Kleen-Tex: Mat Maker Marks 50 Years
Visiting Byodoin Temple outside Kyoto, Japan (l/r) Akira Fukuhara, chairman, Kleen-Tex Japan; Jocelyn Scott, corporate secretary; Reinhardt Cyphers, director; Jurgen Teubenbacher, managing director, Kleen-Tex Europe; Duncan Allen, vice president; Nancy Adam, director; Ron Adam; Bruce Howard, CEO; Saisei Oyama, managing director, Kleen-Tex Asia; Nita Howard; Ralph Howard; founder & director.
Kleen-Tex, Atlanta, is celebrating its 50th year in business in 2017, according to a news release.
The company was founded in 1967 by a father-and-son team of R.W. Howard Sr. and Ralph W. Howard Jr., in LaGrange, GA. In the early ’70s, Kleen-Tex pioneered the first launderable rubber-backed mat. This product revolutionized the mat business and had a dramatic impact on commercial laundries, according to the release.
Since then, Kleen-Tex has continued to innovate, while expanding into international markets in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Currently, Kleen-Tex has factories making mats in Austria, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and Japan – plus distribution centers in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Brazil.
During 2017, Kleen-Tex plans a series of events to commemorate its half century of growth. In April, the Kleen-Tex board visited Kobe, Japan; and Sriracha, Thailand, to meet with the management teams overseeing the company’s Asian operations. They also wanted to celebrate the anniversary with the company’s employees in those countries, the release said.
Similar celebrations are planned for other Kleen-Tex locations. “We are excited to share this time with our employees, customers and suppliers around the globe,” said Bruce Howard, CEO and the third-generation leader of Kleen-Tex. “We have always thought of ourselves as a family-oriented company, so turning 50 is worthy of having a grand birthday party. We will be hosting fun events at all of our international locations throughout the year, and we also hope to see many of our friends and associates at the Clean Show in Las Vegas in June.”
Last year, company co-founder Ralph Howard won TRSA’s Maglin/Biggie Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor that TRSA bestows on an associate member. As part of the awards ceremony during TRSA’s 2016 Annual Conference, Ralph gave an address highlighting Kleen-Tex’ 50 years in the mat business. Click here to read his speech.