Happy Holidays to Your Employees
By Becca Anderson
It’s a puzzle you have to solve every December: How can you reward and celebrate your employees at the holidays without breaking the bank? A pay bonus is nice, but not as memorable as non-cash recognition. Here are some practical holiday reward ideas that can work in your plant, don’t disrupt production, and feel genuinely appreciative rather than gimmicky.
Simple Equipment, Sophisticated Style
Metro Laundry Service exceeds Luxury Hotel Brand expectations
The nation’s capital in Washington D.C. is more than just the federal home of government in the United States. It is also one of the most competitive markets for the hotel industry. In addition to catering to a broad range of corporate visitors who attend business meetings, hotels in the District of Columbia also serve many domestic and international leisure travelers and government workers.
For nearly a quarter century, Metro Laundry Service (MLS) has gradually grown while making its mark. They expanded from newcomer status to a highly respected player in the metro area by winning new business and delivering outstanding service to brand name luxury hotel customers. And they’ve accomplished this level of success with the help of wash aisle equipment from Lavatec Laundry Technology.
IAHTM Names 2025 “Don Pedder Lifetime Achievement Award” Recipients
The International Association for Healthcare Management (IAHTM) announced the recipients of the 2025 Don Pedder Lifetime Achievement Award: Phil Hart of Kannegiesser and John Wintz, retired from Standard Textile.
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DECEMBER ARTICLES: Industry Person of the Year/Buyer’s Guide
2025 Canadian Industry
Person of the Year
MARCIA TODD
The selection of Marcia Todd as our Canadian Industry Person of the Year for 2025 was greeted with great enthusiasm by the people who were let in on it and asked for comments about her. She has been well known across Canada and in the U.S. for her journalistic work, and especially as publisher and editor of Fabricare Canada for over 30 years. Now at age 101, she has much to look back on with pride.
The 2026 Buyer’s Guide is here!
The companies that have what you need — supplies, services, advice — and are excited to do business in Canada and beyond. Check out the list and bookmark it for future use.
NOVEMBER ARTICLES: How are You doing?
Bad Math Doesn’t Get Better at Scale
Facebook groups, industry people, and gurus keep repeating this advice. It’s destroying businesses. Here’s why.
Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted by permission from Wash Weekly.
By Waleed Cope
I need to tell you about one expensive mistake I made in this business.
Early on, I had the opportunity for commercial laundry work. A hotel approached me about doing their laundry. I was so focused on landing the account that I bid the work too low. But I figured it would be fine because of the volume. “Sure, the margins are thin,” I told myself, “but think about all those pounds we’ll be processing. We’ll make it up in volume.”
I was wrong.
Under the Magnifying Lens
Evaluate your company as if you were buying it
By Becca Anderson
A lot of business owners assume their business is fine if it is operating at a profit and has no major problems on the horizon. One of the best ways to test that is to pretend you are going to buy your company. What would convince you of its true value?
This article lays out the list of criteria a buyer would consider, and includes a checklist for you to review to be sure you’re in good position – to continue, to sell, or even to expand.
How are THEY doing? (Part I)
What are your competitors up to?
SERIES: How are you doing?
By Becca Anderson
Evaluating your own company’s strengths doesn’t begin and end at your property line. To fully grasp how you are succeeding, you need to know how your competitors are doing, as well. With a structured, practical way to evaluate your competitors, you can turn new insights into improvement.
How are THEY doing? (Part 2)
What are your competitors up to?
SERIES: How are you doing?
By Becca Anderson
In Part 1 of this article I talked about why evaluating your own success is inextricably tied to knowing how your competitors are doing, and gave you tools to get data to evaluate in that regard. You don’t have to get a peek at your competitors’ spreadsheets to see how successful they are; you just need to study what’s actually going on and then draw insights from it.
In this article, we’ll look at what you learned by observing, and turn it into action steps.
Is it Time?
By Kevin Marois
The theme this month is planning and assessing things – and being aware of approaching problems so you can avoid them. Since I am an authority on equipment, let me give you a couple of guarantees. First of all, I guarantee that you will have a machine breakdown this month. Secondly, if you are in business more than five years, you will be replacing at least one of your machines.
You have been warned – so what are you going to do about it?
Would You Come Back?
How to Audit Your Brand Like a Client.
By Francis Flair
Most business owners never experience their company the way their customers do. You walk through the employee entrance. You skip the onboarding emails. You’ve seen your own logo so many times, it’s lost all meaning. But your clients haven’t. They’re picking up on every detail, especially the small ones.
GUEST COLUMNIST
Reliability and Revenue:
The Smart Laundry Equation
By Jeremy Hoh, head of Product Management for the Commercial Laundry division of LG Electronics USA
In the demanding world of commercial laundry, the hum of a washing machine or the whoosh of a dryer isn’t just background noise—it’s the sound of revenue, service and satisfaction.
That’s why consistent operation is critical, regardless of the environment—from bustling laundromats to college dorms and multi-family housing units. The truth is, reliability isn’t just a feature, it’s the foundation of profitability and customer trust. When systems falter, the ripple effects extend far beyond a simple repair bill, directly eroding your bottom line and reputation.
