Content about Florida

Healthcare Laundry: Judy Murphy, RN, BSN, CLLM, RLLD, North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, Miss.

In a healthcare setting, the challenge of taking a physical inventory can be overwhelming. One must enlist the help of clinical staff and/or the customer to count linen, especially in surgery, critical care, and isolation or restricted areas. Developing a relationship with that end-user and working together to stress the importance of linen in the care of their patients increases the likelihood of success and provides an avenue for honest feedback that can be used for performance improvement.

Timing of the inventory process is critical. One must work with those involved to determine the date, time, etc. Asking overwhelmed employees to add more work to their already busy schedules can set the project up for failure. Working together will allow the team to forecast any “snags” or concerns and to make plans to address them. The manager will also have their buy-in up front.

Linen is somewhat a “moving” target. The process of supplying linen to our customers has several ongoing steps that are difficult to halt while the inventory count is being done. To complicate this further, linen is kept in multiple areas throughout the customer’s facility/unit, so establishing a starting and ending point can be a challenge. Recognizing and addressing any challenges up front will contribute significantly to the success of the inventory process.

In a market with decreasing reimbursements, increased production/process issues, dwindling capital funding, etc., maintaining an adequate budget for linens can pose a problem. History has shown that we continue to “expect to do more with less.”

The laundry manager faces an uphill battle in justifying the need for an adequate linen purchase/replacement budget. It is imperative that he/she has accurate data to forecast needs, and that planning is in place to address any increases or decreases in customer demands. This effort will assist the manager in decreasing the frequency of rush/panic orders and resulting increased delivery costs, thereby resulting in an overall savings opportunity.

The manager must seek every opportunity to keep costs at a minimum while maintaining an adequate number of linen par (turns) so that ample supply is available for the customer’s demands.

Too little linen results in shortages to customers (may result in hoarding), increased linen processing, decreased linen life, decreased customer satisfaction, increased stress on laundry personnel (must “hurry through” the processing steps), inefficient use of equipment and staff time, increased chemical costs, etc.

Too much linen can result in a decreased return on investment, storage issues, linen degradation, as well as possible contamination with lint, dust, or insect infestation.

Software that provides the manager with an actual daily/weekly/monthly/annual usage figure can be used to identify overages and shortages, which can be addressed with appropriate par-level adjustments. These figures should be reviewed with the customer and any changes determined together so that they won’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Though zero loss would be ideal, it is unrealistic. Even if proper processes are in place, and the security and utilization of linen is appropriate, the laundry manager must still take into consideration other variables, including type of operation (healthcare, hospitality, correctional), region of the country/world you’re serving, type of chemistry used, etc. In addition, each linen item will have a different loss rate.

There are benchmarks available that can be used for comparison. I recommend the manager check with his or her linen supplier, in that these vendors are excellent resources of information. One such source states that benchmarks can range from an overall linen replacement average of 78% (this would be considered “best practice”) to 113%.

This “stretch” goal is achievable. The manager must concentrate on driving consistent, accurate, and focused efforts to purchase, process, and inventory linen utilizing a team approach that involves those who have a vested interest.

Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Scott Delin, Superior Uniform Group, Seminole, Fla.

When it comes to inventory control and securing textiles in today’s business environment, suppliers and laundries walk a fine line on a daily basis. As market conditions continue to change and become more competitive, it is important to maintain strong partnerships and solid communication with offshore manufacturing partners.

Sourcing, delivery times, and inventory control are impacted by power outages in plants, cotton shortages, rise in freight costs, and other unknown variables. In order to deal with many unknowns that can and will have a direct impact upon our ability to meet our customers’ demands, the implementation of “programs” has become an excellent way to efficiently and cost-effectively mitigate these challenges.

With a formal program, production can be forecast in a smarter way and supports the just-in-time inventory control principle.

Because of today’s competitive market environment, it is essential that inventory be available when our customers need it. When our inventory cannot fulfill our customers’ needs, we “open the door” and create opportunities for our competition.

Customer loyalty can no longer be taken for granted. Customers want to deal with suppliers and laundries that have product when they need it so they can service their clients or end-users as needed.

Not having adequate inventory can be detrimental to long-term business relationships and have a direct impact on the growth of your business. Insufficient inventory can damage a customer’s faith in his or her vendor and supplier to deliver goods when needed.

Equipment/Supply Distribution: Bill Bell, Steiner-Atlantic Corp., Miami, Fla.

Par: This word has many uses in the English language. For part-time golfers like me, this is a number we strive for. In the real world, it is used to establish inventory management and safety levels.

For many hotel operators, a par level of 3 has been a minimum and 4 has been a plus. In today’s economy, every extra dollar is being put to use in all aspects of operations. Just-in-time inventory has become more of a normal procedure than stocked inventory. Linen replacement averages 5-6% annually.

Under the just-in-time philosophy, OPLs must monitor inventory on a monthly or quarterly basis. Processes and procedures must be implemented to keep this percentage as low as possible. It is suggested that each station have a linen processing area with containers for each classification for linen type (mixed linen, torn linen and stained linen). Training all associates in the classification separation to be collected is important to the laundry’s success.

Working with your chemical provider to set up an aggressive, comprehensive stain formula in treating stained linen can help reduce or at least keep your linen replacement levels at 5-6%. A reclamation program to monitor and track discarded linen items will help with getting your correct items for inventory.

Benchmarking with other laundries—sharing problems or success stories—is a great idea. Different locations may face different challenges. For example, a laundry in Orlando, Fla., has to deal with suntan lotion stains, while a laundry in Boise, Idaho, may not have this problem.

Linen “misconduct” is another inventory issue. Washcloths, pool towels, robes, hospital blankets, and patient gowns tend to leave with the guest or patient. Educating nurses, housekeeping employees, patients and hotel customers is the most efficient way to control inventory being misplaced. There is not a foolproof way to control theft, but by pulling together we may deter the end-users from making poor choices.

In the end, without proper inventory control, the guest or patient experience is not going to be favorable. Consumers expect clean linen, and sometimes extra linen, at their disposal. It all leads back to saving par.

Check back tomorrow for the conclusion!

MISSION, Kan. — Since the 1960s, when disposable products first appeared in hospitals, the textile services industry has fought a largely losing battle against disposables for market share. As a result, many healthcare professionals have only known single-use disposable items in the operating room (OR).

However, the current focus on sustainability, combined with education, is starting to make a difference in how healthcare professionals view reusable textiles. For example, several healthcare groups have recommended that member hospitals increase their use of reusable textiles in order to minimize waste and its associated disposal costs. And the textile services industry now has life-cycle analyses and case studies that support reusable textiles as the environmentally preferable choice over single-use disposable items.

The American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) recently conducted its second webinar for Practice Greenhealth on the benefits of reusable surgical textiles. The information from that webinar and other ARTA resources is presented here for the consideration of suppliers and laundry operators.

COST-EFFECTIVE, SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE

Those who have worked in healthcare for more than 30 years may remember the reusable gowns and drapes used before disposables were introduced. But today’s reusable healthcare linens, gowns and drapes are dramatically superior to those used in the 1960s. Consider the facts:

Reusable surgical textiles meet or exceed AAMI standards. Indeed, reusable gowns and drapes meet or exceed AAMI³ barrier protection standards required in the healthcare environment for Level 1 to Level 4 gowns. And reusable gowns and drapes often offer a more comfortable alternative to single-use disposable gowns and drapes.

LCAs prove reusables have a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, several life-cycle analyses (LCA) have confirmed that reusable surgical gowns and drapes are environmental preferable over single-use disposable products.

The 2009 life-cycle assessment study conducted by the University of Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) examined three areas: cost, environmental impact and infection prevention. In summary, the research conducted at the University of Minnesota Medical Center⁴ (2,000 beds and 20,000 surgical procedures a year) found that reusable medical textiles (chemo, isolation and surgical gowns) provided cost savings of $360,000 per year, reduced waste by 254,000 pounds per year, produced CO2 emissions three times less than disposables, and produced carcinogenic emissions 16 times less than disposables (i.e. arsenic, chromium, lead) while offering the same infection prevention attributes.

Earlier studies conducted in 2008 by the Textile Rental Association of Australia⁵ and in 2000 by the European Textile Services Association confirmed similar findings.⁶

Case studies build credibility among healthcare professionals. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that about 80% of surgical drapes and gowns now used in hospitals are disposable. It estimates that by using reusable linen products and recycling other items as able, hospitals can reduce surgical waste by 73% in weight and 93% in volume.⁷

A study in The American Surgeon compared costs incurred by two similar hospitals — one used disposable gowns and the other reusable gowns. Annual expenditures were $66,000 and $25,000 respectively.⁸

Winter Haven Hospital, Winter Haven, Fla., converted to a reusable surgical textile program in 2001. Within five years, the cost savings were found to total $625,000.⁹

Kaiser Permanente’s use of reusable surgical gown and basin sets reduced the organization’s regulated medical waste by 30 tons, at a savings of 3.8% in 2010, according to Andrew Knight, senior sourcing director of Kaiser Permanente in San Diego.¹⁰

HOW TO CONVERT TO OR INCREASE USE OF REUSABLE SURGICAL TEXTILES

For a supplier or an operator of an on-premise or commercial laundry or a laundry cooperative, sharing the facts can warm healthcare clients to the pitch to convert to, or increase the use of, reusable surgical textiles. But they may need hands-on help in getting a surgical textile program started.

They could be looking for assistance with product selection, budgeting, storage layout and inventory levels. Touring a laundry that processes reusable surgical textiles might be beneficial. Their ability to gather information and build support may be the key.

What are some ways to increase the use of surgical textiles in the OR?

Reusable Surgical Towels — Offering reusable surgical towels for the OR can be an easy, logical “foot in the door.” Some suppliers now tout a disposable surgical towel that can be reused. Yes, these products can survive a wash or two, but they cannot be compared to a woven, reusable surgical towel for effectiveness, sustainability and durability.

Reusable Surgical Gowns and Drapes — Today’s surgical textiles provide comfort, flexibility, breathability, safety, fluid barrier performance, strength and durability, and low rates of particle release (linting). Upfront costs for switching to or increasing use of reusable gowns and drapes can seem expensive, but case studies show a well-managed program is actually more cost-effective than using disposables.

As a bonus, when hospitals switched to reusable gowns and drapes, they saved substantial sums by retrieving lost surgical instruments that would have been thrown away.

For example, the University of Maryland Center moved to reusable textiles in the OR more than 15 years ago, and utilizes a vendor to provide clean, sterilized textiles. In 2010, the medical center avoided creating 138,748 pounds of waste as a result of using reusable textiles in the OR, which correlates to estimated cost savings of nearly $39,000 in disposal costs and an estimated $39,000 in returned instruments (which would have been thrown away if the hospital was using disposable gowns and drapes in its OR).¹¹

Custom Surgical Packs and Hybrid Packs — For clients using disposable surgical packs and throwing lots of items in the trash, custom packs (sterile or non sterile) or hybrid packs (including key disposable items with reusables) could be an alternative.

While hybrid surgical packs and increasing recycling of items is helpful, even reprocessed disposables must eventually be thrown away. According to Dr. Rafael Andrade, a general thoracic surgeon at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, the larger goal is to resume the old practice of relying on permanently reusable equipment.

“We’re just trying to undo a lot of the damage we’ve done,” he says. To that end, Andrade and a nurse, Lynn Thelen, started an O.R. Green Team at Fairview. With input from colleagues, they reviewed 38 types of OR packs, identified which supplies were never used (such as plastic basins, catheters, syringes and dressings), and asked their medical product vendor to remove them. One kit for implanting an intravenous port in chemotherapy patients contained 44 items, but the Green Team downsized it to 27 items and switched disposable gowns and linens for reusable ones. This effort eliminated a pound of trash and $50 in supply costs per procedure. In the first year, the various kit reformulations eliminated almost 8,000 pounds of waste and saved $104,658.¹²

FOOTNOTES

3) Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. 2005, P. 957-958. Selection and use of protective apparel and surgical drapes in healthcare facilities. Arlington, Va.

4) University of Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), Catherine Zimmer and A.J. van den Berghe, 2009.

5) Life Cycle Assessment Comparing Laundered Surgical Gowns with Polypropylene Disposable Gowns, The Australian Textile Rental and Laundry Association, prepared by the Centre for Design at RMIT University, Andrew Carre, 2008.

6) Life Cycle Assessment of Surgical Gowns, Anders Schmidt, PhD, dk-TEKNIK Energy & Environment, April, 2000

7) Tieszen ME, Gruenberg JC, A quantitative, qualitative and critical assessment of surgical waste. JAMA 1992;267:2765-8.

8) Cost Containment in the Operating Room, TAS, Oct. 1992.

9) Winter Haven Hospital Case Study, Conversion to Reusable Surgical Textiles, Winter Haven, Fla., 2006.

10) Regulated Medical Waste Reduction and Minimization, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Case Study, Guidance Documents, Greening the OR, Practice Greenhealth, 2011.

11) Reusable Textiles in the OR, The University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, Case Study, Guidance Documents, Greening the OR, Practice Greenhealth, 2011.

12) Dr. Rafael Andrade, surgeon, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, speaking at CleanMed 2010, organized by Practice Greenhealth, quoted in New York Times, June 5, 2010, issue, reporter Ingfei Chen.

Check back Thursday for Part 3: Change is hard

KEMCO HIRES BORDEN AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kemco Systems recently hired Don Borden Jr. as its vice president of global sales and marketing.

Borden has spent his professional career as an operating executive in general manufacturing and high technology industries. A majority of his experience is in the fluid handling industry, primarily in the water and wastewater arena.

Prior to joining Kemco, Borden served as president of Crane Environmental and as international vice president at GAI-Tronics, with a record of implementing Six Sigma and LEAN Manufacturing.

Borden holds a bachelor of science degree in water resource engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

KANNEGIESSER USA ADDS TANNERT TO SALES TEAM

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Dave Tannert has joined the sales team for Kannegiesser USA, where he will serve as a regional sales manager in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Tannert holds a bachelor of science degree in manufacturing technology, and he has experience in OEM sales to the aerospace, heavy equipment and durable consumer goods sectors.

His responsibilities have included business development and account management on a national and global basis.

PHOENIX TEXTILE APPOINTS MAYO TO NEW POSITION

O’FALLON, Mo. — Phoenix Textile Corp. has appointed Geoff Mayo to the newly created position of director of key accounts and commercial laundries.

In his new role, Mayo brings with him more than 25 years of industry experience, and will represent the company to large-scale commercial laundries across the nation.

“His experience and knowledge of the industry will support Phoenix’s mission to serve the needs of its customers,” says Scott Rodgers, vice president of sales.

A graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, Mayo previously served as senior vice president of operations and partner with Lintex Corp., as well as executive vice president of the Extended Care Division for Encompass Group and division director of healthcare for American Dawn.

PENN EMBLEM ADDS LEYBELMAN TO MARKETING DEPT. ROSTER

PHILADELPHIA — Rita Leybelman has joined the Penn Emblem Co. marketing department, serving as its Internet marketing coordinator.

Leybelman will oversee and develop social media initiatives and work to increase the company’s Internet presence.

She is a graduate of New York University’s economic and business program in its College of Arts and Science.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Hospitality linen may be one of the most sought-after areas of business in the laundry industry. Low soil levels, a manageable number of inventory items, and an established client base not currently in line for government takeover all contribute to a profitable business climate.

But unlike the wave of outsourcing and shared-service mega-plants that has made the healthcare on-premise laundry (OPL) an endangered species, many hospitality companies continue to process their own work in-house and on-premise.

OPL PHILOSOPHY

Westgate Resorts, a timeshare subsidiary of Orlando-based Central Florida Investments, is a large hospitality operation with 30 resorts in 10 states. Its philosophy on laundry processing continues to utilize an OPL model.

Jim Bauer, laundry director at Westgate’s 2,900-unit Villas property just outside Disney World, says there are a lot of reasons that the company chooses to keep the laundry operations in-house. Some are financial, and some are quality-related.

“We have a lot more flexibility with an OPL,” Bauer says. His laundry processes approximately 11 million pounds annually for three local CFI properties. “Much of our business is timeshare. Just the logistics of building our distribution carts in an OPL environment improves our overall productivity.

“The linen distribution component of laundry is an area that can be overlooked in evaluating laundry processing costs,” he adds. “Although there may be qualified linen-service providers, our process works best in an OPL model.”

Bauer highlighted another cost related to distribution: required par levels. “The added cost of the additional par required to send linen out for processing is big money. We operate on three par for most items, which meets our needs. Adding another par would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Westgate’s internal quality control system catches stained linen before it is distributed to the units, according to Bauer. “A good-quality linen service with a similar reject rate would deliver the stained items mixed in with our linen delivery. That stained linen would end up in our rooms, or we would have to overstock our distribution system.”

Flexibility is another advantage of on-premise processing, according to Bauer. In the hospitality industry, available linen can mean the difference between a rented room and a vacant room. “Last week, we turned bed skirts for 500 units and had them all back on the beds the same day. We just couldn’t coordinate that (by) sending linen off-site for processing.”

CFI’s second Orlando-area laundry is located at the Westgate Lakes property just off Orlando’s popular International Drive. The plant managed by Eva Eberle processes approximately 8 million pounds of linen annually.

Westgate Lakes recently installed a new Milnor six-module PulseFlow® tunnel washer.

“Keeping the equipment operating in good order is one of our biggest challenges,” Eberle says. The laundry’s small footprint requires significant production in a small space. Tunnel processing provides an improved production-to-square-foot ratio, but also adds risk should equipment fail. “We are looking forward to the reliability and the water savings that the new tunnel will bring,” she says.

Coordination and backup service between the two Westgate laundries has prevented either property from requiring outside linen support for nearly four years, according to Eberle.

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

Although hospitality OPLs are plentiful, linen suppliers contend that most hospitality companies do not fully evaluate the total cost of in-house linen processing.

Laundry Plus, Bradenton, Fla., specializes in hospitality linen processing. “My company is based on the fact that we can process hospitality linen for less than our customers, and still make a profit,” says Laundry Plus President Rick Rone.

“My biggest challenge is getting hotels to take an honest, legitimate look at all of their costs, including the cost of the OPL space requirement,” he says. “For properties on the beach, or other premium locations, that space can be worth a fortune.”

In the current economic climate, many hoteliers are looking for line-item budget reductions, according to Rone. “Our investment in the most efficient equipment available allows us to process at lower costs and in turn provide hotels an immediate reduction in their cost of operations.”

In addition to cost savings, Rone points out a linen service provider’s ability to properly process high-end categories of linen. Higher-thread counts and super-sized king sheets need to be processed on specific finishing equipment for quality results, he says. “There are not many OPL operations with 138-inch working-width finishing systems that can process at 120 feet per minute.”

Laundry Plus now offers RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to track customer linen. “Our technology can provide an instantaneous inventory of linen throughout a property,” Rone says. “The web-based client interface not only tells you how many you have, but where they are, and where they have been.”

Besides inventory access, RFID provides actual linen longevity figures, he adds. “Historically, linen longevity provided by trade associations was general in nature.”

RFID can track how many washes a specific piece of linen has been exposed to, Rone says. “This data can help a general manager evaluate a linen product that costs more, but lasts longer. Now, our clients can have real data to determine what is best for their property.”

Meeting customers’ goals of reducing costs has kept his business on a steady 10-20% annual growth rate, Rone claims, and Laundry Plus is pursuing options for additional plant expansion.

Clearly, there are advantages to both on-premise and contracted laundry services. Additional factors to consider include available OPL space, equipment purchase requirements, and the competitiveness of a particular laundry service market.

The best decision requires a thorough evaluation of all the pertinent information for each particular application.

JENSEN USA HIRES COLUCCIO, PROMOTES CHADSEY, NETUSIL

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Jensen USA has added a new employee to its sales team and promoted two other employees, the company reports.

Carmen Coluccio has been hired as a regional sales manager,  Michael Chadsey has been promoted to regional sales manager, and David Netusil has been promoted to project manager.

Most recently, Coluccio was director of laundry for Gaylord Entertainers. His other industry experience came while working for Five-Star Laundry, Imperial Laundry Systems and Morgan Linen Services.

Chadsey graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Previously, he was a system designer within Jensen USA’s Design and Engineering department, where he specialized in sorting bin and belt design for Futurail.

Netusil has been promoted to project manager. He has more than 24 years of industrial laundry equipment sales experience (including 20 years with two distributorships) and has been with Jensen for the past four years.

CONTINENTAL GIRBAU PROMOTES MARTIN, ANDERSON, HIRES HULL

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Continental Girbau has made some changes in its personnel, promoting Tari Martin to director of marketing communications and Laura Anderson to graphic designer while hiring Jodi Hull as advertising assistant.

Martin joined Continental in 2005 as Continental Creative Services (CCS) graphic designer. CCS provides advertising, public relations and marketing services to Continental distributors and their

customers across North

America.

In her new role, Martin is charged with overseeing all aspects of advertising, public relations and marketing for Continental, its divisions, subsidiaries and brands.

Anderson joined the Continental team in 2010. In her new role, she handles a mix of design and production

work, focusing on the development of print collateral and direct mail materials for CCS.

Hull comes to Continental with 16 years of graphic design, marketing and print production experience. Most recently, she served as a design specialist at Ep-Direct Printing.

AMERICAN DAWN STREAMLINES DIVISIONS UNDER SINGLE MANAGEMENT TEAM

LOS ANGELES — With renewed focus on customer solutions, American Dawn (ADI) is streamlining all current divisions (Institutional, Hospitality and Healthcare) under one management team, the company says.

Vyto Tozer has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing. The 25-year company veteran is charged with all areas of marketing, sales, product development and customer service.

“ADI plans to offer more application-specific products along with ready-to-market solutions for our customers,” Tozer says. “We are moving from an ‘us’ model to a ‘customer solutions’ model, which holds us all accountable for customer success in the marketplace.”

Steve Kallenbach has been appointed director of market solutions. The 35-year industry veteran will lead growth initiatives and retention dynamics.

“We see our customers’ markets changing and make it our responsibility to lead and respond to these ever-evolving needs, with relevant products and branded solutions,” Kallenbach says. “We are building talent to target new markets and help our customers grow. Simply put, it is our committed goal to be the market leader in providing customer-centric solutions that extend beyond just product.”

ARCO/MURRAY NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CO. MAKES MATA PARTNER

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — Elliot Mata has become a partner and shareholder of ARCO/Murray National Construction Co., the firm reports. Mata is a director of operations, overseeing all operational responsibilities of the Process Division. He started with ARCO/Murray in 2005.

“Elliot is integral to our success,” says Brad Dannegger, vice president and regional manager. “He has led ARCO/Murray’s development into a predominant design builder in the process niches/industries we pursue.”

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — In the hospitality business, flatwork finishing truly communicates a level of quality, in both rooms and food-and-beverage services. Competition continues to be a central theme in operating a profitable hotel property. In that competitive environment, discerning customers look for flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi and linen quality in a well-dressed hotel room.

My consulting practice offers interaction with hotel operators of many different types of properties. From roadside family operations to chic boutique and full-service resorts, linen quality oftentimes defines the level of quality and service in the hospitality industry. The big divider is whether or not the bed and F&B linen is ironed.

Not unlike the hospitality business, laundry and linen service options have changed and then changed back over the last several decades. Older boutique properties often have little back-of-the-house square footage, and no room for an ironer. The 100% cotton bed linen of the day when these properties were originally built was likely sent out to a full-service commercial laundry. 

The pre-permanent press commercial laundries utilized a hand-fed “mangle” for flatwork finishing. Before the advent of spreader-feeders and appropriate safety devices, there was a reason why ironers were referred to as mangles. It is true but unsettling to recall the origins of the flatwork ironer nickname. Possibly by referring to the machine as a mangle, operators were reminded of the need to be careful when feeding the machine.

With the advent of wash-and-dry fabrics, much of the hospitality industry abandoned outside linen services in the 1970s. Although larger properties often featured a laundry room adjacent to housekeeping in a remote corner of the property, it would not be unusual for a small hotel to require the night clerk to also pull laundry duty with machines located in a room behind the front desk. On-premise wash and dry significantly reduced costs compared to commercial laundry services.

Competition, however, has a way of changing things. How about a pillow-top bed that requires a super king-sized sheet?  How about 400-thread-count, 100% cotton linen? How about duvet covers on all the beds?

Flatwork finishing in the hospitality industry is back. As competition continues to be strong, senior managers have sought ways to differentiate their properties in areas of quality. Linen quality and finish is now a major benchmark. Although many successful business-class properties continue to prosper with wash-and-fold operations, full-service and coveted four-star designations require quality that can only come from ironed bed and F&B linen.

Processing volume for high-end hospitality flatwork is currently divided between OPL operations and mostly local commercial laundries. Although laundry services are not their core businesses, many hotel operators prefer to operate on-premise operations, in order to better control quality and reduce inventory requirements.

The Wyndham Orlando Resort operates an OPL at this popular conference resort destination. Dave Falzarano, director of rooms, says that providing ironed rooms linen increases the cleanliness of the rooms. Wyndham also dresses every bed with duvet covers; duvets in all the rooms are a brand standard. “Our duvets are washed and ironed after every guest, improving the quality and cleanliness of the room,” Falzarano says.

Besides improving quality, Falzarano believes the in-house ironing line actually reduces processing costs. “The machine automation does the work faster and better than if we dried the flatwork in a dryer and folded by hand,” he explains. “Although the original equipment purchase was significant, over time, flatwork finishing automation yields higher revenue.”

In addition to controlling quality, the on-premise laundry can reduce the cost of inventory. Given the time required to transport and process goods off-site, the average property will need to increase its par level by 1.5 to meet a similar level of service. High-end rooms linen can run several hundred dollars per room set. The added cost of increased par linen inventory in a 500-room property can easily exceed $200,000 per year.

The advantage of a professional outside linen service is just that—it is professional. Many facilities have spent the big bucks to operate the latest in automation and energy-efficient equipment. It is extremely difficult for an on-premise laundry to compete with the economies of scale and level of competence provided by well-managed linen service suppliers.

The lowest cost for linen service can vary between OPL and linen service. Linen services have the added expense of transportation. Depending on your delivery requirements, these charges can be significant. Plus, everybody needs to make a profit.

Many professional linen service providers, however, are dramatically more efficient than most on-premise hospitality operators.

It is difficult for many hospitality operations to accurately determine their linen processing costs. True costs not only include direct utilities, chemicals, maintenance and direct labor, but also the costs for heat and air, supervision, insurance, and the value of an alternate use of the space.

Whether linen is processed on-premise or off-site, quality is a major indicator of the overall quality of any hotel property.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Swisher Hygiene reports that it has acquired certain assets of two more linen services companies: Green on Whites Inc. in South Florida and CMI LV Inc., also known as Cactus Mats, in Nevada.

Green on Whites provides linen and facilities rental services to foodservice and hospitality customers in the greater Miami market.

“Our South Florida operations have expanded considerably in the last year through acquisitions and especially organic growth, which has led us to be at near capacity at our current facility in the region,” says Steven R. Berrard, Swisher Hygiene CEO. “Through this acquisition, we have secured a larger platform which will enable us to further grow our linen services presence in South Florida.”

Swisher Hygiene paid approximately $371,000 in cash, assumed certain liabilities, and issued a promissory note equivalent to as many as 77,495 shares of common stock for Green on Whites.

Cactus Mats provides linen and facilities rental services, including the rental of floor mats, towels and mops, primarily to foodservice and retail customers in the greater Las Vegas market.

“We continue to build our full-service coverage and strong presence in the Southwestern U.S. through today’s acquisition, which will expand our linen service coverage in the major metropolitan region of Las Vegas, as well as enabling us to additionally cover the greater Phoenix market going forward,” Berrard said at the time of the Cactus Mats acquisition.

Swisher Hygiene paid an undisclosed amount of cash and issued a promissory note equivalent to as many as 71,429 shares of common stock for Cactus Mats.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) last month hosted the first of six Executive Roundtables planned for 2012, providing members with benchmarking information designed to improve operations, performance, productivity and safety.

TRSA President Joseph Ricci says his association’s members are always looking for opportunities for innovation. “Differentiation with unique goods and services provide a niche for new market entry and the financial premiums associated with those opportunities,” he explains.

This gathering covered issues impacting the restaurant/food-and-beverage and hotel/lodging markets. A representative of Darden Restaurants—the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, including the Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse brands—took part in the roundtable discussion, promoting the exchange of information from customer to service provider.

Industry consultants from Pertl & Alexander led discussions on linen loss and replacement for hospitality and food-and-beverage (F&B) applications. Attendees were invited to tour three Walt Disney World laundries, each with a special application and purpose.

The Housekeeping Plant processes rooms linen and pool towels for the nearly 30,000 Disney World hotel guestrooms. It produces more clean linen than any other single laundry location in the world—nearly 120 million pounds annually. The 16-year-old facility operates seven tunnel washers (that are targeted for replacement) and an automated open-pocket cell. 

The emphasis on throughput production is clear, but not at the risk of sacrificing quality. Quality control is ongoing, including a station that randomly evaluates linen before shipment.

Bob Corfield, president of Laundry Design Group, appreciated the production and efficiency of the housekeeping plant, but was eager to see how Disney handled its considerable costume and uniform requirements.

After a short bus ride, the group toured the Costume Facility that processes 29,000 costumes and cast member uniforms every day. 

Curt Gray, chief administrative officer for AmeriPride Services in Minnetonka, Minn., says he felt more at home in the uniform plant environment. His goal was to better understand how a world-class organization like Walt Disney World integrates its service culture into the industrial laundry environment.

After going through the plants, Gray commented that the net result of what Disney accomplishes appears to be the sum of doing a lot of little things right.

The Costume Facility tours like a morph between a large drycleaning shop and a production industrial plant (it also processes all walk-off mats used in the theme park). Equipment includes four drycleaning machines, two wetclean washers, and an assortment of washer-extractors.

Terri Amey, Disney’s costume plant manager, attributes the production and quality to the plant’s “cast.” Average term of service among full-time employees there is 19.5 years.

Pablo Lucchesi of Crown Linen, Miami, was particularly interested in touring Disney’s Food and Beverage Plant, as F&B is a growth center for his company.

Disney’s F&B facility provides table linen for the 200 park restaurant outlets servicing 32 different color options.

F&B delivery drivers arrive at work at 2 a.m. Pickups and deliveries are made in the early-morning hours using lowboy trailers. They are equipped with ramps that eliminate lift-gate requirements, reducing delivery times and improving operator safety.

The next TRSA Executive Roundtable is scheduled for May and will involve operational and market issues specific to national textile services companies.

ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — Bill Carey has been in the laundry business his entire adult life. Six years ago, he took over the helm at Space Coast Hospital Services, a not-for-profit hospital cooperative laundry.

Florida’s Space Coast region is midway up the peninsula along the Atlantic Ocean. Isolated between the popular tourist destinations of Daytona Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, the area has been heavily dependent on Kennedy Space Center in Titusville for its economic stability.

Close behind tourism and agriculture, the housing and construction industry had helped keep Florida prosperous for decades. The burst of the housing bubble in 2008 sent thousands of residents into unemployment and under-employment positions.

Right in the middle of the housing crisis, the announcement came that the space shuttle program would end and thousands from the Kennedy Space Center and supporting private contractors would be laid off. It was a financial double-whammy for the Space Coast region, to be sure.

So, here we are in 2012, with area foreclosures and unemployment still at record levels in a struggling local economy. What do you do to keep moving forward?

“Our mission is to help our hospitals reduce their cost of linen services,” Carey says. “If we don’t help them, somebody else will. We are operating in an extremely competitive environment right now, and we have to deliver.”

Digging In to Lessen Linen Replacement

For-profit laundry operations are tasked with increasing earnings. Carey views the not-for-profit co-op’s goal as a cost center that needs to be reduced.

“It’s the main difference between the two types of organizations,” he says. “During my time working for the other guys, the motivation was always to increase prices, revenue and profit. Our goal at Space Coast Hospital Services is to reduce costs, which are then directly transferred to our client’s bottom line.

“Six years ago, linen replacement cost was the most significant laundry issue for many of our clients,” Carey continues, “so that’s where we dug in.”

A soil-sort system by Automation Dynamics is the heart of Space Coast Hospital Services’ linen management operation. Although the system is labor-intensive, the accuracy of the process raises efficiencies in other areas.

Bulk soil weight is entered for every cart of soiled linen that comes in. Linen proceeds down the sorting conveyor to operators who feed individual items into vacuum sorting tubes. The vacuum system separates and counts individual items. With item weights previously established by large-sample averages, the bulk soil weight is confirmed by the system to match the combined individual weights of the items sorted.

“We know exactly how many of each item each client returns to the laundry on every pickup,” Carey says.

From an observer’s perspective, the system is fast, efficient and accurate. The vacuum tubes are like the ones you see at a bank drive-in — but larger and faster.

“It can be difficult in co-op applications to get clients motivated to be more responsible with their linen,” says Carey. “Most co-ops, like us, use a common inventory to simplify production and inventory requirements. In a pool of 10 clients, each particular hospital’s improvement typically only returns 10% of their cost saving back to them, as any improvement contributes to the group as a whole.

“In a traditional co-op, it is difficult to validate problem areas, which can lead to finger-pointing within the group.”

Because of tracking accuracy, Space Coast’s clients have all of the advantages of a pooled inventory, but with 100% of their individual linen-management improvement savings added directly to their bottom line, according to Carey.

Proprietary software utilizes the returned-item information to build delivery carts on the shipping side of the plant. Every built cart has a bar-coded tag that is scanned after the cart is built and weighed. The software confirms that the bulk weight of the cart matches the total individual weights of the items listed.

Checks and double-checks within the system accurately identify and confirm the precise quantity of linen items that come in and go out.

“They get back exactly what they send us,” Carey says of his laundry’s clients. “If they want more linen, they requisition additional inventory, which is then added to their delivery and their individual cost.”

Tomorrow: How education and training lead to savings...

Jensen USA will host its Spring Service Seminar covering L-Tron 450 and 800 Auto Pro/open-pocket washer-extractors and DTX 450 and 800 dryers on March 27-29 at its Panama City, Fla., facility. For more information, contact Jerry D. Elmore, 850-271-5959, ext. 183, jerry.elmore@jensen-group.com.

RACINE, Wis. — CMJ Partners, a private investment firm based in Vero Beach, Fla., recently acquired Imperial Laundry Systems out of receivership. It is now named Imperial Laundry Services.

“We acquired Imperial Laundry after having completed a significant amount of due diligence,” says Robert C. Moore, president of CMJ Partners. “During that process, we discovered and were excited about the company’s strong and experienced management team, high level of customer satisfaction, reputation for quality and reliability, and the efficiency of the company’s facility and equipment.

“We are pleased to be the company’s new owners and are committed to be our clients’ long-term partner.”