TRSA Names Ecotex’s Bartsch to Chair Board

ALEXANDRIA, VA – TRSA held its 111th annual conference last week in Colorado Springs, CO, where its new board members were elected at its annual business meeting.

Randy Bartsch, chairman of Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service of Vancouver, Canada was elected as the 68th Chair of TRSA’s Board of Directors. Bartsch made history as the first elected leader from outside the U.S.

His major objective as the new chair of TRSA is to focus on promoting environmental sustainability and the efficacy of reusable linen and textiles.

Bartsch believes that the industry and North American economy are at an inflection point with mixed growth and consolidation, and he envisions a future with opportunities for both national and independent laundry operators.

“My preference is to see a robust and diverse industry where independent operators can learn and grow,” he said.

Outgoing chair, Jim Kearns reflected on his tenure as TRSA chair, highlighting significant progress in advocacy, developing Environmental Social Governance (ESG) resources, and promulgating industry best practices Through support of TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI) programs leadership development and Hygienically Clean Certification.

He emphasized the rewarding journey of generating positive change in the textile services industry. “I am confident in Randy’s leadership to continue these efforts and encourage TRSA members to stay involved and support the industry’s ongoing progress,” Kearns said.

TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci expressed his gratitude to Kearns for his dedicated service and warmly welcomed Bartsch as the new chair.

“Jim has been an exceptional leader, driving significant progress in advocacy and reinforcing industry best practices. We are deeply thankful for his contributions and the positive impact he has made for the industry and TRSA,” Ricci said. “As we welcome Randy, we are excited about the future. His commitment to sustainability, certification and education will undoubtedly steer TRSA toward continued growth and innovation. I encourage all members to support Randy as we embark on this new chapter together.”

TRSA also elected additional Officers and Directors including P.J. Dempsey, president, Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply as vice chair and Roger Harris, president & CEO, Metro Linen as treasurer.

Additional directors elected during the conference included:
•     Scott Burke, President, Loop Linen (2nd Term )
•     Rich Kramer, President, City Uniforms and Linen
•     Ed Orzetti, CEO, ImageFirst

In addition, the TRSA Supplier Partner Council has elected Anwer Shakoor, vice president, Unitex International Inc., as the Director Candidate representing Soft Goods.

Bartsch added a message to members: “The TRSA Board of Directors represents the interests of the industry’s diverse membership, including our independent operators, national and international companies as well as our supplier partners. Each of us are an important part of an essential service that supplies, launders and maintains linens, uniforms and other reusable textiles and facility services for customers in every sector of the economy. We must work together to strengthen our industry, and create a more sustainable future for our customers and the communities we serve.”

TRSA (trsa.org) represents the $50 billion+ linen, uniform and facility services industry, which employs 200,000+ people at 2,500+ facilities in North America. It advocates for fair and balanced policies and promotes environmental stewardship.