Linen, Uniform & Facility Services Podcast - Interviews & Insights by TRSA
65 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsWho exactly are the thought leaders in the $18-billion-plus linen, uniform and facility services industry? This podcast aims to shine a light on this industry’s more than 200,000 employees through thought-provoking interviews with industry insiders and business experts on issues critical to your company and workforce. Most Americans might not realize it, but they benefit at least once per week from the cleanliness and safety of laundered, reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats and other products provided to businesses, retailers, manufacturers, healthcare facilities, restaurants and hotels.
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Episodes
Episode 65 – Private Equity’s Impact on Healthcare
March 01, 2024 00:25 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBSeveral influential voices from the financial sector discuss the impact of private-equity investments on the linen, uniform and facility services industry over the past decade and discuss the implications for the future of companies serving the acute and nonacute healthcare sectors. Recorded live from a panel presentation at TRSA’s 12th Annual Healthcare Conference & Exchange in Memphis, TN. Panelists include Ryan Chimenti, the managing director of CIBC U.S. Middle Market Investment Banking...
Episode 64 – Automation and Innovation
November 21, 2023 03:02 - 14 minutes - 21 MBMark Bodzioch, the president of Clean Uniforms and More!, New Bedford, MA, discusses the company’s history and growth, as well as several innovations at its facility, including its RFID system to track garments and its recently installed automated soil-sorting system. For information on joining TRSA’s Industrial, Uniform & Workwear Committee, visit www.trsa.org/committees.
Episode 63 – Retaining Your Top Talent
September 28, 2023 00:00 - 28 minutes - 39.1 MBMichael Flores, the vice president of human resources and a member of the executive leadership team at Prudential Overall Supply, Irvine, CA, discusses how Prudential transformed its human resources department and focused on retaining its best employees in a tough labor market. For information on joining TRSA’s Human Resources Committee, visit www.trsa.org/committees.
Episode 62 – Sales: Carrying Out Difficult Conversations
August 31, 2023 21:27 - 16 minutes - 23.6 MBJason Pourakis and Ryan Berdnik of Mazars USA discuss best practices for negotiating with your customers, and let you know the cues that signal when it’s best to walk away from the negotiating table. For more information on the Linen, Uniform & Facility Services Podcast: Interviews & Insights by TRSA, visit www.trsa.org/podcasts.
Episode 61 – Leadership: Insights from the C-Suite
July 31, 2023 23:07 - 1 hour - 99.6 MBSeveral C-suite executives from leading operator companies discuss topics such as industry growth opportunities, safe operations in the plant and on the road, recruitment and retention of employees, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, and more. Recorded live from a panel presentation at TRSA’s 2023 Leadership Summit in Chicago. Panelists include Brian Herington, CEO, PureStar Group; John Ross, CEO, Mission Linen; Jim Rozakis, executive vice president and COO, Cintas Corp...
Episode 60 – Fire Safety Best Practices
June 30, 2023 22:41 - 42 minutes - 58.2 MBDon Bock, the owner and operator of Seabright Safety Solutions, discusses best practices to prevent fires at your plant, including emergency action plans, external monitoring systems, training and more. Bock is a certified safety professional and associate in risk management who worked for Mission Linen Supply for more than 30 years.
Episode 59 – Aligning HR to Strategic Goals
May 01, 2023 20:45 - 16 minutes - 23.2 MBDr. Mario D. Wallace, the founder of the consulting firm All Things Strategic, discusses fostering a collaborative, inclusive environment at your workplace, as well as aligning your company’s human resources initiatives to your organization’s overall strategic goals and objectives. Dr. Wallace has more than 20 years of small-business consulting experience and 11 years of healthcare-consulting experience. He is currently the principal strategy consultant at Ohio State University in Columbus,...
Episode 58 – A View from the Hill
March 31, 2023 23:44 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBOn the heels of TRSA’s recently completed 13th Annual Legislative Conference and Industry Awards Dinner, Bob Cusack, the editor in chief of The Hill newspaper joins the podcast to give an update on the current political climate in Washington, DC. Cusack discusses the state of Congress following the recent midterm elections, the most important issues for the remainder of 2023, as well as what to keep an eye out for as we move toward the 2024 presidential election.
Episode 57 – Healthcare: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges
February 27, 2023 22:19 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBA panel discussion featuring Randy Bartsch, CEO, Ecotex; Jason Berstein, president, Nixon Medical Inc.; Jim Cashman, CEO, ImageFIRST; Karl Fillip II, CEO, NOVO Health Services LLC; Andrew Kratky, CEO, Emerald Textiles; and Joe LaPorta, president & CEO, Healthcare Linen Services Group, from TRSA’s recent Healthcare Conference. The discussion covers several topics, including the prospect of a recession and its likely impact on the healthcare market, investing in automation, challenges servin...
Episode 56 – Navigating Organizational Change
December 01, 2022 03:45 - 18 minutes - 26.4 MBAs you look ahead to 2023, you might be considering changing your company’s culture, navigating a new business process or focusing on employee turnover, among other items. As a result, it’s important to have a plan in place to keep your business moving in the right direction as you implement and experience change at your company. Michael Davids, senior consultant at Strategic In/Sight Partners, joins us to share his expertise in guiding organizations toward improved performance and effective...
Episode 55 – Zero Tolerance: Preventing Workplace Harassment
November 01, 2022 03:37 - 1 hour - 95.1 MBMelanie Shong Helm, an HR veteran who currently serves as the corporate director of human resources at Crown Health Care Laundry Services, discusses the policies your company should put in place to prepare for acts of harassment and retaliation in the workplace, and how you should respond when an incident is reported. For more information on TRSA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, contact TRSA’s Salita Jones at [email protected].
Episode 54 – Hospitality/Hotel Market: Converting OPLs
October 01, 2022 02:43 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MBA trio of executives with more than 110 years of experience in the linen, uniform and facility services industry join the podcast to discuss the hospitality/hotel market and how to convince hoteliers to move away from their on-premises laundry operations and work with a commercial laundry. Bob Corfield, CEO of the Laundry Design Group; Steve Miller, vice president of Victor Kramer Co.; and Terry Satchwell, vice president of strategic accounts at Pellerin Milnor, discuss these topics and more.
Episode 53 – PFAS Update
August 31, 2022 23:39 - 42 minutes - 58.7 MBJohn Shaffer, the CEO and principal chemist for EEC Environmental, shares his thoughts on PFAS, the potential for future wastewater-discharge limits and the likely impact on the linen, uniform and facility services industry. For more information on PFAS regulations and their potential impact on the industry, contact TRSA’s Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb at [email protected].
Episode 52 – CPLM: Pathways to Success
June 30, 2022 03:20 - 13 minutes - 18.8 MBTRSA’s Senior Director of Certification & Accreditation Samlane Ketevong joins the podcast to talk about TRSA’s Certified Professional Laundry Manager (CPLM) credential; how linen, uniform and facility services employees can obtain this certification; and why it will benefit both the employee receiving the credential as well as your business. For more information on CPLM, visit www.trsa.org/cplm.
Episode 51 – Labor Law Update
May 31, 2022 22:46 - 9 minutes - 13.3 MBJoe Shelton, a partner in Fisher Phillips Nashville office, discusses the latest wage-and-hour issues, and state and federal employment laws and trends that companies in the linen, uniform and facility services industry need to keep an eye on.
Episode 50 – Establishing Culture and Leading with Empathy
April 29, 2022 22:26 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBNicole Belyna, field services director at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), discusses how to establish culture at your workplace, the impact of open and transparent communication on your organization’s culture, and the ways that the pandemic affected workplace culture. For more information on TRSA’s upcoming HR, Health & Safety Summit in Chicago, visit www.trsa.org/hr-hs.
Episode 49 – Employee Engagement: Getting the Right People on Your Team
March 31, 2022 19:24 - 26 minutes - 37.5 MBDan Gonder, the chief operating officer and co-owner of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, discusses methods that you can use to ensure your employees are engaged in their work. To download the Anti-Misery Worksheet that Dan talks about interacting with during the episode, visit www.trsa.org/podcasts.
Episode 48 – Using Proven Teamwork Strategies to Ensure Success
February 28, 2022 20:34 - 32 minutes - 45.4 MBDan Gonder, the chief operating officer and co-owner of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of using proven teamwork strategies such as the ideal team player and the working genius assessment, among others, to ensure the success of your organization’s strategic plan. To view a Ted X talk from Patrick Lencioni on the ideal team player concept, visit https://youtu.be/PRh80RyT74I.
Episode 47 – Successful Strategic Planning
January 31, 2022 21:33 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBEric Kurjan, the president of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, a firm that has worked with several leading organizations in the linen, uniform and facility services industry, shares his thoughts on strategic planning, and how to set a plan in motion for your business and employees to succeed. For more information, visit www.trsa.org/podcasts.
Episode 46 – Preparing for OSHA’s COVID-19 ETS
December 01, 2021 01:26 - 30 minutes - 42.9 MBMartine Wells, a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, gives an update on the status of the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 vaccinations. Wells will explain and clarify the regulation, outline the steps for compliance and discuss its impact on the linen, uniform and facility services industry. For more information, visit TRSA’s Coronavirus Resource Center at www.trsa.org/covid19.
Episode 45 – Industry Financials, Labor Issues & More
October 29, 2021 23:07 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MBAndrew Wittmann, a senior research analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co., shares his thoughts on the latest data from the Textile Rental Services Survey, a collaborative effort with TRSA, as well as other issues impacting the linen, uniform and facility services industry, such as the ongoing labor shortage. For more information on the survey, contact Wittmann at [email protected] or Justin Hauke at [email protected].
Episode 44 – Increasing Your Route Efficiency
September 30, 2021 20:54 - 6 minutes - 9.57 MBJeff Blum, route supervisor; and Matthew Callope, service manager, at Huebsch Services share their thoughts on the company’s recent improvements on the route. For more information on TRSA’s Industrial, Uniform & Workwear Committee, contact Ken Koepper at [email protected].
Episode 43 – Facility Services: Building a Culture of Adding Value
August 31, 2021 19:53 - 12 minutes - 16.9 MBJay Rasmussen, the vice president of sales at Balfurd Linen Service, Tipton, PA, shares best practices for boosting your facility services offerings and revenues. For more information on TRSA’s Industrial, Uniform & Workwear Committee, contact Ken Koepper at [email protected].
Episode 42 – Repurposing Textiles: Prudential and Ambercycle Team Up
July 30, 2021 05:07 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBChris Welch, the president of Prudential Overall Supply, discusses the company’s commitment to sustainability through its Clean Green certification, and how its focus on eco-friendly practices led to its collaboration with Ambercycle, a TRSA supplier partner committed to recycling textile goods, led by CEO Shay Sethi. For more information about TRSA Clean Green certification, visit www.cleangreen.org.
Episode 41 – Industrial Insights: COVID Recovery, Direct Sales & More
June 30, 2021 19:34 - 10 minutes - 15.1 MBJohn Auriemma, the president of American Wear Inc., East Orange, NJ, discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, direct sales opportunities, the benefits of Hygienically Clean certification and more. For more information on TRSA’s Industrial, Uniform & Workwear Committee, contact Ken Koepper at [email protected].
Episode 40 – ‘This Business is in My Blood’: A Talk with TRSA’s Chair
May 28, 2021 04:35 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MBWe recently sat down with TRSA’s current Chair Noël Hammer Richardson, president of Shasta Linen Supply in Sacramento, CA, to discuss several topics, including family business dynamics, weathering the COVID crisis, the future of the food-and-beverage industry, as well as her vision for the association and the industry moving forward. For more information on TRSA’s Linen, Uniform & Facility Services Podcast, contact [email protected].
Episode 39 – Establishing a DEI Program
April 27, 2021 13:49 - 9 minutes - 13 MBJoe Geraghty, the chief operating officer and chief people officer at ImageFIRST, shares how establishing a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program with buy-in from the company’s senior leadership team has helped ImageFIRST boost employee morale and productivity. For more information on TRSA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, contact Salita Jones at [email protected].
Episode 38 – The Mystery of Teamwork
March 30, 2021 04:45 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MBDan Gonder, the chief operating officer and co-owner of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of teamwork in successful organizations and outlines best practices that will help your company build a cohesive team.
Episode 37 – Don’t Run with Scissors
February 16, 2021 23:33 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MBCasey Mackert, Director of Baldrige Services at Six Disciplines, joins us to discuss the pillars of performance excellence and how following these methods can help your operation achieve its goals. She explains how not having these pillars in place is like running with scissors – potentially dangerous to your organization’s well being.
Episode 36 – TRSA Vaccine Update
January 29, 2021 06:20 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBAn update on TRSA’s advocacy efforts to get the linen, uniform and facility services industry included at the top of the priority list for the continuing rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s vice president of government relations, gives an update on TRSA’s efforts. For more information, visit TRSA’s Coronavirus Resource Center at www.trsa.org/covid19.
Episode 35 – Why Strategy Matters More than Ever
January 19, 2021 21:35 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MBStrategy encompasses two sides of the same coin when it comes to defining both short-term and long-term strategies. Linen, uniform and facility services companies need to continue to closely manage the nine key elements of operational focus in a pandemic – also known as the pandemic operational checklist – but you also need to lay out your recovery strategy for 2021. The approval of vaccines and the optimism of a gradual economic recovery indicates a need for solid, well-defined strategies a...
Episode 34 – Political Outlook from Chris Stirewalt
December 21, 2020 22:10 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MBAn update on the latest news from the nation’s capital, and a look at what to expect moving forward as a new administration takes over the White House in January 2021. Joining us to discuss these issues and more is Chris Stirewalt, the digital politics editor at Fox News. Stirewalt has worked at Fox News Channel’s Washington bureau since 2010, and will give a keynote address at TRSA’s 11th Annual Legislative Conference, scheduled for March 24-25, 2021. For more information about the Legislat...
Episode 33 – Government Relations Update
October 29, 2020 21:26 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBTRSA’s Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb gives an update on the latest news from Washington, DC, including the potential for additional stimulus funding, as well as state-level initiatives impacting linen, uniform and facility services businesses. For more information on TRSA’s government relations initiatives, contact Kevin Schwalb at [email protected].
Episode 32 – COVID-19: Leadership Lessons
August 27, 2020 01:24 - 13 minutes - 18.8 MBA panel of linen, uniform and facility services operators discuss the industry’s response to COVID-19, lessons learned from the crisis and how the industry can move forward. Panelists include Jim Buik, the current TRSA chairman and president of Roscoe Co.; Jim Cashman, president and CEO of ImageFIRST; P.J. Dempsey, president of Dempsey Uniform and Linen Supply; and Cory Acton, vice president of operations, Magic Laundry Services. The panel was moderated by TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci...
Episode 31 – Sales and Marketing Post-COVID
July 30, 2020 01:25 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBAnna Walker, the marketing manager at Cosgrove Partners in Indianapolis, discusses the importance of retaining your customer base in the post-COVID sales and marketing environment. Walker talks about the critical pivot your marketing and sales teams must make, how to develop marketing messages that resonate with your customers in this climate and why adding new product lines may be a smart move for your business. For more COVID-19 news, information and resources for your linen, uniform and f...
Episode 30 – Reopening Restaurants
June 11, 2020 04:01 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBCharles Crowell, the vice president of Milliken Table Linens, and Ben Fox, the director of sales and marketing at Alsco, discuss the state of the food-and-beverage market, as well as the importance of hygienically clean linens and uniforms as restaurants reopen across the United States and worldwide. For more COVID-19 news, information and resources for your linen, uniform and facility services company, visit www.trsa.org/covid19.
Episode 29 – COVID-19: Restarting your Business
May 14, 2020 15:32 - 12 minutes - 18.1 MBKaren Griffiths, the human resources and safety director at Loop Linen Service in the New Orleans area, and Angela Howard, the vice president of people development and human experience at Spindle in the Chicago area, discuss the policies their respective companies are putting in place as they move toward ramping up operations. For more COVID-19 news, information and resources for your linen, uniform and facility services company, visit www.trsa.org/covid19.
Episode 28 – COVID-19: Communicating with Employees
March 31, 2020 15:23 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBCatalina Dongo, the director of human resources at UniFirst Corp., shares tips on communicating with your employees during the COVID-19 crisis, and outlines best practices and policies to implement at your organization. For more COVID-19 news, information and resources for your linen, uniform and facility services company, visit www.trsa.org/covid19.
Episode 27 – COVID-19: Impacts on Commercial Laundries
March 12, 2020 23:58 - 26 minutes - 37.1 MBA discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impacts on the linen, uniform and facility services industry with Dr. Murray Cohen, a retired U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist; and Joseph Ricci, the president and CEO of TRSA. For more information and communication tools for your company’s customers, employees and leadership teams, visit www.trsa.org/covid19.
Episode 26 – Producing Hygienically Clean Textiles
February 28, 2020 00:29 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MBAn overview of TRSA’s Hygienically Clean certification program with Audrey Carmichael, a client coach with Six Disciplines Consulting Services. Carmichael shares her thoughts on the benefits of getting Hygienically Clean certification for your commercial laundry, preparing for the certification with Hygienically Clean consulting services, and more. For more information on Hygienically Clean consulting services, contact TRSA’s Manager of Certification Programs Angela Freeman at afreeman@trsa....
Episode 25 – Identifying Leaders
January 31, 2020 17:56 - 12 minutes - 18 MBEric Kurjan, the president of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, a firm that has worked with several leading organizations in the linen, uniform and facility services industry, joins us to discuss identifying and developing leaders in the commercial laundry industry, as well as the benefits of TRSA’s Leadership Development Workshops. For more information on these workshops, contact TRSA’s Manager of Education Kristin Mudd at [email protected].
Episode 24 – Energy and Utility Savings
January 15, 2020 00:06 - 38 minutes - 53 MBAn overview of the energy and natural gas markets, as well as projects that your laundry can undertake to save on energy and utility costs in the future. Sharing their thoughts on these topics and more are Michael Payne and Dan Flaherty of TRSA Business Solutions Partner APPI Energy, and Chad Burden of THG Energy Solutions. For more information on TRSA’s Business Solutions, visit www.trsa.org.
Episode 23 – Productivity Boost
November 21, 2019 20:11 - 47 minutes - 66.1 MBWe take a look at plant productivity, and how to improve your laundry’s throughput through better hiring practices for production staff, new technologies and more. A panel of savvy laundry operators and consultants, including Johanna Ames, president of Ames Linen Service; Tyler Burke, executive vice president of Loop Linen Service; Mike Chambers, production specialist at Alsco Inc.; and Don Maida, senior consultant at TBR Associates, share their thoughts. Follow TRSA on Instagram at trsa_org.
Episode 22 – Economic Update, M&A Activity
October 11, 2019 17:41 - 57 minutes - 79.6 MBA rundown of the economy, recent mergers and acquisitions, and key financial metrics for the linen, uniform and facility services industry based on numbers from publicly traded uniform companies and survey data gathered from commercial laundry operators. This episode was recorded live at TRSA’s 106th Annual Conference in September and features Andrew Wittmann, a senior research analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. Share your thoughts on the podcast by sending an email to [email protected].
Episode 21 – Safety First: TRSA’s New Certification
September 12, 2019 21:59 - 43 minutes - 60.9 MBRick Gerlach, the former senior director of safety and health at Cintas, who is currently a consultant for safety and health processes with RG Consulting LLC, gives an overview of TRSA’s new Safety and Health Certification. He details the process for getting certified, why it’s important to gain recognition for your company’s safety and health programs, and how this certification program can enhance your company as an employer and as a service provider. For more information on TRSA’s certifi...
Episode 20 – Mastering Hospitality with Steve DiFillippo
August 28, 2019 21:28 - 28 minutes - 40.3 MBSteve DiFillippo, the owner of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse and author of It’s All About the Guest, discusses his brief experience working in the linen, uniform and facility services industry, as well as his deep family ties to the commercial laundry business. DiFillippo also previews his upcoming talk at TRSA’s 106th Annual Conference in Boston, shares his customer service philosophy and describes how he’s built his restaurant business from a single location to a nationwide brand. Fo...
Episode 19 – Passing the Torch
July 31, 2019 21:15 - 51 minutes - 71 MBHow do you plan your business for a successful transition to the next generation? Learn how several industry leaders have dealt with this transition in the past and are preparing their business for the future. In this panel presentation from TRSA’s Second Annual Leadership Summit in New Orleans, Jim Buik, president and owner of Roscoe Co.; James Gutheim, president of James Gutheim & Associates; and Mark Kowalski, managing partner of Envise Partners LLC, share their thoughts. The panel was mo...
Episode 18 – Minimizing Workplace Negativity
June 11, 2019 16:52 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MBThe United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that negativity in the workplace costs businesses a whopping $3 billion per year due to its harmful effects. How do you counteract negativity and its effects on your company’s productivity? In this presentation from TRSA’s Production Summit & Plant Tours in Dallas, The DISC Wizard Nancy Roberts, a leading consultant to the linen, uniform and facility services industry, shares four key steps to minimizing workplace negativity in ord...
Episode 17 – Federal Policy Update
May 23, 2019 01:09 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBKevin Schwalb, TRSA’s vice president of government relations and certifications, and Bill Spencer, TRSA’s federal legislative counsel, discuss legislation and regulations that impact the linen, uniform and facility services industry and what TRSA is doing to advocate on behalf of the industry. For more information on policy issues at the federal and state levels, contact Schwalb at [email protected].
Episode 16 – Developing Leaders
May 07, 2019 00:05 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBEric Kurjan, the president of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, a firm that has worked with several leading organizations in the linen, uniform and facility services industry, joins us to discuss developing leaders in the commercial laundry industry, as well as TRSA’s new Leadership Development Workshops. For more information on these workshops, contact TRSA’s Manager of Education Kristin Mudd at [email protected].