CEO Marien van Bezooijen travelled to the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, California, to represent ABS at the TRSA Annual Conference & CEO Summit. The three day event is one of the most prominent gatherings in the North American linen, uniform, and facility services sector, bringing together senior leaders for keynotes, breakout sessions, supplier council meetings, and a Lifetime Achievement Awards Dinner.
What made this edition stand out was the inaugural CEO Summit, a dedicated forum where top executives addressed the strategic challenges facing the sector at the highest level. For Marien, it was an opportunity to engage directly with decision makers from across the industry, gain perspective on emerging trends and technology, and bring back practical thinking that feeds into how ABS continues to evolve as a business.
On 19 May, Service Manager Ruth Mitchell attended a Cross-Party Parliamentary Meeting at Portcullis House in Westminster, organised by the Textile Services Association. Nine Members of Parliament joined industry leaders for a wide ranging discussion on the role of commercial laundry in the UK, covering NHS resilience, infection prevention, reusable textiles, and the sector’s place in national emergency planning.
The meeting, hosted by Ruth Cadbury MP and led by TSA Managing Director Emma Kiviniemi Wilson, was a clear demonstration that the laundry industry has a great deal to say and is ready to be heard. For ABS, being present at this kind of moment matters. Laundry is not just an operational necessity: it is critical national infrastructure. Understanding the policy environment customers operate in is part of what it means to be a genuine long term partner to the industry.
Simon Edwards (Sales Manager for the UK, Nordics, and South Africa) and Ruth Mitchell attended the Sveriges Tvätteriförbund Annual Meeting at the Elite Palace Hotel in Stockholm. The full day programme brought together professionals from across the Swedish textile service sector for industry discussions, market developments, and an evening dinner.
It was a solid day of conversations with familiar faces and new contacts alike, with particular thanks to Daniel Kärrholt and the Sveriges Tvätteriförbund team. One topic came up more than once: ABSSolute Infinity. The interest from Swedish operators in ABS’s ERP platform for laundry operations was a clear signal of where the Nordic market is heading, and there is more to follow from those conversations.
Across the other side of the world, CCO Robert Tye was in Sydney for the Laundry Association Australia Conference 2026, where ABS attended as both exhibitor and participant. The four day programme covered the LAA Women’s Leadership Forum, industry site visits, a harbour cruise, main conference sessions, an exhibition, and a closing dinner, and was described by Robert as one of the most engaging and forward thinking industry events to date.
The atmosphere throughout was one of openness and genuine collaboration. Robert connected with existing customers including Gouge Linen & Garment, KC Linen, Park Avenue, and Sincerity Laundry Group, as well as Meridian partners and a wide range of new contacts from across Australia and New Zealand. Industry partners including Kannegiesser, Jensen Group, Inwatec, and Spindle were also present, reflecting the increasingly connected nature of the laundry technology ecosystem.
The themes running through the conference sessions were consistent and telling: RFID and textile asset utilisation, AI, robotics and automation, sustainability and electrification, data driven operations, workforce efficiency, and API ecosystems and connected technologies. There was strong interest at the ABS stand around RFID workflows, garment rental management, production traceability, advanced billing models, and operational visibility. Broader discussions around the future of connected laundry ecosystems and the role of data sharing reinforced just how central integration is becoming to how the industry moves forward.
ABS left Sydney with great conversations, new opportunities, and stronger relationships across the region.
What stands out across all four events is the consistency of the conversations ABS is part of globally. Whether in California, Westminster, Stockholm, or Sydney, the industry is working through the same core questions: how to manage rising costs, how to demonstrate value, how to connect technology without losing operational clarity, and how to build businesses that are ready for what comes next. Being present in those conversations, at leadership level, in political forums, and in regional markets, is how ABS stays close to the reality its customers face every day.
And that's just the beginning!
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