Ricci Presents Industry Insights to Global Audience

TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci, CAE, recently briefed the Board of Directors of the South Pacific Laundry (SPL) on the linen, uniform and facility services industry’s recovery. The discussion focused on struggles with labor shortages and supply chain issues, as well as compliance with vaccine mandates. He also discussed opportunities such as growth in reusable items including reusable gowns, gloves and hand sanitizer created by a heightened emphasis on hygiene and environmental and supply chain sustainability.

Ricci also was recently asked by TRSA Director Juha Laurio, CEO, Lindstrӧm, to support the Customer Experience Week – or CX Week – virtual session Lindström Lounge Talks: Insights for Future Success. The session “celebrated cooperation with customers” by offering insights to improve mutual success. He provided a short presentation on the Increased Need for Hygiene in the Workplace Post-COVID and its impact on the industry. The Lindström Lounge Talks attracted hundreds of customers and prospects from the 24 countries served by Lindstrӧm.

“This effort by Lindstrӧm to share information and celebrate its customers was a great use of virtual technology to improve communications and build relationships,” Ricci said. “I had to ‘go live’ at 5:45 a.m. but was thrilled to participate. As a Director on TRSA’s Board, Juha has stayed up late and traveled thousands of miles to offer his insight and direction; it was the least I could do as a little pay back.”

Ricci has developed a global perspective of the industry during his nearly 12 years with TRSA and his connections domestically and globally, visiting nearly 500 linen, uniform and facility services and supplier partner facilities throughout China, Europe, Mexico and North America. This includes the recent TRSA Reopening Tour that has covered more than 7,000 miles and 24 states to visit nearly 75 member facilities. He also has access to quarterly business pulse surveys conducted in conjunction with Baird and has facilitated dozens of high-level CEO/Executive roundtables and town halls, as well as built a global board of directors and network with operations in more than 50 countries.

“We are all processing the similar items with basically the same machinery and processes,” Ricci said. “Our challenges of labor shortages and environmental and supply chain sustainability are global. By establishing opportunities to share information, we can address these and other issues more effectively through innovative approaches to recruiting and retaining employees, digitalization, automation and other emerging technologies.”