Episode 40 – ‘This Business is in My Blood’: A Talk with TRSA’s Chair

Welcome to the TRSA podcast. Providing interviews and insights from the linen, uniform, and facility services industry. Most Americans might not realize it, but they benefit at least once per week from the cleanliness and safety of laundered, reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats, and other products provided by various businesses and organizations. TRSA represents the companies that supply, launder, and maintain linens and uniforms. And in this podcast, we will bring the thought leaders of the industry to you.

 

We’re back with another episode of the linen uniform and facility services podcast, interviews and insights by TRSA. I’m your host, Jason Risley. On the last episode of the show, we learned how Image First established equity, and inclusion program and how that has benefited the company and its employees. On today’s episode, we touch on the topic of diversity in the industry and much more with TRSA’s current chair, Noelle Hammer Richardson. Our interview encompassed a number of topics, including family business dynamics, weathering the COVID crisis, the future of the food and beverage industry, as well as her vision for the and the industry moving forward.

 

What are, a few of the goals that you’d like to accomplish during your term as TRSHA? So, you know, we certainly are in unprecedented times. And given this current environment, I think as an association, it’s appropriate for us to look further at education and reflect probably more thoughtfully on diversity and inclusivity. I know that Joe has already started down that path, and and I think it’s important for us to follow through with that and support him in in in that endeavor. I’m really a firm believer in education, so that is something I would like to see continued, whether it’s through, upper management and all the way through the plant.

 

I think no matter who you are working in our facilities, education bottoms our view. That, of course, then leads to understanding diversity. We have different cultures in our in our companies. It helps us become more an open minded person, and it’s an important factor in us all working together as a team. So I think those two things, I will I will continue to pursue the issue of diversity within our companies and education.

 

Educational opportunities for all levels of, staff members in the plant, both executive on down the, you know, production and maintenance staff? I think that there’s room for that. Certainly, starting with probably supervisors that, have grown from probably a production employee into a supervisory position, and then you’re you you don’t really have necessarily all the correct tools to supervise. It’s very different to get a napkin on the ironer and show up and be on time and and have high scores. And then, of course, step taking that next step upwards towards a supervisor.

 

So I I think starting in that area is extremely valuable because they learn the skill sets then to communicate with production workers. But I don’t think we should forget our production workers. I know that TRC in the past has developed a lot of and I believe there are cassettes showing, you know, how to do simple things like, what’s the proper way to feed a napkin. And I think we forget that those are tools in education that would have a production worker and give them a sense of pride for what they’re doing. So we start with maybe supervisors and, of course, emerging leaders, young executives.

 

That that’s sort of a given on education, but we we tend to forget the lower ranks that, so to speak, and the value that they provide because it’s the product that they produce that keeps our customers ultimately satisfied. And what do you see as TRSA’s role in the industry? I think that TRSA’s role in this industry speaks volumes when we say stronger together. The advocacy work is immeasurable. I think we tend to forget that without Tara say on the hill, talking about current issues or or, finding out about certain regulations that may be coming into place, Without that advocacy work, we would all be affected so much more than we we probably give value to.

 

We don’t really if it’s not affecting us immediately in front of us, you don’t think about it, but it’s extremely valuable, and it really does change, our ability to run our company. So I think that being said is the number one strength and important and extremely important role of of TRSA. But I would be remiss if I forgot to say the education, the webinars, the podcast. It is a full package of what TRRC offers, the the numbers. And And do you think it’s important to be both involved in, advocacy efforts at both the federal as well as at individual state levels?

 

Oh, absolutely. And, it some people might say it’s easy for me to say because I’m here in California where it seems California and New York, what starts here eventually rolls across the country, but I’ve been with Kevin to the capital several times, different issues. This last year, it was over wastewater treatment and how we’re going to handle that. And I think that we met people here in California, and it really re educated them as to what we do as an industry, how we already treat our wastewater. And we are cleaning it up.

 

And it and the regulations that they were proposing were really unrealistic and not thought through on their part. And so we were able to educate them, and then they’ve come back and said, will you please work with us and help us write something that’s reasonable and fair? Absolutely, on a state level and, of course, on the federal level. It’s it’s extremely important. And what made you interested in pursuing the chair role at TRSA?

 

First of all, I’m very honored to be stepping up into the chair position, and I’m certainly grateful for all those that had confidence in me. I was out of the industry, grew up in the industry, and when I came back in 2009, it was sort of a no brainer for me that I should become involved in TRSA. I know it’s a cliche phrase of the more you give, the more you receive, but I think there’s it’s very true. So becoming involved in TRSA and working on the committees, I have met so many wonderful and talented people that have, you know, opened my mind to different ways of doing business and just different perspectives. And so it’s been an enjoyable experience to be on committees and on the board.

 

So somehow now I find myself in a position of chair, but it wasn’t a goal that I set out to achieve. I think it just naturally led to this position by being involved. So I hope more people become involved. It’s it it really is a rewarding experience. You kinda touched on a little bit there, but how how valuable do you see participation in, TRSA leadership positions and committees to the industry?

 

Again, I I think if you don’t become involved, you’re hurting yourself because it’s always a learning experience coming to these meetings. We’re a small company. I get to speak to people with, you know, midsize and then, of course, the largest companies in our industry. And there’s a place for everybody, and you always learn something. And then, of course, the camaraderie that you you develop over the years.

 

It it really brings a lot more joy to the work you do in your own facility. And having that kind of contact, having the ability to pick up the phone and, war game a problem, those are all really positive aspects of being part of the TSA and really of being part of this industry. Do you feel the networking leads to some valuable business intelligence that you could bring back to your operation? Oh, absolutely. I think you learn so much at the networking events.

 

You learn in meetings, you’re hearing from professionals, and they’re giving you advice. But on a networking events, you’re picking up on little things that someone may say to you, and they don’t realize they’re giving you a a gold nugget. But you hear it and you go, wow. I’m not doing that in my business. It may be as simple as, you know, using a different chemical to clean that you didn’t realize was available or how often you’re changing the padding on your irons.

 

You always come back with some new idea. And then you may hear some ideas that you go, no. That’s just not for me. But it’s also valuable, all of it, to hear in helping you on a personal level than your own company. And you take over the leadership role at a time of turmoil as a result of COVID 19.

 

How do you think that TRSA responded to the crisis, and how do you think the fallout from the crisis will shape this industry as we move forward? I think this year, from the very young to the very old, we’ll all remember for the rest of our lives. And it is a little bit daunting stepping up during this time of, you know, such a horrific time. But Joe and all of the TRSA staff has done an incredibly amazing job of navigating this crisis. The TRSA team has been hard at work and adjusted to the stay at home law orders and produced clear, thoughtful, and informative information regarding COVID nineteen and particularly all the new rules and regulations.

 

You know, it was the s SBA loans, how to wash your hands. I think it’s something was sent out on that. We’re very basic to the more complicated things that we needed to do as companies to to try and stay ahead of of this crisis. So, the amount of support and information has been remarkable by what TerraSave has produced, and I think all of us need to be thanking TerraSave for this hard work. It’s gonna be a long road ahead of us, I think, to get out of this crisis, but Tara has done an amazing job helping us along through it.

 

How has the pandemic affected your operations? Yeah. I think March 17th will be a a day that not only is it Saint Patrick’s Day, but it’s a day that, you know, March 17, 2020. You know, we probably lost 65% of our business in a few hours’ time. Every restaurant that we service called and just said, we’re closing.

 

We’re closed from today. It was a pretty scary week. And until we could take a deep breath and say, okay. What what are the steps that we need to do? How are we gonna manage this?

 

We felt extremely lucky that our company has about 45% medical, retail medical, and the other food and beverage. So our medical carried us through. Not that it was working up to speed either. It wasn’t. The hospitals were closed.

 

Clinics were closing down, but it was enough to keep us going. So it’s it’s been a a difficult time, but I really do think my luck is starting because we’ve had something to operate with. And I feel just terrible for the other people in our industry that we’re only hotel, we’re only food and beverage. And and I can’t imagine what their struggle has been having only that one mark market sector to to sort of manage, and and, hopefully, they’ll all come out okay. But it it I know that it’s a it’s a long haul for everybody.

 

So that diversification really helped your business get through? Absolutely. I think if we hadn’t had that, I I suppose we would’ve just had to close for a while. You know, certainly, we had to let a number of employees, we had to lay them off. We, you know, limited our routes, but we’ve been able to, you know, hire back some of the employees and our our routes going.

 

We’re still not a 100% full time, but, without the medical, I think we would have been in a a lot worse situation. So the diversity was it was a real positive for us. What do you see as the future of the food and beverage market? You know, my heart just goes out to the people in the food and beverage industry. I think it’s just an unknown still.

 

They’re, you know, they’re working to reopen. But I’m not sure that how have we changed it culturally? Will we continue to go out in the same way we did before this pandemic? I’m I’m wondering about that, that I think people have understood that actually sort of being home, family time, it’s been valuable in a lot of ways. And and will we pick up where we left off?

 

I don’t think so. I think that there there’ll be some adjustment in our going out, and maybe that would be starting to use takeout and having it at home, which, of course, for a restaurant is not enough. They need the customers in the restaurant. They need their bars open, and and that isn’t happening. So I just think it’s gonna be a long time for the restaurants to get back to where they were.

 

And I and I can only really speak for here in Sacramento. We’re a booming restaurant town. We had a very strong farm to fork group, you know, organic praise. Most a lot of the chefs here have their own gardens and bring it into the restaurant. So just really a lively and and strong dining experience here.

 

And and some will make it and some won’t. And I and I just don’t I kinda come back. I think it’s way too early to know, but I do feel that maybe as a society has changed a little bit in this pandemic, and we will reevaluate sort of our spending habits and and how will that turn out for restaurants? I’m not really sure. And you mentioned the farm to table scene out there in Sacramento.

 

How are those independent restaurants holding up during this time, or are a lot of them struggling right now as compared to some of the larger chain restaurants? I think that these independent restaurants might be doing better than the chain because these independents have the local support, and they also a number of them very quickly converted to creating meals for homeless and people that have been sort of displaced. Okay. Got funding for it. And so they were able to keep their staff going, and they were creating food for the community.

 

So there was a lot of support around that where a number of the chain restaurants have just closed up. So I think, actually, the local Farm to Fork, Sacramento really does support its community. And there was a lot of community support around helping these people try to keep going along until their PPP loans kicked in until things get a little better. So, a lot of support for getting takeout from these restaurants, trying to buy food from them where people can. That’s great.

 

So they have found ways to keep their kitchen open and stay operating even in the middle of having their dining room shut down? Yeah. They really took a positive outlook and said, okay. We can’t serve people in our restaurant, but we can help the community. Several restaurants together joined together and started making these meals and passing out to certain homeless shelters and and people that were really struggling from the loss of income because of this COVID situation.

 

So it really was a big community effort, and they really took a positive approach to it. Great to hear. Yeah. It was very nice. It’s a big milestone as you’re the 1st female chair of TRSA.

 

Can you just share your thoughts? How does it feel to have reached this position? I think with COVID, I haven’t had tons of time to to think about it. I I feel very honored and humbled to be the the new chair of TRSA, and I’m looking really forward to working with the board and the TRSA staff over the next few years. I truly believe in the value of our organization, And I just feel it’s a privilege to be be the chair and to be the 1st female chair, and I hope I can represent as well and and open the door for many future young emerging leaders to want to be part of GRSA and want to get on the board and and become the next chair.

 

And how do you plan to spotlight the benefits of increased diversity within the industry? Well, I guess it’s a little bit apropos that I’m the first female, so we have some diversity there. And I think that that can help to open the door on this the subject of diversity. I don’t think it’s a choice anymore, and we’re a diverse nation. We’re a diverse industry, and it’s really should be looked at as a strength, and that we need to tackle the the change in a positive way.

 

And and I’ll come back to education. I think education really is the key to tackling that. So I think already as an industry, we we do recognize the diversity within our companies. And I think I believe most most companies are working towards promoting people from within, whether it’s women, whether it’s a person of color, whether it’s, just someone of a different culture. I think, really, people in this industry, there’s room for everybody.

 

I think Tara say, has the opportunity here to help highlight that, and I know some of the webinars, podcasts, those things will be really good working tools for us to take home and look at and say, okay. What can we do better here? How can we help someone grow within their job? So I’m looking forward to presenting those materials to us and and helping all of us in our industry be better stewards at diversity and equality within within our companies. Are there any other initiatives that you think the association can undertake in addition to the webinars and educational opportunities on behalf of the industry?

 

I think it is such a new step forward already that I am looking forward maybe to further discussions with Joe about what what are those steps. I think we need to step forward and talking about these issues in a thoughtful manner that is reflective of of our industry and how everybody feels. And, again, TRSA can present webinars or the monthly column. It’s up to us as individuals in our companies to to read it, to participate, and absorb some of that information. So your father served as a chair of TRSA from 1989 to 91.

 

I think I might have seen you actually in his profile. You were in one of the pictures, I think, from the magazine from back then. So how did he influence you both personally and professionally? Just the other day, someone I was speaking to someone and they said to me, oh, you’re so much like your father, but I guess that you probably don’t like hearing that. And I said, no, actually, that’s a compliment.

 

I I appreciate that. I I know I am myself, but my father was a tremendous influence in my life. He was a hard taskmaster, but he was fair, and he was concerned for his family and for his business. So on a personal level, he was he always encouraged, someone of 4 girls, and he always encouraged us to to step out of our comfort zones and explore. At work, he expected us to work hard.

 

From a young age, 13, 14, I’ve been working at Shasta, starting on the iron. I’ve been a janitor. I’ve been a driver one summer with my sister, and we never got into the office until we were out of college. So that’s when we got an office job. So he he was a hard task master, but he was fair.

 

And he was very proud of our family business and this industry. Although he never assumed that we would necessarily follow in his path. So I sort of went my own way, and I was a fine arts major in college and worked in Shasta for a few years after college, and then I was living in Greece for a lot of years. And when I came back as an adult to work in the company, he became ill, and so I didn’t really have too much time with him to to sort of pick his brain before here I was, you know, taking some of the reins of the company. But when I think about him, I I laugh a lot, and I remind myself of how he would have done things here.

 

I think he was very compassionate and very concerned about the employees, and those are things that he, I hope, gave to me and that I am proud to continue in the same way. So I don’t mind when someone says you’re like your father if I have absorbed some of the his kindness and his thoughtfulness to employees and to the industry and being a responsible person in the industry and taking pride in our industry. I think I restricted his philosophy in life, and I hope that I can follow in his footsteps in in certain areas. You’re one of 4 siblings, girls? Yeah.

 

And and you said you you all had worked in the business at one point? We’ve all worked in the business. My oldest sister always seemed to find another job. She didn’t like working down here too much. And my second sister and myself, so number 2 and number 3, I’m number 3.

 

We worked the most in the business, and every summer, Dana, my sister, did sales. She ran a route. I helped her run a route, and it was an early morning route where we had to be at a at a meat packing company at at 6 in the morning. I’ve taken new trials and and Richard Coats. And and, you know, if you’ve ever seen that Rocky movie where he’s pushing the sides of beef aside, I remember it was a 15 year old carrying lab coats in there and pushing the sides of beef to see all the butchers in the back and handing them their coats.

 

And and, of course, the first day of doing that, I swear I’d never eat meat again, and it didn’t take me too long to decide I could go to McDonald’s on our way back for breakfast. But, yeah, there was no job that we weren’t supposed to learn and that we weren’t above doing. And I think that that was a lot of my dad’s philosophy that, yes, we were the daughter of the owner, but we weren’t above having to whether it was rat work or iron or the janitor or we or we’ve done it all. And and I appreciate it because I can walk on the floor now, and sometimes I hop on the iron, and I feed some napkins or feed a sheet with someone. And and, they kind of look at me, some of the newer employees, and I say, nope.

 

And I’ve been here long enough to know before we had automatic folders on the back of the iron or how to fold a sheet or a tablecloth by hand. Wow. So that’s a long time. And, yeah. So, you know, the business is part of my blood and particularly also my other sister, Dana.

 

So you got the full range of experiences in the plant then? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Sure did. Since the business has, stayed in the family for generations, do you have any type of succession plans in place?

 

It’s always on the back of your mind what happens now when I decide to retire, which I hope isn’t for a long time. But I have a son who is in college, and he’s interested. But sort of like my father or my parents not pushing us into this industry, I don’t wanna push him, but he’s more than welcome. And I would be very happy if he chooses ultimately that this is where he’d like to be. I think this industry is just a great industry for young people.

 

No. It’s not glamorous. It’s not high-tech. It’s complicated. People don’t realize that.

 

You think about routing. You think about chemistry for your washroom. You think about you have employees. You have machinery, engineering. There’s a lot of different pieces that make it interesting, make each day a little different.

 

Yeah. More complicated than it’s not just washing laundry. If he chooses to come in to the business, I would be happy, but he’s a little young yet. He still needs to finish his education and get out there a little bit and then make that decision. And you said you had some time away from the business?

 

In college, I had gone to Greece on my junior year abroad, and I fell in love with the country, and I went back. I was the only person, I think, out of college with my friends that wasn’t headed to New York and working for on Wall Street, and I’m headed to Greece to work as an administrative assistant to the school for $340 a month. Wow. But you know what? I could support myself, and I Yeah.

 

Have an opportunity to be in Greece. And I was there for 2 years and met my former husband there, and he had been to school here in the States and wanted to come back this way. So we came back to California, and then I did work in the office here at Shasta for about 6 years. And then we decided to go back to Greece. I then left Shasta and went to Greece and was there for, almost 20 years.

 

So I’ve really raised my 3 children in Athens and, you know, quite bicultural. And I was lucky to be a stay at home mom for a number of years. And then when they were a little older, I worked in Athens for a man who represented fabrics for fashion. So not laundry, but still textiles. Yeah.

 

It’s interesting how much, you know, I could understand that. That was a huge huge challenge for me because I had to speak in Greek, which my Greek is so so. It’s not a 100% fluent. And he’d say, go take this collection and show these people this factory. And and Athens is a crazy mixed up city to drive in, and I just timid and I rent, and I and I would do it.

 

And I thank him to this day that he he really pushed me out of my comfort zone. And I got that experience because I think coming back to Shasta then, it really gave me the confidence to be able to take over and run this business and having pushed myself on those on those other parts of my life. I feel very lucky that I was able to have that experience and then also to live in another culture. I think it’s widened my view. And I think when we talk about diversity, I come back to that point that, you know, my my own children are from 2 different cultures.

 

So it’s really important to be understanding of other cultures, other people, and I get back to education is is the key to that success, I believe. Does that help you in your business dealings as well? I think so. I think we’re learning to work in Greece and understanding that people don’t think the way we think, and that’s okay. Every cultures think differently.

 

So maybe sometimes when some of the employees may say things or or think differently than me, it reminds me, yeah, they they didn’t grow up in this country. So they don’t know the same things I know. And nor did I know the same things as Greek people. So it really made me realize that there are a lot of ways to do things, were not necessarily our ways and always the right way, and to be more understanding and accepting of language, the the mistakes we can make in understanding someone because we think they understand us when they don’t. That certainly has happened to me speaking in Greek.

 

I I guess it just give me more of appreciation for the differences between cultures. That could be really important because there’s a lot of different cultures inside the plants. And, actually, I didn’t realize, but there are a lot of words in Greek that come from French, and then they’re Spanish. So I some of the Spanish employees were speaking, and I could understand a fair amount of it. And they looked at me, and they said, well, that’s the same word in Greeks.

 

Now, you know, it was it’s not actually a Greek word. It’s a a rep from the Romance languages, but they use it in Greek, and I understood them, and that was fun. Nice. Kinda helps you relate to the employees a little better. Yeah.

 

It really does. And how do you, hope to increase the value of TRSA membership to both current and prospective members? I think right now, if there’s ever a time to recognize the value of TRSA, it’s TRSA, it’s right now. Through what the staff has done through Joe over this COVID this period of COVID, it just speaks volumes of of why someone should be a member of TRSA. We can’t get this done alone, and TRSA offers the tools for us to improve ourselves, to be together as a team, to be part of this community that we work in.

 

So it just speaks volumes right now, what we’ve lived through this last year. And I think we need to promote that and to show what TerraSA has done. You can only do it on a personal level with maybe members, and then you can do it sort of in a group situation, but that’s what we need to do. Keep focusing on speaking to people, keep delivering the message of what TRSA offers. How helpful was it as the pandemic was unfolding in the United States and economies started to get shut down?

 

How helpful was it to have some of the town halls where you could listen to what some other operators and even some of the suppliers, what they were going through? I think it was very helpful. It made you realize you want alone, you want isolated. It’s been a scary time for everybody, and it wasn’t something you did in your business, a problem that you that you created. It’s, you know, a world issue.

 

And so the town hall, gave voice to the feelings that I think everybody’s feeling across America. And it didn’t matter whether you’re a small company or a large company. They were very valuable. And and, again, kudos to TRSA for setting it up and figuring out how to do this on Zoom and how to set up the different rooms on the Zoom meeting. It really was a great experience, and and I think everybody appreciated hearing the other different types of views and realizing we’re all in this together.

 

Not that it makes it any better, but at least it does give you a sense that it’s not your personal fault. It’s it’s it’s what’s happened to all of us. I know you’ve been active at the Leadership and Legislative Conference Hill Day when we come to Washington DC, and then we also have some legislative conferences, California legislative conferences. How helpful have those been in getting the industry’s message in front of representatives at the federal level and all then also some of the representatives that you deal with on the state level in California? Oh, I think it’s extremely helpful.

 

I don’t think that they people don’t know about our industry, and yet they use our industry every single day. They walk in the building. They walk over a map. They, you know, you go to the doctors. He’s wearing a lab coat.

 

You put on scrubs, the patient count. But people don’t understand where that comes from or how it’s processed and how important it is on a daily basis to to every single American, really. So when we’re when we’re on the hill or when we’re in a locally, we’re bringing attention to our industry, and that’s the only way we’re going to solve problems is for our our representatives to understand who we are and what we do and to educate them. And, certainly, that’s been a lot of the work that Kevin has done has been educating our representatives on why microfibers shouldn’t be spoken about in the way they have, that you need to break it down. And microfibers in certain areas are okay, but don’t classify to all this one bad lump sum deal.

 

So I think that it’s extremely important, the advocacy work. How important do you think the industry’s messaging behind its environmentally friendly practices is, and how do you think TRSA can do a better job of touting that message on behalf of its members? I think, again, that that’s very important. I think we’re at a great time to start pushing that message even more because out of this pandemic is is the concern for hygiene and health. And we saw, of course, that they’ve been using paper PPE garments, and all the hospitals ran out of them.

 

I was on a number of phone calls even though I don’t do hospital work, but with we do outpatient surgery centers and the hospital calling saying, do you have any more gowns? And I I was working pretty hard with some contacts I had to get to help them get reusable gowns. The time is right to talk about reusables, and this pandemic is a perfect example of why people should have had them. They wouldn’t have had this crisis had they had reusables. We were maybe had to go 2 or 3 times a day to wash them, pick them up, and get them turned around for them, but we wouldn’t have run out of of the product in the same way as the paper.

 

So we’re at a great position right now to keep pushing our message of hygienically clean, reusables, and hygienically clean, not just on the medical side, but, for example, we have the food and beverage hygienically clean certificate. And we did it for ourselves just as a reminder to our customers that we care about our product, that we wanna deliver a clean product to them. So when we did hygienically clean health care, we decided to do food and beverage. I think it’s a very strong message, and more companies in our industry should be doing it because you go out to your customer, you talk to them. And I think the restaurant side is really gonna start asking for it, frankly.

 

They haven’t been as regulated as medical, obviously. But there will be certainly a lot more regulations now after this pandemic. How are we cleaning the tables? It’s a good time to start pushing tablecloths again. We all know that the table is far more microbes on it than if if we had a table cloth clean table cloth on time.

 

So we’re at a at a point where we do need to push our message. I don’t have the answer of how you got it out there very well. I think what we are doing is, you know, starting whether it’s through advocacy work that I think, again, we need to reach again to all of our members and reiterate the importance of having these hygienically clean certificates because they, their salespeople, they can get it out there. When they’re making a sales call, what a better pitch of selling to a new customer. We are Hygenical Clean.

 

You’re getting a product from us that is clean, and you can pass that on to your own customer in talking about the cleanliness of your restaurant. And the restaurant industry needs to step up on that a bit, and they probably will now after after what’s happened. So you think after the pandemic that the value of these TSA certifications for hygienically clean will only increase in value? Oh, absolutely. I do.

 

And I think that it’s now is our opportunity to promote that and push it even more Because it it does say that what we do is at a certain standard. And then with reusables, that we care about the environment. And people don’t realize the the products we produce really are are so much better for the environment than a paper napkin. You know, we get 50 turns on a cloth napkin, and then I don’t know about everybody, but I know in our in our facility, we have someone who comes and buys our rags, and then they get taken to Mexico, and they’re remade into bags in other other house. It has a longer life than the lifeline that we have here at Shasta.

 

So those are all topics that we need to continue to talk about, and it can’t be TRS’s responsibility alone to talk about it. It has to be all of our responsibility. And how do you think that TRS can develop and help cultivate the next generation of leaders for the industry? I think starting with right now, the emerging leaders committee is is a good start. It’s a very difficult place to be to find young people, the emerging leaders coming in just because we’re not on anyone’s radar, and we’re not glamorous.

 

But every young person who’s in this industry, when you speak to them, and maybe they didn’t know about it before, but they got into it, they really love being in this industry. As I’ve mentioned before, there there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle to make your business work. And we produce a product that we see it week after week, day after day. We’re not producing, you know, tomato soup cans and out the door, they don’t. You never have to deal with it again.

 

Or it it’s far more complicated to produce something that is yours and to pick it up and recycle it and produce it again. The emerging leaders, it’s a difficult situation to find how do we find these people. And I think the the program that’s been started with bringing in an intern is one step. That’s a that’s a great way. And I think the emerging next generation committee is, you know, extremely valuable.

 

Tara say can offer these programs, but each individual company also has to help promote the program and keep it going. I think it’s invaluable when we have EMI and PMI, and companies are in our industry. We need to take the responsibility to send our employees there to to educate them so we do have that next generation. What do you think TRSA can do to, come up with professional development opportunities that appeal to your all levels of operators, independence as well as your regional operations and some of the nationals as well. I think we’re already doing a lot, and I know now that over during this COVID period, I believe that Joe and Kevin and have called on every every one of our members, and I think that’s very extremely valuable.

 

I think it is. It’s the personal contact. It’s it’s calling and talking, and timing is a lot of it. You may call someone and and they’re not interested, they’re not interested, but you need to call them again. And and, eventually, someday, something will happen in their facility.

 

And maybe the COVID has brought some new members to TRC now when they realize the value of the information of how to handle this crisis has helped them with the re recognize the buyer. So it’s kind of like going out on sales on your own business. I I don’t really ever do any sales, but I know what they tell me. And it’s, you know, Noel, you you have to cultivate the account. Mhmm.

 

And you may go one time, and they’re not interested, and you call again, and, no, we’re not ready. And sometimes it takes may take a year. It may take 2 years before you get that customer, but you can’t give up on them. And I think the personal contact is really the most important. And TSA is offering the programs.

 

They’re offering the advocacy. It’s there. Everybody in your in in the team is working hard to provide the information and the structure we need to help us. Now it’s about talking and and keep talking to people that aren’t interested in trying to catch him at that time when maybe now they’re ready to listen and hear and join TSA. If you’d like to read more about Noel, please take a look at the November 2020 issue of Textile Services Magazine, which featured a question and answer session with Noelle as she became the first woman to take on the role of TRSA chair in the association’s history.

 

The issue also features insights from her business partners and employees on her leadership at Shasta Linen Supply in Sacramento, California. If you don’t currently receive a monthly copy of Textile Services Magazine, TRSA’s award winning monthly publication. Send an email to podcasts attrsa.org for more information. Thanks again for tuning in, and please subscribe, rate, and review our show on Apple Itunes, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. Additionally, don’t forget to follow TRSA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.