WASHINGTON — TRSA member companies and their exemplary individual performers were honored by their peers on Feb. 5 for their pursuits as employers, service providers, marketers and community leaders.
The ceremony during the Annual Industry Awards Dinner at TRSA’s 15th Annual Legislative Conference culminated in the presentation of Best Plants accolades to industry-leading facilities for their comprehensive efforts to improve capabilities to supply, launder, and maintain linens and uniforms. They cite statistical results across a wide range of indicators from environmental stewardship to productivity improvement.
Winners of the highest honor (Gold level) in this category were:
NOVO Health Services, Madison (Nashville), Tennessee — Opened in 2016, the facility underwent a major refurbishment of existing equipment in 2024, upgrading two tunnel washers, presses, dryers, ironer/folder/feeders and blanket blasters. The tool room and engineering shop were renovated.
About 7,000 square feet of plant space was renovated, with the finished-goods end of the plant adding 900-plus feet of trolley storage for garments shipped to depots. A boiler and makeup water system/tank were added. The facility produces 55,000 pounds (24,947 kg.) daily and employs 75.
Unitex Healthcare Laundry Services, Lawrence, Massachusetts — The plant, which opened in 2020, produces more than 160,000 pounds (72,574 kg.) per day and employs 221. It scored high marks for technology upgrades, namely a 2024 transition to new business management software (route accounting). Extensive efforts to determine customer satisfaction were cited.
Performance measures cover responsiveness, frequency of in-person visits, customer service, transportation/delivery, product quality, and overall linen service. The quality of each main linen item is individually rated.
Other honorees in the Best Plants of the Year category included Silver Award winners Alsco Uniforms’ Vista, California, plant and PureStar’s Norwich, Connecticut, facility.
Honorable Mention winners were UniFirst Corp. in Hammond, Indiana, and Wildman Business Group in Warsaw, Ind.
Including the Best Plants of the Year, the Industry Awards Dinner featured 58 awardees across 11 categories. Honors were awarded in various categories at Gold, Silver and Honorable Mention levels:
- Above & Beyond Service
- Advertising Effectiveness
- Clean Green Sustainability
- Company Community Service
- Diversity Recognition
- Fleet Graphics
- Member Engagement
- SafeTRSA Safety Excellence
- TRSA Legislator of the Year
- Video
The full list of awards and their winners can be downloaded here.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
