U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) recently visited Northwest Health Care Linen in Bellingham, WA, to see in-person the importance reusable healthcare textiles play in maintaining the safety of healthcare workers, patients and the public. President of Customer Relations Kelsey Van Miert, along with her brother Evan Hall, president of operations, greeted Larsen and briefed him on the multigenerational business which provides jobs for more than 100 people. 

Milliken & Co., Spartanburg, SC, recently received a gold rating on its 2022 EcoVadis assessment. EcoVadis is a trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, providing detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical considerations across 200-plus purchasing categories and more than 160 countries. Milliken’s score places it in the top 7% of more than 90,000 organizations rated by EcoVadis.

Milliken & Co., Spartanburg, SC, recently acquired one of the Frontier yarn plants in Mayodan, NC, from Gildan. This plant acquisition expands Milliken’s open-end yarn production for its protective fabrics, workwear, government and defense, industrial and napery textile business units, according to a news release.

A morning panel presentation on the second day of The TRSA Experience at The Clean Show featured global association leaders highlighting initiatives impacting the linen, uniform and facility services industry, and how those initiatives can benefit operators in the U.S. market.

U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) recently visited Economy Linen and Towel Service in Zanesville, OH, to see first hand the importance that reusable healthcare textiles play in maintaining the safety of healthcare workers, patients and the public. Bruce Feldman, president of Economy Linen, greeted Balderson and briefed him on the fourth-generation business, which provides jobs for more than 100 people.

Sigmatex-Lanier Textiles, New York, recently announced the untimely death of Raymond Farley Salmon IV, director of sales. Salmon, who recently was hospitalized with health issues, was 33 years old.

TRSA recently updated its Infection Response Center online with information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health on how linens contaminated with the monkeypox virus should be handled.

Textile Services Weekly recently interviewed Andreas Holzer, managing director of Bardusch GmbH, Kusnacht, Germany, about trends in sustainability and how European operators are dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. Holzer, whose company is a TRSA member, also serves as the elected chairman of the European Textile Services Association (ETSA). Excerpts of our discussion follow.

A recent TRSA Town Hall in Chicago examined priorities for mobilizing the industry on government advocacy issues and promoting linen, uniform and facility services as employers. The discussion on May 16 gave executives from local companies an easily accessible, in-person forum to learn about TRSA’s latest activities on these issues and share information on their efforts to deal with them.

Diversified global manufacturer Milliken & Co., Spartanburg, SC, recently published its fourth annual Sustainability Report, a key reporting component in the company’s progress toward its 2025 Sustainability Goals. In 2019, Milliken laid out 12 sustainability goals, focused on its people, products and the planet, as a roadmap to achieving a healthier tomorrow. Guided by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, these 12 goals signal the company’s commitment to sustainability in all forms, according to a news release.