Content about healthcare

MEMBER AT LARGE: DOUGLAS STORY, SWISHER HYGIENE

There are a lot of stains out there that we all work to try to remove in our day-to-day efforts, everything from medical stains in the healthcare industry to various types of waterproof make-up stains in the hospitality industry, but the stain that I find most difficult to remove is the idea of producing linen with “no or zero stains.” This is an extremely difficult issue to deal with because many actually believe they can produce linens/fabrics with absolutely zero stains every time, every day.

Is this possible? Well, yes, it is possible. We could process all linens on wash formulas that would produce a quality level in most classifications about as close to a “zero stain” program as possible. So why don’t we? Why don’t we go with what many of the manufacturing QC gurus call a zero-defect operation, or in our case the zero-stain process? In manufacturing, would a zero-defects operation cost you more money than a process that yields a few defects?

Yes, especially in an operation where we do not technically have control over the quality of the raw material coming in the door. Linen or fabric is our raw material. Unfortunately, hundreds or thousands of 100% cotton sheets having the same structure and design were not necessarily produced from the same raw material. Some need a greater level of soil removal than the rest. Our goal is to provide our customers with linens that are as clean and structurally sound as the linens were when the items were new.

OK, so why don’t we launder the product to produce zero stains? Isn’t that what the customer wants? Yes, but in reality they do not want stains delivered, so our quality control operation should make sure that doesn’t happen. At the same time, the customer and/or the laundry want to make sure the finished goods are protected from excess damage via wear and tear. Laundering fabrics of all types is one of the few “manufacturing” processes in which the raw material and the finished goods are structurally and generally the same.

Here are a few reasons why we shouldn’t process work to deliver zero stains:

• In every wash load, there are a mix of linens from heavy soil to light soil, while the average washer formula is written to deal with moderate- to heavy-soiled items.
• If we processed the linens for zero stains, we would be subjecting the lightly soiled items in every load to excess mechanical, chemical and processing treatment that could damage or shorten the life of the majority of finished products. Lightly soiled items generally constitute 50-70 % of a washer load (there are exceptions, i.e. bar towels).
• Extra time (increased labor), extra water, wear and tear on equipment, more chemicals, shortened linen life, and higher energy consumption are just a few of the costs that will be increased in one’s drive to produce a zero-stain product.

So what’s a laundry manager to do in search of a zero-stain product? Keep quality control on top of product quality delivered to the customer while the plant works to maximize quality while minimizing the downside potential to the final product and the operation.  

Over the years, many studies have developed acceptable levels of stain/rejects for various operations. The averages of these studies are as follows:

• Hospitality (hotel/motel linen) — 2.5-4.0% rejects
• Healthcare — 3.5-5.5% rejects
• Nursing Home — 4.0-5.5% rejects
• Linen Supply — 5.0-6.0% rejects

The secret to a highly efficient laundry operation is not to have zero stains. No, in this case of production management, it is better to have a percentage of stains within acceptable levels in order to protect the finished product and the sustainability of your operation or business.

We all want to produce the best product possible, but we are going to have to accept a level of rejects that many in true manufacturing businesses could not.

LINEN SUPPLY: STEPHEN MARCQ, GENERAL LINEN SERVICE

The most stubborn stains to remove (as opposed to those that defy removal, such as stainless steel and cement stains) are mildew, ink from pens left in pockets, and a variety of medical ointments.

I am sure others will provide excellent technical advice here on how to contend with these after the fact, but this is truly a case of prevention being the best cure. Ongoing customer education and gaining early buy-in to linen conservation practices is the key, beginning with training on using a product for its intended purpose, and providing the appropriate grade article for that use. Other tips include recommending higher-grade towels for light duty in the front of the house, and saving second-quality ones for the heavy cleaning tasks.

Pre-sorting of linen immediately after use is critical to prevent stains. This include bagging tablecloths and napkins separately from bar mops and aprons, keeping shop towels separate from industrial garments, and so forth. As always, encouraging customers to only put linen into the soil bags will help prevent staining, especially in situations with weekly pickup schedules. Selling bags of ragged-out towels at a good price to “hard” users can be a good strategy as well.

Place laminated signs with pictures of the items that should go in each bag on the wall over the bag stands, and replace as necessary. Convince the customer that taking good care of your linen while it’s in his establishment is not only good for you, it’s also good for his long-term linen costs.

HOTEL/MOTEL/RESORT LAUNDRY: JR NORRIS, DELTA UNIFORM AND LINEN

Stubborn stains can be a real challenge in today’s commercial laundry facilities, because stains can have a negative effect on production, leading to a smaller profit margin. We are lucky to have an experienced dry cleaner as our owner. We also have two ex-dry cleaners on our production staff, so stubborn stains have met their match here.

The key to not setting stains or avoiding a mountain of rewash is sorting. Proper sorting in your facility can eliminate headaches and money being washed down the drain. Make the minimum effort to pre-sort those pillowcases and terry and your production times and rewash will be greatly reduced. If the stains are caught during the sorting process, they can be pre-spotted and processed without incident.

On occasion, no matter how hard you try, stains will slip by the attentive eyes of the sorters. The majority of the stains we encounter are lipstick and make-up, primarily mascara. Make-up wears off during the night on pillowcases and sheets. Other times, the mascara is whipped off using hand towels, bath towels or washcloths. These oil-based stains are then transferred to the linen and terry. As we all know, oil-based stains need chemicals in order to be removed effectively.

Mascara, make-up and any other oil-based stains are best removed by using a solvent-based stain remover such as Pyratex. At Delta, once a stain is discovered, it is separated and sent to rewash. We employ one person who is responsible for stain removal. Once the type of stain is determined, the linen is treated based on the spotter’s recommendation and experience, then sent for rewashing. Always remember to wash treated textiles shortly after spotting.

Click here for Part 1.

MANCHESTER, N.H., and LEBANON, N.H. — Industrial laundry service firms Kleen LLC and Envoy Services LLC have merged into Kleen Envoy LLC, doing business as Envoy Services, the companies announced.

The event brings together Kleen and Envoy Services’ wholly owned subsidiary Sterling Linen Services LLC. Turning Bridge LLC, a laundry consulting and software business founded by Envoy in 2009, is also included.

The combination of Kleen, Sterling and Turning Bridge creates the largest, most comprehensive laundry service firm in New England, the group says.

Envoy Services will leverage the diverse talents and capabilities of both organizations to strengthen its value proposition to healthcare and hospitality laundry customers. More specifically, new and existing customers will, according to Envoy, experience:

• Broader selection of services designed to reduce costs and simplify customer operations
• Improved quality and redundancy delivered through multi-plant operations
• Enhanced customer service delivered by a broader team with a track record of success

“We’re thrilled to be joining forces with Envoy Services,” says Greg Gosselin, Kleen president. “The merger allows us to better align resources with our respective strengths. This will absolutely be beneficial to the company and our valued customers.”

Going forward, Gosselin will continue to provide leadership by focusing on customer-facing activities. In this role, he will be instrumental in maintaining strong relationships with current clients and capitalizing on new growth opportunities.

“All of us at Envoy Services have a great deal of respect for Kleen LLC, and we are excited to bring our team’s talents to the merged organization,” says Dennis Kim, a principal in Envoy Services and president of Sterling Linen Services; he will oversee operations of the entire Envoy portfolio. “We are confident that by working together we can advance both organizations’ strategic objectives.”

Kleen will focus its efforts on the healthcare sector while Sterling will target the hospitality market. Turning Bridge will continue to target both markets and will be cross-sold into the broad customer base of Kleen and Sterling.

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.”

ROANOKE, Va. — Providing an OR towel that has little lint or is lint-free is a universal challenge for all laundry facilities that supply reusable OR towels to a healthcare facility. You can take some key steps to ensure that the product coming out of processing has a minimum amount of lint.

The first is to make sure that you purchase a high-quality reusable OR towel. The quality of the weave and the fiber used in product construction has a direct bearing on the amount of lint that will be generated in processing. As a general rule, the lower the cost of the OR towel, the greater the amount of lint.

Recently, several linen companies have experienced problems with previously reliable sources, as poor-quality cotton has made its way into the production pipeline. Carefully research your options and insist on test-washing any OR towels before committing your business to a particular vendor. This is one item for which you are better off committing all your business to one vendor based on its ability to consistently provide a high-quality product.

Constant vigilance for potential product problems has become a necessary part of laundry management. Product consistency will make, not break, your reputation with your customers.

Next, make sure that reusable OR towels are processed separately from disposable (single-use) towels. Most disposable OR towels are blue in color and of a lower quality than reusable OR towels. In addition, disposable OR towels are sterilized by irradiation, which has a detrimental effect on the cotton fiber.

Because of these two factors, the amount of lint generated by disposable OR towels when washed in the laundry will be much higher than that generated by reusable OR towels. It is therefore recommended that, during the soil-sort process, these towels be sorted into a separate batch. Disposable OR towels can easily be sold to a number of industries once they are properly cleaned.

You must take care during soil sorting to ensure that no foreign objects are placed in the load with the reusable OR towels. It is normal to find pieces of gauze in the bags containing reusable OR towels. These pieces will disintegrate into white pieces of lint during processing. Removing these foreign bodies will eliminate the problem.

I recommend sorting the OR towels twice to make sure that all foreign items are removed. During the initial high-speed sort, some items normally get past the sorters who are trying hard to make production numbers. Sending the OR towels past them a second time will help them catch what they missed the first time around.

I recommend adding one or two green poly-cotton sheets to each wash load of green OR towels. Ray Pierson, one of my supervisors who used to work for National Linen, made this recommendation based on his experience there. I had my doubts at first, but decided to give it a try.

We always fully dry our OR towels before inspecting them by hand and folding them. The process of ironing a damp OR towel will cause fibers to stretch and create thermal shock, which will result in additional linting next time. We have found that the green sheets act like lint magnets when washed and dried with a load of OR towels, greatly reducing if not eliminating the lint.

We inspect each OR towel to ensure the quality of the products that are delivered to our customers. This process greatly reduces inventory management issues. If the OR towels are not inspected, then facilities will order more than they really need. Through inspection, the orders accurately reflect what they really need. Having the responsibility for inspecting OR towels done by the surgical pack room simplifies the allocation between OR packs and loose towels.

The reusable surgical linen business requires a higher quality standard than general hospital linen but, if priced appropriately, can be a great addition to your volume and your bottom line.

FAIRWAY, Kan. — In an effort to shed light on what hospitals want from their laundry providers (and, in doing so, provide intelligence to help providers meet healthcare client needs and expectations in 2012), a 360-degree review on the subject was in order.

In addition to interviews with environmental service (EVS) managers and nurses at a dozen hospitals across the country, about two dozen laundry operators were surveyed and interviewed.

While the nature of this review is anecdotal (i.e., not a scientific study), the feedback gathered resonates true.

What Laundry Operators Think They Want

Based on a survey of operators representing all sizes and types of laundry operations, they say hospitals want (in order of importance):

• On-time delivery and sufficient inventory
• Responsiveness to client needs and requests
• Good-quality products
• Competitive prices
• HLAC accreditation

While operators ranked HLAC accreditation low as a customer priority, most agree this is changing as more and more laundries become accredited.

The primary complaints received from clients are (in order of frequency):

• Costs too high
• Stains and tears on items
• Insufficient inventory
• Poor quality
• Lost or missing goods

There were many operator complaints about clients not taking the time to communicate needs, to understand pricing issues, or to participate in inventory control and loss programs.

Of those surveyed, 71% provide service on a rental basis, with the remaining 29% providing a combination of rental and customer-owned goods (COG). Ninety-three percent of all respondents provide clients education on linen use and control; 86% provide inventory management programs.

What Hospital EVS Managers Say

While some EVS managers might not rank having its laundry HLAC-accredited top of the list, it is a must-have criteria for others. “Our laundry provides excellent service and works closely with me and my administrator on any issues that arise,” says Kent Miller, CHESP, director of environmental services for Jackson Hospital & Clinic in Montgomery, Ala.

“I believe a healthcare laundry should be HLAC-accredited,” adds Miller, who is also president of the Association of the Healthcare Environment (AHE), an HLAC founder. “My laundry provider is accredited, and they made sure I received a copy of the accreditation certificate.”

When asked how their laundry provider could improve its service, EVS managers say they need:

• Better-quality goods/fewer stains
• Better communication on product changes and service options
• Help in enforcing appropriate linen usage among staff/controlling losses
• Training programs for staff in each unit (along with spot audits)

When asked what their laundry provider does right, EVS managers stated:

• On-time delivery
• Responsive to requests
• Good fill rates

Overall, the EVS managers interviewed were happy with their laundry providers. Those happiest with their service have a close relationship with a customer service representative from the laundry.

But one issue remains difficult to resolve.

“I have great laundry service, but the biggest gripe I get from staff is about stains on linen, especially on our knit sheets,” says Wes Thiss, CHESP, EVS director at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, Va. “I realize that part of the stain issue is our fault. The iodine cleanser commonly used in hospitals stains terribly. But the perception among staff is that if there is a stain, it’s not clean.”

The Nursing Perspective

Nurses want the linen they need right now. “If it has hair or a stain on it, we put it straight in the soil bin,” says RN Copp.

In general, nurses say they need:

• Clean linen without stains, tears or holes
• Patient gowns with snaps that work
• An adequate supply of items
• A better understanding of their needs (listen to what they say and follow through!)
• An appointed hospital linen liaison or advocate for each unit

A survey taken of 42 nurses during a Practice Greenhealth webinar¹ in February 2011 revealed that 40% rated their laundry service as “good,” 30% rated it as “fair,” 20% rated it as “poor,” and only 10% rated their laundry service as “great.”

“In my 17 years as an RN and administrator, I have observed that most linen services do a decent job,” says Brenda Willis, RN, Tonganoxie, Kan. “But if there is no one appointed on the unit floor to oversee linen use and advocate on behalf of the laundry, there are more problems and greater linen losses.”

One nurse noted that staff hated getting patient gowns with snaps that didn’t snap. Because the perception was that gowns with broken snaps kept being returned to them, nurses started throwing them away.

“The most common mistake operators make in serving hospitals is not communicating sufficiently with hospital staff,” says Deborah Lark, COO of Portland Hospital Services Corp., Portland, Ore. “It’s critical to communicate with and educate end-users about linen and the laundry operation.

“Unless we educate the end-user, there is a tendency for clients to take linen for granted. Hospital staff can wind up making assumptions about the laundry operation that result in unrealistic expectations.”

The Challenge — Will You Meet It In 2012?

Does your laundry operation have customer service reps that regularly visit with the client contact and floor staff?

Do you provide training for staff on appropriate linen usage?

Do you insist that each hospital unit have an appointed linen advocate?

The successful execution of these tactics can make the difference between happy customers and your profitability in 2012.

But Thiss acknowledges that it’s hard to get nurses to participate in any type of linen committee. “We need help getting our nurses to want to participate in training and committee work.”

“The most important thing hospital staff can do is be open-minded and willing to form quality and linen committees that can then set realistic goals and par levels,” says Kelly Jefferson, vice president of customer support services for Reino Linen Service, Gibsonburg, Ohio. “We also need to coax staff to talk openly about fill rates and returns.

“Until you have a true relationship and partnership established between the laundry and end-users, there will always be questions of fill rates, quality, costs and customer satisfaction.”

Click here for Part 1.

Textile/Uniform Rental: David Dersheimer, SITEX Corp.

There are certainly differences in what commercial or rental plants may choose or use for equipment and procedures when compared to institution-based laundries and their respective facilities.

Generally, the volume and product mix of a rental or commercial facility tends to fluctuate more than an institutional facility’s does.

Rental facilities tend to make equipment and process decisions based on current mix and volume plus projected growth. They have smaller load quantities in varying item mixes. The soil levels in rental plants also tend to range broadly from light to heavy.

Institutional laundries have a more consistent volume and less variance in soil classifications. And there is typically less variation in soil levels and volumes in a healthcare, nursing home or hotel laundry.

But I’m not sure you could define differences in laundries based only on these two categories or generalities. You might need to ask a few questions, such as:

• What is the item mix, and how many different sort classes/soil levels are there?
• What is the facility’s planned growth? Is there anticipated growth in one segment or area? If so, how will that impact the volume and mix?
• How would product mix affect equipment decisions?
• Is the wash operation running batches or smaller, varying loads, or loads of similar volume and sort class? Does the facility need single or convention machines, or would a continuous batch washer be a better choice?
• If flatwork finishing, is volume or flexibility needed? For large pieces, does the facility need a sheet feeder, table linen feeder, or a machine that can do both? Is an ironer needed to handle napkins and pillowcases?

Differences between any two laundries, whether commercial or institutional, can be quite distinct. One needs to assess current mix, planned growth, and output expectations to determine individual needs.

Consulting Services: Ron Evans, RJ Evans and Associates

There are several procedural differences between industrial rental laundries and institutional laundries. Growth, greater competition, incomparable number of products processed, and profit are the driving and dividing forces.

Since most rental laundries have hundreds if not thousands of customers, their processing practices must be much more flexible and expanded than an institutional laundry that may have a singular or limited common customer base.

Since rental laundries exist in a much more competitive environment, it is essential for the production department’s contribution to the rental company’s bottom line be fully within strict budget forecasts. The trick here is that all production forecasts are predicated on sales forecasts, and the latter can be difficult to project for a coming year.

There is a constant need to search for improved best practices to satisfy the varied demands upon their daily changes in usage, product variation and resource allocation. It becomes essential to leverage all advantages that eliminate or reduce waste while at the same time operate within projected budget requirements. These are all centered on “lean and mean” customer satisfaction.

The production department’s contribution to bottom-line profit in a rental laundry is scrutinized and monitored due to its constantly changing customer base. Rental laundry production management must be much more engaged and “hands on” in addressing all the demands of its varied customers’ needs. Pressures on rental managers are more numerous and dynamic than those on institutional managers. Rental production managers must be good business managers as well as knowing their trade.

Another difference is the role of a production department in a rental industrial laundry. Full-time salespeople use their production department as a sales tool and regularly take potential customers on plant tours. Therefore, the department always has to be in marketable “showplace” condition.

A rental laundry’s service department also uses the production department as a customer-retention tool. Service departments have developed sophisticated programs to elevate a customer’s understanding of the rental laundry’s value in maintaining their fixed costs, convenience, and quality standards. As such, they constantly market environmental advantages in waste treatment, sanitary conditions, safety practices, and inventory control. Processing techniques are used not only for production but to gain and retain customers.

Because of its dedicated freestanding facility, the rental laundry has acquired a “target” on its back for every governmental inspector. Consequently, it must operate under the assumption that it will have city, state, regional and federal government inspectors in its facilities throughout the year. The end result is rental laundries have unsurpassed training and updated performance exercises in safety, waste management, OSHA, and human resource issues out of the realization that they will be audited. This constant pressure creates a professional, self-policing system and a comfort zone for their customers.

Both types of industrial laundries have similar equipment, chemicals and procedures for the items they process in common. Because of the difference in competitive situations, rental laundries must operate at a higher level of customer speed to retain revenue-generating clients.

It has been my experience that most rental production managers could operate an institutional laundry quite easily while most institutional production managers would have to expand their skills to effectively manage a rental industrial laundry.

Equipment Manufacturing: Kim Shady, Laundrylux Corp.

How do you define commercial laundry or institutional laundry? Often, those terms are used interchangeably. So let’s remove the descriptive terms and be more absolute. What is the equipment difference between a laundry processing less than 3,000 pounds per day and a laundry processing more than 3,000 pounds per day?

In the simplest form, the equipment differences can be defined by automation. It may reduce labor costs, improve quality, reduce processing time or save energy. As the pounds processed per day increase, there become economies of scale for each of these items.

While improved quality may be a goal for selecting automation, the determining factor is most likely the return on investment (ROI). You can calculate this by projecting labor savings, energy savings and maybe even overhead by square foot vs. the cost of automation.

A small-piece folder is one of the smallest investments for automation. It can process towels, gowns, blankets or fitted sheets. If your laundry is processing 1,000 pounds of these items a day, a small-piece folder could reduce your staffing by one person. An institutional laundry is likely using a staff of two to hand-fold these items. If a basic small-piece folder is $45,000, what might the ROI be?

Commercial laundries likely process a large quantity of flat goods. Automation in this case may include automatic pickers to replace one or two staff members.

Processing linens through an ironer requires the least amount of energy per pound of finished goods. But that doesn’t mean ironing is the lowest-cost method for processing goods. An institutional laundry may use an ironer but lack automation, thus requiring two to four staff members.

Over the last five years, numerous ironers on the market have offered feeding, folding and stacking built into the ironer, allowing a single operator to process 150 or more pounds per hour. Processing 75 pounds per hour is a common goal in laundries without automation. A machine with these features can reduce the staffing required for ironing. The additional investment for the feeder, folder and stacker may be $100,000. What might the ROI be for this automation?

Labor will always be the largest cost of operating a laundry. An institutional laundry can be limited in methods for reducing labor costs, so automation can be a difference maker. It is the difference between the equipment selections in a commercial laundry and an institutional laundry.

Member at Large: Douglas Story, Swisher Hygiene

When I first read this question, I thought, “What in the heck can anyone say about this? Processing fabric is processing fabric, right?” But it is a good question that has forced me to look not so much at the equipment or procedures that are used by the two laundry types but at the philosophies behind the use of that equipment.

As I was contemplating what I would write, I was inspired by one of my favorite “philosophers,” Jeff Foxworthy. Here, offered somewhat tongue-in-cheek, are some differences between a commercial laundry and an institution-based laundry:

• If the laundry manager is a graduate in hospitality management and is in the job as a learning experience, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• If a washer’s rated capacity is used as the measure of the pounds of linen being processed, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• If a washer’s rated capacity is considered an estimate and everyone knows that it can hold another 100 pounds, it might be a commercial laundry.
• If the laundry manager loads the washer and then walks to the next room to welcome a guest and offer them a cookie, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• If the laundry manager is proud of his washroom’s 2,000 lbs/hr production but can’t understand how two 100-pound dryers can keep up, it might be a commercial laundry.
• If the laundry manager, when asked why he has 10 washers and two flatwork ironers stored in the parking lot, answers, “Parts,” it might be a commercial laundry.
• When employees stay later to produce more laundry, it might be a commercial laundry.
• When employees stay later to clean the rooms or provide patient care, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• When the flatwork ironer goes down and the laundry manager prays for its recovery, it might be a commercial laundry.
• When the laundry manager can give you the cost per piece, labor, utilities, fixed and variable cost itemized, it might be a commercial laundry.
• When the laundry manager says, “I don’t know all of my utility costs,” it might be an institution-based laundry.

There are philosophical differences between commercial (for-profit) and institutional (not-for-profit or support services) laundries, but it is not, for the most part, in the equipment or processes they use. It is more in how management approaches the business and customer service sides of the operation.

In the past, the primary focus of a commercial laundry was the customers that paid for their service. By contrast, this was/is not always the case for the institutional laundry. But as we look to the future, I believe that we are seeing the philosophies of these two operations beginning to merge.

Institutional laundries are becoming more like their commercial counterparts because of economic pressures and because many of the organizations operating these laundries have realized the impact they have on the bottom line of the institutions they serve.

Commercial and institutional laundries are becoming more customer-focused, so both are looking at better, or more efficient, ways to improve the way they do business for the customers they serve. For both, it is a matter of survival.

Click here for Part 1.

Textiles: Tom Langdon, Encompass Group

I am vice president of sourcing and purchasing for Encompass Group. I have spent the past 30 years in a variety of roles and responsibilities in the textile industry.

For the last 20-plus, I have traveled the globe, extensively developing and sourcing all types of textile products. My product experience spans from retail home fashions, to protective and military apparel, and into the medical textile products area. I am experienced in woven, non-woven, and knit manufacturing techniques along with all aspects of printing, dyeing and finishing.

My educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree from the Stetson School of Business at Mercer University, along with various continuing education certificates in customs, compliance, CTPAT, supply chain management, and ISO 9000 registration. I sit on the Techtextil North America 2012 Symposium Advisory Council and chair the Medical Educational Section. I see my role on the panel as giving readers the layman’s perspective on each monthly topic and how obtaining the actual textile items is affected.

Two of our biggest challenges in 2011 were the unprecedented run-up in raw-material costs and mitigating the impact to our customers. We also were faced with some historic geopolitical changes in the world, of which the unrest in Egypt created some specific obstacles to our industry.

I was already scheduled to visit Egypt at the end of January 2011, the week before the Mubarak regime fell. I remember spending the first half of the Super Bowl on the phone with my travel agent rearranging my itinerary to cancel the Egypt portion of my trip. Later, I found out that the head of the largest government-owned textile mill in Egypt was removed from his post and arrested.

Probably our greatest accomplishment realized was in educating our customers and others in the industry on market conditions. This entailed explaining how contributing factors such as the price of cotton, energy, and currency exchange rates affect the price, quality, and availability of laundry textile products.

Encompass benefited from an intercompany market update I published monthly, which helped our sales force reach out to all of our customers as well. The price of cotton became such a hot topic at one point that it even made it on to NBC’s The Today Show.

Let’s all hope we have a much calmer and more stable 2012. I look forward to participating on this panel and appreciate being selected.

Linen Supply: Stephen Marcq, General Linen Service

I’m the director of business development for General Linen, with corporate offices and the processing plant located in Somersworth N.H. I’ve been with the company for approximately 22 years, starting as a production manager. I worked as a production and depot manager for several other companies before returning in 1992.

While most of my time with General has been on the service side of the business, I’ve done everything from load diapers (remember those?) to running the service department and then the sales department, which has given me a well-rounded background that has served me well.

Today, I work extensively with the sales and service teams to manage, retain and expand our business presence with large corporate accounts, and especially with a variety of multi-site operations, both healthcare and hospitality. Setting up various customized programs designed to appeal to the particular needs of off-site management or ownership is an accomplishment I am particularly proud of.

We have 3,800 customers in four states, serviced from our main plant and two additional service centers in New Hampshire and Maine. Our plant mix consists mostly of hospitality and healthcare business, with lesser amounts of industrial and dust control.

With both of those areas affected by the economic downturn over the last few years, and healthcare especially hit hard in the last 6-12 months, a major challenge right now is in maintaining margins and sales increases while retaining customers in an increasingly competitive, cost-conscious environment.

We have implemented route optimization software to reduce distribution and delivery expense, installed a stack economizer to reclaim waste heat, increased our sales team, set up a key/multi-site customer and corporate visit program, and have many other projects in progress or in the works.

Our mixed-plant status can be, at times, both an asset and a liability. When one segment is down, we have historically grown in another and been able to protect jobs and revenue. But gaining maximum production and delivery efficiencies can be harder for a mixed plant as well, something that we are doing our best to address.

I am honored to have been selected to serve on the panel, and I am looking forward to contributing during 2012.

Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: JR Norris, Delta Linen

I’m the operations manager for Delta Uniform and Linen, the largest family-owned and operated commercial laundry in Albuquerque. I am honored to have been chosen for this panel.

The Randall family established Delta Linen in 1948 as a small drycleaning business. The decision was made to take the business into industrial linen rental, and Delta Linen has since flourished. It now services more than 300 restaurants, casinos and fine hotels, and is growing daily. Delivering clean and wrinkle-free linen and hospitality wear with 24-hour-a-day customer service has contributing greatly to our success.

I worked as a general manager in the restaurant business for almost 20 years, sitting on the other side of the table in dealings with linen companies. This experience has helped me greatly with my transition from restaurants to linen service and having the ability to under a restaurant’s needs. It encourages me daily that Delta Linen has had the same beliefs and integrity for more than 60 years!

I have faced several challenges after diving headfirst into the linen business, but that’s been the fun part. The biggest has been working with and understanding the quality and maintenance aspects of hotel linens.

I have seen sub-par cotton quality coming from many manufacturers over the past 18 months. We have had to change several processes, including how we order and wash, to ensure the longevity of the textiles. Because of this, production has almost been more challenging than the cleaning of the products themselves.

We were blessed with continued growth this past year despite the hard economic times the country faced. We have taken on several new, large accounts, along with a new contract with a resort. And we recently renewed our contract with the largest casino in New Mexico.

We continue to strive for the best every day, with the mind-set and commitment that our service is our contract and it is as good, if not better, than a golden handshake. I intend to see that Delta Linen maintains this philosophy for many years to come.

Tomorrow: Introductions to representatives from the equipment manufacturing and chemical suppy sectors, plus a member at large...
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Healthcare Laundry: Scott Beaton, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

I am the Kaiser Permanente Northern California regional product manager for linen and laundry, overseeing and maintaining a system that serves 21 Northern California hospitals with more than 27 million pounds processed annually.

Previously, I was operations manager for Sodexo in Stockton, Calif., one of the largest COG healthcare laundries in its laundry division. The plant processed more than 44 million pounds of linen per year while serving 30 hospital and 47 clinic customers in accordance with HLAC and Title 22 healthcare standards.

I’ve been in the commercial laundry industry for more than 20 years, having operated healthcare, hospitality and uniform plants throughout the West. I developed and implemented initiatives that contributed to increases in productivity and quality at each location while operating in union and nonunion environments.

I began my career at ARAMARK as a group merchandise control manager and worked at several different facilities throughout the Southwest in merchandise control and production. I later joined UniFirst Corp., where, as Western regional production trainer, I was responsible for the development of production managers and the implementation of all production-related best practices and procedures in the region.

My goals this year include enhancing the patient care experience and healing environment through enhanced linen quality and product upgrades. I also plan to increase the velocity and utilization of products by training stakeholders through the implementation of best practices at the user level while at the same time reducing our carbon footprint.

It’s an honor to be selected for this Panel. I hope to share the benefit of my experience with you.

Equipment/Supplies Distribution: Steve Clark, Laundry Equipment Services Inc.

Most of my laundry knowledge comes from hands-on experience, which I hope to be able to share while serving on this panel.

I grew up in the laundry industry; my father worked for Economics Laboratory for 32 years. I began transporting and installing laundry equipment when I was 16, and worked as a service technician for Ecolab in my early 20s. The latter position allowed me to understand general laundry procedures, applications, and the challenges that laundries face on a daily basis.

After several years, I decided to move into sales as a territory manager with Diversey and explored the chemical aspects of the industry. All of this experience primed me to open Laundry Equipment Services Inc., a commercial/industrial laundry equipment sales and service company. We supply new and refurbished equipment, as well as ancillary items, to hospitals, hotels, resorts, nursing homes, prisons, Laundromats, etc. We also have a large coin-operated division and parts department.

Operating LES allows me the diversity of managing a great group of employees, training customers, designing locations, constructing and/or rebuilding laundry facilities, and doing so within budgets. We focus on proper equipment sizing, correct equipment mixes, professional installations and continuous service after the sale.

Because so many of our customers are financially challenged by the economy, we’re forced to continually look for ways that they can save money. Our biggest challenge is keeping our customers operating safely while maintaining quality with the lowest costs possible, but it’s one we conquer.

Textile/Uniform Rental: David Dersheimer, SITEX Corp.

I am the plant manager for SITEX Corp. in Henderson, Ky. SITEX is a well-established uniform and linen rental company that has been serving customers in Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Indiana for more than 50 years. We provide outstanding image programs for our customers and reference that in our company’s tag line – SITEX, The Image Makers.

I am responsible for the day-to-day production, maintenance, and safety of our Henderson operation. I’ve been with SITEX for six years.

I’ve been in the commercial laundry industry on the production side for 29 years, and have worked for companies that produced from 3 million to 30 million pounds annually. I served one company briefly as a service manager. I have extensive experience in work measurement and production standards, as well as safety.

One of our challenges over the last couple of years has been dealing with the continued increase in the cost of raw materials that go into our end products. With the volatility in the cotton and petroleum markets, we have all seen price increases on our rental textiles as well as processing supplies.

SITEX has been able to maintain operating expenses by carefully researching alternate textile products and operational supplies and procedures. We have been able to offer our customers alternate and, in some cases, better products to suit their needs. I would consider this challenge met to be a success.

I am excited about what 2012 holds for my company and our industry, and I am proud to have been selected to serve on this panel. I hope that my experience and input helps my peers not only meet but exceed their expectations in 2012.

Tomorrow: Introductions to representatives of the consulting services, commercial laundry, and uniforms/workwear manufacturing sectors.

CHICAGO — Taking inventory is often cause for headaches at any laundry facility, and a recent webinar on linen inventorying addressed how to make the process work for each individual system.

Barbara Williams has more than 30 years of experience in the textile industry. As a consultant with Standard Textile Co., she frequently speaks about linen process improvements, linen management, and cost-reduction programs for healthcare operations.

During the webinar sponsored by the Association for Linen Management, Williams stressed the many rewards of taking a regular inventory and touched on a few challenges a laundry facility faces during the process.

Among the rewards, Williams says, are balancing supply with demand and assuring that an adequate supply is circulating. Too few linens causes shortages, which can lead to hoarding and a lack of confidence in the system. “Too much inventory can cause misuse and over-utilization of products,” she says.

An inventory also can help a laundry, whether it be on the premises or off site, determine effective allocation of linens, as well as replacement rates.

Determining those rates can lead to a planned purchasing program, thus helping to eliminate panic buying and rush orders. Administrative reporting is another advantage, she says, and allows a facility to have information on hand in the case of an insurance claim after a flood or fire. Budgeting is high priority during these economic times, and taking an accurate inventory can help determine future needs.

Other inventorying goals are ascertaining a facility’s loss rates, determining if a facility has a high rate of “mysterious disappearances” of linens, recirculating so-called “dead” inventory, and identifying locations that may be hoarding linens. As a result, facilities have the opportunity to implement security programs to reduce loss and are able to put some quantities of inventory back into circulation or reallocate supplies.

“As many of you know,” Williams says, “you end up with a lot more in circulating inventory right after a count is taken.”

She recommends taking a proactive approach to linen inventory to identify potential roadblocks or problems and take a closer look at shortages or overages.

Challenges Facing an Inventory

In today’s market, most facilities are being asked to do more with less, which can result in fewer staff resources available to help with an inventory. This can also result in a problem with time commitments and cooperation from a staff that already sees itself as overburdened.

Another challenge can be the large networks that many healthcare facilities are part of these days. “It takes a lot more cooperation and communication,” Williams says, “but many large networks are doing inventory successfully.”

Linen supplies are different from a product kept on a shelf; constant movement of the linens is a cause for concern when contemplating taking an inventory. A healthcare facility, for instance, cannot simply stop the movement of linen, so timing of an inventory is crucial. The number of locations where linen is stored and used, as well as the number of stock-keeping units in a healthcare facility, challenges an inventory manager.

Inventory accuracy often hinges on a cut-off point and a clear delineation between what is to be counted and what is not counted.

A commitment by management, as well as nursing management in a healthcare facility, is essential to an accurate inventory. If the results show a high return on the investment, this can help persuade management to cooperate. Determining what the actual ROI is important as well.

“Are you willing to act on the results of your inventory?” Williams asked participants. “If you aren’t willing to act, then there may be no return on investment. Acting on the results is crucial to making an inventory worthwhile.”

When to Take Inventory

“Today, most large laundries have gone to an annual inventory,” Williams says. “We recommend doing the inventory at the same time of the year so there is a consistency of inventory.”

Williams also recommends semi-annual inventories, more for on-premise laundries than large, shared or pooled laundries. Smaller operations, such as hospitality facilities, can do a quarterly or monthly inventory.

Another possibility is a cycle count. Williams says this works well if a facility doesn’t require a complete inventory, if the manpower is not available, or if there isn’t the level of cooperation required for a complete inventory. She suggests taking one or two of the highest use items and counting those. Then, the following month, select another two items and count those.

When the webinar participants were polled anonymously, 64% indicated they inventory once a year and 9% inventory on a semi-annual basis. Williams was slightly disappointed to hear the remaining 27% don’t take a linen inventory at all.

Also factoring into inventorying is choosing the best day and best time of day during which to act.

Base this on several elements, Williams says: staff availability, low-activity time, nursing practices, shift changes and linen delivery schedules. The important thing, she says, is to be consistent; take inventory at the same point each year, on the same day and at the same time of day.

Tomorrow: Your Inventory Involves What?

CHICAGO — Flatwork ironing systems have become the workhorse for healthcare and hospitality laundries around the world. When soliciting a new system, the following represents the basic requirements to keep in mind:

1. What space—height, width, length, etc.—do you have to accommodate a flatwork ironing system?

Such a system could feed goods to employees, plus include a feeder, the ironer, a folder/cross-folder for sheets, possibly a drape stack system for small pieces, a stacker for large pieces (sheets), and possibly a transverse conveyor that takes stacked goods from the stacker and places them on another conveyor (this device historically named The Gilmore could be the topic of a future column).

2. What are your existing energy components, and do you plan to use them?

What is your steam pressure at the ironer? Usually, 120 psi is the minimum expected. What about the steam temperature at the ironer? What are your electrical requirements, and what is your air pressure situation? Your specifications need to address all of these issues. Have you considered using other means for heating the ironer, such as thermal oil? If so, then you need to explore the cost benefits, space savings and production benefits these systems can offer.

3. What are the actual sizes and fabric mixes and weights of the items that you are processing?

This, along with the performance expectations you require of each, is one of the most important requirements. Don’t just say you want to process sheets and pillowcases; be explicit about their makeup. Do you wish to feed, fold and stack fitted sheets? When laundering, will the items be preconditioned in some fashion? If so, what amount of moisture will be removed, and will the goods come directly to the flatwork feeding area from washing and extraction?

4. Examine the state-of-the-art system controls.

These not only monitor production, steam and energy usage, but also can monitor all facets of the system operation (maintenance needs, etc.).

5. Examine new methods of exhausting and recovering heat from the ironer, as well as cleaning techniques that will permit the system to last for many years.

6. When you compute production needs, explore the various benefits of feeding.

How many FTEs (or full-time-equivalent workers) do you plan to use to meet your performance expectations? For example, could your feeding systems take two, three or four FTE to achieve the same production? Examine the ergonomic conditions that will face your employees during the act of feeding.

Finally, take a common-sense look at the feeding picture. Do sheets come in contact with the floor? Could an employee trip when feeding a sheet or any other item? If so, what other requirements can you insert in your specification to eliminate such possibilities?

While there is no scientific evidence available, the general concept of a sheet dragging on the floor before being fed into an ironer just doesn’t look good, and there have been situations in which OSHA and JCAHO have cited facilities for such conditions. Suppliers can provide remedies to eliminate this.

Once you have entertained each of these points, your specification should look like this (assuming you are purchasing one ironing system that will be used only for sheets):

1 flatwork ironing system that includes a system that feeds goods to the flatwork feeders (optional) consisting of _____ FTE; these FTEs will be able to feed 1,000 sheets per hour or 500 each. The system will be able to dry textiles 100% dry (with some small deviation) and to fold, cross-fold and stack these items in true dimension, 20 each, and convey these items to the linen accumulator.

After you conclude the FTE requirement, answer items 1-6 and address your specific expectations as they apply. Then add these provisions:

• Use manufacturers’ representatives for installation.
• Insist on a designated warranty.
• Determine installation provisions and times available. Closely examine the need to roll away certain items for maintenance, i.e. feeders, stackers and folders. If required, have the manufacturer supply a method of achievement.
• Require that you have on-call emergency service available from trained representatives within a specific time, i.e. no longer than 48 hours.
• Make sure the company you are working with has training programs for operators and maintenance personnel.
• Develop an inspection program.
• Establish a payment program, such as paying 90% on delivery and the remainder once the system purchased is tested and meets your expectations.
• Check past performance on all systems you plan to purchase.

DUBOIS, Pa. — ARCO/Murray National Construction Co. reports that it recently completed a facility expansion and equipment installation project for Paris Companies, a regional textile services company servicing the uniform and healthcare markets and led by CEO David Stern.

The project consisted of three expansions, totaling 14,000 square feet, to the DuBois healthcare facility originally built in 2008. Work included a new soil-dock expansion (tailored to Paris’ custom twin-level “super” trailers), finishing-area addition (creating more folding capacity, supplemented by installation of another ironer line), and wash-floor expansion (creating room for a new tunnel washer and dryers, plus additional soil storage rail).

Construction was completed while the plant was operating three shifts, six days a week, and Paris’ quota of 900,000 pounds per week was not affected, ARCO/Murray says. Paris had converted to three shifts earlier this year to cover increased volume. With the third tunnel washer operational in October, the plant was able to return to two shifts.

ARCO/Murray attributes the project’s successful completion to close coordination with Tom Walsh, Paris Cos. director of engineering, and CJ Spencer, the plant’s general manager.

Representing ARCO/Murray were Elliot Mata, project executive, and Anthony Lovero, project manager. The new wash equipment was procured through Frank Constable and distributor PAC Industries, and the material-handling portion was done with Jensen Futurail represented by Simon Nield.

MISSION, Kan. — The American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) has made two new healthcare marketing tools available to every operator in the textile services industry. There is no charge to download the print-quality documents.

“ARTA is pleased to share these one-page sales sheets with everyone in the industry,” says ARTA President Steve Tinker. “Our goal is to help create greater awareness of the benefits of reusable textiles by arming our members with resources that help them market to and educate clients.”

The new resources are:

• Summary of 2011 AORN Standards — ARTA has distilled the information relevant to healthcare linen processors in this one-page summary of the 2011 Standards, published by the Association for periOperative Registered Nurses. ARTA Vice President Barb Fordyce of Foussard Montague Associates helped to develop this summary.
• The FACTS About Reusable Medical Textiles — Providers of disposable healthcare items make various claims that are typically unsubstantiated by research, ARTA says, and this document states the facts on reusable textiles with supporting research. Operators should consider using this information to help educate clients and increase their use of reusables.

To download, visit www.arta1.com; click “Marketing Tools.”