ALEXANDRIA, Va. — November 7, 2018 — TRSA recently held its 105th Annual Conference & Exchange from October 16-18 at The Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, Calif. Nearly 250 linen, uniform and facility services executives and guests gained insights from presentations on technology and family business, plus thought-provoking panel discussions and break-out sessions. They also participated in social events and in the recognition of industry leaders at the Annual Industry Awards Dinner.

Attendees raved about the program, which drew a net promoter score of 74 (anything above 50 is considered excellent). “TRSA’s Annual Conference is an excellent opportunity to catch up with old friends, make new connections in the industry, celebrate those who have contributed to our industry and learn about new best practices,” said Jim Buik, president of the Roscoe Co., Chicago. Gerard van de Donk, managing director of ABS Laundry Business Solutions/LSI Inc., added that the conference offered attendees a prime opportunity for networking. “Every time it is valuable to meet and talk with the executives in our industry,” he said. “That is helping us to define our road map toward creating history together.”

The conference began with a keynote address by Vivek Wadhwa, a technology expert and columnist for The Washington Post and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Wadhwa’s speech looked at technological innovations. Specifically, he examined how those advances are disrupting industries today and how they will continue to do going forward. From the outset, Wadhwa promised a stirring glimpse of what’s to come. “I’m going to take you on a tour of the future,” he said. “I’m going to tell you why this is the most amazing and scary time in human history.” He proceeded to do just that, elaborating on a range of topics from medical/genetic engineering breakthroughs to progress in robotics, water treatment, nanotechnology, energy and more. For example, he noted that the cost of solar energy is dropping exponentially. Within five years, he predicted that the costs for both solar technology and battery storage units will drop by 50% or more.

Breakout sessions were devoted to current topics including:

• Textile Services Bottom Line Performance, with Andrew Wittmann, CFA, senior research analyst, institutional equities and research, Robert W. Baird & Co. Wittman reviewed trends in textile service markets, including employment rates and the pace of business expansion by commercial laundries.
• Employment Law Trials, Tribulations and Best Practices: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You, with Joseph Shelton, partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP. Shelton gave an overview of trends in personnel issues such as sex discrimination and how employers can avoid lawsuits and maximize compliance with overtime rules and other mandates associated with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The panel “Global Opportunities and Challenges in the Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Industry” featured Enrique Jacques, COO, LAVARTEX SAPI de CV, Mexico City; Jose Luis Jacques, CEO, LAVARTEX SAPI de CV, Mexico City; Joe Sullivan, national technical operations manager, Spotless Laundries, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Chris Sander, CEO, Johnson Service Group. Due to flight delays, Sander was unable to attend the conference. Joseph Ricci, president and CEO, TRSA, reported on the European linen, uniform and facility services market based on a report submitted by Sander. Topics ranged from uncertainty over the recent election of a new president in Mexico to Australia’s 27 years of recession-free growth – fueled largely by exports of mineral ores. In addition, the panel addressed concerns among European operators over rising labor and environmental-compliance costs.

The Annual Conference also included the announcement of two top award winners, including:

• Steve Larson, vice president of the North America Division of Alsco Inc, who received the Operator Lifetime Achievement Award, TRSA’s highest honor for a linen, uniform or facility services executive, and
• David Hart, CEO of Mountville Mills Inc., who received this year’s Maglin/Biggie Lifetime Achievement Award, the association’s highest honor for an associate member executive.

Both men received their awards during conference’s Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 17. They spoke briefly to thank customers and colleagues, while reflecting on the factors that fueled their respective career success stories.

Also recognized for their contributions to TRSA and the industry were outgoing Board Member Alexis Miller, Regent Apparel; and outgoing TRSA Chairman David Potack, Unitex. Potack now assumes the post of immediate past chairman, while Buik advances from vice chairman to chairman of the TRSA Board of Directors.

The winners of other awards, including those for Years of Service, Clean Green Innovation and SafeTRSA Safety Excellence, will be announced during TRSA’s Legislative Conference on March 20-21, 2019.

In another popular program at the Annual Conference, attendees participated in a lively discussion with industry veterans who spoke as part of a “Legends of the Industry panel.” They included:

• Bruce Boynton, former senior vice president of operations, UniFirst Corp.;
• Alan Bubes, former president & CEO, Linens of the Week;
• Bill Evans, former CEO, AmeriPride Services Inc.;
• Tom Storm, co-founder, Washing Systems (WSI); and
• Donald Struminger, chairman of the board and CEO, Mohenis Services Inc.

The closing keynote address was delivered by family businessman and vintner Michael Mondavi, founder of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate. Mondavi reviewed key milestones in the development of the California wine industry, Napa Valley and the challenges and opportunities associated with running a family business.

In addition, nearly 20 laundry decision-makers sat down for direct talks with 15 supplier-company counterparts during two rounds of TRSA’s Executive Exchange program. Operators said they appreciated the concise and focused discussions these meetings provided. Vendors said the exchange meetings provided excellent opportunities to share industry solutions with prospects and current customers. Vendor participants in the exchange meetings included:

• ARCO/Murray;
• Automation Dynamics LLC;
• Ellis Corp.;
• Ecolab Textile Care Division;
• Fashion Seal, a brand of Superior Uniform Group;
• Girbau Industrial;
• Kemco Systems Co. LLC;
• Hunt Textiles Inc.;
• JENSEN USA Inc.;
• M&B Hangers;
• Leonard Automatics Inc.;
• Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc.;
• M+A Matting;
• Softrol Systems Inc.; and
• WSI.

TRSA’s 106^th Annual Conference will be held September 17-19, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor in Boston.

Posted November 7, 2018

Source: TRSA

SHEFFIELD, England — November 6, 2018 — Today, Dark Peak launched its campaign on Kickstarter for the NESSH™ Jacket, a high-performance insulated mid-layer, with industry-leading specs and a reasonable price. It weighs only 12 ounces or 340 grams and features an innovative form-fitting design, a lightweight 10D ripstop nylon shell and comes in two premium insulation options; 850 Fill Power responsibly sourced, hydrophobic Goose Down or 3M Featherless FL700 Synthetic insulation. Dark Peak designed the jacket to compete with the best lightweight mid-layer jackets on the market, for a more reasonable price than well-known brands and with a socially responsible ethos at the heart of their business.

“Every year the most in demand item of clothing at homeless shelters are winter jackets. There are very few outdoor performance brands that have a buy one give one model, so we decided to be one of the few to give back,” said Dark Peak Founder Allen Holland. “We realized that by cutting out the retailers and distributors, that are common in the apparel market, and instead only sell directly to the customer [online], we can provide a premium performance jacket, for a reasonable price and then use some of our profits to give a jacket to someone who’s in need.”

Aside from being one of the lightest insulated jackets in its class, the NESSH jacket is highly compressible, folding into its own pockets to provide the ultimate travel convenience. Not only keeping the wearer warm and toasty, but also conserving space in a suitcase or backpack. Dark Peak spent 18 months developing their NESSH 10D Ripstop nylon, one of the best lightweight jacket fabrics on the market, that is strong, super light and uses a tight weave that gives excellent wind resistance and down proofing. The fabric has a water-resistant DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish, helping protect the hydrophobic down (or 3M synthetic insulation) from moisture. Additionally, the NESSH jacket uses this premium fabric on both the outer and inner shell, unlike many well-known brands.

Down clothing ranges in Fill Power (FP) from 550FP up to 900FP. Higher Fill Power down traps more insulating air pockets than lower quality down (e.g. 550FP). Dark Peak chose to use 850 Fill Power down to provide industry-leading insulation, giving an incredible warmth to weight ratio and equaling or exceeding that used in the best jackets from big-name brands. All down used in Dark Peak jackets has been certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), ensuring that Down comes from animals that have not been subjected to an unnecessary harm. For those who are allergic to, or prefer to avoid, down, Dark Peak also offers the exact same jacket with a Premium 3M Featherless (FL700) Synthetic Insulation – considered the best synthetic, down-like insulation on the market.

The versatile 2-way YKK zipper allows users to unzip the jacket from the bottom or top, making it great for wearing over bulky items (like a climbing harness) and also allows the jacket to be unzipped slightly when sitting down, meaning the NESSH jacket will never bunch. The user is also protected from drafts through the zipper by an insulated wind guard. Two insulated hand warmer waist pockets, with zippers to keep all of a user’s essentials protected and provide easy access to keys or a wallet. Internal pockets include two deep inner waist pockets, perfect to store gloves or a map and an inner chest phone pocket.

The NESSH jacket features a form-fitting design, with Dark Peak’s innovative Verti-Stretch™ vertical side baffles, that expand or contract to better fit the user’s physique and give more flexibility when layering under the jacket. Wrist gaiters or mitts prevent drafts up the sleeves and they tuck away when not in use. The jacket design also features a longer than average length with an extended lower back and an elasticated hem, to keep the user’s mid-section warm. The insulated hood is helmet friendly, with an elasticated cord, while a non-hooded version is also available. The NESSH jacket is available in a variety of colors; men’s colors include black, blue, steel grey, red and maroon, and women’s colors include black, blue, steel grey and red.

Posted November 6, 2018

Source: Dark Peak