On Sept. 13, members of the Wisconsin Association of Textile Services (WATS) gathered at The Edgewater Resort in Madison, WI, for the organization’s Annual Conference.

Most U.S. outsourced laundries profit more from hotels by servicing their customer-owned goods (COG) than renting linen to them. A Sept. 27 TRSA webinar will explain how the reverse can be true. Participants will hear from experienced U.K. hotel laundry specialists whose customers have preferred rental for decades and a U.S. operator who has 90% of its hotel volume in rental.

TRSA’s 12th Annual Healthcare Conference & Exchange is planned for Nov. 15-16 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN.

TRSA recently hosted a webinar on best practices for handling difficult discussions with customers, including the potential for severing the relationship if both the operator and the customer don’t see eye to eye on the value of the service provided.

TRSA’s Fourth Annual Canadian Production Summit is returning to Toronto on Oct. 4-5, and recently added more speakers to enhance the program.

TRSA concluded its 33rd Annual Professional Management Institute (PMI) on Aug. 10 at the University of Maryland. The PMI curriculum provided attendees with a mixture of industry-specific education in a classroom setting, as well as hands-on experience through a pair of plant tours, culminating with Session II PMI students taking the Certified Professional Laundry Manager (CPLM) exam.

TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI) held its 58th yearly commencement on Aug. 10, with 14 rising industry leaders graduating after completing the final segment of a four-year educational program for members of the linen, uniform and facility services industry.

TRSA is expanding the scope of its Sixth Annual Marketing, Sales & Service Summit, which will take place on Nov. 14 at The Peabody in Memphis, TN. For the first time, the summit will include service as a key component of the program, reflecting the importance of customer satisfaction and retention in the linen, uniform and facility services industry. This one-day event is designed to help textile rental professionals enhance their marketing, sales and service skills and strategies, and improve how they work together.

Some 40 industry professionals led by company owner-operators shared ideas in a TRSA virtual roundtable July 27 to guide general managers in ensuring the effectiveness of their direct reports. They recounted experiences identifying middle managers they promoted or hired, and reviewed tactics that such successful leaders have practiced that kept employees productive and happy.

Arway Linen & Uniform Rental Service recently announced that the company will be moving to a new state-of-the-art facility in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. The new facility will allow Arway to expand its operations and better meet customer’s needs, according to a news release.