Elena Lai, the recently named secretary general of the European Textile Services Association (ETSA), says she’s eager to work with laundry operators, suppliers and industry trade groups across Europe and North America in order to advance solutions to challenges, including COVID-19 relief/rebuilding, healthcare textile supply chains, advancing a pro-environmental “circular” economy, promoting equal opportunity in a diverse industry and more.

UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA, recently announced the 2020 recipients of the company’s Aldo Croatti and Ronald D. Croatti Scholarships, according to a news release.

TRSA’s Next-Generation Executives Committee recently developed several documents to help TRSA members develop and implement internships focused on 10-week summer programs focused on the fundamentals of sales and marketing, management and engineering.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (D) recently visited General Linen & Uniform Service at its 411 Piquette St. headquarters to mark the independent laundry’s 100th anniversary in the Motor City, according to a Facebook post and comments from Vice President John Shoemaker.

When TRSA launched its internship program in 2017 to help companies find skilled labor and, in turn, give undergraduate students a chance to learn the business, the association created a mutually beneficial partnership. Now in its second year, the program has grown significantly with more than 200 students submitting resumes.

The TRSAPAC Fly-In included several high-level meetings with key regulators and legislators. The linen, uniform and facility services executives that attended the two-day event met with a pair of House members, as well as the Secretary of Labor.

The Textile Services Association (TSA), the United Kingdom’s trade association dedicated to protecting, promoting and educating the textile care industry, recently hosted a reception at the House of Commons to highlight textile services contributions to the British economy and celebrate the launch of the TSA’s new apprenticeship program.