Textile Insights: View from the Mill (Conclusion)

CHICAGO — Many factors influence the operation of laundry and linen services.

Materials and costs, the environment, trends in textiles customers want, all these and more affect laundries.

But these elements come into play earlier than the textile/linen supplier. What happens at textile mills is the start of the effect goods have on a laundry operation.

American Laundry News communicated with several textile providers to find out what’s going on with mills and how laundry and linen services are affected by what mills do.

How can laundry/linen services work with mills/suppliers to improve customer satisfaction?

Tapash Bhattacharjee, Vice President, Global Sourcing, Monarch Brands: Laundry and linen services can collaborate with mills and suppliers by setting clear expectations, product quality standards, testing parameters and pricing agreements.

Regular discussions and quality checks ensure that the products meet the desired standards, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

Bridget Miklausich, Managing Director of Manufacturing & Sourcing, Encompass Group: Continued partnerships and open communication are always the keys to improvement.

As laundries learn from their customers about the issues and challenges they face in day-to-day use, they need to communicate these to the manufacturers. Knowing what problems need to be corrected and what improvements are required will ultimately lead to the development of better products.

Tom Main, Group Vice President, National Accounts, Standard Textile: Collaboration between laundry services and textile suppliers is essential for enhancing customer satisfaction. Regular, two-way communication is key—laundries should be able to easily contact suppliers to discuss new products, address quality concerns and review recommended laundering procedures. This open dialogue helps ensure that textiles meet the needs and expectations of end users.

Textile suppliers must also have a solid understanding of industrial laundry processes to design products compatible with these high-demand environments. Collaboration between laundries, textile suppliers and often chemical suppliers ensures a consistent flow of quality products that deliver long-term value, offering lower cost per use compared to disposable options.

In addition, developing educational programs that inform customers about textile care and washing technologies can further enhance satisfaction. Proper practices, like maintaining optimal par levels, can significantly extend textile life and improve overall product performance, ensuring customers get the most out of their investment.

Lenore Law, Owner, Alliance Textile Solutions (formerly California Textiles): Set more specifications on products and spend more time ensuring they are getting what they are paying for through effective management of weighing bales and ensuring that you received what you purchased.

I think quarterly forecasting and ordering goods ahead of time as we did years ago is a great practice. This way you are not at the mercy of your supplier and what they choose to stock for you. In other words, get more involved and call us. We can help, and we want to save you time, money and stress.

What trends are you noticing with goods that healthcare, food and beverage, hotel, and uniform/workwear customers use?

BHATTACHARJEE: Current trends in the laundry and healthcare sectors include “quick dry” fabrics, products with longer washing lifetimes and environmentally friendly materials. These include recycled yarn, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) yarn, and natural fibers such as bamboo and Tencel.

MIKLAUSICH: Increased demand for comfort and stretch in apparel garments, along with ease of care.

The women and men who work in the hospital or medical center field are faced with difficult daily challenges. Exposure to varying room temperatures, chemicals and fluids that stain, and an abundance of physical exertion are just some of the challenges.

These warriors want to be comfortable in their uniform apparel, look good while wearing them and know when they wash them that they will look as good the next day.

MAIN: We’re seeing a growing emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly solutions. Customers are increasingly asking for sustainable practices, product offerings, as well as environmentally conscious packaging.

They want to know that the textiles they use not only have an extended life cycle but also that their end-of-life stage can be managed in an eco-friendly way. Recycling of textiles also has become a significant conversation, and there’s even proposed legislation that will likely require textile suppliers to be more actively involved in ensuring products are recycled, preventing them from ending up in landfills.

Another trend we’re seeing is the demand for greater transparency. Customers want to track and measure the environmental impact of the products they use, asking suppliers to provide detailed carbon footprint reports and ESG (environmental, social and governance) data. Many organizations have their own ESG initiatives, so they are prioritizing partnerships with suppliers who align with their sustainability goals.

LAW: Just way too many synthetics versus natural fibers and way too many irregular bar mops and towels. I truly feel we need to go backward in terms of textile standards but forward with more automation. Cotton is the fabric of our lives. Think about it and incorporate it, because it works. The ironer reps will love me.

Please share anything else you think laundry/linen service operators should know about the role of textile mills in their operations.

BHATTACHARJEE: It is crucial for laundry/linen service operators to advocate for social and environmental compliance at the factory level. Social compliance includes ensuring minimum wages, health and safety standards, and the absence of child or bonded labor.

Factories that do not adhere to these standards can still supply products, but it is essential to avoid such suppliers. The Rana Plaza incident in Bangladesh, where more than 1,200 garment workers died in a building collapse, highlights the importance of choosing factories with robust health and safety practices.

MIKLAUSICH: Textile mills are happy to serve as a provider of critical products. They realize they contribute to the overall well-being of society by delivering blankets and sheets to keep patients comfortable and great apparel that allows healthcare providers to do their critical jobs.

As long as humans need to be cared for, textile mills will be there to provide the necessary products.

MAIN: Textile manufacturers are more than just suppliers; we can be true partners in helping laundries explore new opportunities and expand into untapped categories and markets.

For instance, we can collaborate to develop high-performing reusable alternatives that not only outperform disposable products but also align with sustainability goals, giving laundries a competitive edge.

We can also support laundries in expanding their offerings, such as entering the employee-owned uniform space by providing custom e-commerce portals tailored to specific needs.

Additionally, our partnership can extend to improving operational efficiencies in areas like inventory and SKU management, packaging, and overall processing effectiveness, ultimately driving mutual growth and innovation in the industry.

LAW: Aside from transportation, labor, and machinery, textiles are very important to laundry/linen operators. I think that operators should be ordering more containers and setting some of their own specifications on textiles. After all, it’s their water and plant.

Click HERE now to read Part 1 where four insiders provide a general overview of mill operations. Read Part 2 HERE on the status of mill material supplies, cost and production; mill environmental practices and their influence on processing goods.