ALEXANDRIA, Va. — TRSA, the association for the linen, uniform and facility services industry, will host its Executive Management Institute (EMI) and Production Management Institute (PMI), concurrently, at the University of Maryland on Aug. 6-10, the association reports.
According to TRSA, the combination provides opportunities for information sharing and socializing among established and upcoming leaders in the linen, uniform and facility services industry as attendees will share free time, meals and evening outings.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (EMI)
EMI has a 50-plus-year tradition of providing attendees with the latest in management techniques to aid them in tackling high-priority tasks and long-term workplace challenges specific to the industry, says TRSA. In classes led by academics and consultants experienced with the industry, participants complete EMI by returning for a four-day program once a year for the next three years.
The first year offers practical insight that can be immediately applied to motivate and inspire co-workers and employees to streamline production, improve productivity and increase profitability, including:
- Developing effective communications skills
- Managing innovation and change
- Reducing conflict
TRSA says EMI attracts attendees from all segments of the textile services industry, from independent companies’ owners, executives and next-generation leaders to chains’ headquarters (including HR/administration) and plant- and depot-based management (GMs, branch and department heads).
TRSA says member associates attend as well.
Individuals who have achieved TRSA’s Certified Professional Laundry Manager (CPLM) certification receive 31 credit hours toward recertification by attending EMI, according to the association.
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (PMI)
PMI, now in its 28th year, consists of two four-day programs one year apart, featuring classroom settings where attendees learn from each other as well as industry experts who instruct, says TRSA.
First-timers take the PMI Production curriculum, which includes fundamentals of laundry production and operations, emphasizing key principles of productivity, quality, safety and sustainability. Over the next year, students participate in a series of self-paced, online modules on topics such as human resources, communications, finance, time/project management and business ethics.
PMI Production participants return the following August for PMI Management, another four days of interactive sessions that further refine their production and laundry-specific management skills. Upon completion of the classroom and online training, students are tested and can earn the CPLM designation, the baseline of knowledge for all graduates, says TRSA.
PMI features group exercises that take advantage of attendees’ collective talent and require participants to devise solutions, collectively, to real-world scenarios presented as case studies. Visits to nearby laundries are part of the curriculum as well. This year, TRSA says the destination will be the 120,000-square-foot Alsco plant in nearby Lanham, Md. Opened in 2016, it processes 120,000 pounds of laundry daily.
This August, the association says PMI participants will be among the first recipients of Laundry Operations and Management, TRSA’s new 300-page text on production management orientation and training, providing enrichment and review of what was learned onsite during PMI.
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