Operator Lifetime Achievement Award

Jim Buik winning the Operator Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 with Jim Kearns

The award recognizes exceptional personal service to TRSA and the linen, uniform and facility services industry as nominated by operator peers. Winners have supported the association for decades, devoting their own time to association activities and facilitating their employees’ involvement in TRSA. Their teams have taken advantage of a wide range of TRSA activities, including certification, in-person and virtual events and benchmarking surveys. Many Lifetime winners have frequently participated personally in events. This includes TRSA Institute programs such as the Executive Management Institute (EMI), where they have furthered their own professional development and built large networks of personal contacts.

Many Lifetime winners have been members of committees and the Board of Directors and provided strong support of advocacy initiatives on the local and national levels. As company leaders they espouse TRSA’s “Stronger Together” theme, personally encouraging executives from other companies to unite to promote and protect the industry. As industry leaders, they are known for innovations that become best practices and sharing their experience and expertise through event participation and TRSA magazine articles, webinars and other communications.

Nominations for the 2025 TRSA Operator Lifetime Achievement Award are welcome and due by April 30, 2025.

Questions can be directed to awards@trsa.org.

Criteria

A nominee must have served the Association and Industry by providing subject matter expertise and leadership such as (but not limited to):

Leadership and participation on TRSA committees and task forces
Serving on the TRSA Board of Directors
Providing articles to Textile Services Magazine
Presenting at TRSA conferences or other meetings
Teaching at TRSA Institutes such as MMI, PMI, and EMI
Assisting in the writing of TRSA manuals and handbooks
Working with TRSA members to improve their processes to the betterment of their companies

Nomination & Selection Processes

Nomination Process

TRSA Operator members may nominate individuals they feel are deserving of the TRSA Operator Lifetime Achievement Award. Applications, in the form of a nomination, must include a detailed description of the nominee’s contributions to the industry and be submitted through the official nomination form. References are required. Self nominations are not accepted. Members of the Executive Committee of the TRSA Board of Directors review nominations and select recipients, who are presented with the award during a dinner at the TRSA Annual Conference.

Nominations for the 2025 TRSA Operator Lifetime Achievement Award are welcome and due by April 30, 2025.

Selection Process

Once the nomination period has closed, the TRSA Board Executive Committee will review all nominations and select one or more individuals to receive the TRSA Operative Lifetime Achievement Award based on the provided criteria.

Previous Winners

Previous Winners

2024: Jim Buik – Roscoe Co., Chicago, IL
2023: Jim Vaudreuil, Huebsch Services, Eau Claire, WI
2022: Brian O’Neil – California Linen Services, Pasadena, CA
2020: Robert Brill – American Textile Maintenance, Los Angeles, CA
2019: Tom Watts – Prudential Overall Supply, Irvine, CA
2018: Steve Larson – Alsco Corp., Salt Lake City, UT
2017: Ronald Croatti – UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA
2016: Steve Bryant – Wildman Uniform & Linen, Warsaw, IN
2014: Michael Potack – Unitex Textile Rental Services, Mount Vernon, NY
2013: Richard Senior – Morgan Services, Chicago, IL
2012: Jerry Ostrow – CleanCare, Pittsburgh, PA
2011: Patrick Dempsey – Dempsey Uniform & Linen, Jessup, PA
2011: Larry Steiner – AmeriPride Services, Minnetonka, MN
2009: Tommy Coyne – Coyne Textile Services, Syracuse, NY
2007: Donald Struminger – Mohenis Services Inc., Petersburg, VA
2005: Richard Fink – G&K Services, Minneapolis, MN
2004: Jack Spence – Faultless Laundry Co., Kansas City, MO
2003: Steve Fellman – GKG Law, PC, Washington, DC
2002: Max Stettner – Penn Linen & Uniform, Allentown, PA
2001: Roger Cocivera – Penn Healthcare, Allentown, PA
2001: Travis Keeler – Overall Laundry Services, Everett, WA
2000: W.R. “Bob” Crawford – American Linen, New Haven, CT
2000: Tom Hammer – Shasta Linen Supply Inc., Sacramento, CA
1999: Daniel Cohen – Star Uniform Service, Dallas, TX
1999: Ronald Cohen – Star Uniform Service, Dallas, TX
1998: Michael Flynn – Textilease Corp., Beltsville, MD
1996: Eric Peterson – Standard Uniform Services, Charlotte, NC
1995: Kenneth Coor – Textilease Corp., Goldsboro, NC
1994: Alan Cobb – Alltex Uniform Rental Service, Manchester, NH
1994: Arthur Cobb – Tri-State Industrial Laundries, Utica, NY
1993: Aldo Croatti – UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA
1992: J. Stanley Coyne – Coyne Textile Services, Syracuse, NY
1990: Manfred Tidor – Standard Uniform Services, Wellesley, MA
1989: Mervyn “Bud” Sluizer – Institute of Industrial Launderers, Washington, DC
1988: Gerald Stempler – Textilease Corp., Beltsville, MD
1986: Regis Larkin – Textilease Corp., Beltsville, MD
1985: Donald Buik – Roscoe Co., Chicago, IL
1983: Herman Hoekstra – Hoekstra Uniform Rental Service, South Holland, IL
1982: Lloyd Fishman – Alltex Uniform Rental Service, Manchester, NH

Nomination Form

PLEASE NOTE: Nominate today for 2024 award

Nominee Information
Name*
Company*
Address*
City*
State
Country / Province / Territory
Zip*
Phone*
Email*
Nominee's leadership and personal qualities (300 words or less)*
Nominee's significant contributions to the industry (300 words or less)*
Nominee's TRSA leadership positions/accomplishments (300 words or less)*
Nominator Information
Name*
Company*
Address*
City*
State
Country / Province / Territory
Zip*
Phone*
Email*
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Nomination Form

Nominee Information

Nominator Information

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