The 2025 Wisconsin Association of Textile Services (WATS) Annual Conference brought together professionals from Wisconsin’s linen, uniform and facility services industry for two days of networking, education and advocacy at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace Hotel.
Attendees kicked off the conference with dinner and an auction, fostering connections among members and supplier partners. Items at the auction stemmed from golf ball range finders, football and baseball tickets, to stays at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. The auction helped raise funds for association initiatives and scholarships.
The next day, WATS leadership shared updates on association activities, legislative efforts and industry trends at the Annual Business meeting. The keynote speaker was Brian Varner, owner of Safety Solutions for Healthcare. During his speech, Varner presented best practices for managing workers’ compensation claims, emphasizing modified duty programs and learning from past cases.
Other sessions included:
- Legislative updates impacting linen, uniform and facility services
- Operational strategies for safety and compliance
- Workforce development and retention
In the afternoon, attendees visited the Wisconsin State Capitol to advocate for industry priorities, including support for Assembly Bill 183 (AB-183) and Senate Bill 177 (SB-177) – legislation aimed at updating tax codes to benefit linen supply and industrial launderers.
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