The shutdowns of factories in Asia expected with this month’s Chinese New Year festivities (Jan. 31 to Feb. 6) could add to the ongoing supply-chain challenges facing laundries across North America, especially those that rely on East Asian imports. However, since COVID-19 struck nearly two years ago, linen, uniform and facility services companies have devised innovative responses to these disruptions. This creative focus on supply-chain “workarounds” is likely to continue in 2022, which the Chinese zodiac refers to as the “Year of the Tiger.”

INNOVATING TO AID CUSTOMERS

Networking with supplier partners—often including vendors from outside a laundry’s established ...