Yukonda Esparragoza Jiménez – CEO – Lavandería Industrial Romeral 

For more than four decades, Lavandería Industrial Romeral has developed alongside the tourism and hospitality market in Gran Canaria. Since its foundation in 1980, the company has moved from a traditional service model towards an increasingly automated and digitalized industrial organization. My focus today is on continuing that transformation while maintaining the quality, reliability and continuity that customers expect from professional textile care. 

The market is becoming more demanding. Customers want consistent quality, quick responses and greater transparency about the service they receive. In a tourism-driven region such as the Canary Islands, flexibility is especially important because demand can fluctuate strongly. At the same time, customers increasingly expect information about textiles, processes, delivery times and, progressively, resource consumption and environmental impact. Traceability, therefore, is becoming part of the service itself. 

For PTC companies, the challenge is to combine efficiency, adaptability, sustainability and technological innovation. Well-controlled processes and reliable information are essential. Production, maintenance, quality, traceability and resource management should increasingly work together rather than as separate activities. Technology can support this integration, but people remain central. Training, engagement and a culture of continuous improvement are what turn innovation into better performance and better service. 

Sustainability is also closely connected to operational efficiency. In an industrial laundry, better use of water, energy and other resources can directly reduce costs while improving environmental performance. At Romeral, we continue to optimize washing processes, modernize machinery and increase monitoring of resource consumption. Looking ahead, energy efficiency, resource recovery and reuse, renewable energy, emission reduction and circular-economy principles will become increasingly important. The objective is to advance in these areas while maintaining the right balance between sustainability, quality and productivity. 

Technological innovation will be one of the main drivers of the industry’s next phase. We have already moved from mainly administrative digital tools towards greater integration with operations through ERP systems, RFID traceability, CMMS/GMAO systems, production data capture and monitoring of resource consumption. Artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, IoT, automation and progressive integration with SCADA systems can help the industry move from reactive management towards more predictive models. This can improve maintenance, detect deviations earlier, optimize resources and support faster, more accurate decision-making. 

I also believe there will continue to be opportunities for small and medium-sized PTC companies. Larger organizations may benefit from scale and investment capacity, but smaller companies can compete through specialization, customer proximity, flexibility and faster decision-making. Success will depend on professional management, intelligent investment, cost control and partnerships where these add value. 

The long-term opportunity for Professional Textile Care is to show more clearly what professional service offers compared with domestic washing: consistent quality, hygiene, specialization, efficiency and optimized use of water and energy. The industry must move beyond the message that we simply “wash textiles” and demonstrate the added value of a professional, sustainable and convenient service. Associations can support this transition by sharing best practices, promoting training and standards, and connecting companies, manufacturers, specialists and knowledge centres internationally. 

My key message is to preserve the experience and knowledge built over many years while remaining willing to evolve. The future of PTC will be created by combining people, technology, sustainability and collaboration. If we maintain that balance, we can build a more efficient, responsible and customer-oriented industry for future generations.