Linen, Uniform & Facility Services Podcast - Interviews & Insights by TRSA

Steve DiFillippo, owner of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse and author of It’s All About the Guest, shares his journey from the commercial laundry industry to building a nationwide restaurant brand. He emphasizes the importance of employee care in enhancing customer experiences and discusses the intricacies of expanding a hospitality brand into retail. DiFillippo also highlights how uniforms play a vital role in the dining atmosphere and the power of storytelling in connecting with guests and staff alike.

How 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 moderated by Dr. Jean Meeks-Koch, a consultant with the Family Business Consulting Group.

The 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 order to boost your business productivity.

Kevin 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 kschwalb@trsa.org.

Eric Kurjan, the president of Six Disciplines Consulting Services, shares his expertise in leadership development within the commercial laundry industry. He discusses the vital role of nurturing internal talent and the impact of structured training programs. Kurjan highlights the common misconception of treating leadership training as a mere obligation, stressing the importance of investing in it for organizational success. Innovative training methods are also explored, promoting inclusivity and enhancing emotional intelligence among leaders at all levels.

A recap of TRSA's Ninth Annual Legislative Conference, held on March 27-28 in Washington, DC. The two-day conference featured an industry awards dinner, meetings with high-ranking members of Congress and a keynote address by Chris Stirewalt of Fox News. Stirewalt gave an update on the latest news impacting the nation's capital, with a look ahead to the 2020 presidential election and potential strategy for both parties. For more information on TRSA's government relations initiatives, contact Kevin Schwalb at kschwalb@trsa.org.

An overview of Lean Six Sigma with Audrey Carmichael, a client coach with Six Disciplines and a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and American Society for Quality (ASQ) Quality Auditor. Carmichael shares her thoughts on the benefits of running Lean in a commercial laundry operation, how Lean Six Sigma can improve safety as well as production, and more.

A deep dive into the hospitality market, with a focus on the latest trends in this sector and potential areas for growth for linen, uniform and facility services operators focused on serving the hotel space. Based on a presentation given by Greg Eubanks of Standard Textile and Chris Kane of the PureStar Group at TRSA's inaugural Hospitality Conference in Orlando, FL.

Marketing and sales leaders from many of the linen, uniform and facility services industry's largest companies, including Jim Divers, director of sales and marketing at Alsco; Ryan Flaherty, vice president of sales, marketing and business development at Aramark Uniform Services; Dave Katz, senior vice president of sales and marketing at UniFirst; and Bob Mitchell, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Cintas, discuss converting non-programmers to uniform renters; expanding the market for linen, uniform and facility services; innovations in sales and marketing; and more. TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci moderated the discussion, titled "Identifying and Expanding Markets: Converting Non-Programmers," at TRSA's Marketing and Sales Summit, held in December 2018 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

A look at TRSA's government relations strategy on a federal level, as well as specific issues of concern to the linen, uniform and facility services industry in states such as California, Indiana, New York, Texas and more. TRSA's Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb, TRSA's Federal Legislative Counsel Bill Spencer and TRSA's California Legislative Counsel RJ Cervantes take a deep dive into policy issues affecting the commercial laundry industry. For more information on contributing to the TRSAPAC, contact Schwalb at kschwalb@trsa.org.