And if you missed a news story, check our News Archive for the top stories.

Be sure to visit People in the News and Product News while you’re catching up on all the latest. And be sure to check out our new JOB SPACE page if you are looking for a job or a qualified employee!

---

DECEMBER 2024 NEWS

ABS Laundry Business Solutions Announces Leadership Transition

ABS Laundry Business Solutions, a part of Vitec Software Group, has announced a change in its leadership. Gerard van de Donk, the current Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his role effective January 1, 2025. Marien van Bezooijen has been appointed as the new CEO.

Gerard van de Donk, who became part of ABS in 1991, has played a pivotal role in guiding the company’s growth and accomplishing significant milestones over the years.

“It has been an honor to work with such a dedicated team and to see the company evolve. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished,” says van de Donk. “This transition is part of a thoughtful and deliberate succession plan. I am confident that Marien van Bezooijen, with his extensive experience and vision, will guide ABS to continued success.”

Van Bezooijen, who serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at ABS, brings a wealth of expertise and a strong background developed through years of dedication within the industry and organization. He has been recognized for his alignment with the company’s values and long-term goals. Van Bezooijen is committed to advancing the work of delivering high standards of service and innovation that ABS is known for.

“We have a talented Management Team and dedicated employees, and I am thrilled to lead ABS as we work closely together to achieve our objectives.” says van Bezooijen. “Together, we will continue to innovate, embrace change to remain competitive and uphold the high level of quality that our customers expect. I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Gerard and driving the company towards new heights.”

Gerard van de Donk will remain with the company as a Senior Advisor to ensure a smooth transition. He expresses his commitment to supporting the company’s mission and future endeavors.

“I look forward to watching ABS grow under Marien’s leadership,” he concludes.

About ABS

ABS Laundry Business Solutions, founded in 1987, specializes in providing innovative software solutions for the textile care and laundry industry. With over 750 installations worldwide and a dedicated team of 175 employees strategically located to provide local support, ABS delivers advanced technology, including its ABSSolute ERP software, to streamline laundry operations, boost efficiency, and enhance service quality. Serving a global client base, ABS offers tailored solutions for businesses of all sizes, from owner operated laundries to multinational organizations. As part of the Vitec Software Group, ABS benefits from the resources and expertise of the larger organization, ensuring continued industry leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.abslbs.com.

---

NOVEMBER 2024 NEWS

Kreussler Teams Up with Integrity Mechanical to Elevate Support for Canadian Customers

Kreussler is partnering with Integrity Mechanical to oversee and manage its operations throughout Canada. The move will bring a more local, Canadian-focused activity, presence and service. Integrity will take over as the nationwide Canadian primary distributor for Kreussler products, working with existing distribution partners in all the provinces for technical support, sales and promotion. This change will not affect how current clients source and purchase Kreussler products at the local level, but will allow for hiring sales and support staff, thereby improving customer service.

The partnership will immediately add a local technical sales representative to the Ontario market by hiring J.P. Renauld, a highly respected figure in the industry with decades of experience from owning and running his family’s dry cleaning business in Kitchener.

Kreussler Inc. is the North American daughter company of Chemische Fabrik Chreussler & Co. GmbH, a 4th generation family-owned manufacturer of high-end detergents, stain remover cleaning boosters and ancillary agents used in the professional textile care, commercial and industrial washing industries.

Integrity Mechanical is a family-owned full-service equipment and supply company offering premium brands like Union, Sankosha, Leonard, Rema, Unipress and White Conveyor, to name a few. Founded in 2003 by Kevin and Paula Marois on the principle of integrity, the company has built a reputation of trust, competency and reliability throughout western Canada.

---

DLI School Graduates Complete 386th Hands-On Dry Cleaning Courses

Fifteen students graduated the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s School of Drycleaning Technology’s Introduction to Drycleaning Course, October 7–11 and 17 graduated its Advanced Drycleaning Course, October 14–25. DLI’s Introduction course lasts five days and the Advanced Course runs for 10 days. Founded in 1927, DLI’s School of Drycleaning Technology has helped shape the careers of thousands of drycleaners worldwide.

In these courses, students learned about:

• Sorting loads for drycleaning
• The science of drycleaning
• Fibers and their characteristics
• Fabric construction
• Cleaning silk, stain, and other fabrics
• Soil and cleaning theory
• Operating a drycleaning machine
• Stain removal chemistry and procedures
• Removing coffee, ink, grease, and other stains from clothing
• Pressing pants, coats, blouses, ties, pleated garments, and skirts
• Using tensioning equipment to improve finishing quality
• Using bleaches without damaging fabric color
• Distillation procedures
• Understanding the differences between solvent types
• Wetcleaning wool, silk, and more
• Designing a drycleaning plant with the most effective workflow

Latisha Robinson, Plant Manager with Dependable Cleaners in Denver CO, attended the Advanced Drycleaning Course. She said, “My boss attended [DLI’s School] earlier this year. When she came back she told me this information would help me help my girls and help us serve our customers.” She said DLI’s courses helped her learn best practices and more efficient ways to help customers. “I was kind of thrown in, like one of the managers said this is how you do this, this how you do that and the rest, you just wing it or figure it out from experience.” DLI’s structured courses mix classroom learning with hands-on learning experience to help cement best practice procedures.

Matt Nemec with St. Croix Cleaners in Stillwater, MN, took both courses to better understand the drycleaning business and position himself to someday take charge of his family cleaning business. “Stain removal is very exciting. We’re learning so much here, it’s unreal,” Nemec said. “I got some great ideas to take back. Brian Johnson’s got a bunch of great ideas and insights on business. He’s helping out so many people, it’s awesome. I would say my favorite part of the courses is honestly, just stain removal, seeing the stains disappear. It’s a really good process and he does a great job with that.”

Adriana Lopez with 3rd Generation Cleaners in Chico, CA, attended both the October Introduction to Drycleaning and Advanced Drycleaning Courses. “The courses are great because they are interactive, you know, hands on and everything.” Lopez said she was excited to apply the new skills she learned. “I heard the courses were great and having the ability to enhance my knowledge is so wonderful,” she said.

See the list of upcoming DLI educational opportunities on our Conferences & Events page.

Learn about the Tom Kimmel Scholarship program for Canadians wanting to attend the DLI training courses on our Scholarships page!

---

Texcare International 2024: when visions of the future become reality

Texcare International celebrated its comeback November 6-9 with an exceptionally high level of international participation and top marks from the participants. 305 companies from 32 countries presented their innovations in automation and energy efficiency. About 15,500 visitors from 122 countries came to Frankfurt.

Over the past four days, the leading international trade fair for textile care presented innovations for laundries, dry cleaners and textile service companies with great success: 98 per cent of trade visitors were satisfied to extremely satisfied with how they achieved their goals for the trade fair; 52 per cent expect an improved industry economy.

After eight years without Texcare due to the pandemic, the desire among exhibitors to exchange ideas and present innovations was palpable. The international character of the event was reflected in the wide range of countries represented – around 15,500 visitors from 122 countries, including Germany, took advantage of Texcare, which ran from Wednesday to Saturday, to exchange ideas and information on topics relevant to the industry.

Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Messe Frankfurt: “After the long break, we are delighted with this successful comeback of Texcare. The leading international trade fair demonstrated the great strides in innovation that the industry has made in recent years. I was really thrilled to see so many exhibitors, especially new exhibitors and start-ups, as well as visitors from all over the world at Texcare. Above all, it was great to see so many young professionals at the stands and in the aisles.”

Industry celebrates its future potential

The industry is meeting the challenges of labour shortage and rising energy prices with a significant surge in innovation. The solutions are available, as demonstrated by the exhibitors with their machines, technologies and expertise. The leap towards robotization was clearly visible at the stands. The circular economy was also in focus: many innovations showed how machine builders and textile manufacturers are working together to advance sustainability. Texcare provided the right impulse for companies in the textile care industry at the right time, enabling them to secure their successful market position by investing.

The partner industry associations of Texcare also draw a positive conclusion. Elgar Straub, CEO of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasizes: “Expectations for Texcare International were very high after eight years without a trade fair, but they were even exceeded. I have rarely experienced such a good atmosphere at trade fairs in recent years. Furthermore, Texcare International was extremely well prepared by Messe Frankfurt, but the exhibitors also presented themselves to their global customers with exceptionally beautiful and informative stands. As expected, the topics that are driving the industry were hygiene, automation, digitalization, logistics and AI. But my highlight of this fair was the truly excellent mood among visitors and exhibitors and the positive outlook for the future of textile care. Texcare International this year was simply a pleasure.”

Andreas Schumacher, General Manager of the German Textile Care Association, summarizes: “There was a sense of a fresh start. You could feel that after eight long years, the exhibitors were eager to show their products and developments, and the visitors were excited about innovations.

“In particular, the topics of automation and digital solutions, as well as robotics, were the subject of much discussion, as many companies are facing a shortage of skilled workers. After the pandemic and the energy crisis, the discussions were once again characterized by a willingness to invest and a sense of optimism. Energy costs and corresponding opportunities for saving energy and other resources were also a key topic. Last but not least, companies in the industry are working to further improve their circular business models and to adapt to the upcoming regulations for the recycling of textiles.”

Comprehensive lecture program and guided tours

The supporting program at Texcare addressed key topics at the Texcare Forum and the guided tours. The panels, for example, focused on sustainability through innovation, business models in the circular economy and automation in small businesses. Experts from the USA, Scandinavia, France and China provided insights into the textile care markets in their respective countries. The daily guided tours, curated and conducted by industry experts, were very well received. For the first time, Texcare International offered young professionals from six vocational schools in Berlin, Hanover, Frankfurt, Cologne and Zurich the opportunity to visit stands and network with companies as part of the Young Competence Program.

Texcare 2024 in figures

98 per cent of visitors were satisfied to extremely satisfied with what Texcare had to offer, and 97 per cent said they had achieved their goals for the trade fair. Visitors from a total of 122 countries came to the leading trade fair. The top ten visitor countries were: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Great Britain, Poland, Belgium, Greece and Switzerland. The most important visitor countries from outside Europe were the USA, China and Australia. The degree of internationality was around 70 per cent for visitors and 72 per cent for exhibitors.

The main areas of interest for visitors were machinery, equipment and components for washing, cleaning, drying and finishing textiles, as well as for energy generation, energy saving, recycling, environmental and water technology. Texcare took place this year over four days, with a new sequence of days from Wednesday to Saturday.

Exhibiting companies at Texcare 2024 and their products can be viewed 365 days a year in the Texcare Contactor: www.texcare.com/contactor.

The next Texcare International in Frankfurt am Main will take place in 2028.

---

Canada Stand Out at CINET Best Practices Awards

The CINET conference, featuring the 2024 Best Practices competition, immediately followed the TexCare show in Frankfurt, Germany Nov. 9-11. The competition gives cleaners from around the world the opportunity to strut their stuff and show how they are building Best Practices into their daily procedures and mindset.

We will feature a full report on the awards as soon as details are received from CINET. In the mean time, we didn’t want to wait to report exciting results for Canadian companies.

“The Canadian Fabricare Association was well represented, with many Canadian participants,” said CFA President Dino Kantzavelos. “At the CINET Global Best Practice Awards, along with me, there was Dave Crouse of Crouse’s Cleaners, and Michael Gosio of Parklane Cleaners.

“Dave Crouse and Crouse’s Cleaners received the award in the Global Corporate Social Responsibility category.

“TSC Wetclean was the winner for best cleaner in the Country Category, as well as the Global Award for Sustainability. Truly a proud moment for the Canadian industry,” he reported.

Well done, all!

---

TRSA 31st Annual Maintenance Management Institute

The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) hosted its 31st Annual Maintenance Management Institute (MMI) from Oct. 15-17 in Newark, NJ. The event brought together industry professionals for three days of insightful sessions and valuable networking opportunities.

The event commenced with a keynote address by Tommy Cocanougher, a seasoned engineering veteran from Cintas Corp., Mason, OH. His presentation, titled “Developing You and Your Team for Growth,” emphasized the importance of personal and professional development within maintenance and reliability teams. Cocanougher highlighted the need for self-growth, skill-building and the adoption of new technologies to foster a culture of reliability and career advancement.

Following the keynote, attendees engaged in “The Maintenance Mindset: Conquering the Complex,” led by Christopher Stammer from Voluminant. This immersive session challenged participants with a complex problem-solving exercise designed to enhance critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills. The engaging simulation encouraged technical professionals to think strategically and adaptively-essential traits for thriving in production-driven environments.

Brian Varner, owner of Safety Solutions for Healthcare, conducted a session titled “Essentials: Safety Communications for Maintenance Engineers.” This session provided crucial insights into recognizing and communicating chemical hazards. Through real-world scenarios and case studies, attendees learned to interpret safety data sheets, understand labeling requirements, and implement effective communication strategies to ensure OSHA compliance and promote a safety-first culture.

Todd Leeth, strategic growth leader at Spindle, and industry consultant Keith Ware explored critical strategies for driving operational success in commercial laundry operations. Their session focused on overcoming complacency, fostering a proactive-maintenance culture, and leading teams in preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and machine repair to optimize performance and reduce downtime.

Ian Bigelow, co-founder of Simple Laundry Solutions, led a session titled “What is Old is New Again: Keeping Machinery Up after 30 Years of Hard Use.” Bigelow shared valuable lessons on maintaining aging machinery and identifying signs of wear and inefficiency. He also discussed strategies for justifying new equipment purchases to company leadership, balancing cost considerations with the benefits of improved productivity and safety.

Varner returned to discuss key safety practices for plant engineers. Through hands-on activities and discussions, participants learned to identify hazards, practice proper entry procedures, and use safety equipment effectively to ensure OSHA compliance and workplace safety.

The second day featured plant tours to American Wear Inc. and Unitex Healthcare Laundry. Following lunch, attendees met in work groups to develop presentations that each group shared on the final day of the institute.

Christopher Stammer summarized the value of MMI, stating, “MMI isn’t structured as a bunch of speakers disseminating information. Participants receive a framework for boosting plant uptime, throughput and safety on the first day of the event. The remaining day and a half are spent on making and processing observations focused on helping operations improve. We had participants from 17 different companies and two dozen sets of eyes who made some amazing observations for plant improvement that would typically get lost in the rush of the day. They hit it out of the ballpark. There was a huge amount of value gained from the collaboration of the entire group and the insight from both the speakers and the industry veterans who attended.”

The 32nd Annual MMI is slated for Oct. 22-24, 2025, in Philadelphia. For more details, visit TRSA’s website.

---

TRSA’s third regional summit of 2024

The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) successfully concluded its final Regional Production Summit program of 2024 with the Northeast Production Summit and Plant Tours held in Newark, NJ, on Oct. 15-16. The summits featured a uniform design aimed at making a quality program more accessible to all members by bringing it to a central location in their region.

The Northeast Summit kicked off with a keynote session from Nancy Roberts, CEO and founder of The DISC Wizard. Roberts provided an insightful overview of emotional intelligence (EQ), detailing the five traits of emotionally intelligent individuals and how attendees could leverage this knowledge to become more effective leaders. Attendees had the option to complete an EQ evaluation beforehand, allowing Roberts to tailor her presentation to the audience’s specific scores.

Other speakers in order of appearance included:

• Roberts, Todd Leeth, strategic growth leader at Spindle, delivered a presentation focused on the role of production managers in preventive maintenance. Leeth shared strategies for saving labor and energy costs by scheduling preventive maintenance during normal working hours and provided real-world examples of the consequences of neglecting preventive maintenance. He emphasized the importance of regular meetings between production and maintenance staff to ensure smooth and safe operations.
• Industry consultant Don Bock then presented “Fire Safety – Strategies for Prevention,” offering a comprehensive report on common fire sources in laundries and the best prevention strategies. Bock also detailed various fire-suppression systems used in the industry.
• Christopher Stammer, CEO of Voluminant, followed with a session on leadership skills, challenging attendees to consider whether they act as captains or crew in their roles. Drawing on his experience as a United States Coast Guard licensed Master Captain, Stammer used real-world examples to highlight the importance of informed decision-making. He led an exercise where participants ranked survival items in order of importance, illustrating the value of collaboration and avoiding group-think in leadership. Stammer concluded with tips on aligning team members’ individual desires with organizational incentives to maximize performance.
• Keith Ware, an industry consultant, presented on process improvement and root-cause analysis. Ware explained the basics of root-cause analysis and stressed the importance of creative problem-solving and team collaboration. He engaged the audience in a hands-on activity to build the highest structure using marshmallows, dry spaghetti, and pipe cleaners. This exercise underscored the principles of teamwork and innovation. Attendees then participated in facilitated roundtables to discuss common issues and strategies for improvement. They addressed topics such as EQ, leadership development, and safety.

The first day concluded with a standards and regulations update from TRSA’s vice president of government relations, Kevin Schwalb. Schwalb provided a concise overview of current laws and regulations affecting the industry and discussed new developments and predictions as the country approaches a new presidential term.

On the second day, American Wear Inc. and Unitex Healthcare Laundry Services opened their doors for plant tours, providing attendees with opportunities to see industry best practices in action.

For more information about TRSA and upcoming events, visit TRSA’s website.

---

For news earlier than the articles above, please visit the New Archives.