By Paul Lavallee, Sales and Marketing Executive, Environ Energy
Environ Energy was pleased to attend the Textile Rental Service Association (TRSA) annual conference earlier this month in Indian Wells, California. Nearly 200 CEOs and other senior executives from leading North American companies that supply, launder and maintain linens, uniforms and garments attended the textile services industry conference. The two-and-half-day program included world-class keynote speakers and facilitators covering economic trends, emerging technology, regulations, and more.
As a national leader in energy management and sustainability solutions, Environ is proud to offer a range of tailored services that can help textile industry firms meet the challenges of the future.
Key Takeaways from TRSA Conference: What’s Driving Growth and Value Creation?
Human Capital
- When nurtured effectively, human capital is a powerful driver of customer retention and long-term business value.
- Member companies that provide, launder, and maintain linens, uniforms, and other reusable textiles—and offer related facility services—are most successful when they’ve established strong local branches. These localized structures not only support service excellence but also help sustain community trust. Why wouldn’t customers prefer a vendor they know and rely on?
Resilience
- Despite rapid technological advancement, this labor-intensive industry is unlikely to be significantly disrupted by artificial intelligence, core services remain human-driven and rooted in local delivery. Self-driving delivery trucks and driverless vehicle technology overall will play a role in the future, but today’s drivers do much more than drive the truck for pick-ups and drop-offs. They are a vital connection to the customer for improved value creation and often have deep knowledge of the client’s operational processes and needs.
- Many TRSA member businesses are family owned and multi–generational and consider responsibility and stewardship as foundational values. This ethos fosters attention to both tangible assets and resource efficiency.
- Succession planning remains crucial. While younger generations may initially pursue outside careers, many return to appreciate and carry forward their family’s legacy—often seeing it not just as business, but as a deep community commitment.
- Today’s economic uncertainty—including trade tensions and potential tariffs—poses challenges, especially regarding equipment sourcing. However, because this industry provides essential services and operates largely at the local level, it remains relatively insulated from global shocks.
Looking Ahead: Our Vision for the Next 12 Years
Stay Grounded in Client Needs
To sustain momentum, companies must consistently evaluate customer satisfaction and identify what’s working—and what’s not. Forums like this conference are essential: They allow us to gather insights at scale, interpret them locally, and collectively shape industry–wide innovations.
Leverage Sustainability for Value Creation
The Clean Green Certification offers a solid foundation for embedding sustainability in ways that drive operational efficiency and create broader value. Key areas for consideration include:
- Operational Efficiencies with Broader Impact: How can human and environmental impacts be better integrated into day-to-day decision-making?
- Hygiene and Health: What is the role of hygiene in limiting the spread of illness and ensuring public health?
- Fair Labor Practices: How can we uphold safe equitable labor standards that value our workforce and inspire neighboring businesses to follow suit?
- Circularity and Resource Reuse: What practical steps can we take to extend product life and reduce waste?
One compelling example of this mindset comes from a recent white paper by Environ Energy and TRSA, advocating for increased use of reusable healthcare textiles (HCTs) with disposable personal protective equipment (PPE). The findings were clear: Reusables offered significant cost savings due to their durability and lower per-use expense. This allows healthcare facilities to reinvest in critical areas of patient care. Even more compelling, comfort and barrier protection were both enhanced compared to disposable alternatives. To learn more about disposable personal protective equipment, click here.
A Closing Thought
Sustainability, efficiency, and community resilience aren’t just the domain of large corporations—they’re hallmarks of good business. This is an industry built on strong roots. As we face an unpredictable, resource-constrained future, it will take the same kind of strategic creativity that inspired industry pioneers—those who once delivered linens by horse-drawn carriage.
The 112th TRSA Annual Conference was a powerful reminder of the industry’s resilience. Now the focus must turn to advancing a shared vision—through tools like the Clean Green, Hygienically Clean, Safety and Health Certification programs. We’re ready to help you along the way.
