Industry Execs Gather in DC for TRSA Legislative Conference

TRSA recently hosted its 14th Annual Legislative Conference & Industry Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. The conference was bookended by a Supplier Partner Workshop on the front end and Annual Hill Day meetings between industry executives and key congressional representatives to close the conference.

The conference kicked off on April 9 with a Supplier Partner Workshop featuring Ben Kniffen, the CEO & co-founder of LinkedSelling. Click here for more information on the Supplier Partner Workshop.

The next day began with TRSA Committee Meetings. The following committees held in-person meetings at the event:

• DEI and HR Network
• Environmental
• Government Relations
• Healthcare
• Hospitality/F&B
• Industrial, Uniform & Workwear
• Information Technology
• Marketing, Sales & Service
• Next-Generation Executives Network
• Safety

An address by keynote speaker Bob Cusack, a respected DC insider and the editor in chief of The Hill, followed the committee meetings. Cusack gave a preview of the upcoming November elections, focusing on the issues at stake, as well as the potential outcomes for the presidency, House of Representatives and the Senate. Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s vice president of government relations, followed with a Hill Day Issue Briefing, where he discussed the issues that industry executives would discuss during their meetings on Capitol Hill the following day. These centered on incentivizing PFAS remediation and reusable healthcare PPE. At the conclusion of Schwalb’s session, a pair of U.S. Reps., Mike Carey (R-OH) and Greg Landsman (D-OH), stopped by to receive their TRSA Legislator of the Year awards. Each made brief remarks to attendees after receiving their award. The Legislator of the Year awards were just two of many that were awarded during the evening. Click here for a full recap of TRSA’s Annual Industry Awards Dinner.

The Annual Hill Day visits closed the event on April 11. A total of 118 meetings took place throughout the day. Click here for details. A first-time Legislative Conference attendee said he found the program’s education and outreach efforts to lawmakers extremely valuable. “I felt it was beneficial to have more operator members, vendors and suppliers at Hill Day to support the industry because there is new legislation and new parameters that our business will be exposed to,” said Ryan Swartz, VP of operations for PureStar Group, Las Vegas. Swartz added that he enjoyed advocating for the industry and the opportunities that his first Hill Day experience provided to be heard.

TRSA would like to extend our special thanks to the following sponsors of the event: JENSEN, Ellis Corp., Alliant Systems, Kannegiesser ETECH, Pellerin Milnor, Unitex International, G.A. Braun, Lavatec Laundry Technology, Brim and Monarch Brands.