Inspiring YEP Kick-Off Session on Sustainability: Participants From 16 countries

Ophemert (NL), July 14th. Knowledge-sharing, learning, inspiring, teamwork with like-minded entrepreneurs for new business models and new opportunities driven by sustainability. These were the coordinates of  the extraordinary dynamic between the YEPs (Young Executives in Professional Textile Care) during the Kick-Off meeting of the 2021-2022 program organized by CINET.

The main topics raised during the video-session involving participants from all over the world involved in both Retail Textile Cleaing (B-to-C) and Industrial Textile Services (B-to-B) addressed areas such as:  Sustainable Textile Cleaning (PTC vs Domestic), Intensifying Textile Use, Circular Textiles (Recycling), Logistics, etc.

 

Focus on sustainable growth!

The pandemic augmented consumer trend towards convenience. Therefore, digitization & innovation became drivers for new market opportunities through huge increase of online business. New markets, new services and new business models must be approached for increasing PTC revenues. This was message in the introduction of the YEP and the YEP program delivered by Peter Wennekes (CEO of CINET). The YEP Advisory Committe members Maurits Tiethoff (Owner & Founder of Dobbi NL) and Leon Wennekes (Owner TextileCare Research) underlined YEP’s goals, presenting their backgrounds and involvement in the sustainability sector-related activities.

The participants registered for the Kick-Off session introduced themselves, their companies involvement/track record and their vision on PTC and on the role of sustainability for new business models, new markets and new opportunities.

Focus on 3 Areas of Sustainability

The next segment was dedicateded on the main 3 areas of sustainability applicable for PTC :

  • Sustainable Textile Cleaning (PTC vs Domestic), by Leon Wennekes. The key question raised by Leon in his presentation was “How can textile care entrepreneurs use sustainability to increase the market share of PTC?”
  • Intensifying Textile Use, by Maurits Tiethoff.
  • Circular Textiles (Recycling), by Peter Wennekes

 

The technical aspects of the sustainability in PTC were addressed by Dr. Ir. Henk Gooijer (Technical Manager of Textile Care Knowledge Institute – TKT), who introduced the relevant available cleaning technologies to develop new products and services from a perspective of Retail Textile Cleaning and Industrial Textile Services.

At the end of the session, Peter Wennekes presented the next steps in the YEP program and the coming sessions up to Texcare International (Frankfurt, Nov 28), CLEAN SHOW USA (July 2022) and ExpoDetergo (Milan, Italy, October 2022).