WASHINGTON — March 22, 2018 — TRSA members made the case for pro-business regulatory and legislative policy on Capitol Hill in the morning and huddled in association committee meetings in the afternoon of the second day of the Eighth Annual Leadership & Legislative Conference. Both activities combined their voices and knowledge to prime their companies individually and collectively for further growth.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) kicked off the day’s agenda with a Capitol Hill breakfast presentation highlighting the importance of addressing China’s impact on U.S. business. He correctly foretold that later in the day, tariff measures would be announced. To keep America competitive in the global economy, he noted the importance of fair government regulations and tax relief, pointing out that the recent tax reform bill lowered rates for pass-through entities (sole proprietorships, partnerships, S-corporations) as well as larger corporations.

In 51 meetings in Congressional offices, a higher total than any of the seven previous conferences, the TRSA contingent promoted the economic and environmental benefits of linen, uniform and facility services. Visits to legislators’ offices enabled TRSA members to detail their concerns regarding the following issues:

Infrastructure

The federal Highway Trust Fund is facing a revenue shortfall with a current $15-billion annual gap in what fund receipts can support and the existing investment level. To properly facilitate commerce and safety, TRSA supports establishing a steady, reliable source of revenue for improving the nation’s roadway system and protecting the fund from being used for other expenses not related to highway transportation.

NLRB Over-Reach

NLRB’s facilitation of micro-unions and “ambush” organizing elections and redefinition of “joint employer” (see below) reflect the Board’s lack of interest in fulfilling its charge to act as an impartial referee. Under the Obama administration, the NLRB chose instead to carry out a one-sided agenda aimed at growing labor unions at any costs. TRSA supports passage of legislation addressing ambush organizing to help reverse the trend.

Joint Employer Rule

When a linen or uniform service (or any other type of business) stations an employee on a customer’s site, the service provider can be considered a joint employer with the customer. That makes the provider responsible for the customer’s staff and vulnerable to becoming a party to the customer’s union obligations. TRSA supports passage of the Save Local Business Act, which would limit the extent to which affiliated businesses are considered joint employers for wage-and-hour and collective bargaining liability purposes.

Following the morning Hill visits, conference attendees returned to the host Sheraton Pentagon City in Arlington, VA., where seven committee meetings took place, some combining face-to-face interaction with teleconferencing to accommodate members who couldn’t fly to Washington due to inclement weather. Ideas abounded for new professional development programs, research projects, certification activities, publications, videos, webinars and industry customer outreach campaigns.

Two of these panels, Marketing/PR and Food & Beverage, united to discuss Hygienically Clean Food Service market research and the possibility of further technical study of the hygiene benefits of tablecloths. Meeting separately to discuss market-specific issues were the Healthcare, Hospitality and Industrial/Uniform committees. Education, Environmental & Sustainability and Government Relations committees met as well. Two more, Safety and Human Resources, were scheduled to meet by teleconference on March 28.

Posted March 26, 2018

Source: TRSA

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — March 23, 2018 — Supreme Laundry & Cleaners of El Paso, Texas, has been recertified Clean Green, reflecting the company’s dedication to standards for operational efficiency and sustainability. The certification quantifies green performance by measuring adherence to TRSA-designated water and energy use thresholds and verifies use of green best management practices (BMPs) by inspecting laundry plant operations.

Supreme Laundry & Cleaners’ customers can be assured their uniforms, mats and other reusable textiles are washed, dried and finished with processes that maximize sustainability and reduce greenhouse emissions. Clean Green certified operations demonstrate significant commitment to conservation and green operations through these BMPs:

• Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water;
• Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse;
• Using environmentally friendly detergents;
• Removing solids and liquids from wastewater;
• Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting;
• Recycling programs;
• Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel; and
• Spill prevention plans.

Supreme Laundry & Cleaners earned the Clean Green certification initially in 2014. The designation is valid for three years at a time. TRSA approves documentation of water and energy use and BMP deployment through production reports submitted to auditors during the inspections. TRSA’s certification management protocol includes auditor training by the association’s inspection program administrator.

Clean Green encompasses the ASTM International standard, Guide for Sustainable Laundry Practices, which recognizes key criteria for the certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work. ASTM’s review of TRSA BMPs verified these as the most effective and practical techniques for a laundry to achieve green objectives.

TRSA members prompted development of the ASTM standard, which was vetted in the sustainability subcommittee of the group’s Committee on Textiles. Top technical experts, scientists and environmental professionals from outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry reviewed the BMPs. ASTM is the global leader in developing and delivering voluntary consensus standards unparalleled in building consumer confidence in product and service quality.

“I applaud Supreme Laundry & Cleaners for their ongoing sustainability efforts and maintaining the highest standards in their production and delivery operations,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “Meeting all the criteria for certification is not easy, but the company is committed to industry-leading processes and technologies.”

Posted March 23, 2018

Source: TRSA

ARLINGTON, Va. — March 21, 2018 — Activities during the first day of TRSA’s 8th Annual Leadership & Legislative Conference neatly fit the first half of this event’s name. Most of the nearly 100 attendees navigated airline schedules snarled across the nation by heavy East Coast snow to prepare to speak on behalf of their industry and companies on visits to Capitol Hill the next day. While this preparation included reviewing pending legislation of concern to linen, uniform and facility services, the groundwork consisted mostly of learning from shining examples of leadership in executive, corporate and public service roles.

Chief among these was the evening presentation of the TRSA Operator Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to Ronald Croatti. The UniFirst Corp. CEO sparked the Wilmington, Mass., uniform service company’s growth from $100 million to $1.5 billion in annual sales during his 25-year tenure in that position. The presentation by TRSA Vice Chairman James Buik, Roscoe Co., Chicago, acknowledged Croatti’s leadership of association activities, including developing market research and other industry promotions and inviting independent operators to visit UniFirst facilities. Company executives Michael Croatti and Matthew Croatti — Ron’s sons — accepted the award.

Also highlighting the awards dinner was the presentation of the TRSA Maglin-Biggie Associate Lifetime Achievement Award to James Pellerin, chairman and CEO of Pellerin Milnor Corp. A 40-year participant in TRSA activities, he served two terms on the Board of Directors and has been a member of four committees, including chairing the Associate Committee. Buik credited him for improving industry standards through his innovative machinery and TRSA involvement. Under Pellerin, the Kenner, La.-based company has become one of the New Orleans area’s largest exporters, with 40 percent of its revenue in such business.

TRSA Chairman David Potack, Unitex, Elmsford, N.Y., presented these corporate awards:

Clean Green Innovation Award, Huebsch Services, Eau Claire, Wis., for its solar energy system that provides over one third of the power needs of its laundry there, contributing to overall sustainability.

Above and Beyond Service Award, Up to Date Laundry, Baltimore, where more than 70 employees executed an emergency snow plan that kept healthcare linen customers well supplied with linens when a three-day blizzard dumped more than 29 inches on the city.

Potack hailed three member companies (Community Service Awards recipients) for continued exemplary corporate citizenship:

• AmeriPride Services Inc., Minnetonka, Minn., for its annual “Day of Service,” when employees at all locations identify service opportunities and then spend all or part of the workday volunteering or making a product or service that benefits their location’s communities.
• Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., for its extensive Community Relations Department, which involves present and past Ecolab employees in a variety of programs that focus on education and community partnerships.
• Wildman Uniform and Linen, of Warsaw, Ind., for exemplary support of employees, customers and communities at home and abroad. Company staff receives free counseling, YMCA membership and monthly social events. Employees volunteer locally and Wildman funds such work internationally.

A personal accolade went to Mark Brim, Brim Laundry Machinery Co. Inc. (Hutchins, Texas) for his completed term on the TRSA Board of Directors. Potack credited him for generously giving his time, knowledge and energy to advance the industry and TRSA programs that bring value and success to members. Outgoing board members receive a plaque to acknowledge their service.

These 2017 awards would have been presented at the TRSA Annual Conference in September 2017 in Miami, but that event was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. Potack noted the generosity of many Annual Conference registrants who were willing to donate their registration fees from that event to hurricane relief. This enabled TRSA to provide more than $80,000 to charities serving Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas.

On the afternoon prior to the awards dinner, keynote speaker Kirk Lippold explained how attendees can strengthen the foundation for their companies’ success in adverse circumstances. Now retired from the Navy, he commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked by al Qaeda in 2000. He explained how his officers minimized casualties and saved the ship by making time-critical decisions and noted parallels between this crisis and those faced in business. His crew succeeded because of exceptional integrity, vision, sense of personal responsibility and professional competence. Businesses that identify trustworthy leaders should invest in developing these characteristics in these individuals, he contended, so they can lead effectively when pressured to act in dire circumstances.

Posted March 22, 2018

Source: TRSA