/benchmarking and other resources.

To learn more, visit the TRSA website.

April 16, 2012
TRSA Launches Hygienically Clean Certification Program

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Relies on third-party, quantified biological testing and inspection

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) has launched the Hygienically Clean certification program to recognize textile services companies’ commitment to cleanliness through third-party, quantified biological testing and inspection.

The certification process eliminates subjectivity by verifying that textiles cleaned in these facilities meet hygiene standards appropriate for any type of business that uses garments, linens, towels, floor mats, mops and other professionally laundered items, the association says.

A specific designation for laundries with medical work—Hygienically Clean – Healthcare—is available and another will soon be offered for those who serve restaurants and other businesses where food safety is paramount—Hygienically Clean – Food Service.

To attain a Hygienically Clean certification, a laundry must deploy best management practices (BMPs) and pass bacteriological testing and facility inspections. Tests use the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) 61 protocol:

  • Allows a minimal amount of bacteria to remain after textiles are laundered
  • Pass/fail criteria of less than or equal to 20 colony forming units (cfu)

A laundry is not required to use particular processes, chemicals or BMPs to achieve certification—whatever tactics management feels are necessary can be used to achieve TRSA’s Minimum Performance Specifications as measured by bacteriological testing.  But BMPs must be documented in a written quality-control manual.

“Managers in many types of workplaces are becoming more conscientious about the sanitation of their processes,” explains TRSA President/CEO Joseph Ricci. “They want to be more confident that they are taking every step possible to prevent human illness in their facilities and their customers’.”

To approve laundries for Hygienically Clean certification, TRSA inspects them to review their documentation and observe their BMP deployment. After this initial on-site inspection, facilities are examined on a three-year basis. Bacteriological testing begins with one evaluation in each of the first three months the laundry is certified, then one every six months.

To learn more about the program, click here.  

April 9, 2012
TRSA Celebrates Centennial in 2012

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Today, the industry accounts for more than 200,000 individuals employed at

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association of America (TRSA), representing independent, regional and national laundry operators and associates in the $16 billion reusable textile services industry, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Most Americans benefit at least once a week from the cleanliness and safety provided by the industry—through its laundering and delivery of reusable linens, uniforms, towels, floor mats and other products for the healthcare, hospitality and industrial/manufacturing sectors, TRSA says.

“TRSA members launder reusable textiles and provide other products and services that help businesses project a clean and attractive public image,” says TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci, CAE. “Our industry reaches every major business and industrial region and city in the country.”

Textile services companies maximize efficiencies for laundering uniforms, hotel and hospital linen, garments, and restaurant linen by utilizing high-capacity, high-speed laundry equipment to minimize cost and consumption of water, energy and chemistry. Most of these companies are family-owned and -operated and have evolved from providing family laundry service in the late 1800s to serving the growing healthcare sector.

Today, the industry accounts for more than 200,000 individuals employed at 2,000-plus facilities nationwide. TRSA calculates that 1.8 million U.S. business locations are textile services customers generating roughly 15 billion pounds of laundry per year delivered by the third largest fleet of vehicles (behind only FedEx and UPS).

Healthcare and hospitality businesses account for about two-thirds of the laundry volume, with the balance to manufacturing and service industries that use customized work uniforms.

“Our industry has evolved as customer needs have evolved,” notes Ricci. “Before the turn of the century, textile services companies delivered clean, reusable items by bicycle and horse-drawn carriage as a less costly, time-saving alternative. Reusable textile service has long been the greener, more sustainable alternative to disposable products, home and on-premises laundries by reducing waste and conserving water and energy.”

April 2, 2012
TRSA Best Practices Regional Meeting

TRSA is fostering continuous improvement in textile services industry operations including development of environmentally friendlier, more economical and safer techniques. TRSA speaks with one voice to the government, marketplace and media about best management practices (BMPs) for serving industrial, hospitality and healthcare markets. At this meeting you will learn what TRSA is saying and assess your company’s position in light of emerging BMPs.

Clean Green – Gauge your progress in conserving water and energy and modifying processes and work habits to improve efficiency as TRSA certifies such companies’ efforts and promotes them locally and nationally.

Workplace Safety– TRSA’s Safety & HR Committee is reaching out to the industry as it publishes BMPs. In Kansas City you can help ensure your operation fits the profile, helping to develop and publicize the safety BMP list:
- Executive Management Support
- Route/Driver Safety
- Wash Aisle and Lock-Out/Tag-Out
- Injury Prevention Programs
- Ergonomics

Westin Kansas City at Crown Center will host the event. Contact Salita Jones, 703-519-0029, ext. 108, sjones@trsa.org, for more information.

March 22, 2012
TRSA Hosts First in Series of Executive Roundtables

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — TRSA and Walt Disney World host roundtable discussions involving

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) last month hosted the first of six Executive Roundtables planned for 2012, providing members with benchmarking information designed to improve operations, performance, productivity and safety.

TRSA President Joseph Ricci says his association’s members are always looking for opportunities for innovation. “Differentiation with unique goods and services provide a niche for new market entry and the financial premiums associated with those opportunities,” he explains.

This gathering covered issues impacting the restaurant/food-and-beverage and hotel/lodging markets. A representative of Darden Restaurants—the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, including the Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse brands—took part in the roundtable discussion, promoting the exchange of information from customer to service provider.

Industry consultants from Pertl & Alexander led discussions on linen loss and replacement for hospitality and food-and-beverage (F&B) applications. Attendees were invited to tour three Walt Disney World laundries, each with a special application and purpose.

The Housekeeping Plant processes rooms linen and pool towels for the nearly 30,000 Disney World hotel guestrooms. It produces more clean linen than any other single laundry location in the world—nearly 120 million pounds annually. The 16-year-old facility operates seven tunnel washers (that are targeted for replacement) and an automated open-pocket cell. 

The emphasis on throughput production is clear, but not at the risk of sacrificing quality. Quality control is ongoing, including a station that randomly evaluates linen before shipment.

Bob Corfield, president of Laundry Design Group, appreciated the production and efficiency of the housekeeping plant, but was eager to see how Disney handled its considerable costume and uniform requirements.

After a short bus ride, the group toured the Costume Facility that processes 29,000 costumes and cast member uniforms every day. 

Curt Gray, chief administrative officer for AmeriPride Services in Minnetonka, Minn., says he felt more at home in the uniform plant environment. His goal was to better understand how a world-class organization like Walt Disney World integrates its service culture into the industrial laundry environment.

After going through the plants, Gray commented that the net result of what Disney accomplishes appears to be the sum of doing a lot of little things right.

The Costume Facility tours like a morph between a large drycleaning shop and a production industrial plant (it also processes all walk-off mats used in the theme park). Equipment includes four drycleaning machines, two wetclean washers, and an assortment of washer-extractors.

Terri Amey, Disney’s costume plant manager, attributes the production and quality to the plant’s “cast.” Average term of service among full-time employees there is 19.5 years.

Pablo Lucchesi of Crown Linen, Miami, was particularly interested in touring Disney’s Food and Beverage Plant, as F&B is a growth center for his company.

Disney’s F&B facility provides table linen for the 200 park restaurant outlets servicing 32 different color options.

F&B delivery drivers arrive at work at 2 a.m. Pickups and deliveries are made in the early-morning hours using lowboy trailers. They are equipped with ramps that eliminate lift-gate requirements, reducing delivery times and improving operator safety.

The next TRSA Executive Roundtable is scheduled for May and will involve operational and market issues specific to national textile services companies.

March 9, 2012
TRSA Webinar: Hygienically Clean

A 2 p.m. ET webinar Wednesday, March 21, will unveil the Textile Rental Services Association’s Hygienically Clean program, which will award textile services operations with certification that attests to their capability to launder goods so these do not spread infection in customers’ locations.

The program is expected to particularly interest the medical trade as a special Healthcare designation will be created. But the generic Hygienically Clean will appeal to any type of account. In both cases, certification will primarily be performance (outcome) based by requiring bacteriological testing of laundered textiles and reporting on processes.

TRSA members, register for the webinar at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/156380638.

Nonmembers: http://www.trsa.org/product/webinar-access-non-member

March 1, 2012
TRSA Unveils “Clean Green” Certification Program

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) has launched an international initiative to lead the textile services industry to new heights in sustainability and environmental protection with the unveiling of its Clean Green certification program.

The new program recognizes companies that meet TRSA requirements for achieving efficiencies in water and energy conservation and adopting best management practices for reusing, reclaiming and recycling resources.

The certification gives the industry’s business-to-business customers third-party verification that the uniforms, tablecloths, bed sheets, floor mats, towels and other reusable textiles they procure from Clean Green-certified companies are laundered in an environmentally friendly manner, TRSA says.

Textile services companies will pay a per-plant fee to be considered for certification.

“Contracting with a Clean Green laundry is a commitment to sustainability and statement of conscientiousness about natural resources, part of managing a supply chain with maximum environmental protection in mind,” notes Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO.

More business owners and operators are modifying their production technologies, processes and work habits to improve efficiency and conserve supplies. “Clean Green prompts them to consider how their choices of outsourced functions such as laundry affect their total environmental impact,” Ricci observes.

Businesses that opt for work uniform rental service and linen supply from textile services companies—as opposed to assigning staff to wash work clothes at home or using smaller on-premise or commercial laundries for linens—have chosen the superior route for minimizing natural resources depletion, according to TRSA.

Textile services operations with the highest-speed, largest-capacity equipment are most likely to exceed Clean Green standards due to such machinery’s energy and water efficiencies, TRSA says. Because these industrial-scale laundries have hundreds or even thousands of customers, they are large enough to economically deploy the latest technologies for removing pollutants, recovering heat and reusing rinse water, among other resource-saving functions.

Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply, based in Jessup, Pa., is the first launderer in the world to be certified Clean Green.

For more details about the TRSA program that is open to members and non-members, go here.

February 14, 2012
Textile Services Sustainability Continues to Accelerate

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The textile services industry has reached new heights in natural resources conservation, according to the latest Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program (LaundryESP®) survey released by the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA).

Responses compiled from 500 U.S. TRSA member facilities indicated that their carbon footprint per pound of laundry is 11% smaller than in 2006, driven by a 14%-per-pound decline in energy use. Water consumption has dropped 6% in that time.

The results emerged on the heels of a study published by a European textile services coalition that concluded the production technology typically used by TRSA members “is the most sustainable way of doing laundry, almost without loss of quality and functionality.”

Such large-scale washing, drying and wrinkle removal is up to three times more sustainable than a domestic laundry process, the European group concluded.

It added that TRSA members’ techniques were also proven up to twice as effective in this respect as on-premise laundries (OPLs).

In terms of carbon footprint (carbon dioxide production), the metric most associated with sustainability, LaundryESP® determined that TRSA member laundries now generate 0.36 pounds of CO2 per pound of laundry washed. That’s a 24% decline since 1997, the first year of data tracking.

This prevents emission of 1.49 billion pounds of CO2 per year, which is the equivalent of taking 135,000 typical cars off the road. It would be necessary to plant roughly 30 million trees to achieve a similar reduction.

“LaundryESP® is a testimonial to TRSA members’ commitment to improving their efficiency, which enhances the environment and the economy,” says TRSA President Joseph Ricci. “Sustainability in commerce is not just about expending fewer resources, it means achieving those gains year after year because it’s profitable to do so.”

Businesses that patronize TRSA member facilities deserve much of the credit for the textile services industry’s greater efficiencies, according to Ricci.

“They understand that sending their uniforms, linens, floor mats, towels and other textile products to TRSA members is the most economical way to clean these,” he says. “LaundryESP® proves to our members’ customers that their patronage of TRSA companies is ‘greening’ their own businesses more than ever and enabling our members to continue to be vital corporate citizens in cities and towns across the nation.”

TRSA has prioritized promoting member companies’ services to facilities now using OPLs as well as businesses that could substitute durable, reusable cloth products for the non-launderable or paper equivalents they now buy.

The new research provides up-to-date confirmation that professional uniform service is a pro-environment choice that’s becoming more sustainable, Ricci notes.

The LaundryESP® findings indicate how TRSA members’ resource requirements have dwindled:

  • 2.55 gallons of water per laundered pound, down 33% since 1997, a 9.9-billion-gallon annual differential, or enough to serve the residential purposes of 270,000 people in a year.
  • 2,260 Btu of energy, down 27%, due to declines of 26% in natural gas, 9% in electricity, 81% in propane, 75% in fuel oils, and 30% in all hydrocarbon (production) fuels.

These combined reductions save energy at the rate of 11 trillion Btu per year, or enough to power 116,000 typical U.S. households.

Recent data comparing the sustainability of large-scale TRSA member laundering techniques to domestic and OPL processes were generated by TKT, the research arm of the Dutch national associations for textile services (FTN) and dry cleaning (Netex).

CINET, a council of mostly European national associations, published these studies.

January 30, 2012
TRSA Clean Green Certification Webinar

Your company’s improved ability to promote its positive environmental impacts by obtaining TRSA’s new Clean Green certification will be described in a webinar at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29. The presentation will discuss how the program reflects the industry’s commitment to sustainability through best management practices (BMPs) that reduce textile services facilities’ carbon footprint and enhance their environmental stewardship. Sixteen BMPs comprise the heart of the Clean Green standard; proof of deploying each one adds points to the score that textile services companies must attain to be certified under the new program.

This will be the first TRSA webinar available to non-TRSA textile services operators. Gary Gramp, TRSA certification programs manager, will be the presenter.

TRSA Members' registration link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/612777230

TRSA Non-Members' registration link: http://www.trsa.org/node/2670

January 16, 2012
TRSA Lauds Exemplary Execs, Corporate Efforts

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Northeast/Mid-Atlantic regional textile services company owner and the retired chief executive from one of the industry’s major chains received the Textile Rental Services Association’s (TRSA) highest honor at its Annual Convention & Exhibits recently.

The presentation took place at a ceremony that bestowed several accolades on member companies and individuals.

Recognized with the Operator Lifetime Achievement Award for their service to TRSA and the industry were:

  • Patrick J. Dempsey, chairman, Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply Inc., based near Scranton, Pa., serving that state as well as New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia.
  • Lawrence “Larry” Steiner, retired chairman & CEO, AmeriPride Services, headquartered near Minneapolis. He is the third- generation leader of a family company that’s grown into a multi-national organization operating more than 150 production facilities and service centers throughout the United States and Canada, serving 150,000 customers.

Runners-up were Ed Darling, ARAMARK Uniform Services; and DeNeal Feldman, Economy Linen & Towel Service, Dayton, Ohio.

The Maglin Biggie Lifetime Achievement Award, TRSA’s highest honor for an associate member, went to Mark Brim, president of Brim Laundry Machinery Co., Dallas. He’s the second-generation owner of a company that builds washer-extractors, dryers, shuttle conveyors and touchscreen controls.

Jeff Frushtick, Leonard Automatics, Denver, N.C., was runner-up.

ARAMARK Uniform Services, Burbank, Calif., received the SafeTRSA Innovation Award for its access-control technology designed to prevent wash aisle accidents. Runners-up were Cintas Corp., Mason, Ohio; and Linens of the Week, Washington D.C.

Winner of the LaundryESP® Innovation Award was Roscoe Co., Chicago, for its plant renovation that achieved exemplary savings in the use of water, energy and other resources. Runners-up were ARAMARK Uniform Services, Chicago; and California Linen Services, Pasadena, Calif.

Volunteer Leadership Awards were presented to Bill Hermanns, W.H. Linen Supply Co., Clifton, N.J.; Steve Kallenbach, American Dawn, Compton, Calif.; Matthew Kartsonis, Superior Linen Supply Co., Kansas City, Mo.; and Mark Lewis, Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply.

October 31, 2011
TRSA Annual Conference & Exhibits

Join TRSA in commemorating the industry's accomplishments of the last 100 years as members celebrate the organization's Centennial and conduct the usual complement of education and networking sessions that comprise the TRSA Annual Conference & Exhibits. The meeting's programming will give members ideas for leveraging their past to build a brighter future. Sessions are expected to include keynote presentations, social events, committee meetings, workshops, seminars and textile services facility tours.

More information: http://www.trsa.org/calendarevent/annual-conference-exhibits-0

October 31, 2011
TRSA Legislative & Leadership Conference

TRSA members face a constant challenge: fighting for fair, balanced regulations and pro-business labor and tax policies. All members and associates are welcome to engage in our Legislative & Leadership Conference consisting of meetings with congressional and regulatory leaders to exercise TRSA’s strength of our political force and participate in networking events. TRSA committees gather at the Legislative & Leadership Conference as well to lay the groundwork for TRSA activities to guide the industry into the future.

For more information: http://www.trsa.org/calendarevent/legislative-leadership-conference

September 12, 2011
TRSA Annual Conference Tries to Reach All Segments

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Textile Rental Services Association invites all laundry operators—TRSA members and nonmembers—to attend the association’s Annual Conference and Exhibits coming up here next month.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa will play host to the Oct. 16-19 event, which will feature educational sessions and networking for all levels of management in textile services companies, the association says.

The Annual Conference provides updates on the latest trends and practices in the uniform and linen supply business to the entire range of industry professionals, from owners to executives to front-line managers.

The Conference combines elements of three previous TRSA meeting formats—the Annual Convention, Leadership Conference, and Healthcare/Tech-Plant Conferences—with sessions for senior management and plant operations.

Sessions appeal to local and regional independent operators and national companies, covering hot-button topics in hospitality, industrial and healthcare markets, TRSA says. Seminars are scheduled concurrently to enable attendees to participate in those most applicable to their professions and market specialties.

The Annual Conference opens on Oct. 16 with a golf scramble, followed by a welcome reception and a charitable event.

The Leadership Conference will headline things on Oct. 17. Separate half-day workshops are planned in the afternoon on the topics of specialty garments, generating revenue from existing and potential accounts, and safety processes.

A networking reception wraps up the day’s activities. Here, attendees will have the opportunity to visit table-top exhibits presented by TRSA associate members.

Keynote speakers and full-day, multi-track educational sessions are the focus on Oct. 18.

General sessions on the agenda include The Nine Management Principles of Customer Service by Robert Spector, author of the international best-seller The Nordstrom Way: Inside Story of America’s No. 1 Customer Service Company, and The Triple Bottom Line: Achieving Economic, Social and Environmental Success by Andrew Savitz, author of The Triple Bottom Line: How the Best Run Companies are Achieving Economic, Social and Environmental Success – and How You Can Too!

The slate of breakout sessions will cover a variety of different topics. Some of them are:

  • Private equity investment
  • Route planning and fleet management
  • Leveraging real-time performance management
  • Energy benchmarking and forecasting
  • Selling and servicing retail medical
  • Building effective customer relationships with hospitals
  • Pathways to profitability
  • Building high-end hospitality business
  • Growth opportunities in direct sales, restrooms and facility services
  • Inventory management and its impact on the bottom line

The TRSA Chair Reception and Awards Dinner that evening is the Conference’s signature event, celebrating the long history, traditions, personalities and future of the textile services community.

TRSA will be presenting its most prestigious awards, including the Operator and Associate Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The Conference will conclude on Oct. 19 with the Annual Membership Meeting, followed by two plant tours.

At the Cintas plant in nearby Chandler, attendees can see the first industrial laundry facility to achieve “Star” status in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) requiring attention to management systems that reduce injury rates below industry averages. The facility processes roughly 210,000 pounds per week.

Or visit the new Alsco plant in Phoenix, TRSA says, where staff is enjoying more reliable operation with less maintenance; savings in water, electricity and gas consumption; and improved quality.

Click here for more information, or to register.

April 21, 2011
TRSA Webinar: Fleet Safety

To be held at 3:00 p.m. Rick Pollock, a top officer of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), will present “How Effective Fleet Safety Builds Your Bottom Line.” He'll provide insight into emerging legal and voluntary standards for conscientious driving and ergonomically conscious delivery practices. Rick founded the Direct Delivery Leadership Council, which identifies, establishes and promotes best practices for improving and integrating safety leadership, productivity and profitability for the direct delivery and service industries.

March 24, 2011
TRSA Members Gather in DC to Advocate for Textile Services Industry

WASHINGTON — As the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) wrapped up its Leadership & Legislative Conference Wednesday afternoon, attendees departed satisfied that they had learned more about maneuvering the nation’s political machine in their best interests and recognizing the risks to their businesses from their adversaries’ manipulations.

February 9, 2011
TRSA Preps for Leadership & Legislative Conference

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) is preparing to bring together the association’s committees and its government advocacy program for a three-day event in the nation’s capital next month.

The TRSA Leadership & Legislative Conference, set for March 21-23 in Washington, will be a unique opportunity to be part of TRSA’s voice and direction, association leaders say. The Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, National Harbor, Md., is hosting the event.

January 19, 2011
Textile Services’ Workplace Safety Shows Continued Improvement: TRSA Survey

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Recordable injuries and illnesses in Textile Rental Service Association of America (TRSA) member workplaces dropped 17% from 2008 to 2009, according to the annual TRSA Textile Services Industry Safety Report just released.

December 15, 2010
Ostrow Elected TRSA Chair, Will Push for Greater Industry Visibility in Primary BtoB Markets

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Pledging to enhance the Textile Rental Services Association’s role in representing the industry to customer businesses and government, Woody Ostrow was elected chairman of the TRSA board during the association’s recent Annual Convention in California.

October 25, 2010
TRSA Endorses Business-Minded Candidates for State, Federal Offices

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) is endorsing 15 candidates for November contests for state and federal offices. All are members of Congress who have “shown concern for entrepreneurialism in a difficult economy and provided exceptional support for businesses in trying times,” the association says.

September 13, 2010
TRSA Report: Textile Industry Revenues Outpace GDP Again

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Typical members of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) continued in 2009 their year-after-year streak of outperforming the economy, the association’s 2010 Industry Performance Report indicates.

Compared with the nation’s real GDP decline of 2.6%, a company with a classic TRSA business profile (dominated by linen and healthcare work) lost only 1.8% in revenue, TRSA reports. And profits increased—from 4.8% of sales to 5.9%.

June 22, 2010
TRSA Seeks Broad Participation in Industry Safety Survey

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) is urging all uniform rental and linen supply companies to participate in the Industry Safety Survey, a project now under way that quantifies launderers’ success in reducing workplace illnesses and injuries.

The survey questionnaire is available for download at www.safetrsa.org. Deadline to respond is July 15.

October 23, 2009
TRSA Begins Search for New Chief Exec, Per ‘Blending’ Agreement

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) has begun an executive search, per the agreement that blended TRSA and the Uniform & Textile Service Association (UTSA).

“We are all indebted to (President and CEO) Roger Cocivera for his excellent work on behalf of the industry,” says TRSA Chairman Jeff Wright. “Through his efforts, the blending of the two associations went very smoothly, and virtually every former UTSA member has joined TRSA.”

August 28, 2009
ASHES, IEHA, TRSA Prepare for Annual Conferences, Meeting

CHICAGO — The American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES), the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) and the Textile Rental Services Association of America (TRSA) are busy preparing to host fall membership meetings.

ASHES and IEHA will conduct their annual conferences, while TRSA will gather its member leaders for the annual Joint Committee Meeting (JCM).

June 18, 2009
TRSA 'Blending' with UTSA on Track, but More Work to Be Done, Officials Say

NEW ORLEANS — Members of the Textile Rental Services Association of America (TRSA) gathered here Wednesday afternoon for their first annual meeting since TRSA and the Uniform & Textile Service Association (UTSA) began to reorganize last year.

Outgoing TRSA Chairman of the Board Greg Jeltema, new Chairman Jeffrey Wright and President/CEO Roger Cocivera acknowledged that while much work on the “blending” has been completed, there is more yet to do.

Wright shared his goals for the coming year: