TRSA Lays the Groundwork for Action in Canada

Due to the growing need for the linen, uniform and facility services industry to have representation in Canada, TRSA recently organized a planning meeting in Ottawa to develop a strategic approach to advocacy and define industry issues. TRSA’s Canadian Legislative Team, The Wellington Group, helped facilitate the meeting with a select government relations working group led by Randy Bartsch, TRSA chair; Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of TRSA; and Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s vice president of government relations.

During the meeting, attendees heard from Canadian Senator Daryl Fridhandler and Mike de Jong, a former member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, to gain an understanding of the policy climate at both the federal and provincial levels of Canadian government.

The attendees discussed a wide array of topics impacting the industry such as tariffs, environmental concerns surrounding microplastics and PFAS, and currency exchange, to name a few. After deliberation, the group narrowed in on three specific issues in which TRSA will concentrate to help create Canadian jobs, improve supply-chain security and reduce costs and waste.

The three issues that the group agreed upon include:

• Increasing the use of reusable textiles
• Securing tax incentives that encourage reinvestment
• Reducing interprovincial business impediments to help the business climate for the industry

“Our recent meetings in Ottawa were a defining moment for TRSA as we strengthen our advocacy for our members operating across Canada,” Bartsch said. “As the association’s first Canadian chair, I was truly inspired by the engagement and focus of our GR working group – a broad mix of TRSA members from the healthcare, industrial and hospitality sectors, which included family-owned firms, co-operatives and large multinationals, all united in serving the linen, uniform and facility service needs of Canadian businesses from coast to coast. Our clear advocacy priorities – promoting reusable textiles, pushing for tax policies that support capital reinvestment and reducing interprovincial trade barriers – lay out a bold roadmap to help our members drive job creation, enhance supply-chain resilience and build a more sustainable future for Canada.”

Ricci added that, “These issues provide a framework for TRSA’s advocacy efforts to promote, expand and protect the linen, uniform and facility services industry in Canada. The timing and scope of our efforts in Canada is especially critical given the recent developments in the United States and Canadian politics and relations.”