Clean Panel Shares Industry Trends in North America
A well-attended morning educational session kicked off the TRSA Experience at The Clean Show on the opening day of Clean 2022 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Roughly 100 Clean attendees listened to a panel of TRSA member executives share their thoughts on the state of the North American linen, uniform and facility services industry. Panelists included:
- Michael Barner, president, Crothall Laundry Services
- Randy Bartsch, CEO, Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service
- John Clark, CEO, Prudential Overall Supply
- Jim Ginnetti, vice president, North American Division, Alsco Uniforms
- Pablo Lucchesi, managing partner, Crown Linen
TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci moderated the panel discussion. Khurram Maqbool, who was recently elevated to president of Sigmatex-Lanier Textiles, the company serving as the title sponsor of the TRSA Experience at The Clean Show, introduced the members of the panel to the crowd.
Topics discussed during the hour-and-a-half presentation included:
- Biggest challenge in the next 3-5 years.
- Labor shortages, including how to attract talent to the industry and cultivate future leaders.
- Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, and lessons learned for the future.
- Environmental issues and business challenges that stem from onerous regulations.
- Reinvesting in your business through automation.
- HR issues, such as training and onboarding, and how to retain employees after they’re hired.
Clark, a member of TRSA’s Next-Generation Executives Committee, talked about the importance of providing opportunities for standout employees to advance within your organization. “They might start out on the route level, on the production level, but you have to identify and find those talented gems in the group,” Clark said. “Working with them, doing your best to hold on to those people is a must, as well as identifying ways that you can move those people up.”
Along those lines, Ginnetti noted how successful Alsco Uniforms has been in identifying future leaders within its ranks and providing them with professional-development opportunities through TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI). He pointed out that after completing the institute, many executives have become leaders at various Alsco locations across the United States.
The final 30 minutes included an interactive discussion, in which Ricci had the audience ask questions of the panel members.
The TRSA Experience at The Clean Show continues on the second day of Clean 2022 with an international flair, including a Global Linen, Uniform/Workwear & Facility Services Breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m., a panel of Global National Association Initiatives at 8:30 a.m. and a final panel presentation titled “Global Linen, Uniform/Workwear and Facility Services Industry Recovery, Trends and Expansion Opportunities” at noon. For more information, visit www.trsa.org/experience.