National Clothesline

An eclectic range of topics, from memory to marketing to emotional intelligence, highlighted the expanded business program at this year ’s annual management and educational conference of the Textile Care Allied Trades Association.

Continuing a trend that began in 2004, attendance at the conference was up again this year as the industry ’s allied trades people took the opportunity for multiple networking opportunities at the Bonita Springs, FL, venue.

The 2006 L. Frank Wright “Young Timer of the Year” Award was presented to Carol Memberg, publisher of National Clothesline. The “Young Timer” Award was established in 1964 to recognize the recipient’s total contribution to the association. In addition to her many years of TCATA membership, she also serves the industry as executive director of the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association and is on the board of the International Drycleaners Congress and the Fabricare Foundation.

New officers were also installed at the conference. Alex Atwater of A-1 Products, a distribution company in Birmingham, AL, assumed the presidency, taking over from retiring Bill Odorizzi of FH Bonn Co. He will serve a two-year term.

Atwater has served many years on the TCATA’s board of directors. He just completed a term as treasurer and served on the Executive Committee since 2001. He helped organize the 2005 Distributor Seminar at Clean ’05 and received “Young Timer of the Year” last year.

In remarks delivered at the final conference event, Atwater thanked Odorizzi for his service, in particular his leadership in implementing the association core mission plan.

Also elected were three vice presidents: Dwayne Gwaltney of M & B Hangers, representing the Supply Manufacturers Group; Rick Kelly of Pellerin-Milnor Corp., representing the Machinery Manufacturers Group; and Lawton Jones of Phenix Supply Co., representing the Distributors Group.

Steve Katz of Kay Industries, South Bend, IN, began a two-year term as secretary-treasurer.