ALEXANDRIA, Va. — May 7, 2021, 2021 — Economy Linen and Towel Service’s Zanesville, Ohio laundry has achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare recertification. This renewal reflects the Dayton, Ohio-based company’s commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing. The Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation.

Economy Linen’s Dayton laundry is also Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified. With these two processing facilities and distribution centers in Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis, the company is an acknowledged regional market leader in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. Medical customers recognize Economy Linen’s commitment to combine the state-of-the-art facilities and services expected from a national firm with the personal service, integrity, and value of a family-owned company. Clients are provided with proprietary software to help track and manage their inventory. Company personnel meet with them each month to discuss their textile use, facilitating customization and improvement of their medical linen programs.

independent, third-party inspection of laundries that are prospects for Hygienically Clean certification and recertification confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass inspection plus three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Economy Linen on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Posted May 7, 2021

Source: TRSA

WASHINGTON — May 7, 2021, 2021 — Imports at retail container ports hit a new record this spring and volume during the first half of 2021 is expected to be a third higher than last year as the economy continues to recover from the pandemic, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Despite the continuing pandemic, most consumers are in good financial health and aren’t hesitating to spend,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “More spending translates into more merchandise arriving at our ports as retailers continue to meet increasing demand. The cargo surge that began last fall doesn’t show any sign of stopping. Unfortunately, disruption and congestion issues are also continuing.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.27 million TEU in March, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was up 21.2 percent from February and set a new record for the number of containers seen during a single month since NRF began tracking imports in 2002. The previous record was 2.21 million TEU set last October. A TEU is one 20-foot container or its equivalent.

March volume was up a record 64.9 percent year-over-year but the growth rate was artificially high because many Asian factories had shut down because of the pandemic at that point last year and most U.S. stores were being ordered to close.

The first half of 2021 is forecast to be up 33.9 percent from the same period in 2020. As with March, the growth is skewed because of the sharp decline in imports during the first half of last year. But the six-month total of 12.7 million TEU would put 2021 on track to beat 2020’s full-year total of 22 million TEU, which was up 1.9 percent over 2019 despite the pandemic.

April numbers are not yet available, but the month was projected at 2.17 million TEU, up 34.5 percent year-over-year. May is forecast at 2.22 million TEU, up 44.9 percent; June at 2.08 million TEU, up 29.7 percent; July at 2.15 million TEU, up 12.2 percent; August at 2.23 million TEU, up 6 percent, and September at 2.13 million TEU, up 1.3 percent.

The ongoing high cargo volume reflects the recovering U.S. economy. Gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 6.4 percent in the first quarter and some economists are predicting 13 percent in the second quarter.

“Growth that fast is a clear indication that U.S. economic output has almost recovered to its level before the pandemic struck,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “Retail sales numbers show consumers are spending a large portion of their stimulus checks as well as savings that accumulated while staying home rather than going out and income from new jobs. This is turning out to be a year of super growth that will act as the driver of the global economy.”

Congestion at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – the nation’s largest ports – has begun to ease as carriers have shifted vessels to the Pacific Northwest or to the East Coast via the Panama Canal, Hackett said. But some ships are still facing delays to unload as ports work at capacity and COVID-19 infections impact workers. Shortages of containers and other equipment and operational issues also continue to slow down the supply chain.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at NRF.com/PortTracker

Posted May 7, 2021

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)

HIGH POINT, N.C. — May 6, 2021, 2021 — For the second year in a row, Cornwall, Ontario-based Morbern, manufacturer of upholstery vinyls for marine, healthcare, commercial interiors, RV and automotive applications, has been named as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies.

Established in 1993, Canada’s Best Managed Companies organization remains one of the world’s leading business awards programs recognizing companies for innovative, world-class business practices.

“It is such an honor to be included with this select group of companies,” said Morbern CEO Mark Bloomfield. “I couldn’t be more proud of the entire Morbern team for achieving this recognition for two consecutive years. If you think about the obstacles that we had to overcome during the past 12 months, this is truly a remarkable accomplishment.”

The 2021 Best Managed program award winners are among the best-in-class of Canadian owned and managed companies with revenues of more than $25 million, demonstrating investment in talent and technology, innovation in a competitive environment, and an increased focus on global competition. Each entrant is examined in four categories of its structure: strategy, capability, commitment and return on investment.

Canada’s Best Managed Companies is run by a group comprising Deloitte, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Smith School of Business, TMX and Canadian Business Magazine. Each year, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates the caliber of their management abilities and practices.

Morbern joins a field of prestigious winners. The entire list can be found at www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.

Posted May 7, 2021

Source: Morbern