Joint Conference - 2010 
This year conference continued to grow on the success of previous year. A wealth of experience and expertise was on hand for all the delegates.
A full conference review will be posted soon.
Location

Smith Way, Grove Park, Enderby
Leicester, England
LE19 1SW
Phone: 0116 282 0100
Previous Conference reviews: (click on appropriate year to show details)
Click below for a review as a PDF document to download, with thanks from Laundry and Cleaning Today
LCT MAY 09 pages 022 ----- LCT MAY 09 pages 023
We would like to thank Laundry and Cleaning News for their conference review below
Janet Taylor reports on the 2009 All Industries Conference organised
by the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers and Textile Services Association
Topics at this year’s conference were designed both to help practitioners in the current tough times and
also give a broader perspective on the textile care industries.
Peter Wennekes, secretary general of CINET, looked at the drycleaning industry in Europe. He explained that Cinet’s aim was to become an “umbrella” organisation for the international drycleaning and laundry industry.
It provides comprehensive resources including a website, newsletters and projects.
The 2009 programme of events includes co-ordinating conferences at the Clean Show in New Orleans and Texcare Asia as well as being present at national events such as this conference. Cinet also carries out market research and lobbies authorities on legislation affecting the textile care sectors.
Wennekes is worried that both laundry and drycleaning industries have “old fashioned” connotations, which need to be corrected. Looking at the European drycleaning markets, he said that Italy was the
largest but focussed mainly on small businesses. Germany, France and the UK all had sizeable markets.
Overcoming apathy
Western Europe’s mature drycleaning market must overcome consumer apathy. It
needs to offer more products and services and find additional customers from
areas such as business to business.
It should concentrate on promoting professional business concepts. Drycleaners must make a choice between higher quality and lower prices, look at new solvents and more automation.
In Eastern Europe drycleaning has developed rapidly but the growth rate is now levelling. It will be helped to develop further by a more modern image and greater investment in technology.
Label with care
Chris Tebbs, chief executive of the International Drycleaners Congress, discussed the complexities of care labeling in an international market and the variations between countries. As an example, he said that while the UK industry rejected the instruction “dryclean only” as useless, the USA accepted it. The label P in a circle has different interpretations. In the UK the symbol refers specifically to perc drycleaning but in the USA it means professional clean.
In the UK hydrocarbon is covered by F in a circle but there are no labels that represent recent alternatives to perc such as Rynex, GreenEarth or the Solvair method. Tebbs concluded by asking: “Is care labeling a help or a hindrance?”
He believes that care labeling is becoming increasingly important for the drycleaning industry. Clothes are getting more complex and the same garment may have several different fibres which may need different treatments.
Assessing fire risks
Fire can severely damage if not destroy a business. Gary Wright, Chubb fire training officer, explained the current approach to prevention under the Fire Safety Order, which came into effect in 2006, replacing all previous legislation.
This is based on a risk assessment and while a certificate is no longer required, the assessment is mandatory and more comprehensive. The regulation applies to anyone responsible for a business – an employer or self-employed person with business premises, a charity or voluntary organisation, or a contractor that has some control over the building.
The responsible person must carry out a risk assessment and maintain a fire management plan for the business. Those businesses that have five or more employees must provide the assessment in writing.
The assessment’s aim is to reduce the risk of fire and of any fire that does break out spreading.
It must be designed to protect all occupants of the building not just the employees and this now includes fire fighters. There must be a clear exit and entrance. The business must have equipment suited to the risk and in sufficient quantity. There must be an adequate way of raising the alarm.
All fire equipment must by protected and maintained in good order. Businesses must provide adequate training for all staff members on a continuous basis.
Wright also pointed the audience to further sources of help including the
guidance notes on:
www.communities.gov.uk/fire/fire safety/firesafetylaw
Knowledge of legislation is essential for any business and Murray Simpson of TSA reviewed recent events. The implementation of the SED is beginning to change the drycleaning business and do so for the good.However, Europe is already reviewing this directive.
A proposed directive on soil contamination that would have caused drycleaners and laundries to undertake expensive investigations into possible perc contamination was blocked in 2008 but Simpson now believes it
might re-appear in another form and warned that the industry should be
watchful.
Andrew Formosa of the Textile Care Company is passionate about drycleaning and about getting drycleaners to see how they can help to reduce complaints by better communication with customers and help to change an often poor perception of the drycleaning sector.
He highlighted the help available from associations and training bodies, from industry experts and the trade press.
Changing perceptions
The question of the industry’s image returned as Ken Cupitt explained the Guild’s role in changing the public’s perception by encouraging launderers and drycleaners to improve their skills through training.
This aim has always been at the Guild’s heart as it was formed by ex-students who wanted to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.
Many laundry employees have not made a deliberate career choice. They regard it as a job but they have become skilled in a limited number of tasks. The Guild provides a means of broadening that range. It currently has 32 different qualifications, including those that recognise individual skills
and qualifications for those assessing such skills.
A developing programme
The Guild’s training provision has moved with the industry. In 1999 it introduced the Laundry Q-star, a more academic qualification.
The implementation of the Solvents Emission Directive led to the DEFRA-approved course on handling drycleaning solvents. The exam had to have a wide appeal and recognise that those taking it might not have strong written skills – hence the tick-box exam. This method will also be adopted for a new qualification on practical drycleaning technology.
The Guild’s drive to improve training is more important than ever in a difficult economy. Now is the time for workers to ensure they have skills. While individual skills are important, something further is needed to
improve public view of drycleaning. Ian Parris and Adrian Redgate outlined an idea for developing a quality assurance scheme that would cover all aspects of a drycleaning business – from qualified staff and well maintained equipment to customer service.
This would involve not just a single exam, but a regular inspection and assessment of the business. The idea is similar to that of the British Standard kitemark.
Importantly, the scheme would be supported with advertising, paid for by a yearly subscription. This is essential as the scheme is focussed on helping customers to identify the drycleaning businesses that provide quality in all aspects.
Recruit on personality
The Timpson group runs on a management strategy that centres on the staff in the branch as they are the company’s public face. That culture is the most important part of the business, says James Timpson.
“We recruit on personality. Staff introduce friends to the business.” The company also recruits in more unusual places such as prisons. “We interview and recruit in the same way that a job centre does. Training
is important but we do it our way, and much of it is on leadership.” Staff have a lot of flexibility there are only two rules – put the money in the till and turn up looking the part and ready to help.
Branch staff have a lot of autonomy, says Timpson. “I hate computers. The tills are all manual and customers and staff can and do haggle over price.”
Staff are encouraged to try out ideas – as long as they ditch them if they don’t work. Everybody has personal difficulties periodically and the group can help and support. If good staff have problems, then the group feels it
has a moral duty to help. Timpson may have an “upside-down” approach to management, but it works.
As in previous years, the conference was supported by an exhibition of associated companies including the conference’s sponsors. This year’s event differed in its presentation and the changes were much for better.
By moving into the hotel’s main foyer, the exhibitors gained not only from improved presentation, but were readily on view and accessible to the audience during the conference breaks
To see the speaker presentations from the previous conferences