Businesses lately are finding that success depends on more than a laser focus on the bottom line. The employee experience, what the Josh Bersin organization calls “EX,” is crucial to belonging, and the emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion has become a priority in employee-engagement strategies to reduce the risk of what many are calling “the great resignation” or forecasted “turnover tsunami.”

Recently, the Economic Development Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce announced $3 billion through a series of competitions to support economic and workforce development programs in regions across the country.

ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists recently made a significant donation of various medical linen products to the Illinois-based nonprofit One World Surgery to support their project to build a health center in the Dominican Republic, according to a news release.

Pacific Avenue Capital Partners LLC, a Los Angeles-based private-investment firm, announced that it has raised new capital to purchase Emerald Textiles from existing limited partner investors through a continuation vehicle. The transaction includes more than $200 million of committed equity capital to support Emerald’s next phase of growth and to buy out certain limited partners, according to a news release.

For several months, COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available across the United States. Alsco Uniforms remains committed to working closely with public health agencies in facilitating the vaccination of its employees. The latest in this encouragement from Alsco is a vaccination lottery called “Vax to the Future,” according to a news release.

Attendees of TRSA’s 108th Annual Conference representing recipients of TRSA 2021 Industry Awards will accept their honors at an Oct. 20 dinner celebrating the accolades. The Carlsbad, CA, ceremony will recognize 21 companies, as well as their divisions and staff members, for exemplary efforts in business performance, employment, and community and customer service.

In response to the surge of delta variant cases across the United States, federal workplace safety officials recently issued updated guidance to help employers and workers identify current COVID-19 risks for unvaccinated or otherwise at-risk employees. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) updated guidance revises its June 2021 guidance applicable to those not covered by OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for healthcare workplaces and adheres to updated U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coronavirus guidance issued in July.

When Chicago’s historic Lincoln Park Zoo announced its campaign for an expansion that includes a state-of-the-art redesign of its lion habitat, it was an opportunity too good to pass up for a historic West Side business with a lion as its logo and a 100-year anniversary that coincides with the habitat’s completion, according to a news release.

Like their laundry service providers, COVID-19 has rocked many restaurants to their foundations. Some won’t survive the pandemic that recently rekindled with the “Delta variant” spurring doubts about the efficacy of U.S. and global efforts to stamp out the virus.

Faultless Healthcare Linen, an ImageFIRST Company, recently received four awards at the Missouri Water Environment Association (MWEA) Annual Convention. The Annual Convention and Awards Luncheon recognizes top performers with local water districts, engineering excellence, and companies that excel in conservation and pretreatment performance.