TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci recently traveled to Milan to represent the North American linen, uniform and facility services industry at EXPOdetergo International 2026, a leading international trade show for professional textile care, equipment, chemicals, products and services. Held Oct. 23–26 at Fiera Milano, the exhibition brought together linen, uniform and facility services leaders, suppliers and association executives to explore the technologies and market forces shaping the industry’s future.
Ricci’s visit began with TRSA member MACPI’s 65th-anniversary celebration and the inauguration of the group’s expanded production facility. During a roundtable titled “Industrial Laundry in 2030: Sustainability, Technology and People,” he joined international association and trade show leaders to compare perspectives from Italy, Europe and the U.S. The conversation focused on the industry’s response to resource constraints, changing workforce needs and accelerating technological development.
At EXPOdetergo, Ricci met with TRSA supplier partners and other global manufacturers to review advances in automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, RFID, water and energy efficiency, chemistry, and production monitoring. His exhibit visits included JENSEN-GROUP, Kannegiesser, Pellerin Milnor, Ecolab, Christeyns, Spindle, Datamars, Zucchetti, The Laundry List, ABS Laundry Systems, Foltex and other companies. These discussions also generated potential opportunities for TRSA webinars, case studies and expanded supplier engagement.
Ricci concluded his visit by representing TRSA in “Shaping the Textile Services Transition: Energy, Circularity and Innovation,” organized by Assosistema Confindustria in cooperation with the European Textile Services Association (ETSA) and its national associations. He contributed to the panel on recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and textile recovery, then moderated “The Supply Chain Perspective.”
The supplier panel examined how textiles, chemistry, machinery and emerging technologies can support more efficient, sustainable and technologically advanced laundries. Assosistema Director General Matteo Nevi later recognized Ricci’s work as a moderator on the panel for connecting innovation and sustainability with the evolving needs of textile rental and industrial laundry operators.
The visit reinforced TRSA’s commitment to international collaboration, shared advocacy and practical knowledge exchange. It also ensured that North American operators and supplier partners had a strong voice in global conversations about circularity, automation, resource efficiency and the future competitiveness of the linen, uniform and facility services industry.
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