Members of the Wisconsin Association of Textile Services (WATS) attended a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball game in Appleton to spend time networking and strengthening relationships both professional and personal.
The baseball game is an annual event for the WATS membership. The game used to be exclusively at a Milwaukee Brewers’ game; however, the WATS Board made the decision to make the event more accessible for members statewide, so the association has been rotating games of minor league teams across Wisconsin. These minor league games give attendees more time to interact while enjoying a day at a ballpark.
“There has been a noticeable improvement in the programming and management of WATS since TRSA has taken over management of the association,” said Jim Leef of ITUAbsorbtech and chairman of WATS. “The baseball game is an enjoyable way to spend some relaxed time with others in our industry.”
The main topic of conversation is legislation WATS is working on – specifically AB-183/SB-177, which would allow the linen, uniform and facility services industry to recognize Wisconsin’s Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit (MATC), which would save the industry millions of dollars across the state. Currently, the legislation has been passed out of the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Ways and Means and the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. WATS is waiting for an opportunity for a floor vote in each chamber.
The game brought together all but one of the independent operators in the state and a few supplier partners who benefited from the operator to supplier partner ratio of attendees. “It is not often I get to spend this much quality time with current and prospective clients,” said David Quinney from Tank Holdings.
Nick Schrader of Royal Baskets added that, “WATS is always a great event for supplier partners. There are always a lot, if not all, of the independent operators in Wisconsin.”
WATS thanks Workwear Outfitters for being a Grand Slam Sponsor of the game and a great supporter of the industry.
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