ALEXANDRIA, Va. — TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services, reports it has formed a Middle East chapter, the association’s first outside the United States.
Launched with Dubai-based TRSA member Rent-A-Towel (RNT), the chapter’s initial activities will include certifying laundries Hygienically Clean and developing professional-development programs for managers and supervisors customized to the region’s local market, practices and conditions.
The chapter will operate in the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen.
“Identifying and partnering with a local member that understands both TRSA’s core competencies and the regional market provides an opportunity for further professionalizing and promoting the value of commercial laundering,” says TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci. “The partnership with Rent-A-Towel helps expand TRSA’s impact and growth globally.
“We will be working with our North American-based consultants to educate and train regional inspectors and monitor performance standards.
“RNT will identify experienced professionals to train and laboratories for ongoing testing. They have already identified laundries seeking certification and we hope to get started quickly.”
TRSA says Rent-A-Towel (RNT) is pioneering linen rental services in Dubai by aggregating on-premises and off-premises commercial laundries for production, while the company’s linen-management and logistics capabilities serve hotels and other customers. Rent-A-Towel uses eco-friendly linen with antimicrobial treatment and provides RFID-enabled linen for tracking and billing
“Having established a leadership position in providing antimicrobial linen and building linen-management platforms, RNT has recognized the importance of bringing the best practices in the laundry space for the region,” says RNT CEO Narayanan Raghavan. “Hence, we approached TRSA about starting a chapter in our area as a means of training our partners in world-recognized industry best practices.
“By recruiting, training and certifying laundries in this region, RNT hopes to have the largest TRSA-certified laundry network for the benefit of our customers. Every country is looking for a common forum where the business owners and the senior management team can collaborate and share ideas for improvement in processes.”
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