FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — Texcare International 2016 opened here Saturday, June 11.
And textile professionals from around the world have a lot to take in. This year’s edition of the World Market for Modern Textile Care is the largest in the trade fair’s 60-year history.
Messe Frankfurt, the show operator, says that a record 319 exhibitors from 28 countries are here.
“For the first time we are opening the fair in the middle of the exhibition,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, “because vendors decided to expand their presence here.”
Marzin opened the fair from the steps of the Galleria, in between Hall 8 and the Hall 9, into which the fair expanded for the first time ever.
“This goes to show that textile care is one of the biggest growth industries in the world,” he says.
After the opening, attendees got a first look at just how big the event is this year. Exhibit space displays reached for the ceiling in Hall 8, and large swaths of Hall 9.
Being in Germany, the trade fair obviously has a more European focus, but companies with ties to the United States are making their presence felt.
The international focus is making the event a little easier for Keith Ware, vice president of sales for Lavatec Laundry Technology, compared to other shows he attends.
“This is my first time here on the supplier side, but I don’t speak German,” says Ware. “I feel a bit out of place, but I answer any questions as they come up.”
Ware and the rest of the exhibitors have been answering plenty of questions about their equipment and services for the international crowd, because most of the exhibitors have been showing off new products.
While the exhibition portion of the trade fair has grown, the educational sessions, Texcare Forum, have focused on industry growth.
Saturday’s lectures had a training focus. The growth in the industry is making it difficult for companies to find skilled employees—around the world. Doug Waldman, president of Superior Linen Service in Tulsa, Okla., and chairman of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), along with CEO and chairman Joseph Ricci, presented how TRSA is helping companies train up employees.
“I was fascinated by the first presenter’s talk about getting people in the industry [in Germany]. It’s amazing how similar it is to the United States,” says Waldman. “There really is not a government training program for people to come into our industry. It’s an issue; it’s a struggle for us to find individuals and recruit individuals in who have skills.”
Sunday’s Forum lectures looked at technological advances in materials and growth options, such as processing personal protective equipment (PPE) uniforms and marketing a laundry’s sustainability.
The focus of the Forum Monday turns to another area in which the industry is growing: technology.
Besides hosting the opening ceremony, the naturally lit, spacious Galleria has also been the perfect setting for the Fashion Shows, which have displayed the latest trends in work, protective and professional clothing.
The trade fair ends Wednesday.
The July issue of American Laundry News will feature an in-depth look at Texcare International 2016.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].