TRSA, in partnership with WATS, the Wisconsin Association of Textile Services, has held several meetings throughout the past year to push to get legislation introduced in Wisconsin that would allow the linen, uniform and facility services industry to utilize the state’s Manufacturing and Agricultural Tax Credit, thereby cutting the industry’s tax liability in half. The meetings made an impact, as a draft of the bill is now live in both houses of the Wisconsin State Legislature.

TRSA recently announced a new panel for its West Coast Regional Production Summit & Plant Tours scheduled to take place on Jan. 24-25, 2024, at The Palms Casino Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas. The General and Production Manager Panel will close out the first day of the summit.

ARCO/Murray, Downers Grove, IL, received more than 65 awards in 2023, reinforcing its standing as a leader in the field. Among the accolades, ARCO secured the third position in the Top 100 design-build firms and the 17th spot in the Top 400 General Contractors in the United States, as recognized by Engineering News Record (ENR). Additionally, ARCO was honored with the NAIOP Chicago Contractor of the Year title.

Five years after leaving the linen, uniform and facility services industry to develop and sharpen his sales skills, Patrick Cox is back as a regional sales manager for Lavatec Laundry Technology, Beacon Falls, CT. Responsible for the southeast region of the United States, he is based in the New Orleans area and reports to company President Mark Thrasher.

The TRSA Education Committee has designed a poster series for front-line supervisors to display at their plants. The posters are designed to guide employees in improving productivity and safety while supporting managers and supervisors in implementing best practices. The newly designed posters are beneficial in developing employees’ pride in their jobs by highlighting the industry’s status as essential to public health and the environment.

TRSA’s recently released Industry Performance Report indicates a return to parity in profitability between operators serving different customer industry markets typical of the pre-COVID era. Built from a survey of financial data collected confidentially from TRSA members by MacKay Research Group, Boulder, CO, the one-of-a-kind industrywide report enables operators to compare income statements, balance sheets, and financial and employee productivity ratios.

While laundry operators in today’s post-COVID era are breathing easier since the pandemic has passed, the need to prepare for similar contingencies remains, and in fact the risks to laundry operators are more serious than ever due to a range of natural and societal trends.

TRSA recently announced the 2024 dates for its LevelUp supervisor and management-training program. Registration is closing soon for the class that starts on Jan. 9, 2024.

TRSA offices will remain closed on Friday, Dec. 22, and Monday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas. The association’s global headquarters in Alexandria, VA, also will remain closed on Friday, Dec. 29, and Monday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year’s Day.

Liz Remillong, a member of TRSA’s Board of Directors; and Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s vice president of government relations, spoke at the Fall 2023 meeting of the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment (COPPE) for Workplace Safety and Health on Dec. 14, where a key healthcare panel discussion was held focusing on opportunities to increase reusable PPE textiles in healthcare settings.